[Waddiewadkins]

I've seen Radiance said as brilliant.
Currawong mentions it as a reference to the new DCA E3.. take a look at his review of the E3.

 

[peterinvan]

I've seen Radiance said as brilliant.
Currawong mentions it as a reference to the new DCA E3.. take a look at his review of the E3.

When I auditioned the Radiance it sounded just like my Elegias with the Dekoni full sheepskin pads.

 

[Hypops]

I'm happy with elegia I just want something "better" and everyone seems to say that closed back is a compromise. I tried stellia and I was truly amazed btw

IMO everything in design is a compromise. It’s just a matter of deciding which compromises you’re okay with.

But it sounds like you’re just looking for different headphones, not necessarily a direct upgrade. And if that’s the case, then the world is your oyster. Take your pick!

 

[SecretAgent]

IMO everything in design is a compromise. It’s just a matter of deciding which compromises you’re okay with.

But it sounds like you’re just looking for different headphones, not necessarily a direct upgrade. And if that’s the case, then the world is your oyster. Take your pick!

That sounds awesome! What would be the drawback of open backs? I assumed those where objectively better soundwise

 

[samandhi]

That sounds awesome! What would be the drawback of open backs? I assumed those where objectively better soundwise

They are not "objectively" better sounding than closed backs, but "subjectively" better might be true because it depends if you like them better or not. I know that sounds pretty crypitc, but it is simply true. As for myself, I like both for different reasons. Open back headphones will almost always have better technicalities just because of their nature. There are exceptions to the rule though. For instance, the Elegia (closed back) have a bigger soundstage than the HD600 (open back)... It really comes down to what is important to you in the sound.

The major drawback of open backs is the sound leakage, both in and out. They are not really portable (though you CAN go out and about with them). It used to be that bass was another caveat, but with today's technology I have heard some with some serious bass. Beyond a certain price point, I don't think one is better than another per se'. It becomes a matter of if they come closest to your sound preferences or not. BUT... never judge whether a set will be good by its price. I have seen some trash at kilobuck+ prices, and some jewels at mid-tier prices.... Use your ears, not your wallet to judge how good/bad they are.

 

[SecretAgent]

They are not "objectively" better sounding than closed backs, but "subjectively" better might be true because it depends if you like them better or not. I know that sounds pretty crypitc, but it is simply true. As for myself, I like both for different reasons. Open back headphones will almost always have better technicalities just because of their nature. There are exceptions to the rule though. For instance, the Elegia (closed back) have a bigger soundstage than the HD600 (open back)... It really comes down to what is important to you in the sound.

The major drawback of open backs is the sound leakage, both in and out. They are not really portable (though you CAN go out and about with them). It used to be that bass was another caveat, but with today's technology I have heard some with some serious bass. Beyond a certain price point, I don't think one is better than another per se'. It becomes a matter of if they come closest to your sound preferences or not. BUT... never judge whether a set will be good by its price. I have seen some trash at kilobuck+ prices, and some jewels at mid-tier prices.... Use your ears, not your wallet to judge how good/bad they are.

Thank you very much for your help, I think that I have to stop watching reviews and go to my local hifi shop and try all hp available. I can try almost everything except zmf

 

[samandhi]

Thank you very much for your help, I think that I have to stop watching reviews and go to my local hifi shop and try all hp available. I can try almost everything except zmf

Lucky dawg!

 

[Hypops]

That sounds awesome! What would be the drawback of open backs? I assumed those where objectively better soundwise

There's (almost) no such thing as "objectively better" in audio. It's all about personal preference.

Many people just don't like closed backs. I really like them, but only with particular kinds of recordings and genres. I think of them as headphones for "basement" recordings (lo-fi music, garage bands, live recordings in small/reverberant venues, heavily distorted music, etc). What's funny is that many audiophiles regularly hold up live music as the benchmark against which they judge their gear. But for me, nothing sounds more like live music than closed backs: lots of unpredictable resonances, lots of phase/wave interactions, etc. Live music isn't neutral. It's peaky and resonant. That's closed back territory.

And, yes, closed backs also are great for listening in shared spaces when you don't want to disturb others, or when you don't want others disturbing you.

 

[SecretAgent]

There's (almost) no such thing as "objectively better" in audio. It's all about personal preference.

Many people just don't like closed backs. I really like them, but only with particular kinds of recordings and genres. I think of them as headphones for "basement" recordings (lo-fi music, garage bands, live recordings in small/reverberant venues, heavily distorted music, etc). What's funny is that many audiophiles regularly hold up live music as the benchmark against which they judge their gear. But for me, nothing sounds more like live music than closed backs: lots of unpredictable resonances, lots of phase/wave interactions, etc. Live music isn't neutral. It's peaky and resonant. That's closed back territory.

And, yes, closed backs also are great for listening in shared spaces when you don't want to disturb others, or when you don't want others disturbing you.

That's a very interesting approach, I think that maybe I've been mislead in regard of open or closed back headphones. Thank you very much for your insights on this

 

[peterinvan]

Can you attach a picture of your broken headband?

ELEGIA TO GRADO HEADBAND REPLACEMENT

After five years of normal usage my headband finally broke. I have a big head so they were stretched a bit each time I put them on/off.

Here is my mod to substitute a Chinese "Grado like" headband
This kit came with a good assortment of screws, nuts, and washers.

In the first image you see where the plastic bit is broken.
You need a T6 Torx screwdriver. The screws are very tight, so I had to sharpen my Torx bit a little to get a good grip.
Make note of the left & right parts.
The driver is loose in the cup... don't drop it
Use a needle-nose pliers to pull the little pins out of the Focal hinge
Discard the springs... they are not essential to the fit.
Use a Dremel to grind a flat spot on the inside of the hinge holes to accommodate the self locking nuts.
Note the Left & Right yokes on the new headband. I got it wrong on the first attempt.

Use tape to hold the yokes in place when inserting the screws. I used a flat washer against the yoke and a rubber grommet next to the cup.

Give the cups a good cleaning out with a blower or canned air before final assembly.

The end result reminds me of my old Grados. The cups swivel freely. I have a large head and use the lowest setting on the yoke pins. Smaller heads may need "nuggets" on the headband. The fit is comfortable and the improvement in clamp force has brought out the bass that was lost when the Focal headband broke.


the

 

[Hypops]

ELEGIA TO GRADO HEADBAND REPLACEMENT

Hi
Here is my mod to substitute a Chinese "Grado like" headband
This kit came with a good assortment of screws, nuts, and washers.

In the first image you see where the plastic bit is broken.
You need a T6 Torx screwdriver. The screws are very tight, so I had to sharpen my Torx bit a little to get a good grip.
Make note of the left & right parts.
The driver is loose in the cup... don't drop it
Use a needle-nose pliers to pull the little pins out of the Focal hinge
Discard the springs... they are not essential to the fit.
Use a Dremel to grind a flat spot on the inside of the hinge holes to accommodate the self locking nuts.
Note the Left & Right yokes on the new headband.

Use tape to hold the yokes in place when inserting the screws. I used a flat washer and a rubber grommet next to the cup.

The end result reminds me of my old Grados. The cups swivel freely. I have a large head and the lowest setting on the yoke pins. Smaller heads may need "nuggets" on the headband. The fit is comfortable and the improvement in clamp force has brought out the bass that was lost when the Focal headband broke.

Thankfully Focal replaced my headband (under warranty) so it wasn't an issue. But I'm on the constant lookout for replacements or substitutions for when/if it breaks outside of warranty, so good to know. I probably wouldn't go with a Grado-style band since I'm not a fan, but I imagine the same idea would apply to any yoke-style headband (ZMF, Audeze, etc).

 

[iftachl]

I am using them with roon and a convolution profile enabled.
Hope it is the proper way.

 

[Hypops]

I am using them with roon and a convolution profile enabled.
Hope it is the proper way.

If you like Roon and convolution filters, then yes.

 

[iftachl]

If you like Roon and convolution filters, then yes.

I really like Roon for its interface and ease of use. But without any filters I found the headphones sound a bit disappointing.

 

[Hypops]

I really like Roon for its interface and ease of use. But without any filters I found the headphones sound a bit disappointing.

For me, the Elegia are best with particular kinds of recordings (live, reverberant, busy, etc). While I have a few different EQ profiles I use with them, they can sound excellent without EQ if you crank up the volume to level out the treble.