Oh my goodness.. So I splurged a bit here. I was looking into the Focal Elegia, but after watching and reading a lot of reviews & comments, I was really getting drawn towards the Radiance. I decided to just jump on it. The package arrived yesterday (Monday). I had FedEx put a hold on it, due to my work schedule. I was certain they’d roll by while I was gone & I wasn’t going to risk them leaving it at the door. “Contactless Signature”. So I get the alert in the morning, it was at their facility. I run over there, get the box, some breakfast, and head back home. This was one heck of a presentation. Apple is known for their presentation - but you might as well be pulling an iPhone out of a bag of McDonalds! Focal really outdid themselves!
So right off the bat, I gave them a quick test run with the FiiO M11 and I’m already happy and they’ll only get better with time. I let them burn in for several hours last night and did some more listening. Oh man, these are absolutely my speed! I really go back and forth on how much I love ‘bass’ in my music. I -love- the Sundara’s. They’re excellent, but once in a while I want more bass. I have the V-Moda’s for that, but then sometimes the singers come off like their singing thru a toilet paper roll, into the mic. Honestly tho, going from the V-Moda’s, with some crushing bass, to the Sundara’s, and it only takes a few minutes before I’m perfectly happy with their bass.
I’m no audiophile, but I’m absolutely an audio nerd. With that said, I’m not very analytical of music, but I absolutely require the music i listen to, to ’sound good’. It’s always so pleasantly surprising when you hear something new in music you’ve listened to your whole life. Or just things you don’t hear when you’re in your car, or bluetooth earbuds. Something I have come to really recognize and appreciate, is how music from, oh probably the 60s-90s, was recorded to be enjoyed, more than just listened to. Or at least, that’s how I perceive it. Sure music recorded today can use super high quality gear, hit machine-perfect timing, chords, etc. However, its almost like they expect you to listen to it over your TV speakers, or a cheap set of earbuds, so they don’t put that extra effort into it. Not all, but It seems like a LOT of newer music. Then you go back to something like “O-o-h Child” (as linked last night in the Zen DAC thread), Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Bowie, Hendrix, Zeplin, Skynyrd, (and on and on), and it seems like they were really put an effort into how the sound was going to image.… Anyways, I’m rambling! Let’s move along.
I am -really- enjoying these headphones. Like holy fricken crap. Maybe its because my other ‘most expensive’ set was the Sundara @ $350, and I’m just convincing myself to justify the price, but these are seriously my kinda headphones. I listened to all of the above, as well as some RHCP, Disturbed, and as it was pushing 3am, finishing the night off with some Five Finger Death Punch - White Knuckles & The Bleeding. It was getting a little boomy with FFDP, but I also had the “xbass” button on w/ my Zen CAN. These headphones really did great. This has gone on quite a bit for not being a review, and I’ve had to trim quite a bit of rambling lol. Anyhow, I just wanted to hop in and share some of what I’ve experienced with these!
So right off the bat, I gave them a quick test run with the FiiO M11 and I’m already happy and they’ll only get better with time. I let them burn in for several hours last night and did some more listening. Oh man, these are absolutely my speed! I really go back and forth on how much I love ‘bass’ in my music. I -love- the Sundara’s. They’re excellent, but once in a while I want more bass. I have the V-Moda’s for that, but then sometimes the singers come off like their singing thru a toilet paper roll, into the mic. Honestly tho, going from the V-Moda’s, with some crushing bass, to the Sundara’s, and it only takes a few minutes before I’m perfectly happy with their bass.
I’m no audiophile, but I’m absolutely an audio nerd. With that said, I’m not very analytical of music, but I absolutely require the music i listen to, to ’sound good’. It’s always so pleasantly surprising when you hear something new in music you’ve listened to your whole life. Or just things you don’t hear when you’re in your car, or bluetooth earbuds. Something I have come to really recognize and appreciate, is how music from, oh probably the 60s-90s, was recorded to be enjoyed, more than just listened to. Or at least, that’s how I perceive it. Sure music recorded today can use super high quality gear, hit machine-perfect timing, chords, etc. However, its almost like they expect you to listen to it over your TV speakers, or a cheap set of earbuds, so they don’t put that extra effort into it. Not all, but It seems like a LOT of newer music. Then you go back to something like “O-o-h Child” (as linked last night in the Zen DAC thread), Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Bowie, Hendrix, Zeplin, Skynyrd, (and on and on), and it seems like they were really put an effort into how the sound was going to image.… Anyways, I’m rambling! Let’s move along.
I am -really- enjoying these headphones. Like holy fricken crap. Maybe its because my other ‘most expensive’ set was the Sundara @ $350, and I’m just convincing myself to justify the price, but these are seriously my kinda headphones. I listened to all of the above, as well as some RHCP, Disturbed, and as it was pushing 3am, finishing the night off with some Five Finger Death Punch - White Knuckles & The Bleeding. It was getting a little boomy with FFDP, but I also had the “xbass” button on w/ my Zen CAN. These headphones really did great. This has gone on quite a bit for not being a review, and I’ve had to trim quite a bit of rambling lol. Anyhow, I just wanted to hop in and share some of what I’ve experienced with these!
