[astroid]

Got these from Santa, initial thoughts were that they are solid, weighty and pretty good looking headphones. They fit me rather well, my ears are quite big, not noddy big but I can fit them inside the pads fine.
Not sure about the cable, it's literally a tale of two halves as the top half is straight but below the button it is holding it's curl. Hopefully will straighten over time.
Now the sound, initial thought was these are odd sounding, not bad odd but a 'never heard a signature like this odd', there's a thickness to the upper bass that would normally cause a recess in the vocals but on the listens it doesn't, the mids are up front and rather lovely Imo. The treble is inoffensive and has no sign of sibilance.
I tested the bass and it pumps out 20hz without issue.
So overall im happy with these so far, I still can't quite work out what it is in their sound that's so different from my other cans but I am going to do some comparisons to find out!

 

[Delance26]

Got these from Santa, initial thoughts were that they are solid, weighty and pretty good looking headphones. They fit me rather well, my ears are quite big, not noddy big but I can fit them inside the pads fine.
Not sure about the cable, it's literally a tale of two halves as the top half is straight but below the button it is holding it's curl. Hopefully will straighten over time.
Now the sound, initial thought was these are odd sounding, not bad odd but a 'never heard a signature like this odd', there's a thickness to the upper bass that would normally cause a recess in the vocals but on the listens it doesn't, the mids are up front and rather lovely Imo. The treble is inoffensive and has no sign of sibilance.
I tested the bass and it pumps out 20hz without issue.
So overall im happy with these so far, I still can't quite work out what it is in their sound that's so different from my other cans but I am going to do some comparisons to find out!

I found some similar results as well! It is certainly a unique headphone in the mobile department! I also agree with the vocals.  They somehow managed to get them to be upfront and center, without having the tuning sound thick and dull.  I was super impressed with these headphones when I first got them.
 
Side note: The cable will lose the coil in time and the ears pads break in which help increase comfort!

 

[astroid]

I hope I didn't come over as not liking these, I actually think Focal have created a very unique headphone. I listened to the Elear in the store where I bought them and they share great impact and speed and both manage to do so without sounding fast which would have killed these for me. I really want Focal to release a closed flagship!
I managed a few hours of listening today and I really like these, from Brian Jonestown to Norah Jones new record they didn't miss a step.

 

[astroid]

Vocals on these are stunning, well lit but soft when needed. Had Lorde hi-res playing and got lost for the whole album, so good.

 

[Delance26]

Vocals on these are stunning, well lit but soft when needed. Had Lorde hi-res playing and got lost for the whole album, so good.

Yes I agree, the vocals in these are certainly the strong point of this headphone!

 

[astroid]

The 'oddness' has now gone and these cans are really starting to shine. They have a relaxed, confidence about their delivery, no grain at all.
Comfort is better, pads have softened over time.
If you like analogue sounding cans with a balanced signature then these are a great choice.

 

[astroid]

These are much now officially my fav portables, MDR-100aap, MDR-1a, K551, Y50 and MDR-ZX700 all bettered by the Focal!
The delivery of vocals on these is so addictive, i keep spinning up records just to hear the voices, Diana Krall, Norah, Lorde, Laura Marking all sound sooo good, its like they are whispering right into your ears.
Negatives, comfort is fine for me but some dont like the headband, cable is ok but would prefer one without mic. Thats about it, not much really.
When i first opened these and listened i never thought i would like them this much, the signature is initially odd but it puts a wonderful spotlight on vocals and that worth the entry fee alone!

 

[menuki]

I'm glad so many of you are satisfied with the Focals. I had to send them back because the treble was really too much for my ears somehow. I guess i'm either treble sensitive or these have elevated treble. Also, i found the bass to be just a bit too soft on many modern tracks, maybe i'm just a bit of a mild basshead who knows. I can say for certain though that i miss the vocal presentation which is still hands down the best i've heard in any full-sized headphone up to date. : )  

 

[Delance26]

  These are much now officially my fav portables, MDR-100aap, MDR-1a, K551, Y50 and MDR-ZX700 all bettered by the Focal!
The delivery of vocals on these is so addictive, i keep spinning up records just to hear the voices, Diana Krall, Norah, Lorde, Laura Marking all sound sooo good, its like they are whispering right into your ears.
Negatives, comfort is fine for me but some dont like the headband, cable is ok but would prefer one without mic. Thats about it, not much really.
When i first opened these and listened i never thought i would like them this much, the signature is initially odd but it puts a wonderful spotlight on vocals and that worth the entry fee alone!

Thumbs-up I agree with pretty much everything.  I am always impressed at the quality of the sound from this portable headphone.  It also helps that these are clearly built to take a decent beating.  You can contort that headband as much as you want and it remains unscathed. 
 

  I'm glad so many of you are satisfied with the Focals. I had to send them back because the treble was really too much for my ears somehow. I guess i'm either treble sensitive or these have elevated treble. Also, i found the bass to be just a bit too soft on many modern tracks, maybe i'm just a bit of a mild basshead who knows. I can say for certain though that i miss the vocal presentation which is still hands down the best i've heard in any full-sized headphone up to date. : )  

 
They do have a slight treble peak and certainly do not have elevated bass.  You should try the Meze as they seem like they would suit your preferences well (rolled off treble and decent bass punch). 

 

[astroid]

  I'm glad so many of you are satisfied with the Focals. I had to send them back because the treble was really too much for my ears somehow. I guess i'm either treble sensitive or these have elevated treble. Also, i found the bass to be just a bit too soft on many modern tracks, maybe i'm just a bit of a mild basshead who knows. I can say for certain though that i miss the vocal presentation which is still hands down the best i've heard in any full-sized headphone up to date. : )  

 
I can only hear up to 15-16 kHz these days so any sibilant would be pass me by!  

 

[Gammon2004]

I really quite like the sound of mine - unfortunately I have huge ears, and the ear cups, while *monumentally* more comfortable than the Focal Spirit Pro pair I used to have, are still just a tad small for my ridiculous ears.  So I'm going to put mine on the classifieds - let me know if anyone on the thread is interested!
 
  James

 

[shuto77]

Has anyone found a decent aftermarket cable for these? The locking mechanism looks similar to the Sennheiser Momentum's. I have a Sennheiser hd598cs, and its cable doesn't fit.

So, if anyone here has a Momentum, please let me know if that cable works. I imagine it'll be easier to track down a long Momentum cable.

 

[Beagle]

Vocals on these are stunning, well lit but soft when needed. Had Lorde hi-res playing and got lost for the whole album, so good.

 
I got these last week and fully agree about the vocals and midrange in general. It is smooth, uncolored, open and detailed. In fact, this is one of the most even sounding headphones I've heard. No treble harshness, no midrange oddities, no boomy or bloated bass.
 
Quote:

   
I can only hear up to 15-16 kHz these days so any sibilant would be pass me by!  

 
Sibilance problem is usually a spike in in the 8-10kHz area. And I hear not a hint of a problem in the LISTEN.

 

[Light - Man]

Thanks guys for all your impressions! 

 
Can anyone compare these to the Yamaha HPH-MT220 or the newer version M8?
 
How are the Listen with fast dynamic music, EDM and classical?
 
Has anyone tried any of the Brainwavz replacement pads yet?

 

[menuki]

Owned the MT220, so from memory, the bass is a lot stronger on the MT220 but it is more floppy as opposed to the pretty tight bass on the Focal Listen. The highs were, to me, on both headphones too much but they were a bit peaky in the MT220 and pretty even on the Focal Listen... YMMV. : )