[Aerathion]

Would someone who's favourite headphone is the Focal Spirit Professional enjoy these?
Any other recommendations in the price range?

 

[oknidius]

I didn't.
Based on the Spirit Pro, I had relatively high hopes for the Sphear. The Sphear for me doesn't do it. It doesn't sound anywhere near the Spirit line. I find the Sphear much brighter than the Spirit Pro and I find the Sphear sounds hollow somehow. Everything's there. And it sounds pretty good, but then so do many Sony and AKG earphones at half the price. I got my Sphear heavily discounted so don't regret it, but no I don't think they're anywhere near the FSP.

In that price range... Not sure. To my ears the Beoplay H3 sounds closer to the Spirit Pro, the H3 are the same MSRP (199$), are more comfortable for me (although you can wear the Sphear up or down), the H3 feel sturdier/better built than the Sphear and sound fuller. Both are very versatile and sound good with different source recordings or players. But the Sphear is missing something. The H3 seems to have it. Whatever "it" is.

 

[dweaver]

I contacted Focal about reviewing the Sphear and they are sending me a pair to trial. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against the other $200 or less IEMs I have on hand as well as by themselves.

 

[dweaver]

So the loaner pair of Sphear arrived today and I am damned impressed with their sound, fit, and comfort. I posted the following impressions in the Discovery thread.

I am not hearing these as to bright at all and I am pretty darned sensitive to bright so wonder if seal is an issue. I started using the silicone tips and had issues getting a good deal and consequently the sound was brighter. But with the right foam tips I achieved an amazing seal that was very comfortable and then these just sounded, right...

As I mention in the other post I need to let these settle over a few days of use and burn in to know what they will ultimately sound like but so far I am very impressed.

 

[dweaver]

OK, well I have been using these for a week and my initial feelings have not changed much. There was change in the signature during the first day and then these have settle down into a wonderfully balanced signature. I will start writing up a review on these over the next couple of days but think it is safe to say they will be getting a good score sonically speaking.
 
There are some gotcha's with them though which depending on a persons needs will either make or break them for some. The biggest gotcha is these are a true shallow insertion IEM, unless a person is willing to use double or triple flange tips on these they are not going to ever go into your ear deeply. This means for some who need a deep seal to have an earphone seal in their ear properly the Sphear may not sound as they are meant to be heard and will likely be tinny and bright sounding. The good news is the included foam tips do an excellent job helping to seal in the ear, add isolation, and are the most comfortable foam tip I have used. I actually like them more than comply by a bit. The other good news for me is they also work wonderfully with Sony hybrid tips which is an easier tip for me to use and just slightly more comfortable than the foam tips. I think I get a slightly better seal with the foam but prefer the smidge extra comfort and ease of use of the sony tips and I get just about as good a seal which actually makes the Sony ever so slightly more balanced.
 
Speaking of balance, after the first night of use the bass settled down to the point of almost being to weak for me (I am a lover of the Sony XBA-Z5/Z7 and other bassy headphones after all). But while I miss the added sub bass of my Z5 I have to admit these are much more balanced sounding and not in a bad/boring fashion either! They do have slightly north of neutral bass and the midrange is detailed, slightly warmish and allow singers like Patricia Barber to sound at their articulate best. The treble then just carries on the same way as the midrange. Based on what I just typed it would be easy to suggest these as being mid/treble centric and in a sense they are but I think they are more balanced than most mid-treble centrix IEM and headphones I would normally describe in that fashion. They are not as bright or mid-centric as the UE900 for example nor the Etymotic HF series nor are they like an AKG K712 as they do have  a bit more warmth in the midrange.
 
I have done some initial comparisons to the new KEF M100 and the M100 is much thicker sounding in the midrange and not nearly as articulate (M400 is a different story though having a somewhat similar signature to the Sphear). Having used both side by side I much prefer the balance of the Sphear over the M100 and appreciate it's larger sound stage, imaging, and detail in all areas. Having said that, the Sphear needs to be used in quieter surroundings to appreciate it fully as the shallow fit and the grill system on the shell make it more susceptible to ambient noise and also wind outside. The M100 on the other hand a great commuter busy street IEM as it blocks out noise better. But aside from the train and walking in the winds of southern Alberta I would give up the isolation for the sound I get when sitting at my desk in the office.
 
I was thinking of possibly getting the BE version of the GR07 but having tested these for the past week I will pass on the BE and likely buy a pair of the Sphear instead. I also have a pair of AKG N20 coming in though so will see how they sound in comparison (hopefully I will still have the Sphear on hand at that point to A/B test).
 
All in all though, the Sphear should be getting more attention by Head-fi members in my opinion. It is definitely one of the better sounding IEM's I have tried recently.
 
BTW for those interested here is a picture of theshell up close to show the fancy grill behind the logo.
 

 

[dweaver]

The more I use this IEM the more I like it. In some ways it reminds me of the old Sennheiser IE8 in regards to imaging and sound stage. Fortunately it doesn't have any of the mid-bass, midrange veil, or tinny treble issues of the IE8.

 

[dweaver]

I have been using the Sphear and the new AKG N20 over the past week and both are extremely impressive IEMs. The N20 is perfect for those who like an upper midrange/Treble centric sound as they are very much the AKG house sound. The Sphear on the other hand offers a similar level of treble but with a more balanced midrange that is slightly warm. I have say while I like both and and think they have a similar technical proficiency I do prefer the Sphear from a sonic perspective. It is just a bit more well rounded and offers a larger sound stage. Neither are particularly good for isolation so are only good for light noise environments but both have good microphonics with the Sphear edging out the N20. The N20 offers the ability to control volume on both iPhone and Android devices versus just the single button design on the Sphear. But for me I would give up the volume controls for the signature of the Sphear.

I will be working on a review of the Sphear then the N20 over the next week or 2. I am also going to try my hand at doing a video review as well.

 

[dweaver]

My apologies for not getting a review of this IEM out yet. A death in my immediate family has put everything on hold for a bit.
 
I have to say though, I am using the Focal Sphear a lot as it really is one heck of a nice IEM. It will be getting a very good review and deservedly so as it has one of the nicest signatures I have heard in an IEM for quite a while and it's an audiophile type signature to boot. While it has slightly north of neutral bass it has great mids, treble, dynamics, and an above average sound stage with no weaknesses sonically.
 
The only real things to be considered negative in my opinion are average isolation, non-detachable cables, and a shallow fit system. The thing is none of these are negatives unless they are important to the potential buyer. In all 3 cases I can live with or even prefer them over their alternative. Having owned many detachable cable IEM's I have grown to distrust many of them as the connection point is often a bigger failure point than the cable. I do prefer shallow IEM's and lower isolation usually results in a larger sound stage and less microphonics and cable noise.

 

[tlau1125]

Just auditioned three very different earphones, the momentum in ear, the Sphear, and the m4u 4 at the headphone bar during the weekend. My goal was to get one that's relatively balanced and natural sounding. For example, the other two earphones I currently have are either, for me, too V shaped (JVC FRD-60) or too mid centric (Aurisonic Rockets). It would also be nice if it sounds not too different from the OPPO PM3.

The momentum was nice but to me it is like a better and more refined FRD-60. The m4u 4 was very clean sounding overall with clear high and bass, but vocals, while again clear and distortion free,somehow sounded a bit cooler than I am used to.

By now you might have already figured out that I came out with the Sphear. The bass is slightly lifted but not over done. The vocals have the warmth that I am used to on the PM3 while not lacking bite. The treble is not as clear sounding as the m4u 4 but still quite present and natural sounding. Its major shortcoming is the relatively weak sound isolation, but this might have contributed to the spaciousness that I hear.

The ability to audition them together in one place greatly helped my purchase. If you are in Vancouver, the headphone bar is definitely worth checking out.

At this moment (honeymoon period so I am biased ), I would say that except for the lack of isolation, the Sphear is the most satisfying in-ear phone that I've owned so far (klipsh s2m, phonak audeo pfe122, thinksound ts02, Jvc frd60, klipsh x7i, Aurisonic rockets, focal Sphear).

 

[tlau1125]

After owning the Sphear for about two weeks, my overall impression of its sound has not changed much.  The only other minor shortcoming I am now more aware of is some grittiness of the treble that makes instruments like cymbal sound less distinct and clean.  It also masks some of the spatial cues in some recordings.  Otherwise, I enjoy the sound signature and realistic timbre of voice and most acoustic instruments.
 
Ergonomic-wise, it is comfortable to wear, and stay on my ears, unlike the Jvc frd60 and the klipsch x7i that tend to lose seal or fall out when I do not use the supplied shirt clip.

 

[tlau1125]

Took it out for the first time to take public transit (bus, subway) and stroll in downtown. Confirmed the isolation is weak compared the other earphones I own. Have to turn up the volume quite a bit. Works well on quieter neighbourhood though and sufficient to block out distant lawnmower

The carrying case, though small, is very well designed to minimize the chance of the zipper "cutting" the cord. The angled jack makes plugging and unplugging easy.

 

[canali]

focal is certainly making a name for themselves esp with the headphones.
 
hopefully the sphear is an area they'll just continue to improve upon.
 
Tyll from Innerfidelity, while at the latest rocky mtn fest, lamented the lack of progress
made with iems vs cans:
 
''Day two in the big top. Man there's a lot of IEM makers in here. Maybe it's because the barriers
to entry are low, but I sure wouldn't want to be in that business...the competition is fierce.
Worse, each manufacturer has numerous products in the line, oft times touting a different tuning
for each product. Headphones have gotten a lot better over the last few years, but I don't see
the same progress on the in-ear side...or not as much anyway. Too many bright IEMs, it seems to me.
I want to see someone who has a line that's nicely tuned throughout...and guess what,
I did find a company with such a line. We'll get to that down the page.''
 
(he's referring, i believe, to the Radius line...more info in link below.)
Read more at http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/canjam-rmaf2016-day-2#zFjFbh5PKSbwPiRg.99

 

[Roscoeiii]

  focal is certainly making a name for themselves esp with the headphones.
 
hopefully the sphear is an area they'll just continue to improve upon.
 
Tyll from Innerfidelity, while at the latest rocky mtn fest, lamented the lack of progress
made with iems vs cans:
 
''Day two in the big top. Man there's a lot of IEM makers in here. Maybe it's because the barriers
to entry are low, but I sure wouldn't want to be in that business...the competition is fierce.
Worse, each manufacturer has numerous products in the line, oft times touting a different tuning
for each product. Headphones have gotten a lot better over the last few years, but I don't see
the same progress on the in-ear side...or not as much anyway. Too many bright IEMs, it seems to me.
I want to see someone who has a line that's nicely tuned throughout...and guess what,
I did find a company with such a line. We'll get to that down the page.''
 
(he's referring, i believe, to the Radius line...more info in link below.)
Read more at http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/canjam-rmaf2016-day-2#zFjFbh5PKSbwPiRg.99

I was surprised by this comment of his, especially in light of the KSE1500 electrostatic IEM and the Audeze efforts to create planar IEMs. 

 

[canali]

  I was surprised by this comment of his, especially in light of the KSE1500 electrostatic IEM and the Audeze efforts to create planar IEMs. 

maybe it's the ratio of advancements made in cans vs iems....you could also forward your thought to him in the thread of comments following that article.

 

[Roscoeiii]

  maybe it's the ratio of advancements made in cans vs iems....you could also forward your thought to him in the thread of comments following that article.

Yup, I've mentioned the KSE1500 in a comment on that article.