full dp
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2013
- Posts
- 54
- Likes
- 10
wow the new focal spirit one professional are now available! i hope somebody could make some impressions or reviews on this.
Focal Spirit One Headphones
- Thread starter RAFA
- Start date
Beagle
His body's not a canvas, and he wasn't raised by apes.
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Posts
- 9,196
- Likes
- 3,476
Is the "Professional" just a black Spirit One with a coiled cable?
Could question, I would expect them to announce the Classic version soon, but now this?
Cristello
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2012
- Posts
- 216
- Likes
- 15
[...] I do hope Focal starts to push higher towards that "utopia" series 'phone we are all waiting for. (at some point)
Additionally, the inclusion of both the 1m phone cable AND a longer coiled cable (with the coil high up on the cable [!!!]) is a big win for me. I was starting to get sick of all the phones that just use bulky adaptors... Now, with both cables, I can leave the phone cable in my bag and the coiled plugged in my studio equipment at home.
P.S. ~ I really wonder what that odd coating texture feels like in hand:
Additionally, the inclusion of both the 1m phone cable AND a longer coiled cable (with the coil high up on the cable [!!!]) is a big win for me. I was starting to get sick of all the phones that just use bulky adaptors... Now, with both cables, I can leave the phone cable in my bag and the coiled plugged in my studio equipment at home.
P.S. ~ I really wonder what that odd coating texture feels like in hand:
ProtegeManiac
Headphoneus Supremus
Love the finish on this. One reason why I'm apprehensive on getting the original Spirit One and the K550 (and even if I could afford it, the Ed.8) is that I feel like I'll just hate myself for scratching them up. The textured plastic on this looks like it can take getting tossed around without getting scratched or chipped (barring really bad impact of course).
Cristello
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2012
- Posts
- 216
- Likes
- 15
Hi!
It's not - there's quite a few differences :
- Bigger cups (around the ear)
- Memory foam cups and headband
- Textured paint (very difficult to scratch - more durable)
- comes with 2 cables (long coiled one and short 'in-line mic' one)
- very different voicing - very close to the Pro monitors - flatter than Spirit One, especially in mid-bass, and more detailed and open than 'One'
feel free to ask any questions!
Cheers,
Simon Cote
North American Sales Manager
Hi!
The textured paint looks a like like PA system paint so yes -it's very very durable - obviously in recording studios, they will get used a lot and tossed around quite a bit so we wanted something durable more than 'fashionable'
Simon Cote
North American Sales Manager
Cristello
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2012
- Posts
- 216
- Likes
- 15
Would you consider the coating "rubberized", or is it still a slick texture (aside from the bumps)? In other words, does the exterior have a non-slip style of finish?
The coating is still 'slick' aside from the bumps - so it's not rubberized no.
still - because of the bumps - it does not feel 'slippery'
Simon Cote
National Sales Manager
wrightanswer@ear
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2005
- Posts
- 70
- Likes
- 11
Why all the talk about whether it's slippery? Some mention of the sound characteristics would be more pertinent. We always hear that pro phones are "flat" but I've never heard two that sound the same.
Where do these fit into the scheme of things, sound-wise, in comparison to the voicings of, say, the Shure SRH940, the Beyer DT880 Pro, the HD600 etc? They all tell us they are flat too but no-one would say they sound remotely similar. What is Focal's differentiator? Comparing it to the sound of a non-pro phone like the "One" isn't very useful because the targeted pro buyers of this phone will probably have had no interest in the One and have never heard it. Better to give a comparison with other pro phones.
Also, are the ear pads AND the headband pad readily replaceable?
Where do these fit into the scheme of things, sound-wise, in comparison to the voicings of, say, the Shure SRH940, the Beyer DT880 Pro, the HD600 etc? They all tell us they are flat too but no-one would say they sound remotely similar. What is Focal's differentiator? Comparing it to the sound of a non-pro phone like the "One" isn't very useful because the targeted pro buyers of this phone will probably have had no interest in the One and have never heard it. Better to give a comparison with other pro phones.
Also, are the ear pads AND the headband pad readily replaceable?
Someone asked what was the finish like, and if it was rubberized, textured, how it felt - I think it's a fair question and one that didn't take long to answer
Flat is still very subjective - most pro monitors, like pro headphone, claim they are flat. fact and the matter is, 1- we all hear different and have different opinions on what 'flat' is and 2- there's a LOT of other factors that impact the overall perceived 'flatness' of sound other than the mere frequency response.
With that said - describing the sound compared to other pro headphones is also very subjective - so I can give you 'my' interpretation from recent comparisons with other headphones
If it helps at all or mean anything, even though the Spirit Pro is sealed - it does sound more like open headphones than any other sealed I heard so far.
I did listen the 3 headphones you mentionned last week in a training
SRH940 : it seems like the 940 has a big peak somewhere in the high-end and over-pronounced the 'S' on a lot of vocals that I know don't need de-essing (using tracks I know and was there during the recording and mixing process) also - to me, seems the 940 missed some sub-frequencies (below 80 or so)
HD650 (I didn't get to hear the 600 recently) : the Spirit Pro has definitively better bass definition and punch than the 650
Beyer DT880 : very good headphones and overall response is the closest to the Spirit Pro that I heard amongst a lot of headphones. However, Spirit Pro is sealed and a lot easier to drive, is a tad more dynamic and detailed in the high-end, and has detachable cables, and is more compact (if that matters)
Hope this helps a bit!
Simon Cote
National Sales Manager
wrightanswer@ear
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2005
- Posts
- 70
- Likes
- 11
Yes, it does help. Thank you.
The mention of openness and good bass definition and punch sounds promising.
On the other hand, I had a DT880 pro for a period of time but found the highs somewhat harsh for my liking. I think that observation is shared by many others according to reviews I've read. Of course, that is more of a concern for those who also use the phones when listening for pleasure rather than just those at work in the studio, but I'd be pleased if the Focal pros were smoother up top than the DT880s.
I found the lean mids of the DT880s probably led to the perception of the highs (and lows) being accented.
Also... how well do you think the latest version of the Apogee Duet (32 Ohm output impedance) will drive the Focal Pro?
The mention of openness and good bass definition and punch sounds promising.
On the other hand, I had a DT880 pro for a period of time but found the highs somewhat harsh for my liking. I think that observation is shared by many others according to reviews I've read. Of course, that is more of a concern for those who also use the phones when listening for pleasure rather than just those at work in the studio, but I'd be pleased if the Focal pros were smoother up top than the DT880s.
I found the lean mids of the DT880s probably led to the perception of the highs (and lows) being accented.
Also... how well do you think the latest version of the Apogee Duet (32 Ohm output impedance) will drive the Focal Pro?
It's hard to comment more on the DT880 vs Spirit Pro highs without further listening, but the Spirit Pro is definitely not 'warm' or 'sweet' in the high-end - it's studio-monitor-detailed to reveal any mixing mistakes.
You'll have to compare them yourself and if you - please let me know what you think!
Simon Cote
National Sales Manager
Beagle
His body's not a canvas, and he wasn't raised by apes.
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Posts
- 9,196
- Likes
- 3,476
Thank you for the clarification. I am officially in
BTW, when will the Professional model be available? I live in Canada.
Users who are viewing this thread
