[ZekeAdebayo]

Trying to make a little sense of this. The current amp/dac pairing I have for my Stellia is a Gustard Dac X12 and Gustard H10 amp. Yesterday I had a chance to listen to my Stellias via the Focal Arch using the Stellia & Hybrid preset on High and Low gain only to realize the Gustard sounded just as clean (if not cleaner) with more power to spare from a drivablity aspect. Comparing the two back to back honestly made me question why the Arch is even priced at around the $1000 price point let alone $2500 which sounds overpriced for what it is tbh. My findings can't possibly be outlandish can it? I might end up getting the Arch anyways because the Gustard stuff was already on its way to being sold.

 

[Strayngs]

Which headphone is that? A Kennerton?

Yes Kennerton Wodan

 

[John Blackshear]

Both of these arrived today. Will be an epic night of listening.

I know the Stellia, but what are the other cans?

 

[arielext]

I know the Stellia, but what are the other cans?

see previous comment

Yes Kennerton Wodan

 

[NCUS]

Trying to make a little sense of this. The current amp/dac pairing I have for my Stellia is a Gustard Dac X12 and Gustard H10 amp. Yesterday I had a chance to listen to my Stellias via the Focal Arch using the Stellia & Hybrid preset on High and Low gain only to realize the Gustard sounded just as clean (if not cleaner) with more power to spare from a drivablity aspect. Comparing the two back to back honestly made me question why the Arch is even priced at around the $1000 price point let alone $2500 which sounds overpriced for what it is tbh. My findings can't possibly be outlandish can it? I might end up getting the Arch anyways because the Gustard stuff was already on its way to being sold.

I have an Arche. I have noticed that the voltage setting seems to output the most volume, followed closely by hybrid. You can try using that setting, as it may add some crispness to the sound. I tend to run the volume at 30 or less in low gain, and the Arche has plenty of headroom for me, but different people have different requirements.

 

[rangerid]

just got my Stellia today, what's the approx burn in time for these?

 

[478227]

just got my Stellia today, what's the approx burn in time for these?

About 100 hours

 

[Facta]

.

 

[liujun050612]

Really enjoyed my stellia since March. Almost use everyday since I got them. Everything is good but the cable. The stock cable is good, but it is too stiff and clumsy. It is finally be the problem this week. After connected this time, the right ear piece was muted. Switched to balanced cable and worked fine. The cable inside the fabric coating beside the connector got bended and losen everytime after listening and put it in the case, the connection is not stable now. Does anybody know which cable is a better replacement? Thank you.

 

[04gto]

Really enjoyed my stellia since March. Almost use everyday since I got them. Everything is good but the cable. The stock cable is good, but it is too stiff and clumsy. It is finally be the problem this week. After connected this time, the right ear piece was muted. Switched to balanced cable and worked fine. The cable inside the fabric coating beside the connector got bended and losen everytime after listening and put it in the case, the connection is not stable now. Does anybody know which cable is a better replacement? Thank you.

I use cables from LQI cables. Top quality materials. They feel and look luxurious. You really feel like you are getting your moneys worth. You custom order them by length , termination, connector and colors. They are hand made here in the USA. I have them for my Stellia and my HD800S. The best part is when you order them, they come very fast. Even though they are made to order I have received them in 6 or 7 days after placing the order each time.

 

[deafenears]

Does anybody know which cable is a better replacement?

Norne Audio, Double Helix, Toxic, Arctic.

 

[bmn1251]

Really like my verite c but was curious about the stellia. Anyone owned both and could give me a comparison? Thanks!

 

[Roasty]

Really like my verite c but was curious about the stellia. Anyone owned both and could give me a comparison? Thanks!

I had two VC, sold both, and then got the Stellia. VC were monkeypod and leopardwood.

To me, Stellia sounded least closed, and bested the VC in transparency, highs and bass (impact and amount). The VC bested the Stellia in the mids thickness/lusciousness/sweetness, and bass detail and bass texture. VC soundstage is also better in terms or expanse and placement.

VC monkeypod had a strong reverb which I really disliked. Leopardwood reverb was extemely minimal, close to zero. Stellia has zero reverb sensation.

Stellia is more comfortable, lighter, airier, and has a better overall package and premium feel. I can listen with Stellia for hours. With VC, pads felt hot fast and clamp was quite strong for me.

*edit

The Stellia is also better with speed and micro detail. Stellia build and materials used are top notch and consistent. ZMF items are custom hand made, so the expectation has to be different in that there will be small/minor blemishes, uneven seams etc but when I did own the VC, I felt they were a work of art with heart and soul poured into it.

 

[Staxaphone]

Just got the Stellia yesterday. Even without much burnin they sound great. I’ve had the Utopia since early this year and love them for classical in quiet environments. But I finally bought a DAP for listening on my deck where the open backed Utopia leak too many extraneous sounds which annoys me.

But I am confused on the “balanced” potential of the Stellia. As mentioned in this thread and as I see on the supplied cables, the Stellia connectors both have only a signal and ground connection on the post. Does this mean that the Stellia is not internally wired to run in a true balanced signal mode? In other words, if I buy a trss balanced cable with a headphone connector that has a post with ground plus dual signal connections, will the internal female jack on the Stellia connect with ground plus dual signal? Or just ground and a combined single signal in a non-balanced configuration.

Maybe I have this wrong and don’t really understand the the purpose of a balanced headphone cable. But I sure would appreciate someone who does explaining this in a simple and understandable way (i.e. can the Stellia be run balanced with a proper cable). Thanks.

 

[arielext]

in a single ended situation the ground is the same for both left and right. any headphone that use entries for left and right separately can be balanced.
Some headphones like for example Beyerdynamic DT1990 have a single cable entering on the left where it is split internally to left and right signals. In those cases it depends on the headphones if they can be run balanced (in case of the DT1990: no).