[reddog]

Looking forward to more impressions. Although at $4k there might be fewer impressions than on the $1k Elear. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

 

[TSAVJason]

Looking forward to more impressions. Although at $4k there might be fewer impressions than on the $1k Elear. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

I think because Focal is reissuing the Utopia & Elear it's more likely you'll see impressions after we start shipping again at the end of next week. Have a great 4th and be sure the BBQ is cooked to taste!!

 

[rgs9200m]

deleted (mistake)

 

[rgs9200m]

By the way, I enjoy reading Jason's info and comments on the Focal headphones. He clearly identifies himself as a dealership, so all is well and aboveboard, and any new information about a freshly released product is welcome and useful in my book.
(This is especially so since there is little to no information elsewhere, and the Utopia is an intriguing new headphone, to say the least.)
So thanks to Jason and please keep posting.

 

[paradoxper]

Tbh, i've seen these claims for years and let say that they've come and gone... Future will tell
Arnaud

BAH. The Ether E is suppose to be IT. But we all know, really, maybe, Ether E 1.5 or 2.0 or 3.0, right. 

 

[Allanmarcus]

Well, I read some first impressions from folks that live near the source AV and these friends were very impressed. Trust when I say they went in very skeptical and came out saying the utopia and Elear are the real deal. These are very experienced headphone dudes.

That said, lots of comparisons between the Elear and the hd650. Lots of discussion about how the Elears might be end game cans for hd650 lovers. Interesting.

I hear a shipment is on its way from France, so we should be getting more impressions later this month.

 

[up late]

saw those too. the elear was praised in particular. it's promising to see such positive impressions from folks whose opinions i respect.

 

[DivineCurrent]

New frequency response graph and measurements of the Elear up at Innerfidelity.com:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalElear.pdf

 

[coletrain104]

New frequency response graph and measurements of the Elear up at Innerfidelity.com:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalElear.pdf

wow, those look great. A lot of people like the dip around 4k, and the bass and mids, as well as square waves look fantastic. I would probably be more enthused if it was more even from 4k up, but I get the feeling that a lot of people will like this. Also good to see the bass isn't blown out of proportion, as a lot of reviews said that they added a very good sense of dynamics, which can happen a lot with bass and treble-boosted headphones. I can't wait to hear these now

 

[TSAVJason]

wow, those look great. A lot of people like the dip around 4k, and the bass and mids, as well as square waves look fantastic. I would probably be more enthused if it was more even from 4k up, but I get the feeling that a lot of people will like this. Also good to see the bass isn't blown out of proportion, as a lot of reviews said that they added a very good sense of dynamics, which can happen a lot with bass and treble-boosted headphones. I can't wait to hear these now

Both the Elear & Utopia are headphones you need to hear. Some of our visitors have said it took 2 visits to get it but once they got they agreed they are both great in their individual categories. There are lots of people that love the LCD4 and if I recall its down 35db at 4khz. So like I tell my clients, specs are a reference but they don't tell you how they sound. Whether you buy them or not, you should find a place to hear them and decide for yourself.

 

[Allanmarcus]

What is the implication of the huge spike in impedance in the bass region? I assume that means the amp has to be able to handle that, but I'm not sure what it means with respect tot he amp's ability to drive the headphones. 

 

[Sophonax]

  What is the implication of the huge spike in impedance in the bass region? I assume that means the amp has to be able to handle that, but I'm not sure what it means with respect tot he amp's ability to drive the headphones. 

 
That impedance peak is due to back EMF at the mechanical resonant frequency of the driver. All dynamic driver headphones will exhibit this resonant behavior, since the driver is basically a simple spring-mass-damper system. Just from watching Jude's video, I'm guessing that the Elear's impedance peak is relatively large due to low damping in the driver suspension compared to other headphones, and the peak is relatively low in frequency due to the driver suspension having relatively low spring force compared to the moving mass.
 
I don't think there's really any significant implication for the amplifier. Damping factor will be the most important aspect as usual, with the general rule of thumb that the output impedance of the amp should be 1/8 the nominal impedance of the load (or less) for best results. So for the Elear, it makes sense to aim for amps with an output impedance of 10 ohms or less. This may suggest that OTL tube amps won't be the best choice.
 
This is all just in theory though -- sometimes amps with higher output impedance can be used with pleasing results. I know there are plenty of people who enjoy 32 ohm Grados with OTL tubes amps. At the end of the day, your ears have to be the final arbiter!

 

[DivineCurrent]

At least according to the frequency graphs, the Elear looks very similar to the Senn HD650, albeit a little more rough in the treble region. I would like it very much if they sounded a lot like the HD650 but better, could be looking at an upgrade!

 

[shockwaver]

https://audiograb.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/thesourceav-focal-7.jpg
can anyone tell what are these cables? Thanks in advance.

 

[AxelCloris]

 
https://audiograb.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/thesourceav-focal-7.jpg
can anyone tell what are these cables? Thanks in advance.

 
Those look like they may be Kimber Cables.
 
http://www.kimber.com/