[Liberte]

Drop sells the stock focal branded elex pads. Go on their site and look under headphone accessories. They're on back order but they will come back in stock at some point.

They haven't been available for a while, Drop said the last batch focal sent had too much variation in weight (15%) and that focal haven't responded.

 

[dougms3]

My first set I ordered in June came with a dead left driver. The replacement set has been flawless with the exception of clipping at higher volumes.

At what frequency does it clip? Is it with it without eq?

Just curious because i tried getting my clears to clip by cranking the volume but i didnt notice any clipping. I did mod mine tho.

 

[Davidzak64]

still have quality problems, death of the driver?

If you look back in this thread you will find that the most likely issue with driver failure is a thin wire going to the speaker terminals. This can be replaced or soldered back on if you have some skills. It should be a fairly easy fix if you have or know someone with some decent soldering skills. Detailed instructions with pics for doing this are in this thread.
They are great sounding HP's and are well worth the effort.

 

[Plieb]

At what frequency does it clip? Is it with it without eq?

Just curious because i tried getting my clears to clip by cranking the volume but i didnt notice any clipping. I did mod mine tho.

Try playing the first track of Blade Runner 2049 at a somewhat higher volume. If it doesn't clip you truly have a unique sample.

 

[Plieb]

Purchased perfect quality authentic clear pads last week. They are a bit thicker than my authentic focal elex pads. But a bit disappointed with the sound of the clears. More detail but harsh and a bit thin sounding compared to the drop elex pads.
However i can see that on a different setup i would prefer the clears.

 

[oldkid]

You lose a tiny bit up top, the suede material is better at accentuating the treble.

Its a trade off, you get alot more hardhitting bass and richer mids but lose a small bit of resolution and articulation in the higher frequencies.

If something is lost, it's so high in frequency that I can't hear it at all

 

[dougms3]

Purchased perfect quality authentic clear pads last week. They are a bit thicker than my authentic focal elex pads. But a bit disappointed with the sound of the clears. More detail but harsh and a bit thin sounding compared to the drop elex pads.
However i can see that on a different setup i would prefer the clears.

Sheepskin pads.

Makes the bass hit like George Foreman. Also gives it a little more body in the mids.

If something is lost, it's so high in frequency that I can't hear it at all

Its not huge but the difference is there, a bit more clarity and resolution at the top end with the suedes. Try listening one pad on each side.

Edit: forgot this is the elex not clear thread. Clears hit like Foreman, elex hits like joe Frazier.

 

[Chezpi]

Si mira hacia atrás en este hilo, encontrará que el problema más probable con la falla del controlador es un cable delgado que va a los terminales de los altavoces. Esto se puede reemplazar o volver a soldar si tiene algunas habilidades. Debería ser una solución bastante fácil si tiene o conoce a alguien con algunas habilidades de soldadura decentes. Las instrucciones detalladas con fotos para hacer esto están en este hilo.
Tienen un gran sonido de HP y valen la pena el esfuerzo.

Thank you.

 

[Davidzak64]

Thank you.

You're welcome, I didn't know that Jada spoke such fluent Spanish.

 

[Liberte]

I took a chance and picked up some cheap pads direct from China for the Elex, the material is a similar soft microfibre type, which along with the foam feels slightly thicker and firmer than the Elex pads. You can see in the last picture the material where the pad meets the inner cup is breatheable on the Elex pads, which do feel cooler, lighter and airier. The aftermarket pads don't clip in or pull off/unclip as easily, or smell as nice. The stitching also has more of a right angled edge but they are still quite comfortable, at least for up to the tested hour or so.

Soundwise I feel like they take away some airyness/space and low end taughtness, which leads to a more boomy edge on the bass. The difference is much smaller than I thought there would be though and think these could be modified to get even closer to the original sound.

 

[Plieb]

I took a chance and picked up some cheap pads direct from China for the Elex, the material is a similar soft microfibre type, which along with the foam feels slightly thicker and firmer than the Elex pads. You can see in the last picture the material where the pad meets the inner cup is breatheable on the Elex pads, which do feel cooler, lighter and airier. The aftermarket pads don't clip in or pull off/unclip as easily, or smell as nice. The stitching also has more of a right angled edge but they are still quite comfortable, at least for up to the tested hour or so.

Soundwise I feel like they take away some airyness/space and low end taughtness, which leads to a more boomy edge on the bass. The difference is much smaller than I thought there would be though and think these could be modified to get even closer to the original sound.

The covering appears to be very loose. What gives?Just bought original Clear pads for my elex. Very happy with sound now.

 

[Liberte]

I didn't actually notice it at first, I imagine tighter can mean firmer with some material/foam combinations so maybe it has been left looser.

I couldn't find any Clear/Elex pads in Europe so there are limited choices here. I'd like to try the ZMF pads someday as the measurements look good. So far with the Focal headphones I've tried the original pads are all best, but the fact these are a tenner and sound good is worth a mention.

 

[loopfreak]

I've been toying with my new amp sw51 ( with stock tubes ) and I must say it kicked Elex talents regarding imaging an layering to a whole new level, I'm impressed

 

[Zlivan]

I took a chance and picked up some cheap pads direct from China for the Elex, the material is a similar soft microfibre type, which along with the foam feels slightly thicker and firmer than the Elex pads. You can see in the last picture the material where the pad meets the inner cup is breatheable on the Elex pads, which do feel cooler, lighter and airier. The aftermarket pads don't clip in or pull off/unclip as easily, or smell as nice. The stitching also has more of a right angled edge but they are still quite comfortable, at least for up to the tested hour or so.

Soundwise I feel like they take away some airyness/space and low end taughtness, which leads to a more boomy edge on the bass. The difference is much smaller than I thought there would be though and think these could be modified to get even closer to the original sound.

Quite similar to my experience with Clears, just a bit warmer and more relaxed sound. The lack of the inner mesh fabric ring is probably making them sound different compared to original, but overall I'd say they are pretty good.

 

[jasonb]

So what other cheap cables work on the Elear/Elex? Want something that’s 4’ or so that’s 3.5mm on the end, and inexpensive. Not looking for an “audiophile” cable, just something cheap.

I’m using

NEW NEOMUSICIA Replacement Audio Upgrade Cable Compatible with Denon AH-D600, AH-D7200, AH-D7100, AH-D9200, AH-D5200, Meze 99 Classics, Focal Elear Headphones Black 1.5m/4.5ft https://a.co/d/3Jposab

and it works fine but is just a bit rigid and want something softer/flexible.