[dontfeedphils]

From some of initial impressions, it looks to me that Focal tried hard to make Elex not overreach. A decent performing can which is comparable to Elear, but still one or two steps short of what Clear makes great.

Which makes sense as the better technicalities are most likely due to the different voicecoil on the Clear vs Elear/Elex. Sounds like the FR of Elex is very much like Clear, but falls short just a bit on some technical aspects due to the voicecoil difference.

 

[IkSak]

Which makes sense as the better technicalities are most likely due to the different voicecoil on the Clear vs Elear/Elex. Sounds like the FR of Elex is very much like Clear, but falls short just a bit on some technical aspects due to the voicecoil difference.

I agree that it makes sense, especially to not cannibalize Clear sales. Definitively it would be great if someone could A/B them and provide a direct comparison.

@junki and @straleno, how would you described the bass of this headphone? Does any of you listed to latin music? perhaps classical?

 

[Raphael DeLaGhetto]

Pair just arrived. Unboxed, plugged into my Magni 3 first as requested (though I really can't wait to hear it on my CTH), let's go for a ride.

My SN was 730 by the way. It's on a sticker & etched into the headphone themselves underneath the right earpad. If yours is missing...rip.

 

[Raphael DeLaGhetto]

Welp, got some bad news. My drivers are rattling pretty badly when the bass hits. I don't know if it's the Magni 3 doing this or if my pair is just bad. Plugged into the CTH now. I'll see if it's fixed.

 

[Raphael DeLaGhetto]

So, I need a favor from those of you who have it. I'm thinking maybe I just have the volume cranked too high since these are relatively low impedance. Do yours distort at all with higher volumes & if so how badly + at what "time" on the pot (12 oclock, 3 oclock, etc.)?

 

[dontfeedphils]

So, I need a favor from those of you who have it. I'm thinking maybe I just have the volume cranked too high since these are relatively low impedance. Do yours distort at all with higher volumes & if so how badly + at what "time" on the pot (12 oclock, 3 oclock, etc.)?

You'll want to report what DB level you're listening at, not "pot position". Even a cheap phone app would work better to get an idea for your listening level.

 

[Raphael DeLaGhetto]

You'll want to report what DB level you're listening at, not "pot position". Even a cheap phone app would work better to get an idea for your listening level.

I don't need it to be exact (yet, maybe the support team will ask for that but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it) I just wanted a ballpark for troubleshooting. The balanced cable doesn't seem as bad but there is something funky going on in my right cup. RIP my listening session for today. I'm so sad.

 

[junki]

From some of initial impressions, it looks to me that Focal tried hard to make Elex not overreach. A decent performing can which is comparable to Elear, but still one or two steps short of what Clear makes great.

I agree that it makes sense, especially to not cannibalize Clear sales. Definitively it would be great if someone could A/B them and provide a direct comparison.

@junki and @straleno, how would you described the bass of this headphone? Does any of you listed to latin music? perhaps classical?

I personally try to filter out new toy syndrome as much as I reasonably can when I listen and compare, especially for initial impressions. To be fair, the Elex is still the best dynamic cans I've heard. Extremely impactful attack and transients, a uniquely solid, deliberate sort of sound, and bass is neutral and well defined.

Saying I prefer the Sundara over the Elex does not mean the Elex is not an extremely good headphone, or that the Elex is inferior in all aspects, and definitely doesn't add any information related to how the Elex compares to the Clear for anyone's preferences, including my own. To ass-u-me any information here without auditioning these direct comparisons yourself is just Head-Fi foolishness. I know for a fact that there are very seasoned headphone hobbyists who prefer the Elex to the Clear.

My takeaways from what I've heard so far are:

• Yet another notch in my information belt that, to my ears, the Sundara is truly a special headphone
• The HD6XX fed from the MCTH is extremely competitive and sounds as good and maybe better than 4-digit USD combinations.
• The Elex was worth the purchase and further listening

I try not to let price bias affect my conclusions. To follow up on my all-day listening with the Elex at work, I've decided to continue to use the MCTH+HD6XX combination at work. The Elex couldn't beat that synergy, and my rHead at home does the Elex much more justice.

 

[IkSak]

Thanks for sharing your impressions!

Notice how I didn't mention price or let price bias affect my conclusions. To follow up on my all-day listening with the Elex at work, I've decided to continue to use the MCTH+HD6XX combination at work. The Elex couldn't beat that synergy, and my rHead at home does the Elex much more justice.

I've never had the chance to try the MCTH with an HD 6XX but if I may ask a couple of questions: how is that synergy superior to the Elex+MCTH?.

I think the second one will need some time to have a bigger answer pool, but we need to start: do you think that the Elex may synergyze better with solid states?

 

[XERO1]

Welp, got some bad news. My drivers are rattling pretty badly when the bass hits. I don't know if it's the Magni 3 doing this or if my pair is just bad. Plugged into the CTH now. I'll see if it's fixed.

What tracks are causing the drivers to distort?

 

[junki]

I've never had the chance to try the MCTH with an HD 6XX but if I may ask a couple of questions: how is that synergy superior to the Elex+MCTH?

Some people have found the MCTH a bit picky with headphone pairings. My personal experience seems to be aligned with that. I tried to describe the MCTH+HD6XX sound here. I've had a lot more time with the MCTH+HD6XX since I wrote that, so I'll add: the MCTH seems to subtly open up the HD6XX's staging to a well proportioned state and de-congest the sound, yielding a very pleasing dimensional imaging to the music. I feel in the music surrounded by the sounds. I think this is what people say when they say "holographic." It's a special sensation. The MCTH+Elex does not have this effect. The MCTH also sucks at resolving sub bass, which actually synergizes well the HD6XX. Essentially, the MCTH is asking the HD6XX to focus on the area of bass its drivers can actually reproduce, and I think that results in overall less distorted low end. Finally, there is some sort of subtle tube-y sweetening or smoothing of the sound that makes a lot of tracks through the HD6XX sound so smooth and nice. It's hard to describe.

I think the second one will need some time to have a bigger answer pool, but we need to start: do you think that the Elex may synergyze better with solid states?

My theory that's completely unqualified is actually the MCTH isn't great with low-impedance cans. It probably has issues with current swings for relatively higher amounts of current. I don't think it pairs well with fast cans.

 

[Raphael DeLaGhetto]

What tracks are causing the drivers to distort?

Anything with heavy subbass. Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Otis", White Stripes's "7 Nation Army" Glitch Mob remix, The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name", etc. It happens sometimes with midbass too & I get random pops regardless of frequency range. Something's going on. I just can't tell what, because it happens on my Magni 3 with low & high gain + my CTH.

 

[IkSak]

Some people have found the MCTH a bit picky with headphone pairings. My personal experience seems to be aligned with that. I tried to describe the MCTH+HD6XX sound here. I've had a lot more time with the MCTH+HD6XX since I wrote that, so I'll add: the MCTH seems to subtly open up the HD6XX's staging to a well proportioned state and de-congest the sound, yielding a very pleasing dimensional imaging to the music. I feel in the music surrounded by the sounds. I think this is what people say when they say "holographic." It's a special sensation. The MCTH+Elex does not have this effect. The MCTH also sucks at resolving sub bass, which actually synergizes well the HD6XX. Essentially, the MCTH is asking the HD6XX to focus on the area of bass its drivers can actually reproduce, and I think that results in overall less distorted low end. Finally, there is some sort of subtle tube-y sweetening or smoothing of the sound that makes a lot of tracks through the HD6XX sound so smooth and nice. It's hard to describe.

Oh man!! You're tempting me to grab that combo!

My theory that's completely unqualified is actually the MCTH isn't great with low-impedance cans. It probably has issues with current swings for relatively higher amounts of current. I don't think it pairs well with fast cans.

Perhaps the pairing with fast cans like the may be true, but I must mention that the MCTH pairs pretty good with the Aeon Flow Open which is 11 ohms.

Going back to the Elex and based in your comments, would you say that it demands an amp with good power for the sub-bass region?

 

[IkSak]

Anything with heavy subbass. Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Otis", White Stripes's "7 Nation Army" Glitch Mob remix, The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name", etc. It happens sometimes with midbass too & I get random pops regardless of frequency range. Something's going on. I just can't tell what, because it happens on my Magni 3 with low & high gain + my CTH.

Unless others report the same, perhaps you should contact Massdrop

 

[XERO1]

Anything with heavy subbass. Jay-Z & Kanye West's "Otis", White Stripes's "7 Nation Army" Glitch Mob remix, The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name", etc. It happens sometimes with midbass too & I get random pops regardless of frequency range. Something's going on. I just can't tell what, because it happens on my Magni 3 with low & high gain + my CTH.

How do your other headphones handle the same tracks at the same volume levels?