[gLer]

Can you try to find out what db it is in which you hear the distortions? As I've said before, my assumption is that all these drivers have it. But their limits might be different. Mine is sensitive at 60 db. Yours could be more. As already mentioned, I would have been ok with a >90 db defective drive. It's not a fun volume anyway. But, at least to me, the inconsistency of the quality of these drivers and the lackluster response from focal is offputting. I like elex. It's good when it works properly on other tracks but I don't want to settle for a defective piece after spending a decent amount of money and a couple of months wait. I would have recommended this to others wholeheartedly if this issue wasn't there. They are indeed good. But I don't owe focal anything to let this slide. I understand a lot of other people are happy with their piece. But I'm not sure how many of them are even aware of this limitation and what limit their driver hits this at.

Ok, at which part of the song do you want me to measure dB? The sub bass is not loud just rumbly, so maybe a better test is another point in the song but at which the sub bass would clip.

 

[Pierre111]

I find the Elex to be exceptional headphones, just wanted to put out my view for those who experience some clipping. I believe Focal was way too fast in putting it out there as a design decision. They don't know that, they just know that there is a spl limit that it can reach when it happens .I've tried at crazy loud levels (for me) and there is none of that. As an audio product manufacturer myself, I know that when some people experience issues, it takes a lot of room in forums and on the internet in general, and rightfully so. People that put money on a product deserve to have something that work properly so it's reasonable to share it with fellows when you have problems. But, it can quickly look like a majority of people are dissatisfied where in real life it's only a handful. Of course I have an Elex so I'm interested in what other thinks, so I read everything about it. People that experience issues with clipping, I can in fact enumerate less publicly mentioned cases that I have fingers. They sold 600 of theses and a lot more Elears which share the technicalities. That's nothing, like 1%. You guys should really insist on having it replaced or refunded. Especially if you pass it along to your friends and they hear the same thing as you, especially if it occurs only in one ears, stuff like that. Now there are a very few cases where, maybe, someone would listen to levels that for me would be dangerous and deftening, but for Focal to just assume that if someone hear these issues automatically mean that they reached the mechanical limit and this is what it is, might be an easy way out but might also be misleading. Especially for something like hard clipping. It's not subjective, quite binary. It does or it does not. I've read here something like X Player with Y song at Z level. Easy to reproduce. Focal goes on their end and buy the X player and try the same on their golden sample. It clips or it doesn't, if it does it's part of the design, if it doesn't you replace the unit, quite easy to do. You guys should insist, not accept this as a fact and fatality. Again, 99% of buyers don't experience this, it's easy to feel it's a generalized thing when you see it repeated a few time on line. That's the nature of the internet and in general. No news is good news and happy people don't make waves. They just enjoy music with the headset on their noggin.

 

[SilverEars]

For those that hear clipping, can you provide more details?

1. What SPL you hear clipping (you can use a smartphone decibel meter app like Sound Meter for Android devices is one), and what SPL you not hear clipping(with the same music passage)?
2. What Source and Amp were used?
3. What music software is used? Is it a file or music streaming service?
4. What tracks do you hear the clipping?
5. The frequency of the occurrence?
6. What part of the spectrum is the clipping heard?
7. What serial number is your headphone?

Also, for those that do not hear clipping, can you provide these details?

1. What SPL level do you listen at (you can use a smartphone decibel meter app like Sound Meter for Android devices is one)?
2. What is the serial number of your headphone?


If you all can provide specific details, we can see some consistency with what is going on. Perhaps we should make a poll? I'm interested in the statistics. I would need to know percentage of those hear clipping vs not. And curious for those that hear clipping, at what SPL level are listened, and for those not, at what level they typically listen. There's so many variables to get a good idea of this.

Once people point out the tracks they hear clipping, those that do not hear clipping can try those tracks out to see if they hear clipping.



Thanks

 

[ramkvp]

Ok, at which part of the song do you want me to measure dB? The sub bass is not loud just rumbly, so maybe a better test is another point in the song but at which the sub bass would clip.

This might be a second or two off. But I hear these on both high and low gain at 60 db in fiio x5iii. No amps. Hope this helps. The range is not exactly continuous. Various moments right next to each other. The file is 320kbps mp3.

0.34, 0.42, 0.55, 1 - 1.15, 1.41-1.45, 1.55, 2.01, 2.09, 2.33, 2.38, 2.40, 2.46 - 2.52, 3.32, 3.36, 39, 47, 50, 59, 4.11

Cable used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LZRBOTY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526133299&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=NEOMUSICIA+Replacement+Audio+upgrade+Cable+For+Denon+AH-D600+D7100+Headphone+Black+1.2m/4ft

 

[gLer]

This might be a second or two off. But I hear these on both high and low gain at 60 db in fiio x5iii. No amps. Hope this helps. The range is not exactly continuous. Various moments right next to each other. The file is 320kbps mp3.

0.34, 0.42, 0.55, 1 - 1.15, 1.41-1.45, 1.55, 2.01, 2.09, 2.33, 2.38, 2.40, 2.46 - 2.52, 3.32, 3.36, 39, 47, 50, 59, 4.11

Cable used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LZRBOTY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526133299&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=NEOMUSICIA+Replacement+Audio+upgrade+Cable+For+Denon+AH-D600+D7100+Headphone+Black+1.2m/4ft

Ok so we're talking "Why So Serious?" yes? In that case I'm at about 90dB (according to my iPhone app's dB meter) at 3.15 and drops to around 80dB when the sub bass kicks in at 3.26 onward, and even then I'm not quite at the point of clipping. So if you take a sound measurement (not volume knob reading) and you're clipping at 60dB I'd say your Elex is definitely defective.

PS. 90dB is way louder than I would normally listen to this song. Much happier down at around 75-80dB, at which point the Elear is nowhere near clipping point.

 

[Jearly410]

Max Richter's War Anthem was the go-to song on the Elear thread and was the first song to clearly show (sonically lol) the clipping in my first Elear.

My replacement also clips but at higher volumes, or when the bass is eq’d up ~5db@40hz and playing battlefield 1. Sounds like a fart when it clips from an explosion or gunshot. It’s loud, but sometimes I want to feel bombs going off.

 

[ramkvp]

Ok so we're talking "Why So Serious?" yes? In that case I'm at about 90dB (according to my iPhone app's dB meter) at 3.15 and drops to around 80dB when the sub bass kicks in at 3.26 onward, and even then I'm not quite at the point of clipping. So if you take a sound measurement (not volume knob reading) and you're clipping at 60dB I'd say your Elex is definitely defective.

PS. 90dB is way louder than I would normally listen to this song. Much happier down at around 75-80dB, at which point the Elear is nowhere near clipping point.

This is for the song I've linked previously. Banshee ost, song fifth of whiskey.

 

[gLer]

Max Richter's War Anthem was the go-to song on the Elear thread and was the first song to clearly show (sonically lol) the clipping in my first Elear.

My replacement also clips but at higher volumes, or when the bass is eq’d up ~5db@40hz and playing battlefield 1. Sounds like a fart when it clips from an explosion or gunshot. It’s loud, but sometimes I want to feel bombs going off.

Just found that song in my library. Indeed it starts 'farting' at around 85dB. Seems to be a pattern when there's a high level of sub bass in the track at higher volume. Dropped to comfortable listening volume at 80dB or so there's no farting of any kind. So yep, I can confirm it's a thing, but should definitely not be happening at 'normal to loud' volumes on most tracks. Probably not the best headphones for loud movie or gaming soundtracks I would say, but then I wouldn't use the Elear/Elex for that.

 

[gLer]

This is for the song I've linked previously. Banshee ost, song fifth of whiskey.

Ok tried this too. Clipping starts as I approach 90dB, but only very slightly. Nothing like that I experienced in the sub bass heavy tracks before this. It's too loud for me at 85dB, so again down to 80dB is where I'd be listening and it's far off from clipping volume. Suffice to say if your Elex clips at or below 80dB it should go back for a new one. 60dB is barely audible

PS. The Elear/Elex really wouldn't be my pick for bass-heavy EDM/dance/Hip Hop/Grunge tracks played LOUD. Something like the Atticus or Fostex TH-X00 (or TH-900 if you want TOTL) would be far more suitable for that type of music.

 

[gLer]

I can only give you details for my Elear but in case it’s helpful:

1. What SPL you hear clipping (you can use a smartphone decibel meter app like Sound Meter for Android devices is one), and what SPL you not hear clipping(with the same music passage)?

90dB+ but depends on the track (sometimes as low as 85dB if the sub bass is emphasized).

2. What Source and Amp were used?

Audio-Gd R2R-11

3. What music software is used? Is it a file or music streaming service?

Audirvana+ (Mac). Both streaming (Tidal) and file (high-res flac).

4. What tracks do you hear the clipping?

Why So Serious?
Fifth of Whiskey
War Anthem

(As listed above)

5. The frequency of the occurrence?

Infrequent until pushed harder, then regularly (every few seconds, usually on the ‘thump’ of the sub bass)

6. What part of the spectrum is the clipping heard?

Mainly sub bass. Doesn’t seem to affect mid bass unless painfully loud.

HTH.

 

[Jearly410]

@gLer

Most of my listening is prog rock and non-vocal edm/electronica, and I, with all due respect, have to disagree about the Atticus being good for edm, or the Elear/Elex not being good for it.

Nice crisp treble combined with clean crisp attack and decay down low is a must imo. The th-x00 has a graiting sound in the treble which not even Ori pads and Lawton Tuning kit could fix. I pull those out once a month and am reminded of why they aren’t used.

I’m getting a bit off topic so we can discuss further through pm if you’d like.

 

[Dominate]

Max Richter's War Anthem was the go-to song on the Elear thread and was the first song to clearly show (sonically lol) the clipping in my first Elear.

My replacement also clips but at higher volumes, or when the bass is eq’d up ~5db@40hz and playing battlefield 1. Sounds like a fart when it clips from an explosion or gunshot. It’s loud, but sometimes I want to feel bombs going off.

Great track.

Thats the shame about the Elex - I really like them right up until that point of clipping. Then firecrackers start popping off. Other headphones may have distortion at this point but its no where near as jarring as this clipping design. In fact, listening to this track as I type, I'm right at that point where it doesn't clip (occasional pop) and I'm hearing some major distortions anyway, particularly late in the track (4:40~6:00).

Nope, for US$700 cans, not acceptable (for me).

 

[ramkvp]

I can only give you details for my Elear but in case it’s helpful:

1. What SPL you hear clipping (you can use a smartphone decibel meter app like Sound Meter for Android devices is one), and what SPL you not hear clipping(with the same music passage)?

90dB+ but depends on the track (sometimes as low as 85dB if the sub bass is emphasized).

2. What Source and Amp were used?

Audio-Gd R2R-11

3. What music software is used? Is it a file or music streaming service?

Audirvana+ (Mac). Both streaming (Tidal) and file (high-res flac).

4. What tracks do you hear the clipping?

Why So Serious?
Fifth of Whiskey
War Anthem

(As listed above)

5. The frequency of the occurrence?

Infrequent until pushed harder, then regularly (every few seconds, usually on the ‘thump’ of the sub bass)

6. What part of the spectrum is the clipping heard?

Mainly sub bass. Doesn’t seem to affect mid bass unless painfully loud.

HTH.

Attaching pic for spl measurement of the drivers. The max seems to be 73. Lowest around 60. The fiio volume is set at 65. I'm convinced of my theory so far.

 

[ramkvp]

To sum everything up so far...

Test track:

Setting:

Refer pic attached for spl measurement of the drivers. The max seems to be 73. Lowest around 60.

The fiio x5iii volume is set at 65. Low gain. No amps. File is 320kbps mp3.

Where to listen in track:

The time stamps could be a second or two off. The range is not exactly continuous. Various moments right next to each other.

0.34, 0.42, 0.55, 1 - 1.15, 1.41-1.45, 1.55, 2.01, 2.09, 2.33, 2.38, 2.40, 2.46 - 2.52, 3.32, 3.36, 39, 47, 50, 59, 4.11

Cable used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LZRBOTY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526133299&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=NEOMUSICIA+Replacement+Audio+upgrade+Cable+For+Denon+AH-D600+D7100+Headphone+Black+1.2m/4ft

 

[PopZeus]

Sorry to hear some of you are having driver issues well below tolerance standards. For me, I kinda dig how straightforward the Focal driver is, that it can go past the dynamic range of music if turned up loud enough (where driver over-excursion can occur) because that's partly what makes the audio response so wonderfully transparent and uncompressed. Then again, I don't listen anywhere near the level where that would occur, so it's a non-issue for me (and I've had good luck with their products so far *knock on wood*).