[koover]

Excellent soundstage, not like the typical/older closed HP soundstage expectation. Not familiar with the TH900.
Purchased these just after the Sony Z1R, which has an incredible soundstage for a 'closed' HP, and was very impressed with the level of soundstage projection of the Aeon compared to the Z1R. Not exactly the same level, but very, very good and 1/3 the price of the Z1R.
Also one of the most comfortable HPs I have, that combined with performance and quiet background, has made it the HP I use most often.

All that said, HP choice is very personal, so best to hear them first. I do like the Aeon closed very much, but again others may prefer the slightly different FR of the Aeon open. LOL, I purchased the Z1R and Aeon without hearing them first and was just lucky. Prior to that I was considering the Elear, but auditioned those and did like them. So took a leap with the Z1R and then the Aeon.

The ZR1 has always been on the top of my wish and want list. I’m selling the ZR7 (even through I like them) due the fact I want to upgrade. Man now you really got me thinking and debating my choice of next purchase. I like you, will have a difficult time test driving anything so I’ll also be taking that blind leap of faith.

 

[tvnosaint]

My time with the focal classic made me curious about the elear as well. Focal has serious dynamics and beatiful tone. Nice looking too. The Omni looks ridiculous on my head but I ain’t going out with it. Auteur looks like a steampunk museum piece but damn the price. I wish I could stomach sennheiser treble because the hd800 is the most comfortable hp I’ve ever worn. Can’t have it all. Damn it

 

[koover]

I’m not trying to take this thread into something about headphones but man with the tubes and amp I have, This is a big deal to me and I gotta be careful.
I’ve read so many polarizing opinions on the Elear. You’d think being the 5th largest city in the country there’d be some type of audio outlets that sells HP’s. It’s inpossible to test drive anything except at B.B. and that’s only up to HD650 quality. There is 1 high end audio store here but it’s all Grado or Focal and a 50 mile drive.
Got a lot of options from you guys. Now just to decide which way to go when I “thought” I had my mind made up.
Should have stuck with the Jot and took the red pill instead of the blue one.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

I have Focal Elear. I know this will make the purists cringe, but with a little eq, they're perfect for me. Otherwise the highs are bit recessed, and the mids too forward for me. I also use them for studio use with the Sonarworks 4 reference plugin when I need a flat response.

I stuck with them with eq, because the dynamics and quality of resolve are just incredible compared to everything else I tried in that price range. If you want high SPL cans, these aren't the cans you're looking for, there's driver breakup at a lower level than something like the zr1s, but for high dynamics, they're spot on.

The deal at Massdrop for the Elex is a good deal, basically the Elear with Clear pads which reduce the bass, and slight tuning changes to even out the highs, and better cables, but I don't think the Elears are over bassy, so I prefer the Elear pads. In response to the MD price for the Elex, there are now a lot of places selling the Elear for $799.

 

[thecrow]

I have Focal Elear. I know this will make the purists cringe, but with a little eq, they're perfect for me. Otherwise the highs are bit recessed, and the mids too forward for me. I also use them for studio use with the Sonarworks 4 reference plugin when I need a flat response.

I stuck with them with eq, because the dynamics and quality of resolve are just incredible compared to everything else I tried in that price range. If you want high SPL cans, these aren't the cans you're looking for, there's driver breakup at a lower level than something like the zr1s, but for high dynamics, they're spot on.

The deal at Massdrop for the Elex is a good deal, basically the Elear with Clear pads which reduce the bass, and slight tuning changes to even out the highs, and better cables, but I don't think the Elears are over bassy, so I prefer the Elear pads. In response to the MD price for the Elex, there are now a lot of places selling the Elear for $799.

Adorama i believe have them for $698

 

[TK16]

Single LM Erriccson Auction.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ERICSSON-5...GE-RADIO-VALVE-TUBE-VALVES-TUBES/263391328299

6 hours left Lm Ericcson 2C51 pair.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-Tube-...ish-Special-Rare-Version-Own-Box/232595570877

 

[rnros]

I have Focal Elear. I know this will make the purists cringe, but with a little eq, they're perfect for me. Otherwise the highs are bit recessed, and the mids too forward for me. I also use them for studio use with the Sonarworks 4 reference plugin when I need a flat response.

I stuck with them with eq, because the dynamics and quality of resolve are just incredible compared to everything else I tried in that price range. If you want high SPL cans, these aren't the cans you're looking for, there's driver breakup at a lower level than something like the zr1s, but for high dynamics, they're spot on.

The deal at Massdrop for the Elex is a good deal, basically the Elear with Clear pads which reduce the bass, and slight tuning changes to even out the highs, and better cables, but I don't think the Elears are over bassy, so I prefer the Elear pads. In response to the MD price for the Elex, there are now a lot of places selling the Elear for $799.

Yes, certainly a lot to like with the Elear, especially for someone who appreciates the 'up-close' soundstage. I did try EQ, and it did help a lot with ~3-4k dip. Overall, a few things not aligned with my preferences, but did think about them as an occasional use HP.

But the deal breaker was the problem with excessive driver excursion. It's not a high SPL issue, same tracks with same SPL used on all my headphones, but just caused one of the Elear drivers to 'jump the gap'. Not acceptable to me, no assurance that the coil is not damaged as it resets itself. Some who have not experienced this, have attributed this to 'driver breakup', not the same thing. Long term result? (The HD600s I have are 14 yrs old, with heavy use, and no problems.)

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

Yes, certainly a lot to like with the Elear, especially for someone who appreciates the 'up-close' soundstage. I did try EQ, and it did help a lot with ~3-4k dip. Overall, a few things not aligned with my preferences, but did think about them as an occasional use HP.

But the deal breaker was the problem with excessive driver excursion. It's not a high SPL issue, same tracks with same SPL used on all my headphones, but just caused one of the Elear drivers to 'jump the gap'. Not acceptable to me, no assurance that the coil is not damaged as it resets itself. Some who have not experienced this, have attributed this to 'driver breakup', not the same thing. Long term result? (The HD600s I have are 14 yrs old, with heavy use, and no problems.)

There was apparently a separate issue with a lot of pairs. Several people in the Elear thread had the issue, which was separate to the usual break up, who were experiencing issues at a much lower volume level than they normally break up at. Most of them reported getting a second or third pair that didn't have the same problem.

Is it possible you had a pair with that issue? I have to drive mine way past a level I'd want to listen to for more than a few minutes to get any distortion.

 

[rnros]

Yes, this was not bass distortion at high SPL, but actually the driver jumping the magnetic gap and chattering so loudly that the listener breaks all time records in ripping the HPs off their head!
You can actually see this happening by just playing the same music while watching the driver. If you had one of those drivers, you would know it. : )
I did follow some of the conversation for a while, Focal acknowledged the issue but put a spin on the issue that I did not think was fair/responsible to the consumer.
Agree that it is best to return the HPs if you have one of the problem drivers. And if you have a good pair, enjoy them, I don't think it's an issue that would develop later with a good pair.

 

[koover]

From what I believe you guys are saying, The Elear may be bass light? I don’t mind eq’ing but if I have to bump up 5db, that’s a bit much for me. I wouldn’t say I’m a bass head either as I discover more and more that I’m not, like I thought I was.
A lot of people think the Th900 Is some kind of bass cannon which is far from the truth. My Meze, PH, d2000’s are more bassy then these. What they have is great sub bass that’s very fast and clean.
But I do like it to go deep, fast, punchy and a bit musical in its presentation. I guess more on the bassy side. I’m just looking for something different that pairs with my tubes and amp and now I have a plethora of choices that’s been recommended.
Am I correct in my assumption in the Elear? I also listen at or about 82-85 db most times to get the most out of each HP.

 

[rnros]

No, not bass light, what I described was an issue with excessive driver excursion that occurred with some Elear drivers on some low frequency passages.
My reaction at the time was that the bass was OK, not lacking in presence or volume, but not especially accurate, and not reaching as deep as some HPs into sub bass.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

From what I believe you guys are saying, The Elear may be bass light? I don’t mind eq’ing but if I have to bump up 5db, that’s a bit much for me. I wouldn’t say I’m a bass head either as I discover more and more that I’m not, like I thought I was.
A lot of people think the Th900 Is some kind of bass cannon which is far from the truth. My Meze, PH, d2000’s are more bassy then these. What they have is great sub bass that’s very fast and clean.
But I do like it to go deep, fast, punchy and a bit musical in its presentation. I guess more on the bassy side. I’m just looking for something different that pairs with my tubes and amp and now I have a plethora of choices that’s been recommended.
Am I correct in my assumption in the Elear? I also listen at or about 82-85 db most times to get the most out of each HP.

I wouldn't say they're bass light at all, quite the contrary apparently, they changed the elex to use Focal Clear pads to reduce the bass, based on user feedback. I like bass, but I don't like it to be too much of an imbalance. I usually ad a 1-2 db curve across 30-60hz, and a 1.5db dip curve across 180hz to 2k, and then a 1-2db lift on the highs to compensate for the age of my ears when I'm not doing any critical listening. As @rnros says, there's a dip at 3-4k, but that's upper mid. The bottom end is pretty solid in my opinion.

If you decide to try them, just make sure you get them from a retailer that allows a 30 day return window, so if you end up not liking them after burn in, you can return or exchange.

 

[koover]

I wouldn't say they're bass light at all, quite the contrary apparently, they changed the elex to use Focal Clear pads to reduce the bass, based on user feedback. I like bass, but I don't like it to be too much of an imbalance. I usually ad a 1-2 db curve across 30-60hz, and a 1.5db dip curve across 180hz to 2k, and then a 1-2db lift on the highs to compensate for the age of my ears when I'm not doing any critical listening. As @rnros says, there's a dip at 3-4k, but that's upper mid. The bottom end is pretty solid in my opinion.

If you decide to try them, just make sure you get them from a retailer that allows a 30 day return window, so if you end up not liking them after burn in, you can return or exchange.[/QUOTE

Great, thanx as that helps a lot.

 

[koover]

No, not bass light, what I described was an issue with excessive driver excursion that occurred with some Elear drivers on some low frequency passages.
My reaction at the time was that the bass was OK, not lacking in presence or volume, but not especially accurate, and not reaching as deep as some HPs into sub bass.

My bad. Thanx for clarifying. These actually sound inticing and affordable. Just so happens there’s one up for sale in the classifieds.

Ha! Sold. Probably best since I wouldn’t be able to listen to them first and return if necessary.

 

[AuditoryCanvas]

My bad. Thanx for clarifying. These actually sound inticing and affordable. Just so happens there’s one up for sale in the classifieds.

Just make sure you don't get a pair with the driver issue. Give them a good test if you get a used pair.

I'd usually recommend open box, but with that driver issue, I'd be cautious to make sure they can still be returned/exchanged. Otherwise, Moon Audio have them at $799. They're aware of the previous driver issue there, so you should be in good hands with them.