I have just been fortunate enough to purchase a pre-owned pair of as-new Focal Stellias, and as I am also in possession of a pair of the Focal Radiance (just listed in the classifieds), I did a quick comparison to help anyone who is looking at either of them and wondering about comparisons. I hope the notes below are useful!
Build and comfort:
First, they are both amazing headphones with excellent build quality and comfort. While the Stellias are top-notch in both of these areas, the Radiance does not yield any ground to them. The Radiance's Pittards leather pads are every bit as sumptuous as the Stellia's full-grain leather pads. This one will simply come down the taste, but I'd actually give the edge to the slightly suede-like surface of the Radiance pads. (Side note: Pittards is a top-flight leather brand that supplies high-end glovemakers and other leather goods companies) The design of both headphones are very similar ergonomically, with shaped aluminum structures around the headphone cups. I won't belabor the design further here as pro reviewers have done so more articulately than I could, but suffice it to say that both products are immaculately built and finished. The only complaint I've seen about any of the Focal models is some slight creaking in the headband. I have not had issues with this.
Accessories:
The Stellia and Radiance share the same carrying case with only cosmetic differences to match the headphones' color schemes. Frankly, neither model's cables are that great, but they are passable- the Stellias has both a 3.5 mm short/mobile-use cable and a longer XLR/balanced cable. I appreciate the inclusion of a balanced cable, but personally I've found high-quality aftermarket cables (Moon Audio and my favorite, Norne Audio) to be worth the extra money. Feel free to disagree, but that's my experience. None of these cables were noticeably microphonic, and are well-built. The faux-leather storage boxes for both headphones impart the appropriate level of high-end quality and are well worth keeping post-purchase. As a former packaging professional for electronics, I have to applaud Focal's choices and quality bar for the presentation.
Listening:
I powered the two headphones with my Feliks Audio Echo (mk I), which has stock power tubes and Mullard NOS EC88 input tubes. For those who have a fondness for organic midrange and rich bass coupled with detailed yet smooth treble, I highly recommend this Polish bargain. It's one heck of an amp for the money, though the mk II version is a bit more expensive than the original model. Even so, if the mk II is at least as good as the mk I, it's worth every dollar. But I digress.
The source was a Schiit Gungnir multibit DAC, feeding the Echo by way of single-ended Harmonic Tech Truth-Link cables. Both the DAC and amp are plugged into a Furman power conditioning strip using Wireworld Aurora power cables. I used the stock Radiance headphone cable (single-ended) for both headphones to keep things as even as I could, especially given that I did not match SPL levels between the two.
First, I was really impressed how close the Radiance gets to the level of the Stellia. The Radiance is a very, very impressive headphone, and one any audiophile (who likes the Radiance sound signature) could happily live with for years. It is voiced a bit differently than other Focal models, with more mid-bass emphasis and a richer midrange. While its treble is reasonably laid-back, it is still quite detailed and really spot-on with instruments such as cymbals. As someone who is a fan of Naim hi-fi gear, I definitely feel Focal has voiced the Radiance in a similar manner to Naim's electronics and speakers. The connection here is the Bentley luxury car models, which have Naim Audio systems in them, and the Radiance carries the Bentley mark and design cues. While I haven't confirmed this Radiance voicing was intentional, it seems possible, and there is definitely a common spirit between the headphones and Naim's sound signature. Naim is known for a focus on PRaT (pace, rhythm, and timing) and a slightly warm, organic mid-range along with slapping bass.
As I compared several tracks (Adele's "Daydreamer" from "19" for midrange timbre and detail), Massive Attack ("Angel" from "Mezzanine" for bass/sub-bass; several tracks from "100th Window" for speed/clarity), a few areas started standing out where the Stellia shows its quality and advantages: Bass/sub-bass, midrange detail, sound stage, and air around sonic elements:
- The sub-bass goes notably lower with the Stellia, and the mid-bass is more linear. While the Radiance's mid-bass is hardly overcooked, bloated, or slow, it's definitely emphasized more. You could argue that the Radiance is a better fit for bass lovers, as long as you aren't looking for subterranean depth- and frankly, even the Stellia doesn't match the hair-raising rumbles that the Audeze LCD-XCs can generate, for example.
- The midrange detail is similar, but microdetails stand out a little more with the Stellia. That said, I would not pick that out without a side-to-side comparison- the Radiance has a rich amount of detail without being overbearing (my issue with the abovementioned LCD-XCs, which fall in the "detail monster" category). Both headphones have a rich, organic midrange that is top-notch and make vocals a pleasure to listen to.
- The effortless sound staging of the Stellia is subtle, but the air around instruments and voices help build an enveloping, immersive experience. While the Radiance is no slouch in this area, the Stellia simply puts you right in the venue in a way that is really, really impressive for a closed-back, Of course high-quality open-backs will always lead the way in this area, but the Stellia is pretty magical. The air and spacing of instruments, voices, and effects feels more like how quality speakers create the illusion of a venue. The Radiance, while good, reminds you more subtly that you are still listening to headphones.
While I won't pretend this is in any way more than swift impressions over the course of half an hour of comparisons, the Stellia reinforced how good the Radiance is for the price, while also exhibiting what a TOTL closed-back headphone can do. I look forward to many happy years with the mocha-colored magicians!
[Side note: When switching out the Radiance stock cables with my Norne Drausk heavy-gauge copper "ropes" as shown below, the Stellias went to "holy sh..." level. Highly recommended combo!]
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