So today I had the chance to briefly listen to both the Focal Elegia and the LCD-2 CB, and these are my impressions, with the very obvious caveat that I didn’t have much time, so they’re very superficial....
I preferred the LCD. Considerably richer, great bottom end and without the somewhat shouty upper mids and low highs of the Elegia. I found it a bit lacking at the top but was able to use treble boost on my Vorzuge Duo to get more out of it. Conversely, the bass boost on the Elegia still didn’t give you a visceral experience on bass-heavy tracks, although the Elegia does have beautifully clear mids and great detail for a closed back.
Overall though, I was shocked by how compromised both were by being closed backs... I’ve owned and tried masses of CBs down the years, and am aware of course of the weaknesses they face, but even these cans, close to the top of the tree, have some fairly glaring flaws... the LCD’s imaging and soundstage is only so-so, even for a closed, and the Elegia is somewhat wearing and over-emphasised in its upper register, presumably to help create a sense of resolution and space. Now don’t get me wrong, they weren’t bad at all, but not stellar, and not worthy of their price, for me, even taking into account the silly money we pay in this hobby. My Heir Audio 8.0s iems run rings round both of them in terms of detail, imaging, bass control and an overall coherent signature, and even my very midfi oBravo Cupids, which I slipped into my ears just after the listening session, basically offered everything the LCD did, in a tiny package, and arguably with better bass control and imaging.
I have very limited experience with open cans, beyond my Fidelio X2s, but I must say, my conclusion from today’s brief foray is that iems have come SUCH a long way in recent years, that unless it’s for comfort/aesthetic reasons, it seems hard to justify big bucks on closed cans, if sound quality is the ultimate aim. This is of course my own opinion only,YMMV, and I am still going to try to find a closed can I can get on with, but after several years of looking, I’m much less inclined to simply head up-market, and I may just have to accept that my end-game closed back isn’t out there after all.
I preferred the LCD. Considerably richer, great bottom end and without the somewhat shouty upper mids and low highs of the Elegia. I found it a bit lacking at the top but was able to use treble boost on my Vorzuge Duo to get more out of it. Conversely, the bass boost on the Elegia still didn’t give you a visceral experience on bass-heavy tracks, although the Elegia does have beautifully clear mids and great detail for a closed back.
Overall though, I was shocked by how compromised both were by being closed backs... I’ve owned and tried masses of CBs down the years, and am aware of course of the weaknesses they face, but even these cans, close to the top of the tree, have some fairly glaring flaws... the LCD’s imaging and soundstage is only so-so, even for a closed, and the Elegia is somewhat wearing and over-emphasised in its upper register, presumably to help create a sense of resolution and space. Now don’t get me wrong, they weren’t bad at all, but not stellar, and not worthy of their price, for me, even taking into account the silly money we pay in this hobby. My Heir Audio 8.0s iems run rings round both of them in terms of detail, imaging, bass control and an overall coherent signature, and even my very midfi oBravo Cupids, which I slipped into my ears just after the listening session, basically offered everything the LCD did, in a tiny package, and arguably with better bass control and imaging.
I have very limited experience with open cans, beyond my Fidelio X2s, but I must say, my conclusion from today’s brief foray is that iems have come SUCH a long way in recent years, that unless it’s for comfort/aesthetic reasons, it seems hard to justify big bucks on closed cans, if sound quality is the ultimate aim. This is of course my own opinion only,YMMV, and I am still going to try to find a closed can I can get on with, but after several years of looking, I’m much less inclined to simply head up-market, and I may just have to accept that my end-game closed back isn’t out there after all.
