This Cost $800?! - Focal Elear Review
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- čas přidán 26. 08. 2024
- This is my review of the focal elear open back headphones.
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I love these headphones, I heard them for the first time a couple months ago and after doing so, I decided they were my end game along with my closed back sony Z7s for the price/performance. The clamp force is alot less than the hd 650s with great padding, and I personally like what they've done with the sound signature. The build is like a tank and it feels like I am getting what I am paying for (I only buy used). I've owned audeze lcd 3, lcd X, Hd 800s, hd 650s. Monoprice m1060 (overhyped). Ether flows, Ether C, hifiman 400i/400/edition S, akg k7xx/k712 and fostex th600/900s and by far out of all the headphones I have listened to, these made me smile listening to them. That's just my opinon, I personally hate piercing high frequencies with spikes, and these headphones had none of that with lots of detail and an enveloping sound.
I actually quite enjoy the Elear. More so than the HD 650. Aside from the upper mids drop, which doesn't bother me that much, I think the Elear does everything better than the HD 650.
Solid review. Hearing your comparison between the Elear and HD650 got me quite curious. I recently got the Clear's and have jumped back between them and my HD6xx's a few times. That comparison left me with a very different takeaway. To my ears at least, the Clear's did what you said the Elear's didn't -- they added more. The 6xx's still sound good in comparison, but with less oomf. Really goes to show just how good the 650's are when my only real complaint is that they're not as engaging as a vastly more expensive set of cans.
Thank you for your honest review.
Just stay the way you are.
I respect your opinion I can't say I agree with most of your review. When I first got them I heard things I had never heard before. In fact, they were so engrossing when I first got them I would just sit there and listen for hours, unable to do anything else because it was so engrossing. And while I don't have a ton of experience with super high end, I didn't get these early in my audiophile journey. I use them far more than my HD6XX. Interesting how you say you don't like a headphone that is missing sound and that's what I hate about the HD6XX. It's missing sub bass. Seriously. It's just not there. The Elear on the other hand has never left me wanting for detail. I hear all of the high detail without any sibilance and that's something that I have never experienced before. They actually sound what I would describe as "musically neutral" since I can hear everything without sacrificing any particular frequency. Also, contrary to your description, I find the Elear to have a very small sound stage. Smaller than most of my planars which is unusual. Anyway, I guess it's obvious with this review that our ears are very different. I need to find a headphone reviewer that has ears that sync up with mine. A man can dream, I guess....
“Upper miss and highs are like a roller coaster”. You need to share your definitions of mids and highs. The beginning of the “roller coaster “ on your chart is 4K. That’s above the highest note on a piano, up where cymbal shimmer lives.
Supposedly the Elex is just the Elear with different pads. If you still have the Elears try swapping the pads with the Elex, there doesn't seem to be any videos adressing this so it would be interesting to know.
I swapped back and forth between the Massdrop version and the HD6XX while listening to familiar Steven Wilson DVD-Audio and Blu-ray recordings for quite a bit of time. The Elears were far more revealing on a Teac HA-501, an Oppo 205 and Gustard H10. Far from extreme high-end, but the Elears separation and detail were superior. BUT, they are much heavier and twice the price as well, so......... (Yes, I compensated for the volume/impedance.)
It’s that beautiful French model, sitting in the corner with the bad breath 🤢
Focal will get it right eventually, their loudspeakers are exceptional.
Interesting review. I enjoy the Elear more than any other headphone I’ve owned including LCD2-C, 600, 650, 660S just to name a few. And the only headphone I couldn’t stand wearing more than a few minutes was the DT1990, it was ear piercing to me.
Yes, everything is down to your preference. DMS likes Senn HD6xx series sound. But I can't listen to my HD650 for more than 10 minutes. It is too warm and midbassy for me. Not the same class as AKG K712pro which I enjoy way more.
Have you heard/compared the K712 Pro to the K7xx? I'm curious how similar they sound if at all? I enjoyed the K7xx while I had them for what they did, which to me was completely flat and neutral with a wide soundstage. Over time though that flat and neutral presentation became boring in comparison to newer planar and dynamic headphones.
Dusty Slack can u use them with astell kern ak70
Dusty Slack I wonder how Elear sounds on Focal Arche. I find Focal Headphones very discerning about electronics, so I stick to Focal's own. Also, USB cables and power cords also matter.
I own Elear, Elex, and the Clear. The Clear sounds the best of the three but the Elex to me is not better than the Elear. It is as if they tamed the Elear with the Elex and I am not sure it was a good thing.
I use Focal mostly on my every car. Amazing car speakers , I don't know about headphones.
Please make a comparison video of DT 1990 Pro and HD 660S.
Always love your comparison videos.
Wow, couldn't disagree more! I really love them, music just takes life, and the dynamics are the best I have tried. Don't give a damn about the curves, the sound is just so real...
Also lots of reviewers love them, so it must be a matter of taste I guess, but I agree with Tyll on this one (as I usually do)
Thanks for your honest review. Even reviewers who like these 'phones report that vocals are recessed, so I'm sure I would not like them. However, they currently sell for $649 on Amazon, so I was considering them. I decided on the Mrspeakers Aeon Flow closed-back instead. I also like my Sony MDR-1AM2 headphones, which are surprisingly great-sounding for their price.
Your best review so far. looking forwards to your Nuraphone review. Thx
Focal elears rock!!
Just ordered a pair for around $450. Can'[t wait for them to arrive!
how did you like them???
You saved me about $550.00. Thx!
I've had these headphones for a while and I love them, the sound is not for everybody but for some these will be the best headphones u have ever heard.
Interesting opinion. I don't think you're way off in describing the sound. These are my favorite headphones of the past few years, as someone who collects many high end headphones, they injected some novelty into the mix with stellar build quality and looks to boot. With that being said, if you are having to save all your pennies to get into high end cans, these probably wouldn't be the one headphone I would personally recommend to someone. I enjoy them quite a bit though, and think they were worth it at 1,000 bucks, and a stellar deal at 800.
Great review bud! I have the focal listen pros and they are exceptional imo, but my sound preference leans more towards neutrality ie. hd600, er4sr, nad viso hp50
rip review units from focal
Hope you can do a review of the Elex, if you can, I heard they are improved by using Clear pad and cables. Keep up with the good work!
I'll be honest the measurements off this review look sizably different from the frequency response graphs from others like crinacle and rtings, by a good 5 to 7db in different spots, perhaps the review unit was a dud? I have a set of these myself and while un EQ'd ( I use Oratory 1990's harmon EQ, which makes these sound awesome btw, many thanks to Oratory 1990 you do great work) they are a little bit veiled they are by no means as bad as your making them out to be, I really think your review unit may have been compromised.
Some constructive criticism for this review. While I get the appeal in talking about a headphone in isolation, (although you do compare it to HD 600s) There is some important context that DMS doesn't mention at all in this review. This head phone came out a little while ago, and Focal saw the criticism and created the Clear, and then collaborated with Massdrop on the $700 Elex.
i'm curious how the Elex compares to the Elear. The Clear to me is a step up from the Elear. There is something about the U shape of the Elear that is very engaging though and I find fun.
Good to hear the other side of this headphone, not just raving on and on about it. FYI, cameras capture light, not produce it. :)
Love what your doing man. Do you still have a recording studio?
Not anymore. Lost it in a life event a few years ago.
Paired with a laid back amp and a Chord DAC these are my favorite headphones of all time. Compared them to the Empyrean a few months ago, saved me $3K.
Isn't the Elear great in terms of technical capabilities apart from the frequency response? Nothing like that was mentioned in this review. I find their transients/speed, clarity and low frequency extension and quality to be significantly superior to that of the HD6xx series or HE-400i... So I think the Elear is worth the extra money for that jump in technical performance. In terms of frequency response, it's lacking in the highs for sure, but I heard that the Clear pads fix many of the frequency response issues if you can get a hold of some. I myself do prefer the HD6XX over the Elear for a lot of music, as it's more balanced sounding, but I can't deny that the Elear is the more technically capable performer if you can get over or fix that frequency response.
Do the B&W P9 while you are on a roll of negative reviews :D
They're now $500 on Amazon
Had pretty much the same experience with the Hifiman HE4xx vs the Sennheiser HD6xx. There was too much missing in the mid-range of the Hifiman so I had sell it. (Yes I know it wasn't $800 but still ;P)
I have been looking at these for awhile
Just proves just because audio gear costs a fortune, doesn't mean it's as great as promised. I was considering buying some electrostatics at some point, but,
after being told by numerous owners of Koss or STAX that they kind of lack bass, I'm not going to bother. I'm mainly a rock, pop, blues, electronic, dance music, and folk rock
listener, plus metal, punk, etc., so I doubt I'm going to love super high-end headphones or electrostatics. But I'm shocked that the Focals here cost that much and are such a letdown.
I've heard the Audeze LCDXs (the open back ones) or whatever, at Apple Store, they were wonderful, but they were also $1500 or more, and were way too heavy. But they didn't lack bass, and they sounded pretty balanced, if a bit dark.
Good God man, you look like a Confused hippy!!! The current style is on point. I was like, wtf happened!? Then I realized Google fed me a 5year old vid
I've seen a lot of reviews on these and the clears, how about the Elegia? Some say it's between The Elear and Clear in sound signature and they have great noise isolation, but it would be nice to see a review from one of my two favorite reviewers, DMS and Zeos. I really need a pair of over-ears that sound open with detailed imaging and isolate sound for using in the office.
Bit late of an answer, but I def. wouldn't get the Elegia in that case. The Celestee would be the better choice but it's a lot more expensive too (it's quite new on the market and therefore hasn't gotten a price drop yet). Some people sell the Elegia for 350-400, it might be worth considering at that price, but only if it comes with different pads already (Dekoni, Celestee, Stellia or others) to balance out the weird tonality (imho) or if you EQ heavily. If you look long enough for it you might be able to snag a pad-rolled pair, I almost did. I just can't recommend it with stock pads. The Dekoni sheepskin make it super bassy, the Celestee pads balance it out quite a bit. Still doesn't make it open sounding though.
Hey I was worried saw you were in the hospital you ok? Take care of yourself dude.
I recorded this last week actually. Doing a little better but have to figure some things out.
Take care of yourself I enjoy your channel and z reviews .z is a lot like me hoarder of headphones. I have about a hundred pairs. Best regards , Davy Monell
Hello DMS i was wondering do you think the elear will be a decent upgrade from the sennheiser hd 660s ? Plus i can get the Focal Elear for £700 as apposed to the original £899 asking price , any response would be greatly apreciated.
The frequency response made them a joke to me... I adore their build, but comparing them back to back with other high end headphones, I gave up on them almost immediately, because they almost sounded broken. As you say, parts of the sound are literally missing in the midrange.
Hum what I don't get is that the irrigularity you are talking about on the Elear: it is peaks and spikes of less than 5 db.
There is certainly lots of them but they are much much smalers disps and spikes on what you would find on a hd650 with dips and spike of more than 10db.
I just absolutly did not get the same impression of them.
The issues with spikes and dips in the upper mids is largely addressed with a good headphone amp/DAC with a balanced (4 pin) output. I run my Elears with the Klipsch Heritage amp/DAC and they sound great. Admittedly, I wasnt super impressed with these straight out of the box. A cable upgrade is a must.
i notice that you have a keyboard i am looking for a very good headphones for my genos keyboard i am using an amp with it but need i good headphone so that they dont distort when using piano and strings when very loud need one with good bass sound any recommendation on what ones i should be looking for i have the hph mt8 yamaha but there has no bass to them and sound tiny and distort to much looking for around £500 or less
I have to say I deeply disagree with this review, I went to my local hifi shop and spent a good 2 hours listening to everything from LCD 2c's to Dan Clark Aeon Flow Opens (deeply overhyped imho and not nearly worth the money) to Grado gs2000e, to Hifiman Sundara and Ananda, and honestly Focal wasn't even on my radar especially not the Elear's but to my shock they blew me away, their insane dynamics, and amazing but albeit different imaging setup, along with the shear clarity and musicality in there presentation just shocked me. They are different then anything else I've heard and to me personally I instantly fell in love with the sound. Six months later they are my daily drivers and I couldn't be happier, Jazz and especially acoustic guitar sound simply beautiful on these, songs like Joe Bonamassa's Sloe Gin live at Royal Prince Albert Hall make me weep. But be mindful that these headphones are different then normal headphones and have a sound signature that is not for everyone, and honestly I've never been a fan of Sennheiser's sound in general so I'm not really surprised that DMS didn't like them.
Had kind of similar impressions with these. Bass was quite strong and fast but somehow weird at the same time. It seemed to me as kind of V shaped cans, but their sound was so different. Not for my taste.
Hey man you should try switching to the clear pads
People who own it, swear by it, similarly the utopias, i had a very unpleasant argument the other day with someone who was saying that utopias have the best bass response out of any headphone.
I wonder how many good planars they've heard
I try to go to hifiguides.com but this website doesn't work.
Great review and straight to the point. My favorite reviewer.
Work now take me to Amazon keep the good work bro.
Hi! I´m writing from Germany. Are You thinking that the German Test Magazins given better test for a French modell also for a German? Everybody says no, it is not possible! But in Germany the Focal Elear get a super test beetwin Sennheiser HD 800S and HD 800. Stereplay, Audio. The Hifiman HE1000V2 get for 3500€ only one point more, then the Elear. HE1000 V2 57point the Elear 56pint.The Utopia 58points for4000€. Elear is one of the finest headpone what for 800$ can get. Punkt.
I guess Germany doesn’t have the standards they used to.
B&w p7 wireless. I think you might like it.
DMS looks like Eddie Redmayne in this video.
I think that's one of your best reviews yet. Good job
Ever heard the sentence "less is more"?
00:10 ~ 00:17 what’s the music title? I like it
this man really said this with a strait face with a pair of dt990s in the back, no hate on the 990 but for this video? I think it was just a slight oversight tbh, but really? One other thing is the stock pads suck, just get new pads man you will enjoy them 100% more, peace.
Aren't these VERY similar to the elex that you like?
In some ways yes, but in many ways no.
@@DMS3TV arhhh! I purchased these on ebay at a good price thinking they are very similar to the Elex (with Dekoni Audio Elite Velour pads)? Elex in the UK are rare.
Maybe some EQ will bring them back somewhere good?
This is why I miss Tyll Hertsens
We all miss Tyll
Which headphones might you recommend around this price?
It's like asking "what vehicle should I buy at this price?" You want a car, truck, motorcycle, or ATV? You have to be more specific...closed, open back, or in-ears? Dynamic or planar drivers? Reference/monitor tone or something with more color? No one knows these answers but you.
I have the same feeling with the spikes about the TH-X00. Anyone else?
Yeah, just noticed it when getting my DT1990. Before this I was used to fatuiging headphones with the DT990 :D
Dont get me started on the comfort and build of the TH-X00. They have the worst pads I´ve ever tried and the cable is a joke indeed. They look cool though.
I am gonna put them up on Ebay tomorrow and add the money to my saving for the LCD-2.
No, TH-X00 are WAY better in the highs, not wonky like the Elears. This is how my modded TH-X00 Purplehearts measure:
photos.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Audio/n-6fh3fz/i-L74fPBt/0/b4a2d875/O/i-L74fPBt.png
The Elears are funky in the highs but absolutely AWESOME with the bass... much better than TH-X00 with regard to everything except impact. They are pretty much similar to the STAX SR-L300LE in regards to bass - incredibly dynamic, deep extending, highly detailed, extremely clear. The STAX has more detail/finesse, speed, and clarity of course... and the best bass I've yet heard in a headphone (second best being the Focal Elear.) If not for their highs, the Elear would be an incredibly awesome can - their highs really bring them down. The Focal Elex supposedly fixes the issue with the Elear highs...but at the cost of some bass.
Still waiting for my Elex to ship :)
hi, again, ... Philips SHL5100 for $15 now (late) ... almost frequency response;
... this is tragic ...
I tried these at a show and I couldn't figure out for the life of me what Tyll from InnerFidelity was so excited about. Glad that I'm not the only one. I didn't think they were bad, just... Strange. And not necessarily in a good way. However, I could understand that people with somewhat degraded hearing (which is basically everyone over 40 or so) wouldn't mind them as they can't hear the nuances in the higher frequencies that well. I'm 24 and I can hear all the way up to about 18.5kHz, even though I'm abused my ears quite a bit. Someone Tyll's age probably can't really hear past 14kHz or even lower. That's why, with audio, I feel you gotta hear the opinion of both the experienced veteran audiophile, like Tyll, and the younger ones like Zeos and DMS. One person's opinion alone is welcome, but probably useless, unless you have pretty similar ears and tastes.
Dude, thanks so much for this. These were on my radar, but not anymore!
Hermulus I’m not sure that this review is of a Headphone that might have some sort of defects or simply bad quality control. I love the Elear and yes I listen to mostly Jazz. I have many amps to pair them with and to me they are amazing. I also have the Focal Clear which I like even more. Not sure if he gave the Elear a good burn in considering he didn’t want to even wear them for more than a few minutes. All reviews are just opinions so try to find a pair to sample for yourself. Again this is just my opinion.
Always try the headphones by yourself whenever possible. The internet is full of positive reviews of Elear as well. But they certainly are a mixed bag and tell how some people absolutely love the sound signature or not at all.
So how did they get on the best of 2018 list for you?
They didn’t. Elex did. Different headphone. Very different sound and measurements
@@DMS3TV Sorry my mistake. I guess I am confused with Focal lineup.
No worries. They have a very similar name and appearance.
The Elex is basically the same headphone with different pads. Lol
I have a chance to buy these headphones for 350 USD should I do it. Please help I am new to the audio game.
Yes
That’s a snag right there
Nailed the sound description perfectly. I would love my pair of Elear but the spikes in upper-mid/highs kill it :/
Try the EleX it’s much better
I'm glad I'm not insane. I tried these out and mostly hated the sound on them. Was pretty confused at why there are so many positive reviews for it. Mids just didn't sound anywhere near right or pleasing to me. Which is such a disappointment because the build on these is phenomenal.
Stefan Kamer Totally agree with you! The mids were so strange and the bass just felt too pronounced. There are better options at this price point for sure.
engineer 17 agreed! I opted for a HifiMan Edition X V2, which is a bit higher but way better imo
Stefan Kamer Is the build quality any good on the Edition X? Can we expect the same problems as the He400i?
engineer 17 The V1 of the Edition X had more plastic on it, but the V2 is more metal so it's much better. I don't expect the headphone itself to have any durability issues in the long term. I'd say that if anything, maybe the cable is a little worrisome because at the joints it's pretty thin, but that's about it. Cables are replaceable so it doesn't bother me at all, and it hasn't failed me yet anyway. All in all, I think that the reports of HifiMan have been blown out of proportion. I've had several of their products and never had any issues with any of them.
I listened to them for about 30 minutes, i liked them but i agree that its paradoxically both bright and fatiguing yet veiled in detail.
Got one for 260 lol
nop
audio guide needs work. Unless there is truly only one headphone that is mid-forward at any price
It’s still in early stages for sure
Of course fitment is difficult with your head type (Pinheads)
But as a bonus you can wear a funnel instead of a truckers cap ..
JK
Have a safe and Happy Easter
Opposite of hd600? You pay a lot for the build, not the sound.
Do more iem reviews
Yet another useless review by so called reviewers who hear and make their own comments based on what they hear which means nothing to me or any other potential buyers based on the fact that we all somewhat hear differently or not as acutely or you take your pick I personally don’t follow a reviewers advise on their own findings I or anyone else do your own listening.............
Why are you watching a review if you don’t believe in reviews or measurements??? Seems like you’re wasting your own time intentionally.
DMS since ZeosPantera Reviews mentioned you in his channel I gave it a try but won’t waste my time since this is nowhere near the quality of a Zeos review and he also doesn’t give a crap about a graph unsubscribing ASAP not worth the time.
Salinas Isaac you just made my day lol
DMS Awesome I believe we’re all connected I have been following Linus for a long time and sometime ago I discovered Zeos and that’s how it has inspired me not to run and buy stuff based on reviews but by listening and yes as it may not make sense hearing a speaker or headphone it’s my deciding point as to make a purchase listening or watching reviews it’s fun and while not agreeing on what I see I rarely would comment unless I strongly disagree on a review that said let the show continue on.
@@salinasisaac4562 i hope you have learnt to relax since these comments lol
LOOOOOOOOOOOL destroyed
Sounds like you got a bad pair honestly.
Maybe, I tried a handful of pairs with similar results. I like the Elex a lot more since they fixed the hollow-tuning.
SPOT ON review. these cans suck.