expirediconian | Staff posted Nov 29, 2021 06:19 PM
Item 1 of 5
Item 1 of 5
expirediconian | Staff posted Nov 29, 2021 06:19 PM
Focal Elegia Circumaural Closed-Back High-Fidelity Audiophile Headphones
+ Free Shipping$379
$890
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I have to guess IEMs don't do it since they can't move the same quantity of air. But this is all guessing since this isn't a very common problem.
I'm not an audiophile, and will never pretend to be (don't know the science or care for it), but I grew up around someone who is a pretty serious nutcase of an Audiophile (my Dad). Here's what he has owned in some shape or fashion over the years (Bowers Wilkins 802 Diamond "R2D2", Thiel CS 3.6, Wilson Audio Watt Puppy, Wilson Audio Alexia, Wilson Audio Alexandria, and Avante Garde Trio). You can Google the specs and the prices yourselves. Some of these are six figure speakers. My point is I grew up listening to these speakers not in a showroom, not for an hour, but I guess I'm intimately familiar with them. I know what a DCS Debussy $10K DAC sounds like, etc.
If you keep the signal chain consistent, I might be able to discern which was which, maybe. If you change something, anything in the chain, all bets are off. Being 100% honest here.
I say all that only to make a point: Audio is extremely subjective. What sounds good to one person is not the same to the other, and price has very little meaning when sound is in the erm... "Ear of the Be-hearer".
The user who said that you didn't need a DAC/Amp to drive low impedance headphones is correct. But the guy/gal who said a DAC and Amp makes them sound better, is also correct. So is the person who said they can tell the difference between 320 encoded versus FLAC and the person who can't. It all depends on what you are looking for in your music, what you want to hear (a jazz singer's voice which is in the midrange is gonna be very different from dance music which will be bass heavy).
It sounds trite, but if you're just starting out in this hobby, the classic advice "go into the store and listen", is the honest truth. The owner of one of the higest end audio stores in Chicago once showed me a big room of what he called "OPM: Other People's Mistakes". That's because someone bought something because they "read somewhere" it sounded good, or a friend told them, or an Audio Forum, etc and had to sell it or return it.
Listen with your ears instead.
I'm not a crazy nut like my Dad, but I own some nice sounding gear, like a Thiel CS 3.6 and a Bryston 4B. The very best sounding set up that I personally love and use everyday is a pair of Grado SR-325s and a Little Dot 1+ with upgraded Tubes. But that's MY preference. I like things to sound like live music. And I am a music lover, not an audiophile. But I want things to sound good to my ears.
Back to the topic at hand: I demoed the Elegias a while back. They do sound a lot like the Clear, BUT there's something very significant that was missing I couldn't quite put my finger on. I didn't like them as much as the Clears. But I still prefer my Grados.
It's all about personal preferences, you see.
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Nobody paying $900 for these lol
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank dcianf
I have to guess IEMs don't do it since they can't move the same quantity of air. But this is all guessing since this isn't a very common problem.
Just a reminder, being an audiophile is an expensive hobby. You're probably going to need additional equipment and hifi subscriptions cost more. If you're just listening basic level Spotify then there's no point in buying these.
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Just a reminder, being an audiophile is an expensive hobby. You're probably going to need additional equipment and hifi subscriptions cost more. If you're just listening basic level Spotify then there's no point in buying these.
Hopefully these aren't the batch that had earcups break off, pads tearing, drivers giving off a "hiss" and also had a few problems with the connectors and cable.
For those that have focals that are not what I described, good for you as some have stated if they knew these had to be treated like princesses, they wouldn't have gotten them. And these chaps treat their gear with great care.
Audio hobby is very expensive and subjective to each person, which a concept that not many can understand.
Absolutely right about the streaming music (spotify) part. If the source isn't yours and of the best quality, then these will demonstrate all the flaws and nuances in the track you got. You will also not be able to use the device to its full potential (making it shine).
Get a good setup that sounds good to you and not to someone else. Something you can afford is another point as well. It takes time to find something and get it right to suit your tastes.
PRO TIP:
(for those looking at reviews)
A review whether written or in video format is simply a person trying to describe, articulate the natural sound of a device (sound signature) to the best of their ability.
So when going off of one to determine your purchase, it's best to understand the world of "audiophile"
(such a glorified word for sound and music lovers enthusiasts alike)
and what YOU look for that is important to YOU. What sounds good to you and what you like as you will will be the only person using it daily most of the time.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank razer145
Focal headphones are very easy to drive, the vast majority of people can't tell a difference between 320kb MP3's and FLAC (assuming identical source material), and Spotify is adding a lossless option soon that's rumored to be no extra charge.
But keep selling the snake oil.
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