And because of that, I always find myself listening to this headphone at volumes higher than I normally would on other headphones. The mid-bass thump is a touch lighter than I would like, and the sub-bass extension is mediocre at best. The Clear, on the other hand, is the mid-tier at $1500. I initially joined the Edition XX drop but got scared off by the QC issue and long wait. The Elear is the entry-level headphone of this upper-tier series. Massdrop has another drop on them. They have a … and their sound sig didn’t blow me away, as i was expecting. The Focal Elex is a bit on the heavier side though. The Elex destroys this album – especially on the last two tracks. Fantastic all arounder, but yes, it is rather intimate in height and width, although the stage and realism factor is noticeably better than my PM1. What is crazy for me is, when I’m listening to them for a long time and they are amazing, I’m in love with them…then I’ll throw on my HD800s or HD700s and just be blown away at how good those headphones are comparatively. Location: But, it is really with the release of the Elear ($999) and its big brother, the Utopia ($3999) that Focal seems to have proven that they can play with the big boys of the headphone world. This open-air driver design is all part of Focal’s intent of giving the user a Speaker-like experience. The LCD2C just adds entertainment with electrified and electronic sounds and can put a smile on your face (unless they crush your jaw first). I don't have the most muscular of necks, but I still got used to wearing the Eclair within a few hours. I was struck by the sound profile similarities between the Elex and HD600. The Sundara's cable is also awful, feeling like cheap rubber and suffering from memory when coiled up, a D+ to the Elear's D-. This is from memory as I sold off my HD6XX after getting these. Dorian75 likes this. Doin’ It Right is a song that has a vocal intro followed by a bass slam that can knock your socks off. will be interesting to see how the hfm/massdrop edition xx works out…guess we’ll see The Clear, on the other hand, is the mid-tier at $1500. Will from Massdrop stated the exact differences on a forum somewhere. Yet, clearly spending $1,000 on a pair of headphones isn’t for everyone. I originally purchased a set from Blinq but it was faulty and I had to return it. The soundstage isn't deep, but it's not a dull, unengaging kind of shallowness; rather, the music pops out right in your face. There are plenty of headphones out there that certainly do certain aspects better. 15.9oz(450g) I don’t notice any neck fatigue while wearing these. The bass and drums hit harder and feel more dynamic with the Elear,: There is no doubt that this track plays to the Elear´s stronger sides. Vocals shine and have a very nice presentation. Focal Elear on Amazon [http://amzn.to/2xamZSx] (Sale is over. I don't like having to crank up the volume to dangerous levels in order to understand what vocalists are singing, so this was ultimately a deal-breaker for me. The earcups will feel familiar with microfiber coverings over memory foam cushions. There is an ample quantity of upper treble air that makes the Sundara sound alive with well-mastered live recordings. oh thanks, i wasn’t aware of that…good ole’ massdrop and their ‘…hrs left’ ploys After swapping my HD-600 cable for balanced, they truly do provide a surprisingly deep and satisfying bass experience. High Quality. The Focal Elear are great looking headphones that have a high-end and premium feel. They are not in the ballpark of Audeze LCD series weight though, so that’s a blessing. Thankfully, it isn't as bad as the HE400i's ear-pick treble, and I was able to get used to it quickly enough. The lack of horizontal yoke swivel and the circular pads mean that it may not fit your head properly at all. Inspired by the best technology and acoustic research that went into designing Utopia, our flagship headphones, they offer truly exceptional performance. High quality materials are used throughout. They retail at $999 but can be found for about $799 now. While it is definitely an improvement over the Grand Canyon that is the stock Elear's upper midrange, the imperfection remains audible when listening critically. Again, the fast decay these drivers produce really helps make this genre excel. Not a problem on the Elex. Focal Elear overview and full product specs on CNET. I read that as you would take them to the gym. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. But in many songs, they distort the heck out of both sides. The Sundara also has nearly pinpoint imaging, albeit not perfect. I don’t mind the weight at all (they are no HD700 though). Speaking of the two, in my measured MiniDSP EARS responses, they look very similar, outside of the region between 1-3KHz. This is not a headphone for electronic music, even the kind that hasn't had its bass response butchered by dynamic range compression. But…they will never be a 4x4 on your head…. But I will say this without A/B’ng these and I just sit back and listen to them they really are a joy to listen to, they are like sitting in front of a warm open fire, damn it now I want to keep them…this is my struggle with these, when I think where they fit for me I have a hard time placing them, but when I just let go and listen… Mmm, I want to keep them….son of a…. In contrast to the Eclair, the Sundara excels with classical and acoustic music with its laid-back, smooth mid- and upper midrange and mostly natural timbre. That’s interesting because a very common thread with the 6XX is that there is nothing that does the 6XX but better. It is a brighter headphone so songs that are emphasized in the upper region may sound harsh. The low sensitivity makes the Sundara moderately difficult to drive. She has a higher pitched voice, and on some headphones, with exaggerated treble, you may hear sibilance in her voice and harshness in each guitar pluck with this song. The LCD2C’s stock sound is definitely quite colored. For me, the Elex handles this fine. They posted measurements vs the Elear but I haven’t seen them with superimposed Elex measurements on them and since I don’t know what they used to measure with, it’s a little hard to determine if I’ll find any of the pads very useful. They retail at $999 but can be found for about $799 now. The Sundara has a pleasantly wide soundstage with good depth. I think the cable is a very good-looking cable and has a nice braid and feel to it. More recently, they developed a new driver concept that mimics loudspeaker design – a super-near-field monitor driver – and used it on their flagship Utopia, Elear and Clear headphones. The soundstage isn't particularly wide but not claustrophobic, either. Each Elear and Utopia is handcrafted by a two-person team at the Focal factory in France; one tech makes the driver, the other one makes the rest of the headphone. I bought a cheap Elear cable off of eBay and am happy with it. The bass slams, but the transient reponse is fast and you get the little textures that you may not hear in a typical dynamic that compensates with a mid-bass hump. Additionally, they are made from an in may when they ship per qc and sound sig. The shoutiness makes it difficult to tell how much upper treble sparkle is present. These are similar but better in my opinion in color, tone color, tonality, and resonance to the HD6XX. My Elex resulted in perceptual weirdness for about 20-30 hours of break-in, to include a slightly metallic/brassy voices, hyper separation of any volume differences in a mix, and high-end roughness (not harshness). It's an open secret that the Elex is a re-painted Elear with Clear pads attached, so these impressions can be considered to be equivalent to impressions of the Elex. The Elex is an intimate set, they are warmer than the HD700, vocals are more intimate with less peaks, and female vocals come into the ear so very warm and intimate. The body consists of bent strips of metal attached to cylindrical slabs with chain-link fencing for mesh and scratchy ear pads. In fact, that comparison of the Elear vs PM1 wasn’t justified enough for the review, which is why I didn’t include it. Also any questions you have I’ll be more than happy to do my best to answer them. CES 2021. Skype, games with voice chat, mobile phones, etc. They contain the same 40mm (1.6-inch) M-type aluminum/magnesium driver, but made with a brighter aluminum housing. They are cheaply made in every way and I’d be upset if I paid more than $300. The Eclair's low midrange tonality sounds natural enough to my ears. The bass and the treble response are very similar besides that. This can sometimes muddy up vocals and the lower mid-range. They are packaged with a copper voice coil, and together, these two elements work together to control the dynamics and the bass. The Elex comes packaged in a large magnetic snap box, that opens up with a simple presentation. I found them more comfortable to wear than say the LCD-2 and the Monolith M1060 but the additional weight over my daily driver HE560 shows. It's not a concern with most music, but Elvis is unlistenable on the Eclair. Amplifier: Questyle CMA800R, Source: Audio-gd Master 7. 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