I love these reviews. I love how much straight-forward information you share. Your reviews are soft-spoken, confident but humble, and complex - some of the best out there.
Great comparison Andrew! I too have the Focal Elegia and continue to be impressed by this headphone, it’s a great closed back IMO. Eventually looking at getting another closed back, going between the Focal Stellia or ZMF Verite closed. Anyway enjoy this new channel, as I liked and subscribed
Hi @Edgar Regarding the Verite closed and Stellia, I have not heard them yet, hopefully soon! Though I have heard the Verite open and (for me/my opinion) it is a very good headphone, very good timbre! I would currently place the Verite open as my second favorite headphone I have heard next to the Focal Utopia.
*Thank you for your awesome reviews. No time wasted. So much practical reality! Cant stress enough how well done your headphone reviews are. It helped me a lot to make my choices which ones to try and form my decision.* Keep it up. *Congrats to your channel.*
Thank you for the work you put in the videos/reviews, Andrew! I could not agree more about the Focals. I also know the first version Mr Speakers yet and will try the new Dan Clark unit- for portabilty it's outstanding and the price is in my budget. The Elegia was my choice this year, though every other could fit different peoples preferences.
This .. this .. this - THIS is what a knowledgeable, objective , no bullshit, and neutral Headphone (pun intended) comparison should look like... this video is the baseline for headphone comparison reviews for me
@@InvisibleIink affordability all depends on your wallet and or relationships. Are we thinking under $400? Or $200? This was interesting because of the relatively wide range of prices.
I've been praising the Stellia ever since their introduction! I even prefer them over Focal's Utopia! They are my reference standard. My second standard is the Stax L-700 mk2. (proper electronics are a prerequisite to exploit their capabilities though) Great comparison, albeit the impossibility to overlook price disparities here!
Thanks for this well put together comparison!! Question for you if you have time - how does the Audeze LCD XC closed backs compare to the Focals? (For sound - I get the weight difference)
Bismillah Best review as always I subscribed instantly. Please add the Denon AH-D 9200 to that list - best bass in a headphone and most dynamic in the lows and highs even over the Stellia to my ears. Also some Final Sonorous models especially the VIII and X.
Excellent review. I have the Audeze LCD-XC, but considering the Aeon 2,due to clamp factor on the XC. Best wishes for your new channel and your reviews are professional and enjoyable. Cheers.
Great video! I got the Elegia one month ago with big discount (thanks to the launch of Celestee) and I love the Elegia. I have a very decent sound system (Marantz+NAD+Focal speakers) but I cannot stop listening to these headphones. Sound is superb, way above my other headphones (Senn, AKG, Sony) BTW, which stand is that on YOUR right? It is beautiful. I got a Silverstone, which is great, but I’d want another one for a different room
Hi sir I saw your video.. and that was perfect...sir I have a question I want to know between headphone sennhiser hd820 and focal mg professional which one is the best???please lead me..and thankyou
Really enjoyed this comparison review of some top of the line closed backs. I have the DCA Aeon 2 closed, and thoroughly enjoy them and pair them with the Focal Clear when I need more detail and stage. I would love to get the playlist you used for your comparisons. Do you have it listed somewhere? Cheers
Rhodey no I haven’t heard the Elegia. I have the Focal Clear as the open opposite to the Aeon 2s, but I can’t comment on the Elegia vs the Aeon 2s. I thoroughly enjoy the Aeon 2s. I find them engaging, highly isolating and fun. I’ve used them on flights, as opposed to over-ear ANC cans for music, movies and podcasts. And bring a mini-rig of the Sony WM1A and the Mojo or Monoprice THX Portable for when I’m traveling. It’s changed how I experience sound on the road
How are they for gaming?. I currently have the Hifiman Sundara but have been thinking for the past 20 minutes or so that it would be nice to get a good closed pair of cans too at some point.
Been following you since your old channel (only recently realized you started a new one lol), and it still never gets old how refreshingly informative, well-thought out and to-the-point your reviews are. That's not to say a 30+ minute video from a charismatic, albeit _utterly_ self-obsessed reviewer isn't occasionally entertaining, despite the fact that you typically finish watching those videos with more uncertainty about how a device sounds than before you started it. But if I want to actually learn useful info about a product (this and high-quality production are their own forms of entertainment too ofc), I'm coming to you instead. tbh you're probably the best headphone review channel on the platform rn. Thanks for existing man, really ❤️
Those are some beautiful headphones any one who have any of these have a great pair of headphones. It's all about preference for me it's the Sennheiser HD 820 they have my ❤️ those are my favorite headphones. After hearing them from a friend's it's a must get for 2021.
Hi, What is your take between Stellia and Celestee. I have a hard time choosing which one to keep. Celestee is more clear but kinda missing some frequencies. Stelia is more full, but narrower sound stage, darker, and also higher. However vocal is more natural and smooth.
How did you find the mids on the Stellia compare to the Elegia? I love the Elegia for its tonality and forwardness of mids. I agree stuff like kick drums all sound good on it. I’m demoing the Stellias soon so curious to hear your impressions.
Many thanks for great review. Is it Focal Stellia one of the best headphones to listen deep house music with Astell&Kern Alpha player? Or you can suggest something else? Thanks in advance
Excellent Review! Exactly what i was looking for. Closed cans, i auditioned the Elegia & the 820, as well as the Clear. But, i also DO like isolation & when i wore those Elegias, great comfort & isolation, indeed. i should agree w/ ur choice of the same, they're very forgiving, too w/o sacrifice on detail retrievals...
Do you know how these compare to the Bang and Olufsen H95 closed back bluetooth noise cancelling headphones? What would you recommend for listening to music whilst commuting?
So did I get a good deal on my BNIB Focal Elegia for $424 shipped? I did spend an extra $80 on Dekoni Elite Sheepskins which surprisingly doesn’t mess up the tuning and adds a touch of warmth in the lower region.
I only listen to classical music and opera. I have open backs but I want high end closed-back headphone to listen to music at home, where there’s city noises that filter through the open backs. What would you recommend? Is the Focal Celestee best? What about Sony’s Z1R and Sennheiser’s 820?
Wow.. your review is effortlessly overly technical .. with no hint of pretentiousness. .. Loved it.. really... one of the best combo reviews Ive seen in a long time. You def know your shit!!!
@@kevinchrist1658 for me, fantastic. I base that on during the summer I would go walking at 6am with them. Come home and take my then 4 month old boy for his first sleep . Would go out walking with him. Did 3 walks a day. Plus another so sometimes up to 4 walks and the headphones were very nice. The clamp isn't strong and cups are well cushioned.headband is firm and well proportioned. All in all cant fault them. A tad heavier than an open back headphone. But great overall
I own focal elex, focal elegia, ether cx and hifiman he4xx. Based on your review I would hold off on the aeon 2 due to color and not punchy bass. I think my ether cx does a better job than the aeon 2 in terms of totality. I always wear elegia on long airplane rides and it's enough to block out some noise and it's super comfy. Thanks for your review.
This was a fascinating review. I am very into headphones and already own both Focal Utopias and Sennheiser HD800S. I also have a pair of fairly cheap closed back planar magnetic headphones and am now considering buying a pair of Dan Clark Aeon 2s. To complete my collection, as I am impressed by my existing planars, do you think the open backed version would be a better bet for me? Amplification would be no problem, as I own the fantastic Chord Hugo TT2 headphone amp and DAC, plus the equally amazing Chord M- Scaler.
hello,i have and love sound straight from my hifiman ananda bt,no EQ needed + astell kern SR25 II. need a closed headphone with similar sound .I dont like bassy headphoes.what you can tell AH-D9200 vs Audeze LCD-XC? im tried at local shop 9200 ,very like sound but a bit too much highs and seems like semi open sound with big soundstage.tried focal stellia at same shop and not liked it. stellia sounds like my bathys -no soundstage and dark.
Was just looking for a vid like this. Heard both the elegia and stellia last weekend and couldn't decide on it because of the environment of a show floor
Hello everyone! Please help me. 2 months ago I bought Denon 7200 and astell&kern kann alpha. Mostly I listening deep house music. I expected from this combination something much better and because I didn't like the bass quality in music I will give that denon to my young brother as a present. So the question is, what are the best top headphones to listen mostly deep house music? I plan listen music on my astell&kern kann alpha. Guy from the shop highly advised Focal Stelia. Is this combination is really good or I need to buy something else? Thanks in advance for any support
Im on the hunt for the most resolving closed back with good technical capability for under 400. FR doesnt matter because they will be EQ'd to harman target. Any recommendations?
Maybe TR-X00 ebony if you can find one? I know there are also some discounted Aeon 1s around that price. Although you really don't get flagship technical capability at that price.
Love the review, great information! Would you suggest yawing the Elegia for reference mixing? I need a closed back and they seem to have the most neutral sound signature in the price
sitting here with the Elegia I paid $400 for, put a headband protector on it within a week of getting it and Focal was nice enough to send me free pads, feeling like I won this
Hi, I‘m searching a portable DAC / AMP for the A2C. Is there one wich drive the A2C well and detailed? Or should I buy an desktop amp? For this I need a smaller one. What is about the mojo and the Ifi Black label. Thanks and greetings from Germany Markus
Problem is these have a wide price range difference. I prefer to compare ones at a similar price point unless its going to be a cheap vs expensive thing. Also the terms used by some folks are really hard to understand and there seems to be no universal standard. "Slam vs slap"? I really have no idea what that means. And listening is a very subjective thing and has many variables like personal biases and even your hearing. And of course the music and the source. Older folks, above 40, have lost a good bit of high end perception and that only gets worse as we age. for example I hear nothing above about about 13khz. Which makes it hard for older reviewers, like Steve Guttenburg, to give good accurate reviews. Not many will admit that failing though.
Hey guys im back have choosen theses head set what would you guys remove from the list. Im licensing to Rap, Hiphop, Reggeaton,Trap, Spanish Music . Focal ELEX vs DT 1990 PRO, hifiman ananda, HIFIMAN SUNDARA, HD 6xx. Like some bass, vocals and highs dont like bass overpowering my music
Here's an interesting question. If you only had 3k to work with would you get the Clear + Elegia (open back when possible and closed back when not) or is the driver in the Stellia impressive enough to enjoy listening to all the time?
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for the reply. As much as I can appreciate the benefits of open back, being able to use closed back when the girlfriend is trying to sleep or at the office (I'm actually more productive listening to music, I find hearing people talk highly distracts me!) is huge! So this comparison is hugely helpful! Love your review style, keep up the awesome content.
Regarding the Stella? Would they be fine to plug into my iPad Pro as well as my 2015 MacBook Pro without having to buy headphone amp and so on? Such a fine built headphone has me confused why expensive DAC AMP are required.
If you use any headphone having more than 32ohm impedance with ipad, the sound will not be as high as headphones normal output volume in its spec, loosing some dB's, even hardly audible for 600ohm headphones as ipad headphone jack output power is not high enough to drive those high impedance headphones. Generally, high end headphones impedances are high, typicaly between 80-600ohm. A few high end headphones designed to use with phones on the go with low 16-32ohm. Check headphone impedance before buying, otherwise amp is a must to get sufficient volume.
I've tried the Elegia and I loved the punchiness of the bass but I ultimately decided not to keep them. Compared to my AFC, I was finding songs on the Elegia where lots of instruments were playing sounded a bity muddy. In other instances I would play a song and on the Elegia, instruments that were supposed to be in the background are brought forward. I don't feel the Elegia provided a better sound stage either. It felt like it emphasized mids, which would leave one to believe the sound stage is better. What i experienced though is that it was often harder to tell where sounds are coming from on the elegia simply because the mids are drowning out some of the detail.
@@kevinchrist1658 The clamp pressure on the Elegia should not be a concern for most people. Clamp really bothers me as well, likely due to the fact that I wear glasses. The Elegia has spring loaded cups so they do an excellent job of adjusting clamp pressure to your physical dimensions. What I did notice is that you will feel their weight along the headband after a few hours. Overall I'd say the comfort is good but not on the level of something like the Dan Clark Audio Aeon / Aeon 2
surprising you refer to the elegia as punchy... I tried them and to my ears it was really beautiful but the sound was tooooo sterile, but the bass sounded correct but not punchy at all. but my biggest gripe with the elegia was the cable (good Lord) horrible is an understatement.
hello sir. i currently use a denon ah-d2000 and i consider upgrading. i listen to everything but hiphop, drum n bass etc. there are so many headphones, and even more shameful is that we can't try them all.
Yeah it would be nice to review those as I mentioned in the video. There's also the ZMF Verite C (and the other closed-backs from ZMF). I hope to include them in a future closed-back shootout.
@@vincenthusvh I don't have them available to review yet. I personally own the ZMF Verite open, and I love it. But I don't have access to a closed one yet.
it would depend on my application. If I'm okay with EQ, Elegia. If I require a bit of portability, A2C. If I don't have much of an amp, Elegia. If I prefer the planar sound, A2C. If I want a more 'neutral' sound, Elegia. If I want a bit more 'fun' sound, A2C.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Your conclusion is very spot on to what I have experienced. Went to the store yesterday to listen while i find the Elegia to be very detailed, may not be the best cans for certain songs
Great review. I just bought the Focal Elegia with a nice discount which Focal is offering in the next few weeks. Very nice build and sound that matches my preferences. Had a listen to the Denon D7200 as well, but these are less comfortable for my small head and more bulky and the bass is way too loud for me. Rest of the sound is pretty good though, so might be an option for other people.
Here I am, on memorial Day, with the Elegia sitting in my Adorama cart. Will I press that "Place order" button? Or will I chicken out again from the fear of my gf finding out how much they cost? Decisions. Decisions.
Definitely not, with a decent Amp the Stellia sounds smooth and easy to listen to for a long time. I already had both and used them with Focal Arche, Utopia has a bit of a metallic tone, Stellia sounds much more relaxing with a strong elevation in the low middle. This can be annoying at times, but maybe it is precisely this elevation in the bass that took the metallic tone out, anyway, I love Stellia it is a fantastic headphone
I plan to get the stella and a good portable dac amp like the ifi diablo well 3k headphones need a 1k dac amp lol well not quite buy £899 is not cheap for a portable dac
Very different headphones. One is open with intense sibilant treble, but good balance for the rest of it. The other is closed and very mid forward. If you like the dt1990 you won't like the Elegia most likely, and vice versa. I recommend the Edition XS and an amplifier as a better alternative over the 1990 if you can handle open back.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I find the edition xs expensive and it's open. In other words, it is very conditioned to specific situations. Being in a quiet place, any noise affects your listening, you disturb the people around you, there is no privacy at all... There are many factors that make me prefer to spend less on an open headset. The dt1990 is cheaper and it is also "semi-open". On top of that, I would have to buy a case to carry the Edition Xs. Is the elegia or the dt1990 better in terms of resolution? Thank you.
@@tecno4u31 It doesn't matter which is better in terms of resolution, because they're so dramatically different in terms of their tuning. Honestly, if you like one, it's highly unlikely you'll enjoy the other. So if you have the DT1990, and you like it, I don't recommend the Elegia.
They're pretty quiet going by experience in exploring cities like San Francisco. Plus, they're not like trains (obviously) so they pass by quickly. I don't know whether to think how cool it would be to have a trolley pass by my window, or how noisy and irritating it would be to have that. Lol.
I love these reviews. I love how much straight-forward information you share. Your reviews are soft-spoken, confident but humble, and complex - some of the best out there.
Great comparison Andrew! I too have the Focal Elegia and continue to be impressed by this headphone, it’s a great closed back IMO. Eventually looking at getting another closed back, going between the Focal Stellia or ZMF Verite closed. Anyway enjoy this new channel, as I liked and subscribed
Bismillah
You owe it to yourself to consider the Denon AH-D9200. It depends on what you are looking for, but the 9200 has some really great qualities.
Hi Jeremy have you gotten the Stellia or the Verti? I too am looking into buying one of these
Hi @Edgar
Regarding the Verite closed and Stellia, I have not heard them yet, hopefully soon! Though I have heard the Verite open and (for me/my opinion) it is a very good headphone, very good timbre! I would currently place the Verite open as my second favorite headphone I have heard next to the Focal Utopia.
I buy for 380€
Sony MDR-Z1R would have been a nice addition here! Maybe do an updated comparison if you can get your hands on a set.
Bismillah
Add the Denon AH-D 9200 to that list - best bass in a headphone and most dynamic in the lows and highs even over the Stellia to my ears.
@@halimj7 those are semi closed
Agree.. To me, the best headphone ever...
I have the z1r and it's incredible
*Thank you for your awesome reviews. No time wasted. So much practical reality! Cant stress enough how well done your headphone reviews are. It helped me a lot to make my choices which ones to try and form my decision.* Keep it up. *Congrats to your channel.*
Excellent video. I'm new to hi-end headphones and this explained the details and what to listen for beautifully. Thank you.
Aeon 2 CB, Elegia: closer to 1000USD
HD 820, Stellia: closer to 3000USD
make your pick.
That's hard, not lots of options
Thank you for the work you put in the videos/reviews, Andrew!
I could not agree more about the Focals. I also know the first version Mr Speakers yet and will try the new Dan Clark unit- for portabilty it's outstanding and the price is in my budget.
The Elegia was my choice this year,
though every other could fit different peoples preferences.
This .. this .. this - THIS is what a knowledgeable, objective , no bullshit, and neutral Headphone (pun intended) comparison should look like... this video is the baseline for headphone comparison reviews for me
Thanks, that was great. Can we have a "low-end" shootout next? Thanks in advance! :)
Bismillah
What do mean by low end shootout? Compare the low end of the cans reviewed in this video or other closed or all cans?
@@halimj7 Opposite of "High End." Affordability implied.
the shp9500 is by far the best for cheap, it competes with stuff like the hd600
@@InvisibleIink affordability all depends on your wallet and or relationships. Are we thinking under $400? Or $200? This was interesting because of the relatively wide range of prices.
Damn dude video quality is sick
I've been praising the Stellia ever since their introduction! I even prefer them over Focal's Utopia! They are my reference standard.
My second standard is the Stax L-700 mk2. (proper electronics are a prerequisite to exploit their capabilities though)
Great comparison, albeit the impossibility to overlook price disparities here!
awesome review, among all out there. please keep doing the fact based style, the info you share is so solid and referencable.
I recently just picked up the Stellia. Glad to hear you thought it was the winner here.
Thanks for this well put together comparison!! Question for you if you have time - how does the Audeze LCD XC closed backs compare to the Focals? (For sound - I get the weight difference)
Bismillah
Best review as always I subscribed instantly. Please add the Denon AH-D 9200 to that list - best bass in a headphone and most dynamic in the lows and highs even over the Stellia to my ears. Also some Final Sonorous models especially the VIII and X.
Great review! There is also Beyerdynamic T5p closed headphone, any views on those compared to these.
Those Focals are beautiful
Excellent review. I have the Audeze LCD-XC, but considering the Aeon 2,due to clamp factor on the XC. Best wishes for your new channel and your reviews are professional and enjoyable. Cheers.
Hello, did you try the aeon ?
Great video! I got the Elegia one month ago with big discount (thanks to the launch of Celestee) and I love the Elegia. I have a very decent sound system (Marantz+NAD+Focal speakers) but I cannot stop listening to these headphones. Sound is superb, way above my other headphones (Senn, AKG, Sony)
BTW, which stand is that on YOUR right? It is beautiful. I got a Silverstone, which is great, but I’d want another one for a different room
Nice comparision, now I decided buy the elegia
Hi sir I saw your video.. and that was perfect...sir I have a question I want to know between headphone sennhiser hd820 and focal mg professional which one is the best???please lead me..and thankyou
Really enjoyed this comparison review of some top of the line closed backs. I have the DCA Aeon 2 closed, and thoroughly enjoy them and pair them with the Focal Clear when I need more detail and stage. I would love to get the playlist you used for your comparisons. Do you have it listed somewhere?
Cheers
Hello!
Did you try the aeon 2 with the perforated pads?
Just subbed, looking forward for more awsome content.
Awesome comparison review. Looking at a good closed back and I've been eyeing the DC aeon 2 closed.
Now I'm looking at the elegia haha
I have the DCA Aeon 2s closed, love them and so easy to travel with.
Jeff J have you heard the elegia? Is the aeon 2 an enjoyable headphone to listen to?
Rhodey no I haven’t heard the Elegia. I have the Focal Clear as the open opposite to the Aeon 2s, but I can’t comment on the Elegia vs the Aeon 2s.
I thoroughly enjoy the Aeon 2s. I find them engaging, highly isolating and fun.
I’ve used them on flights, as opposed to over-ear ANC cans for music, movies and podcasts.
And bring a mini-rig of the Sony WM1A and the Mojo or Monoprice THX Portable for when I’m traveling. It’s changed how I experience sound on the road
Jeff J yeah I'm torn between aeon 2 and elegia. The elegia is 600 on Amazon atm.
thank you Andrew I'm exceedingly happy with my Elegia (got it 2 days ago)
Does it have powerfull sub bass rumble which you can feel?
@@Masimo_Yovanni yes i definitely get that with Elegia
How are they for gaming?. I currently have the Hifiman Sundara but have been thinking for the past 20 minutes or so that it would be nice to get a good closed pair of cans too at some point.
Can't even find the Elegia anywhere.
@@goombatommy Idk where you live but here in Australia a few online retailers have them.
Been following you since your old channel (only recently realized you started a new one lol), and it still never gets old how refreshingly informative, well-thought out and to-the-point your reviews are. That's not to say a 30+ minute video from a charismatic, albeit _utterly_ self-obsessed reviewer isn't occasionally entertaining, despite the fact that you typically finish watching those videos with more uncertainty about how a device sounds than before you started it. But if I want to actually learn useful info about a product (this and high-quality production are their own forms of entertainment too ofc), I'm coming to you instead. tbh you're probably the best headphone review channel on the platform rn. Thanks for existing man, really ❤️
Those are some beautiful headphones any one who have any of these have a great pair of headphones. It's all about preference for me it's the Sennheiser HD 820 they have my ❤️ those are my favorite headphones. After hearing them from a friend's it's a must get for 2021.
You rock, thanks man. I just finished the review. This was very helpful, and it answered a lot of questions for me.
Hi, What is your take between Stellia and Celestee. I have a hard time choosing which one to keep.
Celestee is more clear but kinda missing some frequencies.
Stelia is more full, but narrower sound stage, darker, and also higher. However vocal is more natural and smooth.
DT 177x Go's would've been nice to see. I always have them on me wherever I go. Regardless, thanks for the reviews!
Great review! I was just thinking about a closed-back headphone to add to my collection.
You are one the bess reviwer always serious thank you
Great review! I'm so torn between the Aeon and Elegia
How did you find the mids on the Stellia compare to the Elegia? I love the Elegia for its tonality and forwardness of mids. I agree stuff like kick drums all sound good on it. I’m demoing the Stellias soon so curious to hear your impressions.
@@kevinchrist1658 Stellias comfort is great. But like I said the treble on it is very peaky so it can be hard to listen to for a long period of time.
Many thanks for great review. Is it Focal Stellia one of the best headphones to listen deep house music with Astell&Kern Alpha player? Or you can suggest something else? Thanks in advance
A balanced and well-executed comparison, thanks!
Excellent Review! Exactly what i was looking for. Closed cans, i auditioned the Elegia & the 820, as well as the Clear. But, i also DO like isolation & when i wore those Elegias, great comfort & isolation, indeed. i should agree w/ ur choice of the same, they're very forgiving, too w/o sacrifice on detail retrievals...
Thanks for the great review on the close back headphone 💕
Do you know how these compare to the Bang and Olufsen H95 closed back bluetooth noise cancelling headphones? What would you recommend for listening to music whilst commuting?
So did I get a good deal on my BNIB Focal Elegia for $424 shipped? I did spend an extra $80 on Dekoni Elite Sheepskins which surprisingly doesn’t mess up the tuning and adds a touch of warmth in the lower region.
HD 820 all day. Awesome video brotha!😁🤘
I only listen to classical music and opera. I have open backs but I want high end closed-back headphone to listen to music at home, where there’s city noises that filter through the open backs. What would you recommend? Is the Focal Celestee best? What about Sony’s Z1R and Sennheiser’s 820?
Wow.. your review is effortlessly overly technical .. with no hint of pretentiousness. .. Loved it.. really... one of the best combo reviews Ive seen in a long time. You def know your shit!!!
Got a good deal on an open box Elegia. Couldn't be happier. Thanks for your insights.
@@kevinchrist1658 for me, fantastic. I base that on during the summer I would go walking at 6am with them. Come home and take my then 4 month old boy for his first sleep . Would go out walking with him. Did 3 walks a day. Plus another so sometimes up to 4 walks and the headphones were very nice. The clamp isn't strong and cups are well cushioned.headband is firm and well proportioned. All in all cant fault them. A tad heavier than an open back headphone. But great overall
I own focal elex, focal elegia, ether cx and hifiman he4xx. Based on your review I would hold off on the aeon 2 due to color and not punchy bass. I think my ether cx does a better job than the aeon 2 in terms of totality. I always wear elegia on long airplane rides and it's enough to block out some noise and it's super comfy. Thanks for your review.
The bass in the Aeon 2 is more punchy then Ether CX.
This was a fascinating review. I am very into headphones and already own both Focal Utopias and Sennheiser HD800S. I also have a pair of fairly cheap closed back planar magnetic headphones and am now considering buying a pair of Dan Clark Aeon 2s. To complete my collection, as I am impressed by my existing planars, do you think the open backed version would be a better bet for me? Amplification would be no problem, as I own the fantastic Chord Hugo TT2 headphone amp and DAC, plus the equally amazing Chord M- Scaler.
hello,i have and love sound straight from my hifiman ananda bt,no EQ needed + astell kern SR25 II. need a closed headphone with similar sound .I dont like bassy headphoes.what you can tell AH-D9200 vs Audeze LCD-XC? im tried at local shop 9200 ,very like sound but a bit too much highs and seems like semi open sound with big soundstage.tried focal stellia at same shop and not liked it. stellia sounds like my bathys -no soundstage and dark.
Was just looking for a vid like this. Heard both the elegia and stellia last weekend and couldn't decide on it because of the environment of a show floor
Was gonna ask about the Elex but then realized this was about closed backs.
Hello everyone! Please help me. 2 months ago I bought Denon 7200 and astell&kern kann alpha. Mostly I listening deep house music. I expected from this combination something much better and because I didn't like the bass quality in music I will give that denon to my young brother as a present. So the question is, what are the best top headphones to listen mostly deep house music? I plan listen music on my astell&kern kann alpha. Guy from the shop highly advised Focal Stelia. Is this combination is really good or I need to buy something else? Thanks in advance for any support
What do you think about byer t5 3rd to High End Closed-Back ?
Im on the hunt for the most resolving closed back with good technical capability for under 400. FR doesnt matter because they will be EQ'd to harman target. Any recommendations?
Maybe TR-X00 ebony if you can find one? I know there are also some discounted Aeon 1s around that price. Although you really don't get flagship technical capability at that price.
Love the review, great information! Would you suggest yawing the Elegia for reference mixing? I need a closed back and they seem to have the most neutral sound signature in the price
Most neutral would be K371
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Are those as good in detail, sound staging and imaging as the Elegia?
I have an Elegia on the way. Stoked!
Do you recommend EQ with the Elegia?
DMS likened the 820 as a cheap speaker in a toilet and you can see where his idea comes from with the weird roller-coaster frequency response.
Not a fair comparison is it. The Stellia is £2K more than the Aeon 2 !
sitting here with the Elegia I paid $400 for, put a headband protector on it within a week of getting it and Focal was nice enough to send me free pads, feeling like I won this
How's the Focal Celestee and Audeze LCD closed backs fitting here?
Hi, really thanks for sharing. I'm choosing between Focal elegia and Meze 99 classic, anyone has advice? Thanks you
Hi, I‘m searching a portable DAC / AMP for the A2C. Is there one wich drive the A2C well and detailed? Or should I buy an desktop amp? For this I need a smaller one.
What is about the mojo and the Ifi Black label.
Thanks and greetings from Germany
Markus
Chord mojo is fine, it can drive any headphones up to 800ohm
Oh man, what mic are you using for your recordings?
I had the Stellia. The cable noise was so bad I could hear every breath when the cable was on my shirt.
Problem is these have a wide price range difference. I prefer to compare ones at a similar price point unless its going to be a cheap vs expensive thing. Also the terms used by some folks are really hard to understand and there seems to be no universal standard. "Slam vs slap"? I really have no idea what that means. And listening is a very subjective thing and has many variables like personal biases and even your hearing. And of course the music and the source. Older folks, above 40, have lost a good bit of high end perception and that only gets worse as we age. for example I hear nothing above about about 13khz. Which makes it hard for older reviewers, like Steve Guttenburg, to give good accurate reviews. Not many will admit that failing though.
Hi, do I have the focal clear and worth upgrading to stellia?
High end headphone designs give me asmr
Hi I'm not sure whether you would check this comment. but let me shot one question. Which one would you recommend to listen Hans Zimmer with? Thanks
Stellia.
Would anyone advise a pad swap for the Elegia? If yes, which pads go well with Elegia sonically? Thanks
Hey guys im back have choosen theses head set what would you guys remove from the list. Im licensing to Rap, Hiphop, Reggeaton,Trap, Spanish Music . Focal ELEX vs DT 1990 PRO, hifiman ananda, HIFIMAN SUNDARA, HD 6xx. Like some bass, vocals and highs dont like bass overpowering my music
Here's an interesting question. If you only had 3k to work with would you get the Clear + Elegia (open back when possible and closed back when not) or is the driver in the Stellia impressive enough to enjoy listening to all the time?
Stellia for sure. Clear is nice but I'd take the Stellia over it for sure
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for the reply. As much as I can appreciate the benefits of open back, being able to use closed back when the girlfriend is trying to sleep or at the office (I'm actually more productive listening to music, I find hearing people talk highly distracts me!) is huge! So this comparison is hugely helpful!
Love your review style, keep up the awesome content.
Clear owner who’s tried stellia, the latter is miles better. Not even close!
What does "technicals" apply? what does that refer to?
Regarding the Stella? Would they be fine to plug into my iPad Pro as well as my 2015 MacBook Pro without having to buy headphone amp and so on? Such a fine built headphone has me confused why expensive DAC AMP are required.
If you use any headphone having more than 32ohm impedance with ipad, the sound will not be as high as headphones normal output volume in its spec, loosing some dB's, even hardly audible for 600ohm headphones as ipad headphone jack output power is not high enough to drive those high impedance headphones. Generally, high end headphones impedances are high, typicaly between 80-600ohm. A few high end headphones designed to use with phones on the go with low 16-32ohm. Check headphone impedance before buying, otherwise amp is a must to get sufficient volume.
I've tried the Elegia and I loved the punchiness of the bass but I ultimately decided not to keep them. Compared to my AFC, I was finding songs on the Elegia where lots of instruments were playing sounded a bity muddy. In other instances I would play a song and on the Elegia, instruments that were supposed to be in the background are brought forward. I don't feel the Elegia provided a better sound stage either. It felt like it emphasized mids, which would leave one to believe the sound stage is better. What i experienced though is that it was often harder to tell where sounds are coming from on the elegia simply because the mids are drowning out some of the detail.
Yeah it takes some EQ to bring the mids back in line. Check out my Elegia vid for an EQ guide on it if you still have it.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thank you, it is so much better with EQ
@@kevinchrist1658 The clamp pressure on the Elegia should not be a concern for most people. Clamp really bothers me as well, likely due to the fact that I wear glasses. The Elegia has spring loaded cups so they do an excellent job of adjusting clamp pressure to your physical dimensions. What I did notice is that you will feel their weight along the headband after a few hours. Overall I'd say the comfort is good but not on the level of something like the Dan Clark Audio Aeon / Aeon 2
Is the Elegia good for genres which have sub bass rumble? Would a basshead be satisfied with the Elegia?
Probably not
Dan Clark Aeon 2 Closed Backs are OTHERWORLDLY!!!!!!!!!!!
surprising you refer to the elegia as punchy... I tried them and to my ears it was really beautiful but the sound was tooooo sterile, but the bass sounded correct but not punchy at all. but my biggest gripe with the elegia was the cable (good Lord) horrible is an understatement.
hello sir. i currently use a denon ah-d2000 and i consider upgrading. i listen to everything but hiphop, drum n bass etc. there are so many headphones, and even more shameful is that we can't try them all.
Nice headphone stand, name of that stand?
Can we have a 2022 update? With DCA Stealth, ZMF VC, Focal Radiance, Audeze LCD-2 C/LCD-XC
What is that headphone stand on the left? the brown looking one
How about a comparison between the Sony mdr z1r and Denon AH D9200?
Yeah it would be nice to review those as I mentioned in the video. There's also the ZMF Verite C (and the other closed-backs from ZMF). I hope to include them in a future closed-back shootout.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow awesome👌. What are your thoughts on these headphones seperatly?
@@vincenthusvh I don't have them available to review yet. I personally own the ZMF Verite open, and I love it. But I don't have access to a closed one yet.
here should also be Verite Closed just because its amazing headphone 👑
For vocals? Hd 600 or elegia ?
I think the Neumann NDH 20 should be up here.
I really wish you would do Fostex. I’ve heard good things but don’t have a good comparison
Also, would like to hear about some electrostats
Have you tried the Dekoni Elite pads for the Elegia?
I haven't but, there are some comparisons in this thread here: forum.headphones.com/t/focal-pad-rolling-experiments-measurements/2822/3
I have and they change the tonality too much of the Elegias and make them too warm. You lose out on detail with them.
@@brianpacheco1927 Thanks a lot!
@@brianpacheco1927 which dekoni pads did you try out leather or velour?
@@kristoffer8740 Leather
a refresh by adding the Meze Liric? :D
If you had to choose between the Elegia and the Aeon 2, which would be your choice?
it would depend on my application. If I'm okay with EQ, Elegia. If I require a bit of portability, A2C. If I don't have much of an amp, Elegia. If I prefer the planar sound, A2C. If I want a more 'neutral' sound, Elegia. If I want a bit more 'fun' sound, A2C.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Your conclusion is very spot on to what I have experienced. Went to the store yesterday to listen while i find the Elegia to be very detailed, may not be the best cans for certain songs
If I want for a closed back to sound like Arya, do I go Aeon 2C or Elegia/Stellia?
None are able to sound like an Arya unfortunately. The closest would be lcd-xc
@@TheHEADPHONEShow thank you
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I was also wondering if you happened to try LCD-MX4 and if so how they compare to Arya.
Great review. I just bought the Focal Elegia with a nice discount which Focal is offering in the next few weeks. Very nice build and sound that matches my preferences. Had a listen to the Denon D7200 as well, but these are less comfortable for my small head and more bulky and the bass is way too loud for me. Rest of the sound is pretty good though, so might be an option for other people.
Here I am, on memorial Day, with the Elegia sitting in my Adorama cart. Will I press that "Place order" button? Or will I chicken out again from the fear of my gf finding out how much they cost? Decisions. Decisions.
I just bought it and didn’t say how much it cost ;)
You should check out the closed back verite. It's my favorite headphone!
Elegia or the U12T?
Does the Stellia have that metallic sheen that the Utopia has?
Definitely not, with a decent Amp the Stellia sounds smooth and easy to listen to for a long time. I already had both and used them with Focal Arche, Utopia has a bit of a metallic tone, Stellia sounds much more relaxing with a strong elevation in the low middle. This can be annoying at times, but maybe it is precisely this elevation in the bass that took the metallic tone out, anyway, I love Stellia it is a fantastic headphone
I plan to get the stella and a good portable dac amp like the ifi diablo well 3k headphones need a 1k dac amp lol well not quite buy £899 is not cheap for a portable dac
How do you compare elegia vs Dt1990 pro in sound resolution and image?
Very different headphones. One is open with intense sibilant treble, but good balance for the rest of it. The other is closed and very mid forward. If you like the dt1990 you won't like the Elegia most likely, and vice versa. I recommend the Edition XS and an amplifier as a better alternative over the 1990 if you can handle open back.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow I find the edition xs expensive and it's open. In other words, it is very conditioned to specific situations. Being in a quiet place, any noise affects your listening, you disturb the people around you, there is no privacy at all... There are many factors that make me prefer to spend less on an open headset.
The dt1990 is cheaper and it is also "semi-open".
On top of that, I would have to buy a case to carry the Edition Xs.
Is the elegia or the dt1990 better in terms of resolution?
Thank you.
@@tecno4u31 It doesn't matter which is better in terms of resolution, because they're so dramatically different in terms of their tuning. Honestly, if you like one, it's highly unlikely you'll enjoy the other. So if you have the DT1990, and you like it, I don't recommend the Elegia.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow hello!
If you had the aeon 2 noire to this review, would you say something different?
My preferred closed back is the Ether CX.
It won’t complete without Sony z1r
Sony is shit
6:02 is that a trolley going by behind you? Must be loud.
They're pretty quiet going by experience in exploring cities like San Francisco. Plus, they're not like trains (obviously) so they pass by quickly. I don't know whether to think how cool it would be to have a trolley pass by my window, or how noisy and irritating it would be to have that. Lol.
This guy has an issue with Audeze. I'm not sure what to think of that.
Not really. I like Audeze technical performance - some of the best for the price. I just don't like the weight.
I still really enjoy my Shure SRH 1540
They are excellent headphones.