Whilst stocks last, this great deal won't last! Focal Elear high end headphones, now $499!
EDIT: Added for $599 a bundle with the Carry Case, any existing orders please email us with your order reference and will send a new order link to add the case!
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/products/focal-carry-case - optional case!
Got the headphones today, so far our postal services have not dropped the ball yet and are playing a vital role for many businesses with social distances requirements.
The Elear is far more enjoyable and better than the Elegia I owned and sold before, at $500, this is no brain for any headphone in <$1000 headphone range. The bass is impressive with dynamic and control
You need a good dac/headphone amplifier to utilize its capabilities, i am trying with a Chord hugo tt
Heh, I can't afford the power socket of the Chord, let alone the rest of it :-D
Got mine today too, just a couple of comments.
Not sure why people are emphasizing amps a lot, I am sure it will help but these are only 80 ohms. That isn't even enough to trigger the High Impedance mode on my LG V20.
Also poster should have mentioned that this only comes with a 6.35 mm plug which most people won't be able to use to. You will need to buy a 6.5 mm to 3.5 mm adapter from Jaycar or similar for $2.
The cable is super super super long. Don't expect to be moving around with these.
Amps/good DACs do a lot more than just boost volume.
You spend $500 on a headphones, then spend $2 on an adapter ?
You should get the grado adapter, its about $20.
Got mine today too
I have just sat here with a pair of audio technica ad900x, comparing against. Not using an amp, per se - just an rme interface which drives both cans. Not convinced an amp is necessary. I will try at some stage, though.
Clamping force is considerably more than any of my other open headphones (most have an open top though). I'm not sure about the band at the top, I feel like that could be slightly fatiguing on the head after a while (your cranium probably differs, I'm actually a bit of a flathead).
Imaging seems on par with the ad900x or better. Obviously the bass is better than ad900x. There is a very clear lower amount of sheen on the elears. It's hard to not hear "dull" when you switch to the elears. They are just much more natural and it's just natural to perceive that as "duller". Far more balanced than the ad900x.
My snap judgement is that I would have been quite disappointed to have paid 1600$ to be honest. You get a lot of headphone at $300, really. Especially if you're willing to forgo bass. I feel like the hd800s have this monster imaging that differentiates them but I don't feel like the elears are substantially better other than bass.
Disregard if you find this to be not to your tastes - I'm 100% sure that I can be foxed by a bit of sheen. Horses for courses. It took me me far more than 20 minutes to come around to the hd800, so not surprising that at this stage, I'm not blown away.
And I'll just reiterate, I can still feel that they were on my head, 5 minutes after I was wearing them. Again, your cranium may be better suited and they might calm down in terms of pressure after some time being worn.
Just received mine. Coming from a pair of Sennheiser HD6XX and an Audeze LCD-2, these are sublime! Incredible value at $500 - maybe even the best value deal in headphones right now, very glad I took the leap. Works perfectly fine straight out of a laptop, will test with my DAC/Amp later.
As mentioned above, make sure you get a 6.3 to 3.5mm converter if you don't have a device that supports that input.
Any one have a recommendation for a decent 6.3 MM to 3.5 MM adapter?
Addictedtoaudio have a Grado adapter for $35, Minidisc have a Sennheiser one for $15, Bunnings have a cheapie for $2.84!
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/products/grado-labs-6-3mm-to-…
https://www.minidisc.com.au/sennheiser-6-3-mm-jack-to-3-5-mm…
https://www.bunnings.com.au/antsig-6-35mm-stereo-plug-to-3-5…
Try the cheap one and if it doesn't wobble and disconnect, you're fine.
That would be my concern for the absolute cheap ones
Yes make sure it fits snugly. I bought two different ones off jaycar. I was listening to mine yesterday and I thought it sounded airy and unclear and I thought gosh this is a bit shit.
Tried the other one and it fit more snugly and my god the difference was massive. Not regretting my purchase anymore
That Bunnings one looks to be converting the wrong way.
I'd also consider what it's being plugged into, if it's a phone I'd use an adaptor with a lead.
Good point
I have used the grado and sennheiser, the grado is better to my ears.
Given the RRP, including an adaptor wouldn't have killed them, you'd have thought. I was sure I had one, but no… (Actually, I thought my amp had a 6.3mm socket, but also no…)
Just received mine, coming from HD650. The build quality is such a huge leap, my unit doesn't creak at all, contrary to what some reviews state. However, i'm unsure as to how I feel about the sound, mixed feelings. Vocals don't sound as good as the 650s, probably because of the dip in the 3-4k range,and it sounds more 'in my head'vs'around my head' sound of the 650s (Yosi Horikawa's Bubbles). All these are my initial impressions, might change after I get used to the sound signature and will definitely do some EQing. @OP what about the elears do you prefer over the HD6XX? I know it's subjective and all, just wanted your opinion.
Remember the sound is going to change over the first 100 hours or so.
I've read about burn-ins being fake, so not sure what to believe. I do hope they change for the better after 100 hours, placebo effect or not haha!
Why did you get the elears off you already had lcd2s? Do you prefer the elears and if so, in what way?
Arrived today. Ridiculously well packed by Focal.
How nice is the unbox experience!
Yes, just crazy :-D
Running out of my LG G8s (no quad DAC) they sound amazing, I'm sure there's much more to hear with a better setup, I've seen the Topping DX4 DSD recommended several times on forums, anyone have input regarding DAC's? Under $250 preferred, and portable ish, I don't have a study / man cave to hide in . .
LG V20 / V30 are good options - a second or third hand of course
I second this. I got a V35 - a US-only model that has the body of the V30 with the insides of the V40 and it drives the notoriously hard to drive Sennheiser HD 6XX with no issues.
Crap, thought I had a 6.3 to 3.5mm adapter, but I’ve got four 3.5 to 6.3mm adapters.
Same, I'm on the scrounge now as well…
well, I have got the shipping information upon checking it's not working even after 10 hours.
Not surprisingly, Aus Post is having the same issues as everyone else. Mine went straight from "shipping info received" yesterday to "onboard for delivery" this afternoon.
OP, are the stand-alone headphones without the case not available anymore?
Curious to find out also, was about to pull the trigger then saw only page is only showing the $599 with carry case option.
If this is no longer an option, the case is actually a good deal - I saw it on Amazon for $150+ USD I think before they sold out (only 2 were available). So $250 AUD is not unreasonable RRP. That's why I bit the bullet and got the combo (just got delivered but haven't yet unboxed).
Not really a good deal if you absolutely don't want a case, though :-/
I wouldn't pay $100 one. I'd pay about $5 for tupperware and line it with some cloth and Bob will become my uncle.
I got mine this morning.
They sound great, but i found scuffs and marks on the leather band, looks like it has been used before and is not brand new.
Could also be demo or refurbish.
There was a sticker on the box saying box was opened for quality assurance, but damaging the headband while doing this is pretty poor form.
I like to keep my equipment pristine usually, so this kind of annoys me.
I dont think its a demo or refurbished model.
I also had the same sticker on mine and it looked like the headphones had been taken out of the box and used, the box itself was a bit misshapen. @addictedtoaudio can you please advise?
I assumed it might be the case with all of the headphones sold, but my friends set didn't have the sticker nor any signs of use. Mine also came wrapped in a foam bag that my friend's set didn't contain.
The last sale was actually b-stock.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/479445
I couldn't really see any indication that my pair had been used. I did note that they appear to have been shipped to A2A in 2017, so it's clear why they might have ultimately finally liquidated the stock.
When did you purchase yours? I just got mine and they were shipped to A2A in 2019.
Shipped to a2a. 25/9/2017
Purchased on Saturday I think
How can you tell ?
Mine were shipped out of Focal 30/10/2017
Wow that's a huge discrepancy. Mine's 30/04/2019.
Purchased on the 25th March.
30/4/2019 here
there sending stock from 3 years ago ?
From what i read, early model elears can sometimes suffer from driver failure. The issue was apparently fixed in 2019. Hold on to your receipt.
what's the date on the ones you received
I auditioned these headphones on my Metric Halo LIO8 and I was very pleased I purchased them. The bass is astonishing. The mids were revealing in a way which was useful to me for mixdown on my own recordings. And the highs were very pleasant. I am very happy with the purchase.
not really impressed by the Elear if i'm being honest, im not using any DAC/Amp at the moment, will give it some time to 'burn in' before deciding if it goes up on ebay
What headphone are you coming from? My elears sound fantastic. My prior headphone is the hifiman he400 and the elears have instantly impressed me.
I've only got the Sony xm3's
Maybe give them a chance with a good dac.
Also, Im finding the elears to be a bit picky when it comes to source quality. Mp3s are a bit lacking because the elears have pretty good clarity and detail.
Im running mine off an audio interface with a cheap homemade headphone amp. Maybe they need the extra amp power, because in my setup, they sound much better when i use the amp than without.
Spend some time listening to them exclusively and then go back the XM3. I mean days. It takes a while to begin to appreciate headphones. Contrary to what you might hope, there is NOT a massive amount of difference between a $300 set of headphones and $1600. It's especially subtle to the new listener, but that subtlety tends to increase over time to actually mean something that you appreciate. I feel like people who own expensive headphones often give off the idea that there is night and day between a $300 set and the 1600.
I bought a pair of hd800 quite a few years ago to investigate this - and it rings true. They were unimpressive to begin with - but I grew to love them and the difference is "night and day" now that I know what I'm listening for.
.. and don't get tricked by the elears being quite dull, compared to many headphones in the highs. You might find you grow to love that. 100% my elears made me feel like my hd800s are harsh, tonight. The hd800s still do imaging way better than the elears (or any headphones I've ever heard), but they definitely have taken a place in my collection.
$300 vs $1600? Really? $300 is the lowest street price for the XM3, rather than the RRP. It's also been a few years, since the Elears sold for $1600. So if you're comparing apples to apples, it's more like $300 to $500. And keep in mind that unlike the Elears, the XM3s are mass market headphones, which helps keep the cots down significantly - if they sold in similar volumes as the Elears, they would be selling for a lot more then $300.
More broadly, what you're describing is the law of diminishing returns, which I don't think anybody would argue with.
BTW, I would describe the Elears sound stage as 'intimate' and is just about perfect to my ears. The HD800, on the other hand, are known for having an 'artificially' massive sound stage.
The XM3 aren't straight headphones. Calling them $300 headphones is okay. There has to be a penalty for the extra tech in them that has nothing to do with the sound.
As for the $1600 angle - I'm really comparing them as 1600$ headphones only for someone who perceived they were getting an amazing bargain - ie, that's why they bought them. That's the type of thing that is going to be going on in that guys head when he first tries them - "this was a $1600 headphone"?
A lot of headphones that I have bought are more expensive than ever. My AD900Xs are $300 now. They were 190$ when I bought them. Who knows what my hd800 would cost. More than what I paid.
And artificially? Who cares? The soundstage is there. :-) Nobody could convince me that less soundstage is intimate. It's less good. It's a minus in that comparison. As I said, though, if you go between them, oh boy do you suffer having to listen go the harshness of the hd800 up top. A minus for the hd800. Similarly, the elear can be quite dull in the highs and that is possibly a minus for them, depending on the music you're listening to. But, once you're used to the amount, it really doesn't matter. It's just when you sit there with 3 headphones on your chest going between them that it can be quite jarring.
(also, try to remember that I'm responding to someone who was comparing them, I didn't make the comparison myself)
Someone bought the headphone for me :) without my consent. It has arrived today April 2019 delivery. It is indeed a fast headphone and with excellent details suitable for certain music. When I play Giorgio by Moroder 24bit file, it has so many notes going on at the same time that my brain gave me a goose bump, like the brain being tickle. I use my xonar essence stx II sound card with foobar dsd asio driver. Dire straits 24bit also sound great on this pair of headphone.
i don't know what you said but sounds good hahaha get it ?
I am talking gibberish.
nah your good mate having a laugh
just received the IFI NANO IDSD BLACK, finally happy with my Elear setup
I have found these EQ setting for the Elear. The correction fixed the 3-6khz dip and bring out the texture of female vocal as well as string instruments. It sounds much better after EQ. I must warn you guy, once you have tasted the improved sound signature, it may not be undone as your brain is seeking out for that. You may regret it :).
Parametric EQ:
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 1.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain -0.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -2.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -0.6 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 5.1 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain -1.2 dB Q 1.41
Fixed Band EQ:
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 31 Hz Gain 1.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 62 Hz Gain -0.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain -2.3 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -0.6 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain -2.4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain -0.5 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 5.1 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 0.0 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain -1.2 dB Q 1.41
Did anyone who received theirs get units that are individually numbered and marked "Focal Australia" on the right ear cup?
Nope just a sun burnt faded box thats been opened
Does anyone have any links to a XLR balanced cable replacement for this ? Looking to jump into replacing my gear with balanced DAC/Amp and its getting expensive…
@mickeyjuiceman: So, as I mentioned, I received shipping confirmation. In the meanwhile, I lost my flight tickets I previously bought because a travel agent went broke. So I believe it's wise to maintain as much contact with retailers as possible right now to ensure you stay on top of the list. And I can guarantee other retailers will be selling big ticket items cheap before they go broke.