Came across this as part of Addicted to Audio's Focal Clearance sale. Has been discontinued but from reviews is excellent.
Focal Elegia Closed Back Headphones $329 (RRP $1399) Delivered @ Addicted to Audio
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Irrelevancy on 29/10/2023 - 07:26 addictedtoaudio.com.au (4704 clicks)
Last edited 29/10/2023 - 09:45 by 2 other users
Last edited 29/10/2023 - 09:45 by 2 other users
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Reviews disparaging the tuning even at price-dropped discussions
I would agree at their RRP they aren't worth it.
But, for the clearance price they're very good.
I've seen some pretty positive reviews by hifi youtube guys that have added them to their collection and yes they say a bit over priced but a great headphone.
If these launched at this price they would be the only closed back headphones recommended.
Old news!
months! https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/14373717/redir
..
Focal & Naim clearanceFocal Carry Case
$110.00$249.00
They've been this price for a while now, as the search function shows.
$1399 is a high rrp to be reduced to $329. I wonder if anyone buys these when they are full price (providing these have actually sold at $1399).
I have been considering the Sennheiser HD600 (from a thread here), reduced to $399 from $599. I wonder how the 2 compare.
Do you want open- or closed-back cans? That's the first question.
Yes, excellent generalisation
The question remains, despite that
Typically around the same price point, if the closed back is well tuned (big IF) then the bass is a bit better, and the sub-bass dynamics tend to be far better.
You should consider the HD6XX if you're leaning towards the 600s.
It really comes down to whether you want open or closed backs(between the HD600/6XX or Elegia)
Both would be good options in their respective categories.Like if Sennheiser wasn't overpriced, as thier HD 820 for $3500, which they easily discounted to $2000 during the last Click Frenzy event.
Bought these and absolutely love them. Majestic sound, focal is known for their crisp midrange and these don’t disappoint. If you want boomy dance headphones grab some Beats. But if jazz or rock and vocals are your thing these can’t be beat for the money. Made in France and feel every bit of $1300 headphones. A steal for the money. Addicted to Audio great too been dealing with them for years, not affiliated. Because they’re closed back no one can hear you either!
Interesting comments on Elegia midrange with keywords: metallic, nasally, sharp
at stock tuningI've got some and they're a treat. No idea why they get negative reviews tbh. Very good cans.
discontinued
Keep flipping and flopping between options but thinking Bathys for wireless too at $649 seem even better but I guess it's double the price haha. Or the Audeze Maxwell…hrmm
Bathys for $649 AUD / $410 USD
Celestee for $599 AUD / $380 USD
Radiance for $699 AUD / $445 USD
Elegia for $329 AUD / $210 USD
Clear for $799 AUD / $505 USDFocal headphone prices,
sorted by AUD …US$ 210 | AU$ 329 _ Elegia
US$ 380 | AU$ 599 _ Celestee
US$ 410 | AU$ 649 _ Bathys
US$ 445 | AU$ 699 _ Radiance
US$ 505 | AU$ 799 _ Clear
I found that the Bathys delivers the Focal house sound quite well in a wireless package, but the Maxwell to my ears were even better and probably my pick for a closed back headphone in general, at least under $1500. If you can stretch your budget to accomodate one and don’t mind the size/weight, they are incredible!
I’d recommend demoing one at A2A if possible. The steep discount of the Elegias is tempting, but the Maxwells just deliver so much more and is arguably better value for money.
appreciate the insight mate :) I'll need to try get over there to demo
It'll come down to your use case more than anything else.
The Bathys are very nice though.
Just grabbed them before i had to do a bunch of travelling.
They were great for the ~8 hour flight i just had.But, if i was at home, I'd still prefer to wear open back headphones when I'm sitting down listening to music.
I picked up the FiiO FT3 (350Ω version) to pair with my Topping MX3S. The FiiOs were described to me as "semi open-back" as they offer a bit more closed nature than most true open backs which provides boomier bass. The high impedence means the amp needs to be cranked pretty high in the headphone mode, but they sound very clear to me playing many of the best test albums/songs.
I got the MX3S because I wanted secondary output for my Q Acoustics 3020is, and I specifically went for the MX3S because it has an LFE channel that I have going to my Voll S8 subwoofer. I also wanted multiple digital inputs because I can't install Plexamp on my work computer, so I have that set up on a Pi with a HDMI optical audio extractor using the optical into the amp so that I can play music while working from home on my work laptop. Honestly gotten more use out of the speakers because it's great to be able to have music blasting while working and not worry abou headphone cable.
Did the 28 August Elegia $329 post actually expire https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/796531
Since the first clearance postings of each Focal product
Dam paid $1399 for mine
Bought a cookware set for RRP tooBet you missed the sale at Kathmandu too.
I learnt the OzB secret… buy for RRP when you need it, next time it’s on sale buy again and return with the old receipt 👍
Rather than being an a*hole to a store, getting a credit card with price protection is the preferred way to protect yourself from price fluctuations.
a credit card with price protection is the preferred way
Do we still have those?
Bought the Elegia, Radiance, and Clear. The Elegia are, for me arguably the best value. They sound very similar to the Clears, and absolutely smash anything in its price range, it is an absolute steal. The Radiance are like a brighter Clear, but look the nicest of the bunch, stunning cans.
how's the headband on the Elegia ?
I did not like the Clear OG headband at all.
Pretty sure they're the same headband.
The Clear OG headband is made of plastic,
and is prone to breakage.
Can you expand on your comparison between the Elegia and Clear given that the Elegia is a closed back and Clear are open back? Don’t you get a noticeably wider soundstage with the Clear? I ask as I have the Elegia and am disappointed with the sound and was considering selling them to get the Clear
Clears are definitely a better sound.
But they are open back, so in some regards that should be expected.
I'm buying it to replace a pair of philips fidelios which i purchased at around 150 - hopefully for the price it will give good bang for buck!
Interested to hear your thoughts. I'm running Fidelios at the moment
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/focal/elegia
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/philips/fidelio-x2…Do not trust rtings for headphones reviews.
Are these significantly better than Sony xm4s?
I have the XM5's, XM3's and Elegia, Elegia sound wise trumps them all, but they're very different products. Elegia is heavy, wired, and has no other features. XM4 is wireless, ANC, mic, open sound etc. Is the trade off for audio quality worth it? Probs not.
thank you for your response. I don't see myself switching between headsets either.
but long running clearance sale - is the business doing okay?
Yes, if you bothered to find out why it's on
If you are wanting to compare to XM4s, I think the better option to look at is the Bathys, which are the same type of product.
Bathys have better sound than the XM4.
I also like having buttons for the controls.
The ANC is supposed to be better on XM4 than Bathys.Really comes down to what you prefer in your headphones.
i have these, i run them with oratory1990's EQ preset and they're excellent.
Hey, can you tell me how to do that on iPhone? Do you need a dac. Thanks
Not sure on an iPhone but there are probably some EQ apps you can use.
Then input these settings https://www.dropbox.com/s/ialbitfdqmx2jr4/Focal%20Elegia.pdf…
"The Focal Celestee are the next generation of closed-back headphones in Focal's line-up, and they replace the discontinued Focal Elegia." https://www.rtings.com/headphones/tools/compare/focal-elegia…
Really, why are you wasting so much of your time on just being weird about this? Do you think a heap of posts about them will turn you into Jasswolf?
Stating the fact.
the clearance sales has been so long all the good ones are gone by now with the exception of the utopia, only because only few can afford it even when on sale.
the focal range is bit of hit and miss
focal bathys is still a nice deal at 649 i reckon
the one I'm most tempted to buy! Thinking I could replace 3 pairs I have … surely…
No, that won't happen, we all know this…
The reviews on these headphones are polarising.
Don’t get sucked into the discount from rrp,
Don’t get sucked into the discount from rrp,
This is a pretty significant discount that only the Australian market is getting because AtA was dropped by Focal.
Probably because AtA couldn't move enough stock at their ridiculous MSRP.
A2A were dropped as the local disti.
It has nothing to do with the quality of the headphones.
They're definitely worth the current clearance asking price if you're looking for this type of product.
They are the closed equivalent to the Focal Elear, which wasn't good.
These are a bad open headphone, made into a worse closed one.Are you speaking from personal experience or from reading the "mixed reviews"? I've learnt over the years that the "review bros" (though not all), have their own biases and agendas, and are often incentivised by manufacurers or stores.
When the Elears came out, there the initial gasps that they were the bee's knees and industry disrupting, followed by some reports of a so-called missing octave and people going cold on them - this was actually fixed in 2017.
They are trul exceptional and head and shoulders above something like the HD6XX, which I sold after getting the Elears on clearance. I have since bought the Bathys, the Radiance and the 2022 Utopias along the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition (no overseas trips for the next year or so!) - and they've all been absolute steals at the clearance prices.
bathys are they great ..got the nose n700 now and new sony anc ones ..looking for something to play mixed music in hi-rez
I use them with the Tidal Hi-Fi Plus subscription and they sound clearer than my B&O H95, and the latter sell for 3 times the price, despite also being made in China.
The DAC mode on the Bathys is also very very close to the Radiance. I much prefer the ergonomics and the style of the H95 though.
Any chance of an idea how the bathys sound vs the elears or other decent open headphones? I don't have anything flash so for reference using a Sennheiser 599 at the moment (had 6xx and found them so bland and uncomfortable I sold them)
I'm with you on the 6XX.
Hard to compare open vs closed, but the bass in particular on the Elears is incredible (even more so for an open pair) and is closer to the Utopia than the Radiance to my ears. I think the Bathys sound very "grown up", especially in the DAC mode and can compete with more expensive wired headphones, but in terms of pure sound quality, I'd definitely pick the Elears.
However, if you consider the convenience of Bluetooth and other features, the Bathys can't be matched by any other wireless headphone at this price. They're really comfy as well. Not completely sold on the aesthetic though.
@elektron: cheers mate :) yeah I acknowledge there will be a trade off to some degree of sound. Given I have the Senn 599 now as my main ones apart from my gaming headphones and Bose QC35 for travel I have this feeling that the Bathys is some chance of replacing all 3? (If I can figure out a decent mic for gaming haha)
@drprox: Maybe?
Really depends on your use case.
If you just want 1 pair for everything, probably.You can get some pretty cheap lav mics or just grab a standalone Mic.
In terms of sound quality, they are much better than the other mainstream anc bt headsets. So i felt it was worth the current clearance price for me.
@Sythe: Cheers mate, yeah reckon that's the go surely I just grab myself a desk mic and then just enjoy ey!
@drprox: In my opinion, they certainly can replace them all. But yes, the Bathys mic is only average (on par with competition) and not as good as the Sony XM5
Spot on. I've got the Elears and the 6XX, and while I like both, it's always the Elears that get selected first.
I bought the Elears blind on a Ozbargain Sale back in the day $699 because everyone was raving how good they were.
They got sent right back.
They had an entire frequency range missing in the upper Mids.And this is coming from someone who thinks the Clear is the best dynamic headphone on the market for price : performance.
What am I getting here that I wouldn't get in headphones around this price RRP?
Less bass
I got these recently from A2A, the earlier comment about these being fantastic for non bass heavy tracks is spot on. Sound is clear, and fun and the soundstage is very good for closed backs. It’s still ok for hip hop etc, but the bass is a bit weak and hollow.
i would have biten at $99
+1
looks like some people bought at 330 and are mad at this comment
I think people are just indicating that they are aware of how stupid the comment is, even on OzB…
@Roe Jogan: It is definitely worth the clearance price if you are looking for high quality closed back headphones.
The mixed reviews are for them at full prices, which i agree they're not worth when you look at your alternatives at this price point.
I already bought a pair of Clears from this sale (which have since gone out of stock). Wondering if I should pick up any more Focal Gear, because the Clears sound really good, especially with EQ.
Radiance and Utopia have since been hiked up in price. They had much better discounts months ago.
That leaves the Elegia, Celestee and Bathys.
I think I'm most tempted by the Bathys at $650. I don't know if I like spending that much on headphones again after already dropping $800 on the Clears, but they seem like they'd be the ultimate all-rounder. Do they at least have a stronger headband than other Focal headphones?
I've read that not everyone likes the Celestee, even though it's meant to be a full tier above the Elegia.A2A also have discounts on the Focal Speaker range. Was thinking of picking up a pair of Chora 806's for $810. Anyone know how much better they'd sound than the JBL A130?
what amp dac you use to drive the Focal gear?
Topping D10
JDS Atom
If you want a good pair of wireless headphones and like the clears then i would suggest the Bathys.
Picked them up last week and really happy with them.If you just want good closed backs, I've got a friend who is really happy with their Celestee's, but from I've read people say the Radiance are much better.
Harder sell now they're at $1k, think they were at $800 initially which would have made it an easier decision.I'd suggest you get to a A2A store if you can and try them out.
Harder sell now they're at $1k, think they were at $800 initially which would have made it an easier decision.
More like $700.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/796564
Just cannot justify spending $1k knowing they were $700 a couple of months earlier.
A poster above also claimed the Audeze Maxwell ($450-550 and not discounted) sounded better than the Bathys.Hope I can get around to demoing them before they go out of stock. The nearest A2A is a bit far from me.
Would have been an even easier decision at $700.
Gotta remember that the Bathys and Maxwell aren't exactly the same product.
The Maxwell are marketed as a gaming headset, with no ANC and seem to be a bit big.
The Bathys are supposed to be portable ANC BT headphones.So, it depends on what you're buying them for.
I have some older chorus 706 in the wood finish. They sound great but damn they're hot as hell to look at so that got it done haha.
Bought these with this deal the other month, the external reviews are true. They're muddy/veiled out of the box, pretty disappointing, but……download wavelet and pick the Elegia profile and the sound of these clean up magically for the price. Like night and day. Running pixel-hidiz dongle DAC and tidal. Would scale up even more with a decent desktop setup
The warranty department has gone downhill in the last few years. Had two items I bought from them develop faults and they will assess the item and claim its not faulty and charge you to send it back had to put a complaint in to victorian consumer affairs to get a refund. Wouldn't shop here again. Good luck to anyone who bought the OG Focal Clears since your headband will break after 2-3 years, and A2A won't honour the warranty.
Also found this complaint recently https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal/comments/179strf/retailer_…
What is closed back?
It means the back of the headphone cups are closed off with no gaps.
Open back means there are openings, usually small holes in the back of the cups. This creates better soundstage at the cost of weaker bass.
These are garbage. Paging my previous comment on this:
They're old, poorly tuned closed backs with deficient lower midrange and horrible deficiencies in pinna gain region. To the non technical people: this means thin male vocals, unclear female vocals, and that EQ is compulsory for these headphones.
I am personally against buying headphones only to eq them immediately after. HD600 or 6XX is better in almost every regard. and to those arguing that they're closed back and 6x0 is open back: these don't even isolate sound all that well in the first place for sound coming in (although it does reduce sound leaking out much better).
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Some reviews suggest these are overpriced and sound sh1t