Focal Elex Sound Review Take Two 

Thanks for your willingness to evaluate two instances of an HP because you respect the comments of others and want to give the HP a fair shake. Speaks well of your approach and integrity as a reviewer.

Great review, interesting that the FR & tone is so good! Love the pricing analysis

You're still one of the most honest reviewers with the most sensitive hearing but always right.

Everyone has different likes and dislikes, nice to see a second review. I found with the Elex it took a while to either burn in my brain or the cans. But after a while and with your EQ settings and upgraded tubes in my preamp these really mellowed out. I swear it sounds like I am listening to speakers, not a wide SS but detailed and dynamic also the bass is so darn smooth. I agree however that they are too costly, especially for those of us up North eh.

Came here to (re-)watch the review and figured out, that I miss your reviews so much! Hope, you will do some in the future!

Wow! Good for you bro. Also like your comments on EQ.

Metal said there’s tons of variations on the Elex ou-

I don't know of any other reviewer who goes through such a thorough and precise sound analysis, or have his superior ability to express exactly what he hears. This is not his regular job, he just does it for the fun of it. I am amazed.

I just got my Focal Elear for a killer deal. Open box for $499 shipped. I planned on letting them play for a few hours while I did some things around the house but after a quick “peek” I was pulled in. I know the Elex is a “fixed” Elear ........ it Im not hearing the defects people were complaining about. The mids are not recessed on male or female vocals to me. Tats are presented very well when mixed up front bass is ample, digs deep but isn’t overdone in the least. My plan was to get the Elex and possibly get a set of Elex to compare and sell off one of them. But after a bit of listening I don’t have many complaints besides that treble peak but it not that bad on most music. It’s actually worse on music like Chris Isaak Forever Blue. And Metal sounds AMAZING! I’m hearing little sounds I’ve never heard before! I hear no clipping as some claim. I truely feel the complaints about these headphones were people really nitpicking....as in they wouldn’t DREAM of getting rid of their Elear.......but hey Focal if you want to retune them......do these things. It can’t be this absolute hard line of Elear awful and Elex are the second coming of audio. I’m leaning MUCH closer to keeping these than getting rid of them.

If the damn Elex pads weren’t so expensive AND difficult to buy we could all just buy an Elear and buy the pads. I had the Elear and loved them but there was a scratch on the left hanger that bugged the hell out of me considering I paid $550 for the headphones so I sent them back. But @ $400 for the Elear for an open box I could deal with a slight ding. I took my pair apart to examine the drivers before I sent them back and the drivers Focal uses are in a different league than ANYTHING Sennheiser or Beyer Dynamic uses. They are truely high end full range Hi Fi drivers that are built like tanks. No other company has a headphone driver even close to or in the same category as the Focal drivers. With the Elex selling for $600 I would still go for the Elear @$400 since I loved the sound signature and the natural tonality. The low end from an open back headphone with the Elear pads is amazing.

I love that all headphones should be cheaper! The only thing I would say about this review is that i feel like your selling the imaging a liitttle bit short. Im not saying its the best ever but i would say its the best ive ever heard especially for gaming. Never have I heard from behind to the left and stuff like that. I haven

Just curious, how does the Elex compare to some of the seemingly more forgotten flagships like the beyerdynamic T1?

have you tried the elear with elex pads ? because most used elears are like 400 and the elex pads are only about 50 on massdrop. It seems like a better buy cause massdrop items second hand tend hold their value well

@metal571 would LCD-2C with all the correctional Eq be suited for mixing? Let’s say in comparison to the Elex/660s? It’s just that the LCD-X is so much more expensive. Thank you.

have you heard the focal clears, I've read that the elex is closer to a hd600 upgrade due to being it brighter and the clear being more of a hd650 upgrade.

You said you love to use EQ, would be curious if you used Oratory1990 EQ for the 58X, for me it fixed some of the issues with treble and boomy bass.

Finally - someone shares my opinion that the Elex has less details than HD600 in upper-midrange and up. I own both and posted this comment in (Mass)Drop. To describe in another way, the Elex has more grain/grit but less micro-details in the upper register compared to HD600/6XX. This is not generally noticeable but obvious in some songs in my test playlist.

Interesting review. Love my HD600, if I was to upgrade what would you recommend for less than $500.? Oh and what recent metal are you listening to?

Hey Metal, what headphone do you find responds the best/cleanest to EQ in this price range? Stuff like the Elex, LCD-2 Classic, DT 1990, perhaps even the HD800 used? I'm a longtime user of the HD 600, so I would prefer something that equalizes well to a neutral sound signature with minimal distortion.

I have a suggestion for you to try to increase the Bass and punch and IMPACT of Focal Clears (Which have perforated earpads) Simply take heavy foam stripping (approx 1/4 inch thick) and an inch or so wide) Such as stripping included with air conditioners. Cut a strip long enough to snugly fit around the Focal earpads. Have the foam facing the earpads......Simply tape the ends together on the paper backing side.You'll find it significantly prevents the bass from being lost through perforated earcups..plus it helps create a better seal around your ears.......I've also tried placing soft vinyl stripping (roughly 1/2 inch wide against the inner side of the earcups, but it tends to produce an echo effect.......But for pretty much no money at all, since you may already have the stripping in the house, you can improve the bass rather than paying for expensive new earpads. Stripping placed on the outside of the Earchups seems to make a huge difference..Please let me know what you think if you do try it. You can also try this on smaller on ear headphones where you can cut some stripping as wide as you like. It makes quite a difference in comfort and sound.

@metal571 would you think a Sennheiser HD800 for about $800 / 700€ is a good deal?

Hi metal571 , you had a similar positive opinion about the frequency response with DT 1990 Pro. Which one would you say among DT 1990 pro & Elex (I know u found both a bit bright) will be better for mixing/editing work as well as a daily driver.

Since you love eq. I’d suggest using a lotoo paw series DAP as a transport. They have a dedicated blackfin DSP chip for eq.

Something interesting I've noticed with the Elex, there is also a small peak at around 5800 Hz that is definitely audible with sine sweeps. When EQed down by 3 dB, along with the other 10.5 kHz peak, to my ears it sounds nearly perfect as an upgrade to the HD 600 series. Not in terms of natural timbre, but in every other category including imaging, soundstage, bass extension, speed, dynamics. I still keep the Sennheisers around because of their crazy realistic timbre that I haven't heard any other high end headphone beat, including the Elex. But of course the Sennheisers have that bass roll-off, which has been fixed to some extent with the 58X. The 58X actually sounds more dynamic and tighter in the bass to me than the 600 and 650 and has a less shouty 2-3 kHz midrange, but at the cost of less treble detail. Anyway, just wanted to share my experience with the Elex, because I think with the right EQ the metallic timbre can mostly be fixed and then it turns into a viable $600 upgrade to the Sennheisers, which can't be said for many other headphones even over $1,000. I also can't imagine the Clear being a huge improvement over the Elex, considering they use the same or similar pads and the same aluminum-magnesium drivers but a different voice coil.

I bought this headphone because of your review and I love it! You're right that it could use a hint of warmness.

Hey metal have you tried the clears? If so how do they compare? I listen to a lot of hip hop and electronic music

After hearing the whole focal lineup. I can pretty much say they sound nice I guess but they don't do anything amazing, I pretty much agree with your prices. Well I missed the elex but clears I heard. I don't think they are the headphone for me tbh. I want a headphone that can do something all the others cant so I can have one headphone for x and y and headphone #2 for a and b. After all I can't seem to find a headphone that can do all of what I want, at the same quality one headphone may do this one specific thing. Really nice reviews too!

Can you suggest a great aftermarket cable for the Elex for use with a balanced amp with XLR output? The stiff cable drives me nuts, like you mentioned.

Confront you brightness demons and give us the Sundara review.... it's ok if you drink while filming.

Curious, witch amp and DAC do you use to test your headphones?

Hi Can you please tell me which one would be a better choice for a metalhead : E Mu Teak, TH-X00 Ebony, or LCD-2C? (I like bass guitar fast with slam) Thanks

Did you have QC issues with the elex, a lot of people on drop are saying it

Just saved me $700 thanks. So what do you think is a "real" upgrade to my 6XX that I have been rocking for the past 2 and a half years now? How much would I have to spend to get something that is worth it for the price while being significantly better than the 6XX?

That's quite a statement on the Elex! If Elex is that good, then what makes the Utopia positioned so high? Other than the sheer resolution, what does the Utopia improve upon in comparison?

Hey Metal571 i have chosen theses headset what would you remove from the list. I'm licensing to Rap, Hip-hop, 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 tho

I totality understand that too ! Have you uh been sippin’ granddaddy’s cough syrup ?

Ok, I'm in front of a pile of 700 bucks, and have the choice between the HD 800 (non S) and the Elex. Considering that I already have the DT1990, and that I listen to a broad range of musics (classical, film scores, rock, metal, pop, rap, edm, etc) and that I game "competitively", what should I go for here? I guess the obvious answer is HD800, but at the same time, I would love something that shines in rap/edm. Maybe it's 1990+HD800 vs Elex alone and more money. What do you think? Thanks in advance.

You talked about frequency response but you didn't talk about what the Elex is apparently famous for... macrodynamics. When music has large dynamic swings, people say that the Elex sounds like someone swinging a 10 tonne hammer through your face - it is meant to sound physically violent. In your experience are the dynamics that obviously big of an upgrade over the HD660s or DT1990 or LCD2C?

@metal571 can you review the sundara?

The dam cord doesn't plug into a 3.5mm port. Real smart focal.

Good video. If the resolution seems to be on par with 660, and having better bass extension, better materials and I guess still some level of R&D since Elear itself is only a ~3 year old headphone, I think its price would be more respectable around the 400$-450$ mark, considering there may be some minor variance and possible clipping in the bass. Also including the balanced cable. But I’ve not heard it, so my words don’t hold value as much. Price regardless, I would still buy a 660 or 6xx over Elex

best headphone under 200 considering details?

What EQ you use buddy?

Hi metal571, have you been to Europe? If so, which countries did you go to?

What is the difference between this and the Focal Elear? From my understanding, they use the same driver but have different pads.

Is there a specific place you see the lcd 2c go for around 400 used, on eBay it's been crazy they go for the cheapest around 550 and I see most of them sold for around 650+.

Hey metal, any plans to review autuer?

Woah. Where can you find a used Lcd2c for $399?

synergy in your gear is overlooked sometimes. I think it is maybe the most important part possibly. These pair very well with the lyr 3 and a darkish, bass heavy tube imo. The tubes I found to work for these HP's don't really shine with the senns I have though. It is strange to me that although the tone can sound similar with the senns and the elex, they really do like different sounding tubes.

how does Elex compare to DT 1990 pro?

Hey Metal it's Mixman, great to see you at CanJam. I see you like the Elex better now? Well, I am selling mine. I am more into the Hifiman sound now. Will probably come back to the Clear or Utopia if I can get one cheap enough. See if you can get an Ananda for a review. I now have an Edition X V2, and I wonder how it sounds in comparison?

I'd buy one if it weren't for the soundstage :/ I feel like if the K702 and Argon can do such a great job with Soundstage, more expensive options should also be able to do it. I know, Soundstage is not the best determinate of headphone quality, but it REALLY bothers me when stuff sounds narrow like the HD600s does.

i thought it was eL eX instead of E-Lex?

what eq is everyone using?????

$399 used proce glue LCD2 Classic? Please provide insight on where to look. Thank you!

I have the elex and the hifiman sundara. I clearly prefer the sundara, the naturlness the details the harmonics it's just better than the elex in my opinion.

what is that headphone Metal is wearing?

which headphones are you using there?

Focal Elex or Audeze LCD X??

Elex vs Edition XX?

Would you pick the Elex or Lcd 2c?

What do you think of the elear?

Elex also have defective drivers? My clear cant handle bass and start to rattle like mad, way cheaper headphones can handle volume level like this with ease

So Sennheiser nailded it, what you can say about value for money if you, rather can hear the difference .Thanks nice video

If the Elex isn't the Sennheiser HD600/6XX/660 upgrade what is?

I think you might like HiFiMaN Sundara!

yep! Totally agreewith you. They are still overpriced. even 599 would be ok. i would get those... but 700 is too much

Compared to HD6XX at $199, most cans are overpriced. So if you look at it from that perspective, then I can see how the Elex isn't worth $699. However, if you look at it from the other end, namely the high end, where we have the $5k SR-009 and Sonoma, the $4k Utopia and LCD-4, etc, I think that the Elex is a superb value. If you judge everything by the HD6XX value though, then the higher end cans should also be much, much cheaper. The Utopia and LCD-4 should probably be no more than $1.5k, preferably less. If you go to the extreme, you can say that the Utopia isn't even twice as good as the HD6XX and I highly doubt that it is and thus should ideally be priced at no more than $600-800, even if you factor in the R&D and better build... Ok, $1k at the most.

Agreed with you on the cable! It’s painful to look at it. I have the Elex and 6XX and agree that the SQ is not that vastly different, but built quality of the Elex is fenomanal compared to any of the 600 series

There is NO Upgrade if they DONT work after some months ... Quality Problems on Elex is something most reviewers dont say.

You are not from France my brother,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,good review.

I really want to hear about Sennheiser HD 630 VB from you sir. Thanks.

ZMF Aeolus or Hifiman Arya or Focal Elex?

Heh,Heh,Heh........... Some of us don't like the sound of "High Hats" no matter how the sound is 'Resolved". How's that joke about the woman who liked dating Musicians who was dating a Drummer go ? When someone found out she was dating one & someone said to her " I thought you said you were dating a Musician !) (Orchestral Percussionists excluded though, there's a whole different level of Tonality to what they play).

I bought them and sold them as they just had no bottom end even being open back.

I told you soo. Just kidding lol and thanks for giving the elex another shot because I truly think it is the best headphones at this price range especially for the build quality and premium materials. The extra costs goes to research development, labor and quality/premium materials. I wouldnt compare this new headphone to a 15 year old hd6xx headphone with very cheap materials used and old tech of the design build. I would say the true value of the hd6xx should be $100 not $200 for old tech headphone but it sounds decent. I do agree that the elex should be priced at $500. I only paid $690 for mine and its still a bad ass headphone for my taste. Anything over $500 for headphones wont improve much in sound but will improve on build quality, premium materials with accessories. I reccommend not EQing headphones at all just pair them up with a good dac/amp then youre good to go.

I think my hd650 is ok for mixing, but not a very fun listen.

There are many people doing headphone reviews and you want people who support and watch your content to contribute to your Patreon site, if you want people to do this then your channel must provide services other similar channels do not, I don't find this to be so. Henceforth I am not watching this so I don't have to contribute.

I have to add that I just a get a feeling that your review doesn't provide enough details. There's no comparison to other headphones around that price range or a bit higher, like LCD2C or HD800. You have both of those and are quite familiar with them, so why not do a head to head vs. the Elex? Otherwise, when you say that Elex should be $499 and LCD2C should be $599, it's not convincing because you don't actually explain why you believe the LCD2C is better. You need to compare man. I respect you a lot and generally really like your reviews, but I think you are dropping the ball somewhat with these latest quick reviews where you seem to rush through it too much without providing solid support for your arguments.

Also, you should've probably talked a bit more about the Elex' technical abilities. I haven't heard the HD660S, but I highly doubt it can match the Elex in transient response and dynamics. The Elex driver is extremely fast and has much higher excursion than traditional dynamics like the HD6XX. It's also a more open design and sounds more open with a soundstage that isn't really bigger, but more open and effortless with less strict boundaries... Or something like that. I do see that LCD2C has extremely low distortion. Like crazy low across the board. So I suppose that means it's a technically better headphone if you iron out that frequency response... I don't think HD800 measures better than the Elex though, does it? I haven't compared the measurements of the two directly. From my experience of the HD800, I wasn't really impressed with its resolution. It was better than the HD6xx series for sure, but not like mind blowing or anything. I don't think Elex give up anything to HD800 in technicalities, except soundstage. However, I haven't tried the HD800 or Elex out of expensive amps and DACs to test their scaling abilities.