The Focal headphones are much more engaging and fun compared to the HD600. The bass has lots of clean impact/punch, mids sound silky, and the treble is very detailed without sounding sharp/sibilant.
I've only tried the Focal Listen so far and I was highly impressed by those. But these sound awesome on my HD-6XX right now! I need to try them soon. Excellent video Oluv.
Love the binaural mic videos. Listening on HD600 after just ordering the Elex. @oluv's gadgets, your excellent and emotional review is what convinced me.
Great impressions Oluv. I love your channel and you are quickly becoming one of my favourite headphone reviewers. I hope someday you can also review more hi-fi and pro speakers as well. I think that while headphones are great, they can never match the realism of good speakers for stereo recordings. I sold my Stax L700 system and got the KEF LS50 Wireless speakers instead a couple weeks back and while it's expensive at over $2000 new, I think it's well worth the money as you get similar levels of resolution to $1000+ headphones, but with way better stereo imaging. I don't miss my Stax at all.
The moment you started getting into the music with those Elex's is the moment I knew I could trust your review. I absolutely adore my Focal Elex's. Out of all the headphones I currently own - Sennheiser HD650's, HD800's, HiFiman Arya, Neumann NDH 20's, STAX L300 Limited and STAX SR-009 - I enjoy my Focal Elex's the most and listen to them on daily basis. I plan on selling my SR-009's and HD 800's and getting a pair of Focal Stellias or Utopias. The Elex's are a perfect match with the Xduoo XD-05 DAC/headphone amp with the Burson op-amp upgrade; or through a tube amp like my Musical Fidelity X-CAN v3 with vintage Amperex 'Bugle Boy' tubes.
Hehehe! After all you tried the elex and I am so happy cause I ve sent you many time msgs to lend you mine. But anyway you got these now! They are mind blowing I know! Although I have a null audio cable that elevates them on another lvl. And...yes... on an iPhone is like only 60% capabilities. It loses all its dynamics if not with a decent amp/dac. I have the ifi idsd bl and it’s just fine. Anyway! Good video oluv!
Just from your smile, I immediately place my order from drop. This is my first time order from this site. Unfortunately drop will send it on August 31 2020. So sad it's only May! Anyway, my credit card already been charged and I want to smile like you while I listen to it. Love from Taiwan!
I think Oluv might prefer the Clear over the Utopia, as he seems quite focused on accurate tonality and the Utopia suffers from that treble peak around 6k from what I read. Solderdude over at DIY Audio Heaven also preferred the Clear over the Utopia for that reason and also because he didn't seem to hear the Utopia as technically superior. Tyll preferred the Clear as well. That's why I also passed on the Utopia even though I could afford one. Just not sure if it's worth the investment over the Clear given those reviews favoring the Clear from reviewers I trust. I decided to take a different direction instead and went with a good pair of bookshelves for near field use. I got the KEF LS50Ws. Love them. Much more realism vs any headphone I tried due to the much better stereo imaging with technicalities close to those of good $1k+ cans. Keeping the Clears as my end game cans for now.
@@vm6038 i have heard the Utopia i couldnt hear the Peak you are talking to but i could hear way more details on the utopia but i couldnt afford it i had to "sadly" stick with the Clear :D but in my mind i think its a perfect headphone.
@@vm6038 I love Solderdude's work, but there is a clear difference between the Utopia and the Clear. AFAIK, he did recognize the Utopia as being one of the closest to a perfect eq curve - one that needs only minor EQ tweaks. I think Oluv would like them given his penchant for binaural audio - the Utopia is incredibly realistic in timbre for such recordings.
@@malfunkt The Elex, HD6xx series and Clear look better tonally balanced to me than the Utopia. I am sure the Utopia isn't far off neutral either, but it does seem to have excessive treble emphasis. It seems like Utopia is a very polarizing headphone. Zeos preferred the Elex, Joshua Valour wasn't crazy about the Utopia either - I think he preferred the Clear and even Elex in some ways. I heard of a number of other people preferring the lower priced Focals as well. Not saying it means the Utopia is objectively worse, but it does mean that depending on preference, the lower priced headphones may be preferable. Also, I heard some people have issues with the Utopia having unnatural timbre due to Beryllium drivers or something like that. So to each their own. Still want to hear it one day.
Amazing what happens on 9:46! I'm listening to this with my HD600 and I actually had to take my headphones off to make sure that the sound from putting the headphones on the table does not happen in my room.
Quite the video! I love both of these headphones. My only gripes with the Elex are the cords and the weight. Cords are to be replaced, and the weight I quickly grew accustomed to. I can wear the Elex for several hours without ear fatigue or discomfort, and the solid build feels premium. Definitely a headphone that will make you tear up and go, "wow, incredible" quite often.
Damn, all I can say while listening with Oluv's Earfun. Revisiting his headphone reviews with these in ears and it sounds amazing makes me feel I'm in his room.
I really enjoyed your Neumann KH80 DSP vs iLoud Micro Monitor comparison video as well. I have the iLoud Micros too and they are great little speakers for the money.
LOL! So cool to see nervous excitement for a Focal product. I get it. ;) I heard a Diablo Utopia many years ago, and I've never gotten over the experience. I think owning a Elex is the only way I'll ever be able to afford a Focal product. I hope to get one someday soon. Saving up ... :)
I liked the Elex a lot - it's definitely one of my favorite headphones. I also have a Focal Clear. I had both at the same time. Sold the Elex, kept the Clear. I think the Clear will impress you even more. Hope you can hear it someday. It's similar tonally to the Elex, but closer to the HD650 in tone with a bit more bass presence vs. the Elex. I prefer HD650 over HD600 personally, so I prefer the tone of the Clear, but Elex was close. Technically, Clear has more refined highs and a bit more detail all around. I would say it's worth the extra money, especially as one can find quite a number of used Clears for sale these days for under $1k, at least here in North America.
Your description of the Clear's intrigues me since I own a pair Elex's and was thinking of upgrading to either the Clears, Utopias or Stellias. Have you heard the Utopias or Stellias?
@@BSD2000 Stellia would be an extreme step back since it's closed back. Could have more distortion since closed back has this issue in my opinion. Utopia if you like low treble in your face then yes.
how's the soundstage of Elex compare to the Clear? Personally I prefer HD6XX(650) over HD600 as well but it's because of the wider sound stage and overall it's more natural and comfortable to listen to (from listening to oluv's test not in person). Do you think that the 650 has a wider sound stage as well?
@@RabbitConfirmed 650 have more narrow soundstage and imaging than 600 but it have more bass so 650 is more of a warm sound headphones while the 600 is sharp/cold sound
All other reviews are inadequate. We've all known it for a while, but you've made them all completely obsolete. People will almost certainly criticize you in the future as they do with everything, and of course it is responsible to listen to what they have to say - but you have developed a method of comparing headphones in a scientific manner utilizing a variety of resources and tools, and above all else shines a tremendous presentation and a clear adoration for the products and the music they reproduce. Thank you for your work, and suffice to say you will be my default for all future headphone reviews. All I humbly ask is that you continue to seek out innovative methods.
That beginning... in binaural.... omg i like so much i repeated several times. I was in the couch layed down and it appears that someone was entering my house.... (hyperx revolver s headphones)
I bought 3 pairs brand new off an eBay store for $22 each! $74 USD total including shipping! Such a bargain for Bluetooth headphones and they even come with cases. I had to RMA 1 headset but the retailer promptly handed my RMA request within a few hours.
Waaaah! Listening to the HD600 is like behind a very light transparent curtain. And then, when you put on the Focals, that curtain is drawn away and you make a step forward.
I can relate to those tears man! Felt the same way when I got the Philips SHP-9500 after years of shitty ear buds, then again when I got the JBL 305p MK II and now I'm planning on upgrading to a Focal Elex with the Topping DX7 Pro... damn, I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it
Hallo Oluv, since you love the 4xx, and i also love it after I tamed down the treble with eq, do you think that the Elex would be a very good upgrade from the 4xx? I also have the 6xx, and somehow I like sound of the 4xx more, but for me the 6xx is just much more comfortable to wear so I use it also very often.
Thank you very much for the wonderful description, comparison and listening opportunity. If there is an opportunity, I would like to know the characteristics and the opportunity to listen to the Audeze MM100 headphones.
Oluv's absolutely correct about similarities to the HD600. That's the first thing I thought of when picking up both Elex and Utopia. Focals also have a very dynamic sound to them that's very lively and engaging, and that's probably the biggest difference vs the Senns, which can be a bit sleepy and dull, at least on the wrong amp. They're also more linear and extended in the bass. However the Senns are smoother in the highs and a bit more realistic in tone/timbre. The Focals all have a peak at 6khz and a few more peaks elsewhere, depending on model. The Utopia is more or less a straight upgrade on the Elex in many respects. It's smoother, more liquid, more detailed, more effortless. The 6khz peak is annoying though and some EQ is definitely recommended. The Clear is more of a side-grade, more bass emphasis and somewhat warmer FR overall, but to my ears it's the peakiest in the highs with some obvious shrillness that takes away from the sound. Could be just the system though. Overall preference is Utopia --> Elex --> Clear but all 3 are very good. And I still use the HD650 over them for daily all-around listening, it's just smoother, lighter, and if I break it I'm not out several grand. For more serious listening, Utopia all the way. Can't wait to see Oluv's reaction to the Utopia's garden hose of a cable.
My Elex measures like that with my own ears, I hear some slight sruffiness in the 5-6khz region, but it's negligible to me, way more preferrable to me over the rather veiled Sennheisers: imgur.com/4ohE5Gb
@@oluvsgadgets That measurement looks very accurate! Pretty much exactly as I hear them, give or take a few outer ear resonances that won't be there for others. Do you listen to the FR directly? I use a test tone generator found here... www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/ (turn the volume down before playing any tones... ouch!) ... and see how the FR sounds to my ears. Then I EQ by ear, and double-check with this, though I try not to over-EQ and focus more on minimizing errors than trying to have as perfect an FR as possible. Too much EQ does knock out detail, though maybe I'm using the wrong EQ (APO).
Hello Oluv, sorry for disturbing you, but you always helped me choosing the best product. Do you know any Wifi-Internet Radio - does not have to use inbuilt battery in decent price range? Anything decent there? Thank you!!!
Leonis Bacher yeah, the focals were better in the comparison, but the LCD-1 sounded good in Oluv’s unboxing and first impressions. They are meant for different purposes and significant price gap, etc, etc. I’m not sure if I can get the focals in Australia
nl_2 I liked the Audeze when I heard them on Oluv’s unboxing and first impressions video, but preferred the Focals in his comparison. Z Review sound demo was different, so idk
These beat lcd1 easily,lcd 1 are boxy with way less soundstage than these. Imaging is also wayy better in this than the lcd1. Although there is a chance lcd 1 might sound more fun to you. What sounds great isnt always about how much detail but how it is presented.A lot of detail can be tiresome so there's that. However Id recommend against lcd 1. They cost 300 dollars and sound nothing like it.Go for the yamaha hph mt8 instead,much better value and slightly more comfortable. Whete I live the yamaha cost 130 dollars which is amazing value.
Ahora mismo tengo unos sundara, hd58x y focal listen, estoy escuchando este video con los listen que son los que más me hacen disfrutar de la música (no necesariamente los mejores) Creo que adelantaré mi auto regalo de cumpleaños con estos elex
@ 11:40 ish... Swapping back n forth during that funk song... The snare hit has a spring Reverb trail that I can hear it with the senn's but not with the Elex'... That's just a notice from my stand point weather that's good or bad. There seems to be higher fidelity with the Elex' and more detailed articulation with the senn's. I have the Elex'and had the Hd6xx which were recc'd for studio use- I didn't care for the senn's so much, and the elex for me, are kind of tanks - not suitable for long listening sessions. But your impressions and views in this video are spot on! Great depth!
Danky McSwag definitely not a joke. The Einsear T2's have a fairly neutral sound for a really cheap price. It makes it easy to differentiate between this headphones in this sound demo.
Schon mal überlegt ob du ein review von den aeon flow 2 von dan clark audio(ehem. mr speaker) machst? Hab mir die kopfhörer gerade gekauft und wäre gespannt was du zu den kopfhörern sagst. :) ach ja und ich liebe deine videos. Immer weiter so!!!!!
Wow. I’m soooo used to you bashing/criticize almost everything, so when i saw your first reaction to the sound of these headphones you almost made ME cry as well. Priceless video. I’m happy for you.
Anybody know where I can download the very last track Oluv listens to? I believe it's Tangent Dreams - Galaxy Express. I can't seem to find it anywhere online.
@@albertweedsteinthethuggeni7797 It may not look/feel as premium, but at least it's built to last a long time, easily user-serviceable and replacement parts are inexpensive.
Vive la France! :D I asked focal why they dont offer it in europe and never got a response. It is sometimes openbox new on ebay. A comparison with the lcd1 would be nice
As a owner of the HD600 and HD6XX I am very much interested in getting these now. However, aside the missed sale how can someone from the EU get them if they do not ship to Europe? I am contemplating for a year now what headphone to buy next as an "endgame" and this seems like the one to try. Thx @oluv for your awesome impressions.
hey im pretty new to all this amp and dac audiophile setup, and i got some questions, is the smsl sp200 connected to my pc is enougth to play this headphone?
![Massdrop x Focal Elex - unboxing and first sound impression [3D binaural audio]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
