I’m both a tech enthusiast and an audiophile. It’s interesting when my communities collide. I always love hearing about people’s audiophile journeys. My first hifi purchase was a pair of $2300 Klipsch Heresy III’s and a discount Cambridge Audio CXA81 integrated amp. All that was $3000 and I couldn’t be happier with where it’s taken me.
Same I’m more of HP type of guy myself, but 2020 was when I started and was joyride for me, started with a Focal Elex in March, ended the year with a $5k setup and by mid 2021 I had a $9k setup. I was really sold on the ZMFs the Amps&Sound stuff.
I had the Cambridge Soundworks DTT 5.1 set paired with my old Windows XP PC that had the SoundBlaster Live! Platinum soundcard. Every game I played was pure directional audio bliss (though I wish I had kept the old Aureal Vortex card as those were deemed better). It lasted me to the SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeMusic when I needed to downsize (it's still in my living room) to a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 bought back in 2014. I still use those despite having an upper midrange gaming headset from Logitech. Nothing compares to the sound quality of large speaker sets and I NEVER pair it with motherboard audio.
@10:55 this is the truest thing ever. When I first dipped into high end headphones I was listening to all kind of music. Especially jazz and classical. There are times where you can hear the pedal on the piano being pressed or the rubbing on the guitar string. I know there will always be people that can’t comprehend spending that much on headphones. But like any hobby those people exist everywhere anyway.
While I agree that investing (correctly) substantially more than most average consumers can help in unlocking a world of audio that is hard to explain the pleasure of listening to without actually hearing it for yourself, less of that matters if you are not listening to good quality audio files. You do not need to spend $3000 to experience good audio, in fact you can spend a small fraction of this for a beginner audiophile to get 90%+ of what they might experience with these $3000 headphones.
Hey Kyle just wanna let you know that you can use your FiiO M11 Plus as a DAC for your PC when you connect it with a USB cable. You said you connect your Stellias into the rear IO but also showed connecting to your audio interface. So not sure how your setup works exactly, but just wanted to let you know that your DAP has a feature like that!
@@Chris-hw4mq it’s a hobby, I’m sure you have hobbies that you spend relatively high amounts on. You don’t need to buy £3000 headphones, there are headphones below £100 that still sound amazing, sound is mostly preference. These are luxury items, you’re paying for materials and design rather than sound necessarily
I highly recommend an amp and dac with those or any headphones for that matter. You will be even more impressed with them with the right power. You don't need to spend a ton either. The Schiit stack or the JDS Atom stack are a great way to start
Considering the flagship tier nature of the Stellia's, I'd recommend a more "upscale" starting point than the good but undeniably entry level Schiit stack/ JDS Atom. Good headphones scale decently well with higher end gear.
@@TBCool I'd prefer the asgard or jotunheim personally over the magnius. They are a bit warmer, which Focals tend to benefit from. I'd say the Stellia could probably benefit from even higher end equipment, but it's definitely a point of diminishing returns. As for the A90/D90, I'd literally rather use anything other than Topping. The A90 in particular might be the worst thing anybody could buy for their headphone setup. Cold, shrill and lifeless. Sure it has detail, but everything is flat and dead sounding. There is no pleasure to be found with that amp.
For more budget minded people I highly recommend Hifiman Sundaras at $350, they punch way above their weight. Then next tier of headphones will run you around $700
@@henhouseharry6193 I'll also vouch for Dekoni Hybrid pads on Sundaras when the stock pads inevitably fall apart after about a year. The price is quite steep at $70 but I can tell these will last much longer. And they sound just as good as stock pads.
@@deshan79 Heard good things about the dekoni pads so will definitely go that route in the future. Just wish the pads on the Sundaras were easier to change!
@@henhouseharry6193 Yes they were a pain to figure out...once you get it down it's not too bad. I used a credit card to assist clicking the clips in, figured this out on another youtube video tutorial by "the headphone experience" channel.
Sometimes i sleep to music, and when he says it’s terrifying to wake up to metal music he means it once i woke up to heavy metal screaming “The devil has you in his grasps, your dead!” Which was quite scary
This video really made me smile, it always makes me happy to see people enjoying good audio. It's why I got into reviewing audio products. An seeing you find something that works for you and makes you happy.
My audiophile itch was cured when I realized there was no perfect system because source material engineering can be so different. Also you quickly get to a point that the room itself is holding you back.
Yeah, I've been a mix engineer for about 15 years at this point and dedicated audiophiles are probably the most annoying group I've ever encountered. Like... Sure, you can brag that your converters go up to 192KHz or beyond, but the mics that myself and everyone else are using in our studios typically cap out at 20KHz. And I don't know about anybody else, but the final masters I put out are always 44.1KHz/16-bit. So any playback system running 96/192 at 24bit is literally a waste of money.
@@mgmg116 Yeah, but the people you're talking about are the same that will spend HUGE money on speaker cables, audiophile routers, etc. - in short they are VERY easily sold on all this bullshit. I'm sure these sound great but the comparison between 360p and 4K was BEYOND ABSURD as no, they are NOWHERE NEAR that different. Plus most people don't know what they are listening to anyway - I've been a musician for 35 years so maybe I can tell some differences with my ear but 99% will not.
@@mgmg116 mmmmhhhnah, i don't think so. I own a mid tier audiophile setup ( hifiman sundara / soncoz dac / smsl thx amp for my headphone setup) and i can definitely tell the difference between a good mixing job and a bad one or mp3 vs uncompressed format, even if i have tinnitus and my earing isn't that great ... there's a bunch of artists who i really like their music but their mixing is terrible. Like Cosmo Sheldrake for example, even in high res files his music still sound like it was heavily compressed. Or Metallica's death and magnetic... that's just a horrible joke lol on the other hand you have daft punk who cares about the year of manufacturing of their mics and stuff (Gorgio by moroder, RAM), yeah that's too much for nothing but the mixing work is perfect. Yeah not everyone cares about sound quality and hifi gear, but why alienate those who care instead of taking their criticism and putting a bit more work in what you do ? Everyone else might not really notice right away those starkly details, tight bass or presence and separation in instruments but they'll definitely hear it.
Getting into the audiophile hobby really is a rabbithole . You think "I'll buy only one pain of cans" and end up with 2 headphones and multiple IEMs. RIP my wallet. Well at least Tool sounds amazing so I can't complain too much
so my best friend owns at least 100 iems(that fills up a night stand drawer plus some in a computer drawer) he owns at least 10k dollars worth of headphones, probably about 10 dacs including a higher end bulb dac with a drawer full of different bulbs. when i was over there last year i listened to a dac/headphone combo that he said was worth the range of 5k+ with some deep house and i almost creamed my pants and completely ruined a song for me because it was too good due to the amount of layers the track had and sounded so perfectly clean. i would dive into that world but i dont got that kind of money
@@pratikghosh1064 i actually prefer headphones for everyday use, and yea ill eventually get a pretty decent pair of iems. i currently have a Sennheiser momentum 2's which my best friend sold them to me for 100 dollars plus some usb dac my audiofile friend found that was like 30 bucks and it was better than my previous one i used that was around 45-50 bucks
I didn't think i was an audiophile either. Then i got the Focal Radiance. Now i listen to Jazz, Movie Soundtracks, Sigur Ros. I feel like a teenager again listening to music in hours long stretches. Edit: My bank denied the charge at first because: Who spends that much on headphones.
Focal Radiance is on my shortlist. I haven’t had a chance to hear them personality. Are you happy with them? I’d love to get the Stellia but I can’t drop three grand on anything right now.
Nice to see you like them! Usually, the audiophile community recommends you to progress more slowly, since jumping from 200 to 3000 can be too much, and sometimes the sound signature may not be to your liking. Also, FFS Kyle, clean or change that filthy pad on the DT880. That thing is the same brown that of the Stelia.
They are great and my end game headphone. My headphones have to be closed back as I would only wear them when I'm worried about distubing my Oh. Any other time speakers ;-) but they are so good...
@@sqlevolicious it isn't ignorant to think that 3k is ridiculous for headphones, it's just a difference in preference. People like you and me may understand spending lots on audio gear, and then think spending thousands on designer clothes is stupid. It's all about perspective
I feel like the 500-1500 dollar mark is where law of diminishing returns come into play for high end headphones, but focal's lineup almost never seemingly disappoints, with the exception of the elear perhaps. I do own a pair of Hifiman Anandas, and those absolutely blew my 58X's out of the water. Can't imagine what the Stellia's sound like considering they're the most highly regarded closed back on the market so far.
@Jacob 1: price brackets indicate weather or not products are trying to compete at the same level. 2: comparing headphones with measurements alone is stupid, you can't judge a headphone untill you've actually listened to it. OTL tube amps measure awefully but Manny sound amazing.
@@saniwada there is no such thing as measure badly but sound good, this comes from manufacturers lying in their specifications. Especially when it comes to amps, rarely the given watts or distortion levels are accurate. Heres a news for you, most amps can't do full 16bit music reproduction, which means their dynamic range is less than 96db full power.
Great video. I agree with so many others here that high end audiophile equipment is such a natural extension of being a PC/Tech enthusiast. When I jump up from the run of the mill earbuds to the Master & Dynamic MH40, I was just amazed at how much more audio had to offer than what I was allowing myself to experience. And I know that the MH40s pale in comparison to the Stellia. One day, perhaps. Nice job, Kyle.
Those Focals are very nice if you have the disposable income, as a Tech & Audiophile Enthusiast of 40+ years, I have Audio Equipment dating from 1981-Present Day; my home headphones are the HifiMan Sundara planar open-back, Hart Cables, DAC is the SMSL SU-9 to two Amps: 1) Drop Cavalli Liquid Carbon X in balanced config. & 2) Xduoo MT-602 Hybrid Tube Amp for single-ended applications. For mobile listening & change of pace listening I use 2 IEM's, the Mangird Tea & Shuoer Tape Hybrids. Sundara ($349), Hart Cables ($100), Mangird Tea ($250), Shuoer Tape ($91), SMSL SU-9 ($440), Cavalli Liquid Carbon X ($160) & MT-602 ($99) = $1489 for everything or 1/2 a Focal Stellia Too Rich for me). I'm very happy being a Pragmatic Audiophile.
Is this the BEST Stellia review or what?! I have watched just about every Focal Stellia review out there and this one was not only funny but it was REAL. No math, no graphs, no fancy words. Just WOW!!! ~ these are GOOD!!!!
I find diminishing gains to hit a lot more aggressively for headphones than speakers. Once you're in the $300-$500 range, you're getting subjectively what I would call ~90%+ of the performance of $1000-$5000 cans. For that reason, I find the 360P vs. 4K analogy here very hyperbolic. It's more like the difference b/w 1440P upscaled to 4K vs. 4K on a 32" monitor. Is the difference there? Yes. Is it very obvious? No. Take for example, the Stellia vs. a pair of headphones like the Hifiman Sundara. Are they better? Yes. But only marginally so. It's also worth noting that differences in quality of headphones when you haven't tried many is just a function of you finding the right sound signature. Even at the $1000+ range, there will be headphones one despises because the sound signature isn't for them. For speakers, you have to spend more to deal with room treatment, digital room eq, dual subs to smooth out bass at multiple sitting positions, etc. And unless you literally purpose-build a room for the best acoustics, there is a ceiling/ limit in quality that you can't exceed due to the room acoustics. Which in a typical room makes spending more than a few thousand on speakers the equivalent of lighting $ on fire.
TBF, you will have to spend at least $200 or so for a decent AMP and DAC to make that Sundara sound good. Then there is the issue of will you get a good pair of Hifimans out of the box or will you need to engage Customer Support for an RMA? I own three Hifiman headphones and consider myself lucky that all were good out of the box. Another thing you are not telling is that Hifiman punches above its weight class. The sub $600 Hifimans are some of the best headphones for the price. Though you do need to pair most of them with a decent amp. The HE6se V2 is the best sounding but you definitely need a powerful amp, and correspondingly one of the most expensive at $550 (do not pay the $1800, search you can find the Adorama link for the lower price). My point is that you are using a bit of a misleading comparison. Even at that, the Sundara is like a well mastered DVD compared to a Bluray.
I agree. Going from a pair of $15 wireless buds to even a two decade old MDR7506 is like the jump from 360p to HD. Going from good $300 something headphones like the MDR-1AM2 to the Stellias would be more like 1440p to 4k on a 32". Heck, there's probably a bigger difference in sound quality using the same Stellias in different configurations (i.e. Integrated amp vs DAP) than between phones. And the Stellias to Utopias is more like streaming the same 4K DV movie over Disney+ vs Hulu. There's quite a rapid exponential curve of diminishing returns over that $150-300 mark.
"Which in a typical room makes spending more than a few thousand on speakers the equivalent of lighting $ on fire." I can't even imaging spending a single thousand in the first place, let alone a few.
So thrilled you touched on this. After i got the Focal Radiance. I felt like the headphone was the final instrument in the musical process. And i was doing music injustice by listening on crap equipment.
I love seeing audio gear reviews from guys that aren't traditional audio guys. I can only take so many sell out reviews from zeos and josh valour for so long. the fact theres no affiliate link in the description is tops.
"Only to wake up because a metal song started playing...which is a terrifying experience." Meanwhile I used Linkin Park - Faint as my alarm for years. Chest waking up with soul ripping scream just worked for me.
Great video! Pretty much explained and captured the experience of getting into Hifi Audio. Although I would have recommended a Verite Closed as opposed to the Stellia, or better yet, still get a Verite Closed to get a different presentation (In my opinion better), You’ll end appreciating both and what they each excel at better.
The way you describe the experience listening using these, is how my experience was with my first pair of ($350) audiophile headphones. They are not in the same class but the feeling was similar. THEN I got a pair of actual studio monitors, the new model of which would be $1400 today (I got the 1987 model used for about $200 no regrets!), and a $2200 restored/modded Dynaco ST-70 tube amp to go with. The day the amp came in from restoration was like no other. I had already been experiencing the amp and speakers previous to that, but getting the updated driver board installed opened it up in a way I could never have imagined, lowering distortion another 30db and increasing fidelity significantly over the old, obsolete driver design, which was designed using cheap available tubes for the time, tubes which are now expensive and not worth maintaining if you daily drive such an amp. I'm driving all that using a Schiit Jotunheim II, which is my first audiophile DAC, but i'm sure if I wanted to spend absolutely excessive amounts of money, I could get something better, but I really don't have an itch to do so at all. I don't feel like I'm missing a lot at this point
really really loved this video! as someone with decent headphones, but curious about the next level... I'd never even considered some of the benefits you mention, like listening outside your usual genres. thanks kyle!
As someone who's fallen really deep into the audio rabbit hole, what an unexpected but fun video to see (: Hope your Stellia brings you many years of happy listening!
In my early 20s I was buying all kinds of high end earbuds for use on my high end MP3 players (not iPods but rather South Korean and Japanese brands that had the higher end Wolfson DACs). No regrets in doing so as I've gotten to experience the best of Shure, Etymotic and Ultimate Ears (before the Logitech buyout) for extremely portable entertainment and found that brands like Bose were highly overrated for what they were. As for my PC, I've been using Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 as a way of downsizing from my Cambridge Soundworks DTT 5.1 speaker set when space started becoming an issue (same room, more junk like guitars and amps).
Hey! There are some really impressive headphones/amp/dac combos that go for under 300 that can also really impress (that are also more accessible than a 3K pair of headphones). Like the Fostex T20RP MK3's (lightly modded with new pads and a headband) with a ifi Zen Dac. I highly recommend doing some research and checking out the lower priced areas cause whooo boy, it's packin some heat.
@@blondiejoe everyone, once they are happy, STOP. I have wasted thousands looking for happiness in headphones. When i found what made me happy, i didn't keep buying them
As a former owner of a speaker repair shop who has dealt with many audiophiles it is a personal choice as to the worth to sound quality ratio. How ever if you mention burning in speaker wire to achieve the ultimate sound then all bets are off on my view to your sanity. The next question to said audiophile would be "And you purchase your weed where?"
BITWIT, you're one of my favourite youtubers and content creators, however I've recently noticed that your videos seem to be less natural and more like you are reading a script, not in your more interactive videos like pc builds, but more the review type videos. I am not trying to say your content is bad in any way, but I feel that you are very tense and just need to relax a little, continue being a great youtuber. Also, please bring a bitwit or nitwit videos sometime soon.
They’re good stuff. You’re in a price point that doesn’t really have a right answer. A lot of this price point is based on taste. Personally I would’ve stuck with the focal clear for the sake of value per dollar and picked up a couple more 600-1000 dollar headphones. I have a pair and I can definitely say the sound stage is good, but only good for a closed back and trying different headphones would be good for letting you see what’s possible. Don’t limit yourself, experience everything you can. You’ll also need to start Dac, amp, and pre amp pairing. Before you get too deep into audiophilia you should get yourself a pair of kph30is/kph40 utilies, hd660s, sundaras, and stax because those are really the base line imo. A good class D amp and a good class A need to find their way into your home.
Kyle, you said something really profound that I have been saying for a long time now. As a lover of all kinds of music from soul to bluegrass and from hip hop to country, I am also a audiophile. I have witnessed how hi-fi can change change a person's interest in music. Rock is a good example of what happens when the majority of people listening to music no longer listen on hi-fi devices. No disrespect, but today's electronic driven music sounds good on two soup cans connected by a string. Rock, Country, Jazz, and other instrument driven music lose their luster when played through non hi-fi devices. I truly believe this is how we get to the place we are now where rock and many other forms of instrument driven music have taken a back seat to music made in a bedroom on a laptop. Even country music has moved away from being instrument driven and now doesn't really sound that much different that top 40. It is truly amazing to watch someone listen to a country or jazz or rock album for the first time on hi-fi equipment. The first time they hear the little nuances that they never heard before they are hooked and it is amazing to watch their listening interest change and also they usually start looking for new stereos and headphones. I truly hope that many more people look into hi-fi audio. Hint: Some of the best sounding stereos and speakers were made 30 plus years ago and can be bought cheap. It's funny what music was popular then too.. Coincidence? Check you local thrift stores. Lots of surprises can be found there.
This was me. I started out with a Fiio M7 Dap now im running a Marantz 2275 with a Nakamichi 681zx powering my At-WP900 headphones, even cassette can sound really good ngl. I also have a Marantz 4400, as for my music taste. It changed a bit im more open, before i was pure classic rock now i love string instruments,
Great audio equipment can really change how you feel about music as a whole, or even about certain songs or artists. As a former Magnolia expert one album I strongly suggest you check out with your Stellia cans is John Mayer's Live In LA album. Specifically Daughters, Neon, and Waiting on the World to Change. The sound staging as a whole is truly stellar and can really highlight differences between different audio equipment. Close your eyes while listening to really bring home the sound staging effect. 3 others songs I loved to demo in our audio room for the dynamic range/vocals are: Always With Me, Always With You - Joe Satriani, Latin Simone - Gorillaz, Sing Along - Blue Man Group. The Gorillaz & BMG songs are great as they have stronger base present along with some fantastic vocals so they really showcase pedestrian and exceptional components. Since leaving Mag, I've found Krewella's Human + Disturbed rendition Live on Conan's of Sound of Silence is very good as well. David Draiman's voice is truly exceptional, particularly in this performance as he was a little sick and so his voice is a few octaves deeper and a little scratchier than usual which really brings out a lot from the performance.
To me, this is something I would need to demo in person before blindly spending that kind of money and hoping they’ll sound good. For that kind of money as well, I’d probably be happier putting towards upgrading my car’s sound system or home theater.
not only that but also much cheaper headphones but hi fi anyway = cause you may find it is stupendous sound as it probably is but the same with a 300 dollar headphone... so must try it as well...
I've owned most of the popular mid-fi headphones. I then tried Koss Porta Pro, KSC75 and KPH30i. Ended up selling all my mid-fi and now I'm only rocking Porta Pro's and KPH30i.
Ports Pros are amazing for what they are and their price. My audiophile friend loves his, and they’re so cheap that he’s gonna mod them to have removable cables and able to use Bluetooth adapters if he wanted
IMO using a headphone stand like the wooden one shown may effect clamping force and especially the shape of the pads over time. Especially the pads of the Beyerdynamics really looked compressed and being like that over a long period of time wont be good for the pads. Cant tell for the Focals however as their resting position is far more open. Just a heads up.
I have a late friend that had the luxury of trying hundreds of different pairs of headphones and he swore by these until the day he died, he had BPD & was depressed but these headphones were one of the only things in his life that he really truly enjoyed. I hope you get the same enjoyment he got out of them. this video was kind of cathartic for me to watch, thank you bit.
The cans are only half the kit. You still need a high-end DAC and AMP, along with a Tidal subscription for the lossless audio. Otherwise you are wasting money connecting headphones to connections that can't drive them.
@@AceRanger20 bruh… i aint spending 20/per album to some wav album. it might not be lossless but the shit is definitely NOT spotify. get a grip of the convo here lol…
When you spend $3000 on headphones but still listen to compressed MP3 files at 256kbps on Spotify 😂 Joking aside, you should compare some tracks from Spotify and then from a WAV file of the same track in those things, you'll get even more out of them! It does mean buying music BUT for those special albums/tracks, it is definitely worth it
Leather lasts a lot longer than the plastic and composites used in most headsets less than $300. Given that cables often die - the connection to the headset being pulled/damaged - having plugs reduce the chance of damage. There are reasons to buy quality, quality in the form of a reliable Lexus of headsets vs a exotic vehicle which needs constant maintenance to keep it performing at it's best. From your description your head set sounds like the top of the line Lexus?
you definitely need to try EQ... i was the same way--i was happy with mine as is--but trust me when i say that **every** headphone can benefit from it, and something with a somewhat wonky frequency response especially. the gains are potentially massive.
@@sqlevolicious Well, there was an attempt at acting tough. But that went away when you tried to demean someone by calling them kiddo. I would never buy beats either bud. But since you know so much, ill let you be the expert on beats.
Super cheap keys normally means someone used a stolen credit card and the maker of the software will get a chargeback fee. You are better off pirating, because at least it doesn't cost them for you to have the software.
Have you considered custom IEMs? In addition to sounding great, they are compact for travel, comfortable, easy to drive, and have amazing isolation. The only downside is that they will only fit your ears, so you can't share or resell them.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Music can be even more enjoyable when it's well reproduced and trying for yourself is the only real way to understand. It can be a rabbit hole but hey, the joy of music is priceless
I've been a DJ and musician for over 20 years and I still don't fully understand the appeal, but I want to. I've never experienced audio transparency like standing in a multi-million dollar studio in front of $200,000 Genelec monitors -- an experience I admit not everyone gets to enjoy in their lifetime and I was lucky to have lived by age 18 -- but I also can name a handful of Grammy-winning albums that were made on whole computers that cost less than those headphones, so I know that there's more to experiencing music than fidelity. I'm not here to rain on the audiophile parade ... just the opposite. I genuinely want to understand the chase, and I worry that my position and experiences as a music professional have "ruined" the magic of it for me.
@@gz9361 because listening to hifi music on a hifi setup is a profound experience. If you’re into music in the first place that is. It’s of more value than high end pcs/monitors, running a game at double the fps at max settings is nice but has never made me cry like hifi audio has. And it goes without saying that it’s massively more value than spending money on worthless high fashion and jewellery which offers nothing other than a way to show off, maybe a tailor made designer suit has some merit but not much else. Super cars would be a relatively good comparison, like the difference between driving a fiat 500 and a Ferrari 458. But obviously that’s 100’s of thousands of dollars. A few thousand for an audio setup is measly compared to that. Going on a holiday with family and friends and investments are the only 2 things that come to mind that I’d rather spend a few grand on haha!
And yet here i am satisfied enough with a 14$ JBL T110, all you need is some cripsy clear audio formats like FLAC for your Music or DTS and Dolby Digital copies of Movies ❤️❤️❤️
I own the Utopia and just like you Kyle, I can attest that it is one of the expensive choices I have not regretted for even a minute. And I also remember how the headphones made me switch from just passively having music in the background to actively listening to it and giving it my full attention.
I 100% notice the change in vocal tone and speech pattern for these kind of more scripted videos, and I gotta say I am a fan. Next time maybe even you'll have Batman give you a shout out too!
Headphones can be a cheaper way to get into HiFi compared to bookshelf or towers, although limited to one person at a time. Great to find out you like them.
An interesting thing about audio gear like this, it doesn't need to be refreshed every year. This is not like an iPhone. You might replace pads, but, if you're lucky, you won't catch the bug and own many more headphones, dacs, amps, interconnects, iems or spekers.
Looking back, I think it was this video that set me on my audiophile journey (in extension also my wife and some friends ...). I first bought the beyerdynamic DT1990pro, which I thought sounded fantastic - so naturally my wife claimed them for herself. So I thought, I give the Sennheiser HD660s a try and was a bit disappointed. They are still better than any ANC headphone like Sony XM4, Bose QC35II, etc but bass, treble and soundstage are weak. But this makes them perfect for youtube, podcast, video calls, audiobooks or just poorer/older recordings. I found my endgame for Music, Movies and Games in the HifiMan Arya Stealth. Basically, everything you said about the sound experience is true for the Arya. I agree with basically any review, praising them as the (open) headphone to beat under $2000. I really wish I would have done this years earlier ...
First thing I thought of was that this colour would be perfect for a full noctua themed build
true
That is exactly what I was thinking. I thought Noctua made headphones for a sec.
Being perfect for an ugly ass build aint worth
@@ihateeveryone8161 Damn that's a contro thing to say
@@ihateeveryone8161 noctua builds look good man
As a audiophile I'm gonna say the stellia is one of the best 3000 dollar headphones there are.
I’m both a tech enthusiast and an audiophile. It’s interesting when my communities collide. I always love hearing about people’s audiophile journeys. My first hifi purchase was a pair of $2300 Klipsch Heresy III’s and a discount Cambridge Audio CXA81 integrated amp. All that was $3000 and I couldn’t be happier with where it’s taken me.
Cambridge make some seriously amazing amps.
Same I’m more of HP type of guy myself, but 2020 was when I started and was joyride for me, started with a Focal Elex in March, ended the year with a $5k setup and by mid 2021 I had a $9k setup. I was really sold on the ZMFs the Amps&Sound stuff.
@@ATK. I also started in 2020. All my gear combined is around $6000 and only interested in more lol
@@grumpyratt2163 I'm very happy with it
I had the Cambridge Soundworks DTT 5.1 set paired with my old Windows XP PC that had the SoundBlaster Live! Platinum soundcard. Every game I played was pure directional audio bliss (though I wish I had kept the old Aureal Vortex card as those were deemed better). It lasted me to the SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeMusic when I needed to downsize (it's still in my living room) to a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 bought back in 2014. I still use those despite having an upper midrange gaming headset from Logitech. Nothing compares to the sound quality of large speaker sets and I NEVER pair it with motherboard audio.
@10:55 this is the truest thing ever. When I first dipped into high end headphones I was listening to all kind of music. Especially jazz and classical. There are times where you can hear the pedal on the piano being pressed or the rubbing on the guitar string. I know there will always be people that can’t comprehend spending that much on headphones. But like any hobby those people exist everywhere anyway.
Yeah just like the mech keyboard hobby I never thought I was spend 1000+ on a keyboard but here I am
While I agree that investing (correctly) substantially more than most average consumers can help in unlocking a world of audio that is hard to explain the pleasure of listening to without actually hearing it for yourself, less of that matters if you are not listening to good quality audio files. You do not need to spend $3000 to experience good audio, in fact you can spend a small fraction of this for a beginner audiophile to get 90%+ of what they might experience with these $3000 headphones.
Hey Kyle just wanna let you know that you can use your FiiO M11 Plus as a DAC for your PC when you connect it with a USB cable. You said you connect your Stellias into the rear IO but also showed connecting to your audio interface. So not sure how your setup works exactly, but just wanted to let you know that your DAP has a feature like that!
Clear, not stellias
Audiophile = sucker who will get ripped off
@@Chris-hw4mq it’s a hobby, I’m sure you have hobbies that you spend relatively high amounts on. You don’t need to buy £3000 headphones, there are headphones below £100 that still sound amazing, sound is mostly preference. These are luxury items, you’re paying for materials and design rather than sound necessarily
@@Chris-hw4mq man finds out what a hobby is for the first time in his life.
@@Chris-hw4mq baby wanna bottle?
I highly recommend an amp and dac with those or any headphones for that matter. You will be even more impressed with them with the right power. You don't need to spend a ton either. The Schiit stack or the JDS Atom stack are a great way to start
Considering the flagship tier nature of the Stellia's, I'd recommend a more "upscale" starting point than the good but undeniably entry level Schiit stack/ JDS Atom. Good headphones scale decently well with higher end gear.
@@EverettSheu Nah, schiit modius magnius stack is more than enough. No reason to go for a A90/D90 or higher for a single closed back collection.
@@TBCool I'd prefer the asgard or jotunheim personally over the magnius. They are a bit warmer, which Focals tend to benefit from. I'd say the Stellia could probably benefit from even higher end equipment, but it's definitely a point of diminishing returns.
As for the A90/D90, I'd literally rather use anything other than Topping. The A90 in particular might be the worst thing anybody could buy for their headphone setup. Cold, shrill and lifeless. Sure it has detail, but everything is flat and dead sounding. There is no pleasure to be found with that amp.
@@EverettSheu I was just speaking from a price to performance perspective (400 vs 1,400). There's tons of options all subject to tastes and opinions.
I have the Asgard and I really like it. It has quite a bit of power for the price point.
For more budget minded people I highly recommend Hifiman Sundaras at $350, they punch way above their weight. Then next tier of headphones will run you around $700
Second this. Sundara's are fantastic.
Thirded! Running Sundaras with oratory's eq profile and they sound fantastic.
@@henhouseharry6193 I'll also vouch for Dekoni Hybrid pads on Sundaras when the stock pads inevitably fall apart after about a year. The price is quite steep at $70 but I can tell these will last much longer. And they sound just as good as stock pads.
@@deshan79 Heard good things about the dekoni pads so will definitely go that route in the future. Just wish the pads on the Sundaras were easier to change!
@@henhouseharry6193 Yes they were a pain to figure out...once you get it down it's not too bad. I used a credit card to assist clicking the clips in, figured this out on another youtube video tutorial by "the headphone experience" channel.
Sometimes i sleep to music, and when he says it’s terrifying to wake up to metal music he means it once i woke up to heavy metal screaming “The devil has you in his grasps, your dead!” Which was quite scary
This video really made me smile, it always makes me happy to see people enjoying good audio. It's why I got into reviewing audio products. An seeing you find something that works for you and makes you happy.
Oh thats nothing kyle...my parents made a 18yr long mistake
My audiophile itch was cured when I realized there was no perfect system because source material engineering can be so different. Also you quickly get to a point that the room itself is holding you back.
Your very heartbeat can change how you hear things.
Yeah, I've been a mix engineer for about 15 years at this point and dedicated audiophiles are probably the most annoying group I've ever encountered.
Like... Sure, you can brag that your converters go up to 192KHz or beyond, but the mics that myself and everyone else are using in our studios typically cap out at 20KHz. And I don't know about anybody else, but the final masters I put out are always 44.1KHz/16-bit.
So any playback system running 96/192 at 24bit is literally a waste of money.
@@mgmg116 Yeah, but the people you're talking about are the same that will spend HUGE money on speaker cables, audiophile routers, etc. - in short they are VERY easily sold on all this bullshit. I'm sure these sound great but the comparison between 360p and 4K was BEYOND ABSURD as no, they are NOWHERE NEAR that different.
Plus most people don't know what they are listening to anyway - I've been a musician for 35 years so maybe I can tell some differences with my ear but 99% will not.
Why is a room holding people back while wearing headphones and iems
@@mgmg116 mmmmhhhnah, i don't think so. I own a mid tier audiophile setup ( hifiman sundara / soncoz dac / smsl thx amp for my headphone setup) and i can definitely tell the difference between a good mixing job and a bad one or mp3 vs uncompressed format, even if i have tinnitus and my earing isn't that great ... there's a bunch of artists who i really like their music but their mixing is terrible. Like Cosmo Sheldrake for example, even in high res files his music still sound like it was heavily compressed. Or Metallica's death and magnetic... that's just a horrible joke lol on the other hand you have daft punk who cares about the year of manufacturing of their mics and stuff (Gorgio by moroder, RAM), yeah that's too much for nothing but the mixing work is perfect.
Yeah not everyone cares about sound quality and hifi gear, but why alienate those who care instead of taking their criticism and putting a bit more work in what you do ? Everyone else might not really notice right away those starkly details, tight bass or presence and separation in instruments but they'll definitely hear it.
bro; this guy really plugs it straight into his pc; the disgust
Getting into the audiophile hobby really is a rabbithole . You think "I'll buy only one pain of cans" and end up with 2 headphones and multiple IEMs. RIP my wallet. Well at least Tool sounds amazing so I can't complain too much
Pain of Cans.. How accurate with what those do to your wallet.
so my best friend owns at least 100 iems(that fills up a night stand drawer plus some in a computer drawer) he owns at least 10k dollars worth of headphones, probably about 10 dacs including a higher end bulb dac with a drawer full of different bulbs. when i was over there last year i listened to a dac/headphone combo that he said was worth the range of 5k+ with some deep house and i almost creamed my pants and completely ruined a song for me because it was too good due to the amount of layers the track had and sounded so perfectly clean.
i would dive into that world but i dont got that kind of money
TOOOL
@@imwithyou38 You can get good sound quality with a good pair of chifi IEMs. Won't break the bank too
@@pratikghosh1064 i actually prefer headphones for everyday use, and yea ill eventually get a pretty decent pair of iems. i currently have a Sennheiser momentum 2's which my best friend sold them to me for 100 dollars plus some usb dac my audiofile friend found that was like 30 bucks and it was better than my previous one i used that was around 45-50 bucks
"The Stellia embodies a breathtaking aesthetic at first glance... And second glance... And third glance" Well it is French after all 😂
I didn't think i was an audiophile either. Then i got the Focal Radiance. Now i listen to Jazz, Movie Soundtracks, Sigur Ros. I feel like a teenager again listening to music in hours long stretches.
Edit: My bank denied the charge at first because: Who spends that much on headphones.
"Who spends that much on headphones."
You would be surprised.
Focal Radiance is on my shortlist. I haven’t had a chance to hear them personality. Are you happy with them? I’d love to get the Stellia but I can’t drop three grand on anything right now.
@J Carl Johnson Hours long sessions still. It's like a brain massage. The Radiance are a very warm sound that people usually use tube amps to reach.
Happy New Year Kyle 🥳
Nice to see you like them! Usually, the audiophile community recommends you to progress more slowly, since jumping from 200 to 3000 can be too much, and sometimes the sound signature may not be to your liking.
Also, FFS Kyle, clean or change that filthy pad on the DT880. That thing is the same brown that of the Stelia.
They are great and my end game headphone. My headphones have to be closed back as I would only wear them when I'm worried about distubing my Oh. Any other time speakers ;-) but they are so good...
I made a $3000 mistake by sitting in a hospital bed unnecessarily for eight hours.
It's so funny to see regular people react in the comments to the price of audiophile flagship headphones.
Most of them can't afford this stuff, have never heard hifi with lossless before, and are just plain ignorant, lol.
@@sqlevolicious it isn't ignorant to think that 3k is ridiculous for headphones, it's just a difference in preference.
People like you and me may understand spending lots on audio gear, and then think spending thousands on designer clothes is stupid.
It's all about perspective
@@sqlevolicious losless? so far he only tried spotify… would at least expect him to try apple music instead…
These aren’t even Focal’s flagships, the Utopia is their $4500 flagship
@@AceRanger20 ur saying he didn’t even spend enough ?😱
10:00 How auspicious that his hand is hidden.....
I definitely think you can get a similar experience for less money.
But definitely not a bad pair
Example?
@@GeraltOfRivia69 I have an HD58x, I'm not an audiophile but I think with a good amp you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference
@@AnthonySalierno I have hd599, run those directly from the motherboard of my PC. Also not an audiophile myself. Do I need a external Dac or not
Yea, no, you couldn't be more wrong.
@@GeraltOfRivia69 Yes, you need a DAC and AMP to run high end cans.
“Another unforeseen PERK of my new CANS”
I see what ya did there
I feel like the 500-1500 dollar mark is where law of diminishing returns come into play for high end headphones, but focal's lineup almost never seemingly disappoints, with the exception of the elear perhaps. I do own a pair of Hifiman Anandas, and those absolutely blew my 58X's out of the water. Can't imagine what the Stellia's sound like considering they're the most highly regarded closed back on the market so far.
@@spewp wow, a 6 K headphone out performes 3k, and 1500 dollar headphones. Who would have thought?
@@spewp Im sure it does.
@Jacob 1: price brackets indicate weather or not products are trying to compete at the same level.
2: comparing headphones with measurements alone is stupid, you can't judge a headphone untill you've actually listened to it. OTL tube amps measure awefully but Manny sound amazing.
@@saniwada there is no such thing as measure badly but sound good, this comes from manufacturers lying in their specifications. Especially when it comes to amps, rarely the given watts or distortion levels are accurate. Heres a news for you, most amps can't do full 16bit music reproduction, which means their dynamic range is less than 96db full power.
@@dagnisnierlins188 whatever you say
I have enjoyed the content on this channel for a long time, but this is one of the best. clear, interesting, informative, and fun.
Thanks for watching,
Hit me up ☝️☝️
Great video. I agree with so many others here that high end audiophile equipment is such a natural extension of being a PC/Tech enthusiast.
When I jump up from the run of the mill earbuds to the Master & Dynamic MH40, I was just amazed at how much more audio had to offer than what I was allowing myself to experience. And I know that the MH40s pale in comparison to the Stellia. One day, perhaps.
Nice job, Kyle.
Those Focals are very nice if you have the disposable income, as a Tech & Audiophile Enthusiast of 40+ years, I have Audio Equipment dating from 1981-Present Day; my home headphones are the HifiMan Sundara planar open-back, Hart Cables, DAC is the SMSL SU-9 to two Amps: 1) Drop Cavalli Liquid Carbon X in balanced config. & 2) Xduoo MT-602 Hybrid Tube Amp for single-ended applications. For mobile listening & change of pace listening I use 2 IEM's, the Mangird Tea & Shuoer Tape Hybrids. Sundara ($349), Hart Cables ($100), Mangird Tea ($250), Shuoer Tape ($91), SMSL SU-9 ($440), Cavalli Liquid Carbon X ($160) & MT-602 ($99) = $1489 for everything or 1/2 a Focal Stellia Too Rich for me). I'm very happy being a Pragmatic Audiophile.
Is this the BEST Stellia review or what?! I have watched just about every Focal Stellia review out there and this one was not only funny but it was REAL. No math, no graphs, no fancy words. Just WOW!!! ~ these are GOOD!!!!
Good audio stays good. Unlike high end computer hardware, good speakers and headphones don't get outdated in 3-5 years, they last decades.
I find diminishing gains to hit a lot more aggressively for headphones than speakers. Once you're in the $300-$500 range, you're getting subjectively what I would call ~90%+ of the performance of $1000-$5000 cans. For that reason, I find the 360P vs. 4K analogy here very hyperbolic. It's more like the difference b/w 1440P upscaled to 4K vs. 4K on a 32" monitor. Is the difference there? Yes. Is it very obvious? No. Take for example, the Stellia vs. a pair of headphones like the Hifiman Sundara. Are they better? Yes. But only marginally so. It's also worth noting that differences in quality of headphones when you haven't tried many is just a function of you finding the right sound signature. Even at the $1000+ range, there will be headphones one despises because the sound signature isn't for them.
For speakers, you have to spend more to deal with room treatment, digital room eq, dual subs to smooth out bass at multiple sitting positions, etc. And unless you literally purpose-build a room for the best acoustics, there is a ceiling/ limit in quality that you can't exceed due to the room acoustics. Which in a typical room makes spending more than a few thousand on speakers the equivalent of lighting $ on fire.
if you could make this into a bumper sticker.......
TBF, you will have to spend at least $200 or so for a decent AMP and DAC to make that Sundara sound good. Then there is the issue of will you get a good pair of Hifimans out of the box or will you need to engage Customer Support for an RMA? I own three Hifiman headphones and consider myself lucky that all were good out of the box.
Another thing you are not telling is that Hifiman punches above its weight class. The sub $600 Hifimans are some of the best headphones for the price. Though you do need to pair most of them with a decent amp. The HE6se V2 is the best sounding but you definitely need a powerful amp, and correspondingly one of the most expensive at $550 (do not pay the $1800, search you can find the Adorama link for the lower price).
My point is that you are using a bit of a misleading comparison. Even at that, the Sundara is like a well mastered DVD compared to a Bluray.
I agree. Going from a pair of $15 wireless buds to even a two decade old MDR7506 is like the jump from 360p to HD. Going from good $300 something headphones like the MDR-1AM2 to the Stellias would be more like 1440p to 4k on a 32". Heck, there's probably a bigger difference in sound quality using the same Stellias in different configurations (i.e. Integrated amp vs DAP) than between phones. And the Stellias to Utopias is more like streaming the same 4K DV movie over Disney+ vs Hulu. There's quite a rapid exponential curve of diminishing returns over that $150-300 mark.
"Which in a typical room makes spending more than a few thousand on speakers the equivalent of lighting $ on fire."
I can't even imaging spending a single thousand in the first place, let alone a few.
@@mjc0961 Pretty easy if you setting up a theater system.
So thrilled you touched on this. After i got the Focal Radiance. I felt like the headphone was the final instrument in the musical process.
And i was doing music injustice by listening on crap equipment.
I love seeing audio gear reviews from guys that aren't traditional audio guys.
I can only take so many sell out reviews from zeos and josh valour for so long.
the fact theres no affiliate link in the description is tops.
"sellout" pretty sure z has bashed crap he was given for free and has an affiliate link.
Having an affiliate link has nothing to do with being a sell out lol
@@ethanfaiello2373 the term 'sellout' has lost all meaning lol. Just because you like something it doesn't mean your persuading people to buy it.
"Traditional audio guys" aren't even audio guys. Audiophiles are by and large full of it.
The only real "audio guys" are audio engineers.
@@mgmg116 you keep telling that audiophiles are full of it, but I think you're just bad at your job lol.
"Only to wake up because a metal song started playing...which is a terrifying experience."
Meanwhile I used Linkin Park - Faint as my alarm for years. Chest waking up with soul ripping scream just worked for me.
Great video! Pretty much explained and captured the experience of getting into Hifi Audio. Although I would have recommended a Verite Closed as opposed to the Stellia, or better yet, still get a Verite Closed to get a different presentation (In my opinion better), You’ll end appreciating both and what they each excel at better.
Really curious about the Rognir as well
Oh shit... Kyle has taken the Red Pill! now let's see how deep the rabbit hole goes!
Sure, most people won't buy these, but I love the old style formulated reviews man. Keep it up!
I will never get people who spend thousands on their PCs and TVs then buy sound bars and gaming headsets.
A really well done ad 👏🏽
The way you describe the experience listening using these, is how my experience was with my first pair of ($350) audiophile headphones. They are not in the same class but the feeling was similar. THEN I got a pair of actual studio monitors, the new model of which would be $1400 today (I got the 1987 model used for about $200 no regrets!), and a $2200 restored/modded Dynaco ST-70 tube amp to go with. The day the amp came in from restoration was like no other. I had already been experiencing the amp and speakers previous to that, but getting the updated driver board installed opened it up in a way I could never have imagined, lowering distortion another 30db and increasing fidelity significantly over the old, obsolete driver design, which was designed using cheap available tubes for the time, tubes which are now expensive and not worth maintaining if you daily drive such an amp. I'm driving all that using a Schiit Jotunheim II, which is my first audiophile DAC, but i'm sure if I wanted to spend absolutely excessive amounts of money, I could get something better, but I really don't have an itch to do so at all. I don't feel like I'm missing a lot at this point
really really loved this video! as someone with decent headphones, but curious about the next level... I'd never even considered some of the benefits you mention, like listening outside your usual genres. thanks kyle!
As someone who's fallen really deep into the audio rabbit hole, what an unexpected but fun video to see (: Hope your Stellia brings you many years of happy listening!
In my early 20s I was buying all kinds of high end earbuds for use on my high end MP3 players (not iPods but rather South Korean and Japanese brands that had the higher end Wolfson DACs). No regrets in doing so as I've gotten to experience the best of Shure, Etymotic and Ultimate Ears (before the Logitech buyout) for extremely portable entertainment and found that brands like Bose were highly overrated for what they were.
As for my PC, I've been using Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 as a way of downsizing from my Cambridge Soundworks DTT 5.1 speaker set when space started becoming an issue (same room, more junk like guitars and amps).
Let me just sell my first child to be able to purchase a pair.
Hey! There are some really impressive headphones/amp/dac combos that go for under 300 that can also really impress (that are also more accessible than a 3K pair of headphones). Like the Fostex T20RP MK3's (lightly modded with new pads and a headband) with a ifi Zen Dac. I highly recommend doing some research and checking out the lower priced areas cause whooo boy, it's packin some heat.
He's not going to buy a bunch of cans. He is happy where he is.
@@Tallnerdyguy Pretty sure the recommendation is for everyone, not just Kyle.
@@MACDRU421 i absolutely do. Thats why i say. If he's happy STOP.
@@blondiejoe everyone, once they are happy, STOP. I have wasted thousands looking for happiness in headphones. When i found what made me happy, i didn't keep buying them
+1 for the iFi Zen DAC, I’ve got the V2 and I love it. It’s an amazing Amp/DAC combo, especially for the price
As a former owner of a speaker repair shop who has dealt with many audiophiles it is a personal choice as to the worth to sound quality ratio. How ever if you mention burning in speaker wire to achieve the ultimate sound then all bets are off on my view to your sanity. The next question to said audiophile would be "And you purchase your weed where?"
BITWIT, you're one of my favourite youtubers and content creators, however I've recently noticed that your videos seem to be less natural and more like you are reading a script, not in your more interactive videos like pc builds, but more the review type videos. I am not trying to say your content is bad in any way, but I feel that you are very tense and just need to relax a little, continue being a great youtuber. Also, please bring a bitwit or nitwit videos sometime soon.
Dang where did those guns come from all of a sudden 😳 7:00
They’re good stuff. You’re in a price point that doesn’t really have a right answer. A lot of this price point is based on taste. Personally I would’ve stuck with the focal clear for the sake of value per dollar and picked up a couple more 600-1000 dollar headphones. I have a pair and I can definitely say the sound stage is good, but only good for a closed back and trying different headphones would be good for letting you see what’s possible. Don’t limit yourself, experience everything you can. You’ll also need to start Dac, amp, and pre amp pairing.
Before you get too deep into audiophilia you should get yourself a pair of kph30is/kph40 utilies, hd660s, sundaras, and stax because those are really the base line imo. A good class D amp and a good class A need to find their way into your home.
Seeing as he has only owned one other set of cans in 10 years, probably not going down the midfi hell hole
And I was happy to get a $150 sound bar to make my TV sound better
I was waiting for the moment Lyle would pop in and tell us we're being trolled. That these cans really cost $30 and were made by one of his "cousins".
I mean, that's probably true.
His French cousin maybe. 🤣
the last comment, "A review sample would have been nice tho" XD
Kyle, you said something really profound that I have been saying for a long time now. As a lover of all kinds of music from soul to bluegrass and from hip hop to country, I am also a audiophile. I have witnessed how hi-fi can change change a person's interest in music. Rock is a good example of what happens when the majority of people listening to music no longer listen on hi-fi devices. No disrespect, but today's electronic driven music sounds good on two soup cans connected by a string. Rock, Country, Jazz, and other instrument driven music lose their luster when played through non hi-fi devices. I truly believe this is how we get to the place we are now where rock and many other forms of instrument driven music have taken a back seat to music made in a bedroom on a laptop. Even country music has moved away from being instrument driven and now doesn't really sound that much different that top 40. It is truly amazing to watch someone listen to a country or jazz or rock album for the first time on hi-fi equipment. The first time they hear the little nuances that they never heard before they are hooked and it is amazing to watch their listening interest change and also they usually start looking for new stereos and headphones. I truly hope that many more people look into hi-fi audio. Hint: Some of the best sounding stereos and speakers were made 30 plus years ago and can be bought cheap. It's funny what music was popular then too.. Coincidence? Check you local thrift stores. Lots of surprises can be found there.
This was me. I started out with a Fiio M7 Dap now im running a Marantz 2275 with a Nakamichi 681zx powering my At-WP900 headphones, even cassette can sound really good ngl. I also have a Marantz 4400, as for my music taste. It changed a bit im more open, before i was pure classic rock now i love string instruments,
It’s cool just to see how the other half lives , everyone like to be jealous even if they don’t admit it
Parents when they have a baby
Did I just make a $3,000 mistake?
cost before it’s even born
Great audio equipment can really change how you feel about music as a whole, or even about certain songs or artists. As a former Magnolia expert one album I strongly suggest you check out with your Stellia cans is John Mayer's Live In LA album. Specifically Daughters, Neon, and Waiting on the World to Change. The sound staging as a whole is truly stellar and can really highlight differences between different audio equipment. Close your eyes while listening to really bring home the sound staging effect. 3 others songs I loved to demo in our audio room for the dynamic range/vocals are: Always With Me, Always With You - Joe Satriani, Latin Simone - Gorillaz, Sing Along - Blue Man Group. The Gorillaz & BMG songs are great as they have stronger base present along with some fantastic vocals so they really showcase pedestrian and exceptional components. Since leaving Mag, I've found Krewella's Human + Disturbed rendition Live on Conan's of Sound of Silence is very good as well. David Draiman's voice is truly exceptional, particularly in this performance as he was a little sick and so his voice is a few octaves deeper and a little scratchier than usual which really brings out a lot from the performance.
To me, this is something I would need to demo in person before blindly spending that kind of money and hoping they’ll sound good.
For that kind of money as well, I’d probably be happier putting towards upgrading my car’s sound system or home theater.
Most people don't start out buying a $2000+ headphone. Usually they start with something between $250 to $500 and work their way up from there.
not only that but also much cheaper headphones but hi fi anyway = cause you may find it is stupendous sound as it probably is but the same with a 300 dollar headphone... so must try it as well...
Me using my mono phone speaker...
"Yes, interesting..."
I've owned most of the popular mid-fi headphones. I then tried Koss Porta Pro, KSC75 and KPH30i. Ended up selling all my mid-fi and now I'm only rocking Porta Pro's and KPH30i.
Most people don't realize how good Koss can be. Hell they invented stereo headphones.
Ports Pros are amazing for what they are and their price. My audiophile friend loves his, and they’re so cheap that he’s gonna mod them to have removable cables and able to use Bluetooth adapters if he wanted
This is like an unbox therapy video.. Introduces a lot of newbies to a hobby
IMO using a headphone stand like the wooden one shown may effect clamping force and especially the shape of the pads over time. Especially the pads of the Beyerdynamics really looked compressed and being like that over a long period of time wont be good for the pads. Cant tell for the Focals however as their resting position is far more open. Just a heads up.
3:21 wooden one is the same he using for most B rolls probably not main storage
Not much cons for 3 grand. Basically, a great buy.
I just have the sennheiser 560 headphones. Pretty damn good for 200 dollars. Good highs without that cheap booming bass
560S are about as a perfect all arounder for 200 dollars as you can get. Good set of cans for sure.
I have a late friend that had the luxury of trying hundreds of different pairs of headphones and he swore by these until the day he died, he had BPD & was depressed but these headphones were one of the only things in his life that he really truly enjoyed. I hope you get the same enjoyment he got out of them.
this video was kind of cathartic for me to watch, thank you bit.
The cans are only half the kit. You still need a high-end DAC and AMP, along with a Tidal subscription for the lossless audio. Otherwise you are wasting money connecting headphones to connections that can't drive them.
That shot of the behringer interface is so cringe.
@@nickr3526 yea big yikes using that shit DAC-AMP on cans that need serious hardware to drive them.
hence “regular consumer” lmao
Tidal? Nah, stay away from that if you want lossless. All of the Master quality tracks are not lossless.
@@AceRanger20 bruh… i aint spending 20/per album to some wav album. it might not be lossless but the shit is definitely NOT spotify. get a grip of the convo here lol…
If you love music as much as Kyle claims too keep the volume down. Once the ringing starts it never stops.
Not a mistake.
Just a 3,000 dollar tax write-off. 😉
You had me at Halo Infinite Intro lol
When you spend $3000 on headphones but still listen to compressed MP3 files at 256kbps on Spotify 😂
Joking aside, you should compare some tracks from Spotify and then from a WAV file of the same track in those things, you'll get even more out of them! It does mean buying music BUT for those special albums/tracks, it is definitely worth it
or just apple music/ tidal instead of dropping 20/album…
Tidal qobuz
Leather lasts a lot longer than the plastic and composites used in most headsets less than $300. Given that cables often die - the connection to the headset being pulled/damaged - having plugs reduce the chance of damage. There are reasons to buy quality, quality in the form of a reliable Lexus of headsets vs a exotic vehicle which needs constant maintenance to keep it performing at it's best. From your description your head set sounds like the top of the line Lexus?
you definitely need to try EQ... i was the same way--i was happy with mine as is--but trust me when i say that **every** headphone can benefit from it, and something with a somewhat wonky frequency response especially. the gains are potentially massive.
I should be finally dipping into that. Had been holding off but I hear people having great results EQ'ing Sundara's.
@@EverythingisFireenjoy! Sundara can take a bass shelf with ease
Dang I thought my 770s were good. I guess I have a new headphone to strive for one day.
Glad we were able to help you pay for these $3k headphones by watching a video about them, with no intent of ever buying them 😀.
Congrats! It’s such a big jump from your Beyerdynamic.
if your $3000 mistake was purchasing headphones, then yes. Yes you did.
"*angry audiophile noises*"
You must not like hifi sound then. Enjoy your beats, kiddo.
@@sqlevolicious Well, there was an attempt at acting tough. But that went away when you tried to demean someone by calling them kiddo. I would never buy beats either bud. But since you know so much, ill let you be the expert on beats.
3,000.00 is a lesson.
5,000.00 is a mistake.
Why would you spend $3000 on a pair of headphones ? Maybe California legalizing weed wasn't the best idea.
Super cheap keys normally means someone used a stolen credit card and the maker of the software will get a chargeback fee. You are better off pirating, because at least it doesn't cost them for you to have the software.
it requires money to make money this is the best secret I have ever heard we don't make money we make multiple money
Crypto is the new gold
Bloody script spam bots
I lost €1200 carelessly trading on a platform then I was referred to shelton morrison he helped me recover the loss and made an extra profit of €5,600
Really y'all know him?, I even thought I'm the only one he has helped walk through the fears and falls of trading.
Have you considered custom IEMs? In addition to sounding great, they are compact for travel, comfortable, easy to drive, and have amazing isolation. The only downside is that they will only fit your ears, so you can't share or resell them.
Also ear wax eww
I think the mistake was made when you spent $3000 on headphones.
You have no clue what you are talking about :)
@@sqlevolicious u have no sense of monetary value
Thank you for sharing your experience. Music can be even more enjoyable when it's well reproduced and trying for yourself is the only real way to understand. It can be a rabbit hole but hey, the joy of music is priceless
I've been a DJ and musician for over 20 years and I still don't fully understand the appeal, but I want to.
I've never experienced audio transparency like standing in a multi-million dollar studio in front of $200,000 Genelec monitors -- an experience I admit not everyone gets to enjoy in their lifetime and I was lucky to have lived by age 18 -- but I also can name a handful of Grammy-winning albums that were made on whole computers that cost less than those headphones, so I know that there's more to experiencing music than fidelity.
I'm not here to rain on the audiophile parade ... just the opposite. I genuinely want to understand the chase, and I worry that my position and experiences as a music professional have "ruined" the magic of it for me.
@@k4hvdq9tj92 I think you're missing the point, and I kinda hate that you used my comment to do it.
@@DJSwitchPDX yeah but he's got the spirit of chasing that high hehe
I'd rather live in ignorance than require a hifi set of headphones every time I listen to something less.
No one should pay so much for headphones
You couldn't be more wrong.
@@sqlevolicious Why?
@@gz9361 because listening to hifi music on a hifi setup is a profound experience. If you’re into music in the first place that is. It’s of more value than high end pcs/monitors, running a game at double the fps at max settings is nice but has never made me cry like hifi audio has. And it goes without saying that it’s massively more value than spending money on worthless high fashion and jewellery which offers nothing other than a way to show off, maybe a tailor made designer suit has some merit but not much else. Super cars would be a relatively good comparison, like the difference between driving a fiat 500 and a Ferrari 458. But obviously that’s 100’s of thousands of dollars. A few thousand for an audio setup is measly compared to that. Going on a holiday with family and friends and investments are the only 2 things that come to mind that I’d rather spend a few grand on haha!
10:16 the most cursed thing I've seen all year...
The Tech-Tuber Hifi crowd is growing. Nice!
Try to pair it with a SoundblasterX G6 dac when gaming, you will love the combination.
imagine not being a "audiophile" and spending 3k on headphones lol.
Sooooo you're saying I need a sugarmama?
Wait till you discover hifi speakers.
Stellias are just poor man's Susvara.
a review sample is a nicer way of saying gimme one fo free, hahahahhaaha
And yet here i am satisfied enough with a 14$ JBL T110, all you need is some cripsy clear audio formats like FLAC for your Music or DTS and Dolby Digital copies of Movies ❤️❤️❤️
Congrats on reaching satisfaction sir, it's an elusive bug to many
I own the Utopia and just like you Kyle, I can attest that it is one of the expensive choices I have not regretted for even a minute. And I also remember how the headphones made me switch from just passively having music in the background to actively listening to it and giving it my full attention.
this is a perfect title for how my parents talk about me
I 100% notice the change in vocal tone and speech pattern for these kind of more scripted videos, and I gotta say I am a fan. Next time maybe even you'll have Batman give you a shout out too!
Wow this feels like a sponsored video not just any sponsorship but a sponsorship enough to buy a house or 2... But no it can't be
Headphones can be a cheaper way to get into HiFi compared to bookshelf or towers, although limited to one person at a time. Great to find out you like them.
An interesting thing about audio gear like this, it doesn't need to be refreshed every year. This is not like an iPhone. You might replace pads, but, if you're lucky, you won't catch the bug and own many more headphones, dacs, amps, interconnects, iems or spekers.
I mean, imo unless you need closedback the focal stellia is not worth it compared to openbacks in that price range.
So True. Closed back are a comprimise you make in high end headphones.
Looking back, I think it was this video that set me on my audiophile journey (in extension also my wife and some friends ...). I first bought the beyerdynamic DT1990pro, which I thought sounded fantastic - so naturally my wife claimed them for herself. So I thought, I give the Sennheiser HD660s a try and was a bit disappointed. They are still better than any ANC headphone like Sony XM4, Bose QC35II, etc but bass, treble and soundstage are weak. But this makes them perfect for youtube, podcast, video calls, audiobooks or just poorer/older recordings.
I found my endgame for Music, Movies and Games in the HifiMan Arya Stealth. Basically, everything you said about the sound experience is true for the Arya. I agree with basically any review, praising them as the (open) headphone to beat under $2000. I really wish I would have done this years earlier ...