yay! The warmer presentation definitely is going to win some people's hearts. Leathers are going to be easier for maintenance. Bass response that does not depend on the pads, change in vents, ... Looks like quite a number of technological innovations are put in there. So excited to see how the next generation of Elegia would be with newer techs.
Have any of you guys at The HEADPHONE Show had a chance to listen to the Flagship "Denon AH-9200" headphone ? I've been going down the rabbit hole researching closed back headphones lately and the 9200 comes up in conversations a lot as being really good. They seem a bit pricey at $1600 to me though. They're really charging for that Japanese workmanship and Japanese Bamboo on the cups I guess.
My god they look good! Not a big fan of the Bentley logo on the headphones themselves - very gaudy, I feel like it does not belong on a headphone - Like most non-car-car-branded stuff is. Having it on the case is fine, I don't care. Very interested in hearing these as I actually really liked the Elegia despite how 'weird' it is. And I very much prefer the design and colors of the Radiance to the Elegia. Might pick these up as I just sold off my HD820s and wanting a closed can. After listening to your first impression of the Radiance, this sounds in my opinion like a great pairing with my Clears due to their differences (More like a detailed fun-can?). Thanks again for your superb reviews! Happy to have you in the community! Keep up the fantastic work!
@@BenRacicot to each their own diggidy! Ala Flossy Carter lol...I'm not a fan of the logo nor the car, but either way it is still a "flex" mode on my headphones! Tbh I'm not a fan of Focal either but I'm loving these cans. They receive the "major, major, major Go"! 👊
I wonder how these compare to the ZMF closed backs. It seems like the price bracket places it right with the ZMF closed backs. Is there any chance of a ZMF Eikon/Atticus review? Also, an Auteur review redux using this review format would also be nice.
I want to thank you (immensely) for your full articulate and completely thorough review (IMHBAO) on the new Focal Radiance. Deciding on a pair of headphones has been a l - o - n - g process for me because I'm not anywhere near a hifi store that sells hifi headphones. Thus, I've been resorting to listening to review after review after review. And none really pushed me to a certain brand . . . until . . .I heard your review (and another review in which you compared three open-back headphones in the 1500 dollar price range). You covered the key items of which helped me (basically) lead to a decision - and that is to buy the new Focal Radiance (because it will work perfect for me based on the type of music I listen to +90% of the time via headphones).
I'm waiting for the day there's a closed back wireless bluetooth headphone that sounds as good as the Hifiman Susvara. Also you're the GOAT headphone reviewer.
And also have abundance of codecs.. all of AptX codecs like HD, Adaptive & Classic one. And LHDC & Sonys LDAC. Its a waste to charge that much when you don't have every kind of codec. I wish Sennheiser does that too. In maybe coming Momentum 4.
@@DKTD23 no ahaha, they are so muddled, susvara is all about clarity and are priced in the thousands of dollars, the closest thing now is probably the Ananda BT
This price difference with the Elegia is hefty, the Bentley logo is making this headphones almost twice as expensive. Glad I bought the Elegia 6 months ago (with a 200 euro discount), this seems excellent value even more now.
Did you have a chance to try the Dekoni Stellia pads? They certainly improved the sound, for my preference. Do you still stand by the statement that the upgrade is not worth it if you already have the Elegia's? Thank you!
It's obvious: adds bass, tames treble. And Dekoni isn't unique for this, any cheaper leather one will do, and people report no difference. I got a $38 one from Amazon, fenestrated sheepskin
Hmmmm so I have the 177X's, and I really enjoy the sound signature. I am looking for an upgrade, would the radiance suffice? The 177X's - with the leather pads - actually soundstage really well, so I wonder if the Radiance soundstages better than said Beyer's.
I love your reviews and I respect your opinions greatly and in fact bought my Sundaras based purely on your review (which I love, btw - the review and HPs!) BUT ... I've gotta say that in this case, the Radiance is NOT an upgraded Elegia, it's a totally different beast! About 2 hours ago I had the chance to listen to both and in fact I was about to purchase the Elegia (at US$450) because of the price and also cos of your long-term review. I noted your point about EQing the Elegia so I just had to test it out before buying ... and I'm glad I did. Listened to it on a Cayin IHA-6 (balanced, high gain, low gain, low current, high current) and omg did it sound awful! It had a weird freq response; no sub bass, thin-like-aluminium foil low/mid bass, nasal mids, and bright? highs ... Sound stage was like a military band playing marching in line formation on the spot in front of me ... by that point didn't matter how much "slam" the dynamics had ... I had enough and there was no way in hell I was going to bother with EQ to salvage anything from it. AND THEN I TRIED THE RADIANCE. It was a fluke chance that it had just arrived at the local store (in Singapore) ahead of schedule and so happened to be available to test right after the Elegia. AND OMG, I think I found my end-game Focals! If this just proves my total unworthiness of any audiophile-related monikers then I'll gladly embrace it (it's not that I even consider myself an audiophile in any way, shape or form, except that I'm a gear slut!) Again on the Cayin IHA-6, from the remastered studio session of Jeff Buckley's first pluck of the acoustic guitar and his first line in "Hallelelujah" ... to Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP ... to Stan Getz, Coltrane, Miles Davies ... to Dream Theatre and finally Pachelbel's "Canon in D" ... Intimate vocals with wide soundstage, beautiful tonality with clear, distinct, and "ompful" sub-bass, low bass and mid-bass to low-mids and full , luscious vocals and yes, warm highs! Airy but never ever strident, clear, detailed and present but never shrill. And god-damn SLAM and FAST DYNAMICS! AND NO NEED TO EQ!! I paid US$1300 on the spot for the Radiance and now I've just gotta end this rambling and go get my money's worth of music bliss! ...... Oh, and did I mention they look so fucking sexy! :)
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks! I'm glad that I came out of the closet today and declared that I love "fun and easy listening" headphones! Hahaha That said, thank you for all your detailed, insightful reviews, both in TH-cam and in written form. That seems like hell of alot of work! But keep it up and keep it real! Oh just a quick 2 questions: 1) I can get an almost brand new Cayin IHA-6 for US$300. Is it still worth it in 2020 or are there any better amps under $500? 2) Don't you have a Patreon accont? Would like to show some support :)
@@DC-ti3ci I don't actually think the IHA-6 is necessary for Focal headphones, that's more something for inefficient planars. Focal headphones do benefit from a good source, but not one that has such ridiculous power. I honestly recommend something else instead, although I'm not sure specifically what I'd do for the Radiance. Maybe something from Topping? Also, I don't have a patreon yet, maybe that's something we'll do in the future. But honestly, the best way to support what we're doing is to just hang out in the comments, like and sub - that kind of thing.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for that. Definitely subbed on all your channels! I'll definitely sign up when you do get a Patreon! Oh as for the Cayin, sorry I wasn't specific about my question ... I just wanted to have something more for my Sundaras, soon-to-come Aryas etc. I'm using a JDS Elements at the moment and it's great for the Radiance! Thanks! :)
Great review! Really interesting pair of headphones. Can you share your findings with pad swapping for the elegia? I’m interested in the dekoni offerings that can help with the bass.
@@sleepingatsea3420 This is good news coming from multiple sources. I’m ordering my Elegia tomorrow and will order the Dekoni pads also. I had to send my Elear back and I’ve been craving that THING that ONLY Focal headphones do. I laugh when people ask to compare any of the Focals to other headphones since there are technical abilities exclusive to the Focals that no other headphones possess save overall tuning. And of course it has to do with the drivers which have more in common with a real speaker transducer rather than a headphone driver.
@@jayl5941 They bring you in closer to the recording than any other headphone or iem I've ever heard. Theres almost a palatable sense of the space in the room. Maybe its the diaphragms of the mics interacting with the air, but whatever it is these headphones extract that info from the recording. A more complex way of explaining detail retrieval? Maybe. Also they're capable of incredible dynamics more common with multi driver high power speaker systems. There's also a planar like quickness to these drivers. The magnets on the drivers are huge and have more in common with a full size transducer, which is something you don't see with standard headphone drivers. Watch the Inner Fidelity review of the Focal Elear as Tyll explains it well. All the Focal headphone use essentially the same drivers except for the diaphragms of the Stelia and Utopia being made if pure Berillium compared to the Aluminum/Magnesium diaphrams of the other models so they all have many traits in common not including the overall tuning.
You’re The Mann! I was awaiting this review! You’re a Very trustworthy Audiophile! Would u say that the Radiance has a bass response or has a similar slam to the LCD X?
Totally different bass response. The Radiance has a lot more bass and better dynamics, while the LCD-X is a much more linear bass with decent dynamics for a planar. But with the Audeze stuff you generally want to EQ as well and their drivers can handle adding a significant bass shelf if you want to.
The HEADPHONE Show - Thx Mann! If I only they could put a better bass in the HD800S 😩- Can’t wait for these beauties to release. I 1000% agree w/ u in which the Radiance R the best looking headphones on the market, period!
@@BrJD-ii4iv Yeah they look/feel fantastic. Just make sure that's also one of the reasons you're considering buying them like I mentioned in the video. This is essentially a special edition retuned Elegia at a premium price tag because of its limited edition status.
The HEADPHONE Show - I love that you mentioned that it’s not a closed Clear cuz many viewers are going to think so giving the similar in price-tag. Question? Does the Clear and the Professional sound the same (giving that they’re both at the same price-tag)?
Would you consider these tonally similar to the Verite Open? The way you describe the upper treble sounds similar to how the VO is handling there’s. Do the Verites have less congestion than these?
Thank you for getting these reviewed so quickly. For months I was chasing the dragon of the perfect headphone. Doesn't exist. After buying thr Clears I have finally been able to stop buying headphones. Such a great balanced sound with just enough bass. I do still miss the Arya's wider soundstage and depth. That headphone was an experience on some tracks. May get an Ananda to try em out. Currently have a stack of headphones already and want to enjoy bliss for a while with my new RME ADI-2 Pro fs R. It never ends!!!
Same, the assortment I have currently to cover most bases along with the Clears w/THXAAA amp and a tube hybrid make this near endgame for now. The only summit for me might be ZMF based on all I've heard of them. But I'm content for now! You've got a good setup mate, enjoy it and don't have too much FOMO!
Have been planning on getting the Clear, my daily driver are the Arya. You say these aren’t the Clear but how do they differ ? Unfortunately, there’s no place to sample headphones anywhere close to where I live. I listen to a lot of classic rock and metal and the Arya sound very stark and dry with a lot of it to me. The warm signature sounds like it might be what I’m looking for but for $200 more maybe I should still go for the Clear pro... then there’s the LCD XC !!! ... sooo many choices - sooo little $$ :) Any recommendation is greatly appreciated. Oh, and thanks for another great review. IMO you are the #1 reviewer hands down
If you can handle the XC weight, and are able to find one that's the newer (retuned) version, then that's definitely the more technically impressive sounding headphone. But yeah, if you like the Arya the Clear is a bit more normal, just punchier. And the Radiance is quite a bit warmer/bassier than all of them.
Do you know if the headband part is still plastic inside the cushioning? My Elegia broke after less than 2 years of use in my studio (never dropped), and Focal refuse to take it as a warranty issue and it cannot be repaired.
@@SirFifolo Sorry to hear, but thank you for adding your reply here. I opened up mine and can say that the metal band at the top is connected with the sliding parts (also in metal) using plastic. That is their weak point, and I am not getting any replies from them in terms of if this is the same for all their headphones or just the Elegia. I have patched it together myself with other metal pieces from headphones over the top and bottom of the (opened up) headband. I then re-wrapped it with some stuffing and leather and they work well so far.
@@andonlytheone111 Sorry, I didn't take any pictures as I did this. Best I can share is what I put in text above. It takes patience and being careful when doing it. I have some experience working with leather and upholstery, so that helped. Expect to do tests before you e.g. glue anything in place, as it can be tricky to ensure that the fit over your head is proper first time you put them together. Also watch out for adding too much weight at the headband level, as that can make the headphones slide off if you look down.
Thanks for the impressions. Would love to hear your take on the E-MU Teaks at some point... I grabbed the Elegias on sale recently but sent them back because of the unnatural (to my ears) sounding mid-range compared to the Teaks. Perhaps just me, but I love the sound of the Teaks and the Anandas - my two main drivers.
Loved the Teaks, but personally found them to be slightly bright and kind of metallic-sounding in the treble. Loads of fun though. Wonderful impactful bass.
Great looking headphone but would you really recommend the Radiance over the Elegia with such a huge price increase? I’m interested but I’m trying to save for purchasing the Stellia or Utopia
I bought the Elegia, was frustrated with needing to EQ the headphones to fill the bottom. With Radiance just released I sent Elegia back, and got the Radiance. For me, totally worth it. Completely different, with the family relationship showing. Amazing detail, etc. FWIW...
@@stephendenagy3396 hi, how would you describe the sound of the radiance? Some say its really bassy and warm which kind of worries me thinking it might sound muddy or lack clarity details?
Personally, I have never been a fan of Focal's speakers. Mainly as I find them to harsh in the upper ranges. I tend to lean on the warmer side myself, like you would get from let's say Hybrid Audio's Legiatia's for instance. So to hear this coming from Focal is a very welcome development. Being a bit more bass heavy isn't a problem either. As I listen to all kinds of music. However, I have found many headsets to be lacking bass. So this is a welcome change here but any headset is only as good as it's source. So I plan on using it with my Astell & Kern DAP mostly. :)
When you talk about one headphone in comparison to another so much, you should really put both headphones on a graph (or both headphones plus a target), not the one headphone plus a target. The graph doesn't really match the content without the Elegia on it. Good review, it's nice that Focal is able to make headphones with a number of different sound signatures and styles, with their 'house sound' being dynamics...it allows for more variety than other 'house sound' styles. Any idea why (or if ?) they're discontinuing the Elegia though ?
To be clear, my recommendation is to stick with the Elegia pads and just EQ. But if you do want more bass on them without EQ the sheepskin solids will work. None of the rest of them will work with the Elegia though.
@@LakerTriangle Saw the FR with Dekoni leather pads... although the mid bass seems slightly elevated...the Pads seem to throw off the mids and treble region off balance quite a bit...per Dekoni FR graphs on their website.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Can you measure the fr change with respect to closing and opening the exterior port on the elegia? The new ones look closed. There should be a front port unless they got rid of that too.
Totally different. HD800s has the advantage of being open back. If you can handle open back, then that's the obvious choice. If you need closes back, and you want a warmer presentation, then you'd look at the radiance.
I just ordered a set and I can’t wait for them to get here. They’re the first high end headphones I’ve ever bought, does anyone have any advice on an amp that will pair well with them?
@@The8lueSpirit I love them, they’re the nicest headphones I’ve ever seen, and absolutely the most incredible sounding headphones I’ve ever used. I’m not very experienced as far as this stuff goes, but I definitely recommend them. They’re fine without an amp, but they sound WAY more lively and realize their potential with one. I’ve heard the Celeste is nice as well, but I’ve never heard them so I really couldn’t give a recommendation. I’m sure you’ll be happy either way man!!
@@eddiegdrums1646 I can feel your excitement through the text! That's awesome and great to hear how much you like them! I own the Elegia and they are an incredible headphone in every regard except for at the low end of the spectrum. I'm really drawn to the comments about how powerful the bass is with the Radiance while at the same time not sacrificing any of the detail on the rest of the frequencies. I think these are the ones for me.
So since the Celeste will soon be released it looks like The Radiance will be the next Focal headphone that will be on fire sale like the Elegia was for $400. For $400 the Elegia is still an amazing deal. If I spent any more $$$ I would need that bass region to be pushed up a bit to the point where NOTHING is missing in the music. So now the cage match is Radiance vs Celeste.
First time seeing your channel and “subed” in first 30 seconds. Really nice job! Thorough and concise. The last good pair on cans I owned was the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro. Really enjoyed the low end with the bass pads, don’t remember if that was the “A” or “B” (flat) pad? Have you heard the 1990? How would the low end compare with Elegia? For 5 bills is the Elegia a good “closed” value today? Thanks!
As someone who currently now a both the 1990s and Elegia, the Elegia has a more mid-forward stock presentation and is a bit more resolving and separating while the 1990s have a bit more 'live' sound to them. I prefer the A pads on my 1990s and also apply a touch of EQ to the bass and treble of the Elegia; with this, they sound much more alike than different to my ear.
B H Thanks for your reply. I’ve been out of the headphone game/rabbit-hole for a long time. Found the Elegia for $525 on Amazon last night and pulled the trigger. Looks like they are now discontinued and you can pick them up around 5 bills. Good buy? What have you done for after market cables and amplification (Elegia) I had a Woo WA3 and WA6 tube amp. Thanks again
@@keeferdog5617 Adorama has been selling them for as low as $399 new but I feel they perform and compete at the $500 bracket as well. With respect to cables I listen from an LG Quad DAC pushing Spotify HQ tracks and am usually amping with a THX 789. My stock cable got flaky on me so I bought a dirt cheap New Fantastia 3.5mm cable as well as an expensive Arctic Cables balanced cable... they all sound the same to me.
B H I actually checked Adorama before purchasing. No $399 Elegia’s, in fact they were $690. Feel pretty good at $525. I did order that same cheap cable too in the 9.9 ft length to listen to my 2 channel system through pre headphone jack when the ‘ol lady is asleep. Looking forward to hearing them tomorrow, when they “deliver”. Thanks for the info!
Hmmm. I'm wondering if they'll make the pads available for purchase. The inner lining towards the drive looks similar to the Clear pads. I'm wondering how they would sound with the Clears.
I'm not sure about that. Just keep in mind that the bass tuning for this headphone isn't strictly dependent on the pads like it is with many other headphones. The retune added quite a bit of bass response regardless of the pads. But yeah I am curious what they would do to Focal's other headphones.
Thank you for your review of the new Focal Radiance headphones. I recently purchased the Focal Elegias which I quite enjoy, but have been wanting a bit more short of purchasing the Stellias. The stock cable that comes with the Elegias has a nice overall tonal balance, but lacks detail and transparency. I built two identical cables, one with the Black Dragon wire and another with the Cardas 4x24 wire. Both are superior (by a large margin) to the stock Focal cable and the Cardas is the better of the two overall with the Elegias. So - my question is are you using the same cable when doing these comparisons or just using the stock cable that comes with the particular headphones? The quality of the cable (and it's compatibility) can make such a difference that a review without an equal quality cable employed doesn't do justice to the ability of the cans on review.
I’m New to this so please excuse me if I am asking you something that might be ridiculous to those who are Hardcore Audiophiles…. So this is my question: What is in Your Opinion, The Best Headphone/Amp and Dac for My music listening preferences that are along the lines of… 60’s-70’s-80’s, from The Beatles to Zeppelin to Ozzy Osbourne to Dokken, Rush etc.? Again, I am in any way knowledgeable about Anything to do with components. I want to get into the hobby and well, you have to start somewhere! Lol… Thank you in advance for any help or advice.
Sorry late, but, DAC/amp won't make a difference except increase coming when you need it. And some have Bluetooth, add convenience to convert any wired headphone to wireless and connect to anything. Also some include a companion app that allows EQ
Has anyone compared the Elegia and NDH-20 Neumanns? Elegia are 40 bucks more right now and I want to know which one to buy haha I need a pretty good closed back.
He posted measurements in the forum here forum.headphones.com/t/focal-radiance-closed-back-headphones-official-thread/8414/63 . He's also got some Elegia pad swapped measurements in there as well.
That cable looks like death. Talk about kinky. I don't understand how they make their headphones look so nice while producing some of the heaviest and least ergonomic cables on the market. Beats cables are 10x better, it is ridiculous. Good review though! Glad to see them putting out more models.
I don't get the idea of a car and headphone maker collaboration. Is there a tradition behind this kind of thing or is it just a bit of fun? It certainly looks nice but I would feel a bit silly with Bentley logos on my cans.
elegia price has gone down now too... ranging from 350 to 400... I got mine at 380 with periapt cable and extra leather pads...now that the Celestee just came out...I would imagine the elegia might even drops to the low 300s range. I might pick up another one for the office then.
Out of all the Focal headphones I've evaluated over the years, including personally owning a number of them... I've never encountered that issue. I've heard about it, but never personally experienced it. The Radiance also doesn't have it.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Yeah, it only happens when you drive it harder with serious bass tones. The hardest for me to get that done too was the Stellia and Utopia.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204 agreed, the Radiance produces some bass distortion with some hard sub bass tracks at exceedingly high volumes. Some people tend to live within those high decibel listening experience whether it's safe or not, these cans may not be their cup of tea. I enjoy the deep bass and the clarity these provide with some reverberation on some tracks with the Radiance, however I have other cans for those sub bass listening sessions.
Love the copper/black but that Bentley logo screaming to be seen is such a turn off. It could have just been stamped/de-bosed on top of the leather headband. I'll keep waiting for a closeback version of the Clear.
I lost faith in closed back headphones after I tried the Elegia, I wear glasses so I can’t benefit from low frequencies, basically strip out bass making it so bright, the mids literally in your face. The details expression is like you try to hear what your brother is saying in front of someone who’s drilling a hole in the wall, I don’t believe I received a good unit but I returned it over replacing it cuz the glasses still an issue to the Elegia. I hope glasses are not big deal to the radiance cuz it looks so pretty
Zerviscos As I mentioned earlier I may received a damaged unit cuz every research I did and every review I watched I didn’t expect to hear something so bright like this unit I received. My glasses frame are thick, it causes sound bleed, and I do feel the difference when I take it off. And last thing please don’t make your purchase decision based on my experience, this was my personal experience and I am almost certain that I received a damaged unit cuz it sound so wrong and nothing there was mentioned in the reviews I’ve watched. So I highly recommended you to ask someone who enjoyed it and make sure he/she wear glasses.
Mattia Maestroni My head is normal and there is something in the cans making it attached well in my ears but my glasses frame were thick so maybe it’s the issue.
@@shonenjump9 in relation to sound quality, I didn't like the STOCK Elegia at all. Once equalized, they have become very good and very close to the Clear I also have (in terms of detail retrival and resolution I mean, FR is still a lil different)
Hmmm..... I kind of want these badly. I tend to be sensitive to significant peaks in the 3 to 6kHz range so I'm wondering what the opposite of that will sound like to me. It might be okay.
Really lol. I guess if one hates Bentley then it's a problem. However as someone who puts audio quality above my own personal wardrobe, so to speak. I will take that title & wear it with pride!! :)
I like the color palette, but the Bentley logo is so pretentious and gaudy. Also, for a headphone that is sonically so similar to the Elegia, the price seems too high. Too bad these aren’t an “Elegia II” with the appropriate pricing, sans logo.
So that’s why the elegia is going for 400 now. Tried it, somehow I didn’t like it. Love the looks of focals. Hmm, maybe it was the seal. Don’t like leather though. And the elegia cable, looks good but awful awful
off subject.... You should use a better warmer mic.... Just because....... You talk fast (so do i) but i want to relax when i hear your reviews...... Thank you for reveiw
@@andrewlissimore9912 We're on this page because we're interested in learning about and evaluating the merits of various headphones - yet an awareness of chest hair somehow worked its way into MY peripheral thought (and visual) processes as well. I get your Joshua Valour reference. I LIKE what comes naturally on a man, and that most certainly includes chest hair; I proudly sport my own.
Actually the only Audeze that I've measured that has a 'better' FR than this would be the LCD-XC. Every other one of them has been much weirder in the upper mids and treble. Still, like I mentioned in the video, this is the most warm Focal I've seen yet, and yeah it's not like the Clear.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow yeah i was probably overexaggerating on that, but doesnt change the fact that it doesnt appear to have a great treble/upper midrange response
![[Part 1] ทารกน้อยถูกทิ้ง👶 หญิงชราเก็บขวดขายเลี้ยงดูเขาจนโต #โลกการละคร](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nPTDvFCExks/mqdefault.jpg)
Man, the radiance just looks good!
Focal, man....what a beauty
And sound good too! 👊
yay! The warmer presentation definitely is going to win some people's hearts. Leathers are going to be easier for maintenance. Bass response that does not depend on the pads, change in vents, ... Looks like quite a number of technological innovations are put in there. So excited to see how the next generation of Elegia would be with newer techs.
Have any of you guys at The HEADPHONE Show had a chance to listen to the Flagship "Denon AH-9200" headphone ? I've been going down the rabbit hole researching closed back headphones lately and the 9200 comes up in conversations a lot as being really good. They seem a bit pricey at $1600 to me though. They're really charging for that Japanese workmanship and Japanese Bamboo on the cups I guess.
Great work @Resolve Reviews and @The HEADPHONE Show !!!
Would the Radiance be a good compliment to the Clear MG?
Great review, these headphones look amazing!
I'm curious, how do the new pads interact with glasses?
My god they look good! Not a big fan of the Bentley logo on the headphones themselves - very gaudy, I feel like it does not belong on a headphone - Like most non-car-car-branded stuff is. Having it on the case is fine, I don't care.
Very interested in hearing these as I actually really liked the Elegia despite how 'weird' it is. And I very much prefer the design and colors of the Radiance to the Elegia. Might pick these up as I just sold off my HD820s and wanting a closed can. After listening to your first impression of the Radiance, this sounds in my opinion like a great pairing with my Clears due to their differences (More like a detailed fun-can?).
Thanks again for your superb reviews! Happy to have you in the community! Keep up the fantastic work!
Yup! Thinking the same thing. MAYBE I'd pay 1,300 for amazing sound but not to promo Bentley for the next 5 years.
@@BenRacicot to each their own diggidy! Ala Flossy Carter lol...I'm not a fan of the logo nor the car, but either way it is still a "flex" mode on my headphones! Tbh I'm not a fan of Focal either but I'm loving these cans. They receive the "major, major, major Go"! 👊
I wonder how these compare to the ZMF closed backs. It seems like the price bracket places it right with the ZMF closed backs.
Is there any chance of a ZMF Eikon/Atticus review? Also, an Auteur review redux using this review format would also be nice.
No love for the Aeolus? Best headphone I have ever heard (with the Uni Perf. Suede pads though).
The Aeolus is an open back, not a closed back, harder and different comparison
@@mangodsky2809 Kills detail though. They sound very sweet with those.
I want to thank you (immensely) for your full articulate and completely thorough review (IMHBAO) on the new Focal Radiance. Deciding on a pair of headphones has been a l - o - n - g process for me because I'm not anywhere near a hifi store that sells hifi headphones. Thus, I've been resorting to listening to review after review after review. And none really pushed me to a certain brand . . . until . . .I heard your review (and another review in which you compared three open-back headphones in the 1500 dollar price range).
You covered the key items of which helped me (basically) lead to a decision - and that is to buy the new Focal Radiance (because it will work perfect for me based on the type of music I listen to +90% of the time via headphones).
Hi. Did you buy the Radiance? Do you think it is music genre specific at all? Thanks
Hello sir, do you use it for movies too ? And outside ?
Nice review! The looks on these are just gorgeous *.*
The Elegia sounds like very good large speakers in fairly big room. You never get this from the Radiance - it is more intimate.
I'm waiting for the day there's a closed back wireless bluetooth headphone that sounds as good as the Hifiman Susvara. Also you're the GOAT headphone reviewer.
Perhaps we all will be listening to music through brain implants like neuralink before it happens.
Or Hifiman will just be Hifiman and release Susvara BT like the Ananda
Does the Drop + THX Panda come close?
And also have abundance of codecs.. all of AptX codecs like HD, Adaptive & Classic one. And LHDC & Sonys LDAC. Its a waste to charge that much when you don't have every kind of codec. I wish Sennheiser does that too. In maybe coming Momentum 4.
@@DKTD23 no ahaha, they are so muddled, susvara is all about clarity and are priced in the thousands of dollars, the closest thing now is probably the Ananda BT
This price difference with the Elegia is hefty, the Bentley logo is making this headphones almost twice as expensive. Glad I bought the Elegia 6 months ago (with a 200 euro discount), this seems excellent value even more now.
I bought it second hand at $450 (includes tax and shipping) seven months ago. Maybe I should have paid a bit more for a new pair but whatever.
these are a lot better than the Elegia tbh
Did you have a chance to try the Dekoni Stellia pads? They certainly improved the sound, for my preference.
Do you still stand by the statement that the upgrade is not worth it if you already have the Elegia's?
Thank you!
I have heard a lot of people say similar. In what ways do you think the stellia pads improve the sound over the default pads?
It's obvious: adds bass, tames treble. And Dekoni isn't unique for this, any cheaper leather one will do, and people report no difference. I got a $38 one from Amazon, fenestrated sheepskin
Will you review Sennheiser’s HD560S anytime soon?
Yup I wanna hear his opinion too
You know I was so excited because I thought it was a closed-back at first glance.....well, I'm still excited for it tho
Hello!
The Radiance or Aeon 2 noire is more balanced ?
Could you do a video on proprietary surround sound technologies and how they work with various high-end headphones like these?
Hmmmm so I have the 177X's, and I really enjoy the sound signature. I am looking for an upgrade, would the radiance suffice? The 177X's - with the leather pads - actually soundstage really well, so I wonder if the Radiance soundstages better than said Beyer's.
Do you still like the Radiance? what about if you compare the OG clears, which would you choose?
v diff sig. I owned both.
I love your reviews and I respect your opinions greatly and in fact bought my Sundaras based purely on your review (which I love, btw - the review and HPs!) BUT ... I've gotta say that in this case, the Radiance is NOT an upgraded Elegia, it's a totally different beast! About 2 hours ago I had the chance to listen to both and in fact I was about to purchase the Elegia (at US$450) because of the price and also cos of your long-term review. I noted your point about EQing the Elegia so I just had to test it out before buying ... and I'm glad I did. Listened to it on a Cayin IHA-6 (balanced, high gain, low gain, low current, high current) and omg did it sound awful! It had a weird freq response; no sub bass, thin-like-aluminium foil low/mid bass, nasal mids, and bright? highs ... Sound stage was like a military band playing marching in line formation on the spot in front of me ... by that point didn't matter how much "slam" the dynamics had ... I had enough and there was no way in hell I was going to bother with EQ to salvage anything from it. AND THEN I TRIED THE RADIANCE. It was a fluke chance that it had just arrived at the local store (in Singapore) ahead of schedule and so happened to be available to test right after the Elegia. AND OMG, I think I found my end-game Focals! If this just proves my total unworthiness of any audiophile-related monikers then I'll gladly embrace it (it's not that I even consider myself an audiophile in any way, shape or form, except that I'm a gear slut!) Again on the Cayin IHA-6, from the remastered studio session of Jeff Buckley's first pluck of the acoustic guitar and his first line in "Hallelelujah" ... to Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP ... to Stan Getz, Coltrane, Miles Davies ... to Dream Theatre and finally Pachelbel's "Canon in D" ... Intimate vocals with wide soundstage, beautiful tonality with clear, distinct, and "ompful" sub-bass, low bass and mid-bass to low-mids and full , luscious vocals and yes, warm highs! Airy but never ever strident, clear, detailed and present but never shrill. And god-damn SLAM and FAST DYNAMICS! AND NO NEED TO EQ!! I paid US$1300 on the spot for the Radiance and now I've just gotta end this rambling and go get my money's worth of music bliss! ...... Oh, and did I mention they look so fucking sexy! :)
Glad you like it haha
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks! I'm glad that I came out of the closet today and declared that I love "fun and easy listening" headphones! Hahaha That said, thank you for all your detailed, insightful reviews, both in TH-cam and in written form. That seems like hell of alot of work! But keep it up and keep it real! Oh just a quick 2 questions: 1) I can get an almost brand new Cayin IHA-6 for US$300. Is it still worth it in 2020 or are there any better amps under $500? 2) Don't you have a Patreon accont? Would like to show some support :)
@@DC-ti3ci I don't actually think the IHA-6 is necessary for Focal headphones, that's more something for inefficient planars. Focal headphones do benefit from a good source, but not one that has such ridiculous power. I honestly recommend something else instead, although I'm not sure specifically what I'd do for the Radiance. Maybe something from Topping?
Also, I don't have a patreon yet, maybe that's something we'll do in the future. But honestly, the best way to support what we're doing is to just hang out in the comments, like and sub - that kind of thing.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for that. Definitely subbed on all your channels! I'll definitely sign up when you do get a Patreon! Oh as for the Cayin, sorry I wasn't specific about my question ... I just wanted to have something more for my Sundaras, soon-to-come Aryas etc. I'm using a JDS Elements at the moment and it's great for the Radiance! Thanks! :)
@@DC-ti3ci Yeah I'd almost stick with the Element haha. That's a great unit.
Great review! Really interesting pair of headphones. Can you share your findings with pad swapping for the elegia? I’m interested in the dekoni offerings that can help with the bass.
The Dekoni Elite Sheepskin 100%. Best purchase for the Elegia without a doubt. Bass and treble are much improved IMO.
@@sleepingatsea3420 This is good news coming from multiple sources. I’m ordering my Elegia tomorrow and will order the Dekoni pads also. I had to send my Elear back and I’ve been craving that THING that ONLY Focal headphones do. I laugh when people ask to compare any of the Focals to other headphones since there are technical abilities exclusive to the Focals that no other headphones possess save overall tuning. And of course it has to do with the drivers which have more in common with a real speaker transducer rather than a headphone driver.
@@Assimilator702 So what is THAT thing that NO OTHER headphones can do. I'm honestly curious.
@@jayl5941 They bring you in closer to the recording than any other headphone or iem I've ever heard. Theres almost a palatable sense of the space in the room. Maybe its the diaphragms of the mics interacting with the air, but whatever it is these headphones extract that info from the recording. A more complex way of explaining detail retrieval? Maybe. Also they're capable of incredible dynamics more common with multi driver high power speaker systems. There's also a planar like quickness to these drivers. The magnets on the drivers are huge and have more in common with a full size transducer, which is something you don't see with standard headphone drivers. Watch the Inner Fidelity review of the Focal Elear as Tyll explains it well. All the Focal headphone use essentially the same drivers except for the diaphragms of the Stelia and Utopia being made if pure Berillium compared to the Aluminum/Magnesium diaphrams of the other models so they all have many traits in common not including the overall tuning.
You’re The Mann! I was awaiting this review! You’re a Very trustworthy Audiophile! Would u say that the Radiance has a bass response or has a similar slam to the LCD X?
Totally different bass response. The Radiance has a lot more bass and better dynamics, while the LCD-X is a much more linear bass with decent dynamics for a planar. But with the Audeze stuff you generally want to EQ as well and their drivers can handle adding a significant bass shelf if you want to.
The HEADPHONE Show - Thx Mann! If I only they could put a better bass in the HD800S 😩- Can’t wait for these beauties to release. I 1000% agree w/ u in which the Radiance R the best looking headphones on the market, period!
@@BrJD-ii4iv Yeah they look/feel fantastic. Just make sure that's also one of the reasons you're considering buying them like I mentioned in the video. This is essentially a special edition retuned Elegia at a premium price tag because of its limited edition status.
The HEADPHONE Show - I love that you mentioned that it’s not a closed Clear cuz many viewers are going to think so giving the similar in price-tag. Question? Does the Clear and the Professional sound the same (giving that they’re both at the same price-tag)?
@@BrJD-ii4iv Yeah Clear and Clear Pro are the same headphone just with a different color scheme and accessories.
Would you consider these tonally similar to the Verite Open? The way you describe the upper treble sounds similar to how the VO is handling there’s. Do the Verites have less congestion than these?
How is the sub-bass slam compared to the LCD-XC?
Thank you for getting these reviewed so quickly. For months I was chasing the dragon of the perfect headphone. Doesn't exist. After buying thr Clears I have finally been able to stop buying headphones. Such a great balanced sound with just enough bass. I do still miss the Arya's wider soundstage and depth. That headphone was an experience on some tracks. May get an Ananda to try em out. Currently have a stack of headphones already and want to enjoy bliss for a while with my new RME ADI-2 Pro fs R. It never ends!!!
Same, the assortment I have currently to cover most bases along with the Clears w/THXAAA amp and a tube hybrid make this near endgame for now. The only summit for me might be ZMF based on all I've heard of them. But I'm content for now!
You've got a good setup mate, enjoy it and don't have too much FOMO!
Will they make a normal looking version of Radiance? I don't want to wear Bentley on subway.
first thing that jumped out to me. Love the design overall, but the Bentley emblem gets a big thumbs down
@@thetruth34o9 I wonder if they are going to make a replacement modal for Elegia.
head band scarf can cover that
I would consider wearing any of Focal's upper range headphones on the subway as pretentious so having the Bentley emblem shouldn't even matter!
Yes,, we need to steer a wide course around anything that smacks of elitism! Black electrical tape will do the trick.
Have been planning on getting the Clear, my daily driver are the Arya. You say these aren’t the Clear but how do they differ ? Unfortunately, there’s no place to sample headphones anywhere close to where I live. I listen to a lot of classic rock and metal and the Arya sound very stark and dry with a lot of it to me. The warm signature sounds like it might be what I’m looking for but for $200 more maybe I should still go for the Clear pro... then there’s the LCD XC !!! ... sooo many choices - sooo little $$ :) Any recommendation is greatly appreciated. Oh, and thanks for another great review. IMO you are the #1 reviewer hands down
If you can handle the XC weight, and are able to find one that's the newer (retuned) version, then that's definitely the more technically impressive sounding headphone. But yeah, if you like the Arya the Clear is a bit more normal, just punchier. And the Radiance is quite a bit warmer/bassier than all of them.
Do you know if the headband part is still plastic inside the cushioning? My Elegia broke after less than 2 years of use in my studio (never dropped), and Focal refuse to take it as a warranty issue and it cannot be repaired.
Same issue with my Elears. Utopia's still going strong, but the lack of response from Focal on Elear issue left me cold.
@@SirFifolo Sorry to hear, but thank you for adding your reply here. I opened up mine and can say that the metal band at the top is connected with the sliding parts (also in metal) using plastic. That is their weak point, and I am not getting any replies from them in terms of if this is the same for all their headphones or just the Elegia. I have patched it together myself with other metal pieces from headphones over the top and bottom of the (opened up) headband. I then re-wrapped it with some stuffing and leather and they work well so far.
How did you do this?
@@andonlytheone111 Sorry, I didn't take any pictures as I did this. Best I can share is what I put in text above. It takes patience and being careful when doing it. I have some experience working with leather and upholstery, so that helped. Expect to do tests before you e.g. glue anything in place, as it can be tricky to ensure that the fit over your head is proper first time you put them together. Also watch out for adding too much weight at the headband level, as that can make the headphones slide off if you look down.
Thanks for the impressions. Would love to hear your take on the E-MU Teaks at some point... I grabbed the Elegias on sale recently but sent them back because of the unnatural (to my ears) sounding mid-range compared to the Teaks. Perhaps just me, but I love the sound of the Teaks and the Anandas - my two main drivers.
Loved the Teaks, but personally found them to be slightly bright and kind of metallic-sounding in the treble. Loads of fun though. Wonderful impactful bass.
Phil Boggild I agree. I found the teak slightly bright too
How would older Jazz recordings sound on these or records that aren't necessarily the best recording ?
I really wanted to purchase these headphones unfortunately I don't drive a Bentley. I wonder if Focal will come out with a Chevy version : )
It's just radiating with good looks I wish the elex and clear professional and Utopia would look like this 😭😭😭
Great looking headphone but would you really recommend the Radiance over the Elegia with such a huge price increase? I’m interested but I’m trying to save for purchasing the Stellia or Utopia
I bought the Elegia, was frustrated with needing to EQ the headphones to fill the bottom. With Radiance just released I sent Elegia back, and got the Radiance. For me, totally worth it. Completely different, with the family relationship showing. Amazing detail, etc. FWIW...
@@stephendenagy3396 hi, how would you describe the sound of the radiance? Some say its really bassy and warm which kind of worries me thinking it might sound muddy or lack clarity details?
@@stephendenagy3396 are the earpads replaceable on the Radiance? Are they bespoke or can Focal Clear/Celestee/Stella earpads fit?
Personally, I have never been a fan of Focal's speakers. Mainly as I find them to harsh in the upper ranges.
I tend to lean on the warmer side myself, like you would get from let's say Hybrid Audio's Legiatia's for instance.
So to hear this coming from Focal is a very welcome development. Being a bit more bass heavy isn't a problem either.
As I listen to all kinds of music. However, I have found many headsets to be lacking bass.
So this is a welcome change here but any headset is only as good as it's source. So I plan on using it with my Astell & Kern DAP mostly. :)
I can now buy the elegia for $250 USD here in Australia it’s $329 AUD. Should I pick it up?
Duh! I got the last used one from Amazon at $600. It's getting hard to get.
When you talk about one headphone in comparison to another so much, you should really put both headphones on a graph (or both headphones plus a target), not the one headphone plus a target. The graph doesn't really match the content without the Elegia on it. Good review, it's nice that Focal is able to make headphones with a number of different sound signatures and styles, with their 'house sound' being dynamics...it allows for more variety than other 'house sound' styles.
Any idea why (or if ?) they're discontinuing the Elegia though ?
You are asking the questions I had in mind. But no answer yet. :(
now i'm looking forward to the Bentley Mulliner Stellia
Nice knowing that it's not just a recolour like the HD800S Anniversary
I changed the pads (your recommendation) on my Elegia's. That brought the bass up nicely. Can you do a compare with your modded Elegia's?
Hi, which pads did you put to boost the Bass? Thanks
@@Shoaibexpert
dekoniaudio.com/product/dekoni-audio-elite-sheepskin-earpad-set-for-focal-elear-clear-utopia/
th-cam.com/video/VT1nFJaIQe0/w-d-xo.html
To be clear, my recommendation is to stick with the Elegia pads and just EQ. But if you do want more bass on them without EQ the sheepskin solids will work. None of the rest of them will work with the Elegia though.
@@LakerTriangle Saw the FR with Dekoni leather pads... although the mid bass seems slightly elevated...the Pads seem to throw off the mids and treble region off balance quite a bit...per Dekoni FR graphs on their website.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Can you measure the fr change with respect to closing and opening the exterior port on the elegia? The new ones look closed. There should be a front port unless they got rid of that too.
usin elegias while watching this: C:
Is the he 800s better I’m buying on of these two headphones in April
Totally different. HD800s has the advantage of being open back. If you can handle open back, then that's the obvious choice. If you need closes back, and you want a warmer presentation, then you'd look at the radiance.
What about the HD820?
I just ordered a set and I can’t wait for them to get here. They’re the first high end headphones I’ve ever bought, does anyone have any advice on an amp that will pair well with them?
How do they sound and how do you like them? Trying to decide between these and the Celestee that were just released.
@@The8lueSpirit I love them, they’re the nicest headphones I’ve ever seen, and absolutely the most incredible sounding headphones I’ve ever used. I’m not very experienced as far as this stuff goes, but I definitely recommend them. They’re fine without an amp, but they sound WAY more lively and realize their potential with one. I’ve heard the Celeste is nice as well, but I’ve never heard them so I really couldn’t give a recommendation. I’m sure you’ll be happy either way man!!
@@eddiegdrums1646 I can feel your excitement through the text! That's awesome and great to hear how much you like them! I own the Elegia and they are an incredible headphone in every regard except for at the low end of the spectrum. I'm really drawn to the comments about how powerful the bass is with the Radiance while at the same time not sacrificing any of the detail on the rest of the frequencies. I think these are the ones for me.
Hi. Do you feel that the Radiance is music genre specific at all? Thanks
@@keithb5612 Hey Keith! Not particularly, they’ve been extremely dynamic and versatile from my experience so far.
How does it compare to the us 800s
So since the Celeste will soon be released it looks like The Radiance will be the next Focal headphone that will be on fire sale like the Elegia was for $400. For $400 the Elegia is still an amazing deal. If I spent any more $$$ I would need that bass region to be pushed up a bit to the point where NOTHING is missing in the music. So now the cage match is Radiance vs Celeste.
Hey ! did you make your mind between the radiance and Celestee? I listened to the Celestee but cannot get hold on the Radiance for testing....
@@gilcarag274 I picked up a Elegia for $400. If the Celeste gets discounted I might give it a try.
Wow it doesn’t look like spiderman’s headphones like the Stelia 😂
First time seeing your channel and “subed” in first 30 seconds. Really nice job! Thorough and concise. The last good pair on cans I owned was the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro. Really enjoyed the low end with the bass pads, don’t remember if that was the “A” or “B” (flat) pad? Have you heard the 1990? How would the low end compare with Elegia? For 5 bills is the Elegia a good “closed” value today? Thanks!
As someone who currently now a both the 1990s and Elegia, the Elegia has a more mid-forward stock presentation and is a bit more resolving and separating while the 1990s have a bit more 'live' sound to them. I prefer the A pads on my 1990s and also apply a touch of EQ to the bass and treble of the Elegia; with this, they sound much more alike than different to my ear.
B H Thanks for your reply. I’ve been out of the headphone game/rabbit-hole for a long time. Found the Elegia for $525 on Amazon last night and pulled the trigger. Looks like they are now discontinued and you can pick them up around 5 bills. Good buy? What have you done for after market cables and amplification (Elegia) I had a Woo WA3 and WA6 tube amp. Thanks again
@@keeferdog5617 Adorama has been selling them for as low as $399 new but I feel they perform and compete at the $500 bracket as well. With respect to cables I listen from an LG Quad DAC pushing Spotify HQ tracks and am usually amping with a THX 789. My stock cable got flaky on me so I bought a dirt cheap New Fantastia 3.5mm cable as well as an expensive Arctic Cables balanced cable... they all sound the same to me.
B H I actually checked Adorama before purchasing. No $399 Elegia’s, in fact they were $690. Feel pretty good at $525. I did order that same cheap cable too in the 9.9 ft length to listen to my 2 channel system through pre headphone jack when the ‘ol lady is asleep. Looking forward to hearing them tomorrow, when they “deliver”. Thanks for the info!
My brain says Clear but my heart says Radiance.
@The HEADPHONE Show Slight off top, but are there any plans for an opinion on Focal Elear?
It's discontinued, so most likely not. Back when you could get the Elear with the Clear pads that was a crazy good deal.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Oh really? Didn't know that.
Personally, I got it used for like 400 bucks, and that was almost 2 years ago. That's crazy :)
I wonder if they sound as good as they look.
How does it perform on metal? I think you said that Elegia is not the most ideal headphone for it.I wish they change the gold to silver.
Hmmm. I'm wondering if they'll make the pads available for purchase. The inner lining towards the drive looks similar to the Clear pads. I'm wondering how they would sound with the Clears.
I'm not sure about that. Just keep in mind that the bass tuning for this headphone isn't strictly dependent on the pads like it is with many other headphones. The retune added quite a bit of bass response regardless of the pads. But yeah I am curious what they would do to Focal's other headphones.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow
Would love to hear your thoughts if you put the Radiance pads on the Clear. Thanks for the reply!
Thank you for your review of the new Focal Radiance headphones. I recently purchased the Focal Elegias which I quite enjoy, but have been wanting a bit more short of purchasing the Stellias. The stock cable that comes with the Elegias has a nice overall tonal balance, but lacks detail and transparency. I built two identical cables, one with the Black Dragon wire and another with the Cardas 4x24 wire. Both are superior (by a large margin) to the stock Focal cable and the Cardas is the better of the two overall with the Elegias.
So - my question is are you using the same cable when doing these comparisons or just using the stock cable that comes with the particular headphones? The quality of the cable (and it's compatibility) can make such a difference that a review without an equal quality cable employed doesn't do justice to the ability of the cans on review.
Placebo effect! Unless the cable is really shitty, won't affect sound in a noticeable way.
I’m New to this so please excuse me if I am asking you something that might be ridiculous to those who are Hardcore Audiophiles…. So this is my question: What is in Your Opinion, The Best Headphone/Amp and Dac for My music listening preferences that are along the lines of… 60’s-70’s-80’s, from The Beatles to Zeppelin to Ozzy Osbourne to Dokken, Rush etc.?
Again, I am in any way knowledgeable about Anything to do with components. I want to get into the hobby and well, you have to start somewhere! Lol… Thank you in advance for any help or advice.
Sorry late, but, DAC/amp won't make a difference except increase coming when you need it. And some have Bluetooth, add convenience to convert any wired headphone to wireless and connect to anything. Also some include a companion app that allows EQ
Doesn't seem like it has that Focal air outlet/port under the F sign to let back wave out like the Elegia and Stellia have...
Can anyone confirm this? Would the sound leaking be lower Than the other Focals?
Why are you avoiding electrostatics? I am really interested in your thoughts on all them Lambdas, Omegas and the Voce.
Not consciously. I just haven't had a chance to get one in for review.
Kind of and off topic but I wish there was a replaceable headband pad.
is this a limited release collaboration thingy or a long run production?
Most likely limited release
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Collectible then?
Has anyone compared the Elegia and NDH-20 Neumanns? Elegia are 40 bucks more right now and I want to know which one to buy haha I need a pretty good closed back.
btw, that pattern is from naim
Are the stellia’s a big upgrade over the radiance?
Depends what you're looking for. For detail, yeah the Stellia is noticeably better. For tuning/FR that will depend on the person
@@TheHEADPHONEShow is the treble as bright sounding as the stellia?
If you like the design and look of the Radiance you'll love the Naim MuSo for Bentley that they were designed to go with..
Will there be measurements please?
He posted measurements in the forum here forum.headphones.com/t/focal-radiance-closed-back-headphones-official-thread/8414/63 . He's also got some Elegia pad swapped measurements in there as well.
Taron Lissimore awesome, thanks 🙏
I already think harman is too dark in the treble, and this is even darker on the measurements. Looks like warm consumer-fi.
That cable looks like death. Talk about kinky. I don't understand how they make their headphones look so nice while producing some of the heaviest and least ergonomic cables on the market. Beats cables are 10x better, it is ridiculous.
Good review though! Glad to see them putting out more models.
I don't get the idea of a car and headphone maker collaboration. Is there a tradition behind this kind of thing or is it just a bit of fun? It certainly looks nice but I would feel a bit silly with Bentley logos on my cans.
Is the Radiance better than the Clear. I like it’s design as opposed to the Clear.
No. But it depends on the type of sound you want. Or if you want open or closed.
The HEADPHONE Show I prefer closed for easy listening but open for mastering.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow hi, im a fan of the elex, how much does the radiance differ from that?
@@humanmale1085 I've read a few owners saying the Radiance is probably closest to the Elex sound signature... just overall better. Very cool if so. 👍
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Closed for Porn Hub and Open for everything else.
Too much of a price jump from elegia now. Look nice though
elegia price has gone down now too... ranging from 350 to 400... I got mine at 380 with periapt cable and extra leather pads...now that the Celestee just came out...I would imagine the elegia might even drops to the low 300s range. I might pick up another one for the office then.
sundayduffer where did you buy one? Offer still on?
Does it have that base excursion rattle?
Out of all the Focal headphones I've evaluated over the years, including personally owning a number of them... I've never encountered that issue. I've heard about it, but never personally experienced it. The Radiance also doesn't have it.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Yeah, it only happens when you drive it harder with serious bass tones. The hardest for me to get that done too was the Stellia and Utopia.
@@piotrosinski-petestradamus6204 agreed, the Radiance produces some bass distortion with some hard sub bass tracks at exceedingly high volumes. Some people tend to live within those high decibel listening experience whether it's safe or not, these cans may not be their cup of tea. I enjoy the deep bass and the clarity these provide with some reverberation on some tracks with the Radiance, however I have other cans for those sub bass listening sessions.
Love the copper/black but that Bentley logo screaming to be seen is such a turn off. It could have just been stamped/de-bosed on top of the leather headband. I'll keep waiting for a closeback version of the Clear.
I lost faith in closed back headphones after I tried the Elegia, I wear glasses so I can’t benefit from low frequencies, basically strip out bass making it so bright, the mids literally in your face. The details expression is like you try to hear what your brother is saying in front of someone who’s drilling a hole in the wall, I don’t believe I received a good unit but I returned it over replacing it cuz the glasses still an issue to the Elegia.
I hope glasses are not big deal to the radiance cuz it looks so pretty
oh man really? makes me not wanna buy focal closed backs then. was your glasses' frames thin?
I wear glasses too and I have no issues at all with the Elegia actually. Maybe it has to do with the head shape too? My head is definitely very big
Zerviscos
As I mentioned earlier I may received a damaged unit cuz every research I did and every review I watched I didn’t expect to hear something so bright like this unit I received.
My glasses frame are thick, it causes sound bleed, and I do feel the difference when I take it off.
And last thing please don’t make your purchase decision based on my experience, this was my personal experience and I am almost certain that I received a damaged unit cuz it sound so wrong and nothing there was mentioned in the reviews I’ve watched. So I highly recommended you to ask someone who enjoyed it and make sure he/she wear glasses.
Mattia Maestroni
My head is normal and there is something in the cans making it attached well in my ears but my glasses frame were thick so maybe it’s the issue.
@@shonenjump9 in relation to sound quality, I didn't like the STOCK Elegia at all. Once equalized, they have become very good and very close to the Clear I also have (in terms of detail retrival and resolution I mean, FR is still a lil different)
Hmmm..... I kind of want these badly. I tend to be sensitive to significant peaks in the 3 to 6kHz range so I'm wondering what the opposite of that will sound like to me. It might be okay.
Magnifique !!!!!!
Focal headphones with similar tonality to ZMF huh? I don't know how, but I have to find a way to listen to these...
I mean... Not exactly like a ZMF. And it probably also depends on which ZMF you're thinking of haha
@@TheHEADPHONEShow What makes Radiance better or worse than Clear? help :) I'm about to buy.
This looks very radiant .
I think the lack of a back port has something to do with the bass and pad interaction.
It does have a port, it's just not on the logo.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow Interesting. Thanks for clarifying.
If they come with a free Bentley i'm in ....
Where can I find a pair of Elegia for 400?
Adoroma has frequent sales
Got mine on Adoroma for 399.99 new a month ago.
Check out Greentoe also.
Elegia was amazing… lacked bass but otherwise perfect in other frequencies imo
Just ordered some for $400
Please do Beyer 300 Tygr.
Finally
The Bentley logo is really gaudy.
Indeed
Luckily the Bentley Logo can be very carefully covered over with a coat of matching-color paint.
I disagree
Really lol. I guess if one hates Bentley then it's a problem. However as someone who puts audio quality above my own personal wardrobe, so to speak. I will take that title & wear it with pride!! :)
Bit of black duct tape to cover those logos. Should bring it right down.
Semi-gloss black enamel paint would do a better job.
No way. My wallet will hate me. I already have the clears
In Norway this cans cost 1700 Dollars.
I want buy this headphones but not sell in japan...
Harman targeted with a little bit of EQ.
I like the color palette, but the Bentley logo is so pretentious and gaudy. Also, for a headphone that is sonically so similar to the Elegia, the price seems too high. Too bad these aren’t an “Elegia II” with the appropriate pricing, sans logo.
Just another ploy to get you to spend money you dont have
Sharp headphones 🎧 !!! I Know the sound good..my kind of headphones looks and sound!!
So that’s why the elegia is going for 400 now. Tried it, somehow I didn’t like it. Love the looks of focals.
Hmm, maybe it was the seal. Don’t like leather though. And the elegia cable, looks good but awful awful
off subject.... You should use a better warmer mic.... Just because....... You talk fast (so do i) but i want to relax when i hear your reviews...... Thank you for reveiw
beyer t1
Haha, too bad we don't see with ears. Sounds like (pun intended) these are not good upgrades from elegia.
Who you think you are, Joshua Valour?
Very much not but people do confuse us
@@TheHEADPHONEShow it was a compliment about production quality. There's nothing better to say than compare someone to Joshua lmao
I thought it was a chest hair reference
@@andrewlissimore9912 that's ghey wtf
@@andrewlissimore9912 We're on this page because we're interested in learning about and evaluating the merits of various headphones - yet an awareness of chest hair somehow worked its way into MY peripheral thought (and visual) processes as well. I get your Joshua Valour reference. I LIKE what comes naturally on a man, and that most certainly includes chest hair; I proudly sport my own.
First :-)
That FR graph is terrible, no beating around the bush. It looks worse than an Audeze measures in the treble.
I'm pretty sure the LCD-X actually measures worse than that in the mids
@@metal571 You're probably right, maybe depends on which Audeze and if its a borked unit, but it definitely does not look good
Actually the only Audeze that I've measured that has a 'better' FR than this would be the LCD-XC. Every other one of them has been much weirder in the upper mids and treble. Still, like I mentioned in the video, this is the most warm Focal I've seen yet, and yeah it's not like the Clear.
@@TheHEADPHONEShow yeah i was probably overexaggerating on that, but doesnt change the fact that it doesnt appear to have a great treble/upper midrange response
XC shill, must be paid!