Just recieved the Radiance and wow. What an amazing headphone. I understand what you mean by detail being presented in a very relaxed and not in your face way. The detail is there, but not pushed to you. But I must say, once EQd, this thing is insane. Heaps of clarity, detail as good as the OG Clear, a bit more air up top brings that feeling of a slightly larger stage, and you can still keep the qualities of its tuning. Simply one of the best closed backs. Especially if you can get it new and discounted 😁👍
The one closedback headphone I keep is the Elegia with Dekoni Sheepskin pads (ups the bass and seems to tame some quirks in the treble). But I only use it when I am in danger of bothering someone with my openbacks. Pretty good dynamics though, always pleasantly surprised when I haven't heard them for awhile.
Hello, You are talking about the plussound X8. Can you tell me which one do you use on it: X8 copper or silver plated copper or gold plated copper. Thanks
Thanks for review and sharing your personal favorites. *Looks like the Focal Bathys when using the USB cable with the built in DAC beats the Radiance in more than one way.*
Bathys beats Radiance? Sonically, no, IMO. The Radiance is comfortably superior. The Bathys can beat the Radiance ergonomically in the OTG use case though. Because the Bathys is a full AIO system of DSP + DAC + AMP + Headphone with ANC it's easier to transport and use OTG - athough if you stay with using the Bathys wired it really is no less cumbersome overall than Radiance + a good DAP. But sonically, Radiance very much outshines (pun intended) they Bathys...and it's not particularly close.
This is a relief to hear from you 😅 DMS in his review left me with the impression that Bathys was just about as good sonically as the Radiance -- so much so that I think he was getting rid of his Radiance -- I've been hemming and hawing and dithering back and forth between getting Radiance and Bathys and I just pulled the trigger yesterday on the Radiance and now I feel certain I made the right choice. :) @@wavetheorysound
I compared Bathys via USB and Focal Celestee. And Celestee wins at all sides. It's more detaided, more punchy, and bigger-sounding than Bathys. And Radiance is a Celestee with a bass-boost))
Just sold mine because I’d rather just go iems if I need isolation but agreed these are up there with the best closed backs 100% that warm tuning is beautiful
IEMs are certainly more convenient than any headphone for true OTG use. Personally I have comfort issues with IEMs after awhile. But, if they work for you then for sure they're the way to go for OTG.
Appreciate the honest review. The Radiance is my favorite wired closed back for the same reasons you mentioned. I use a custom made 16 strand cable for it. Works perfectly with it.
Frankly for me the Radiance was nothing but a bad experience, I got pads with dissimilar height which messed up the imaging, the retailer acknowledged the issue placed order for replacement pads from Focal, its 4 months now and still no pads or any updates after multiple follow ups, I checked the head-fi thread and cases of pad uniformity issue is quite common and to make matters worse I learnt that Focal don't make spare parts for the Radiance any more (being a limited run) 🤷 needless to say very dissapointed with this purchase.
If you could compare the tonal balance to other headphones, which would be the closest? DT1770? There are lots of reports on head-fi that there are pad issues causing the bass to almost disappear on one side due to pad thickness variability which would mean I'd have to buy them new under warranty to make sure that's not the case, while I could get the Celestee used for ~500 or if the price drops again for ~700 which is a hard bargain, though the Dekoni Stellia Pads are mandatory imo which would put them at 600 used minimum. Comparison between Celestee and Radiance would be interesting but I don't think you've heard them so I'll refrain from asking.
The negative effects of quantization noise comes through more on a wider soundstage with better cables. Noise shaping restores some of the reverberant depth, though, which makes the highs less shouty as they can fade out more naturally. Only floating point can provide the sharpest of highs, at good volume, without it becoming unpleasant.
I just ordered a pair of these, only thing that concerns me about them is the earpads wearing out, as they always wear out on any headphone are a few years, it's inevitable. It would be nice if Focal would make replacements for these, since they are marked as "limited edition" but you can still get them pretty easily.
I’ve been touting the New Neomusicia cable for Focal’s for years! I use it for my Elex and have been very satisfied. The stock cables are still in the box! The budget Meze Audio cables for the 99 Classics also work well and slightly better than the New Neomusicia performance-wise.
Just got the meze cable, the 3m without remote per your recommendation but for elegia, you were right no more glare, only issue is you have to really push the cable in socket, it scared me at first it wasn't working, at first it sounds darker but then u notice more detail and naturalists from not being ear blinded by that glare that steal all the attention
So far the best Closed back Headphone that I've heard are the E-MU Teak, nothing I've heard so far comes close to the tonality, timbre, definition and masterful bass that the E-Mu teak deliver, granted I'm not using it with stock earpads, I'm using aftermarket sheepskin earpads.
Bought these second time and know I remember why I sold these. For my ears these are very fatiguing. There is something about treble area that my ears don't accept. Can listen these max 30min and then earache starts. Tried different cables, no difference.
@@Marco-sc6fe Thanks for the assurance. Looking for something that is clear and dynamic at the same time that handles the congestion of busy metalcore tracks
interesting to see someone mention the cable I have to EQ the metallic treble a fair chunk to enjoy em(13,000 ; (-6) ; 1Q ; peakfilter -- if anyone is curious, its far from perfect and needs some tweaking but helps a fair bit), will have to try out some cables.
What sounds would you say highlight the metallic treble most? 13000 is in the range of air and high cymbal clashes. I'm particular about the cymbals being too loud but not much else
@@Onii-chan_kimochii I honestly don't remember exactly sorry, I don't typically listen to music which has much in the way of cymbals. It was more that something about the tuning in the higher frequency could get quite fatiguing to my ears over time more so than a readily apparent thing, I wear headphones for a many hours some days and after a bit I'd just notice most music had a metallic quality to the treble... initially when putting them on I didn't notice the metallic sound and if I only used them every now and then it wasn't apparent, if that makes sense. I dropped the headphones pretty fast and went over to the ZMF Eikons, followed by the Verite Closed which I Love (but Wave didn't really seem to enjoy them that much so everyone definitely has their own taste).... as he mentions in the video he believes a cable change can solve any metallic timbre issues one might have, its very possible it won't be an issue for you and even if it is a cable change may just solve it, Focal are known for having pretty mediocre stock cables and most people swap them out for aftermarket ones anyway so its prob worth considering that in your budget.
@@wavetheorysound Yup would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it. I picked it up really cheap, and the Radiance, I wonder if Focal is clearing out stock before their next gen headphones.
@@chungang7037 Here in Australia you can get the Stellia for $1800, Radiance for $700, Celestee for $600 and Clear MG for $1049, all brand new. Something definitely up because that's an insane sale, Stellia is normally $4500 so I'm trying to decide which to get between Stellia and Radiance
I agree that the tuning is really good with Radiance, neutral, non-offensive sound with a slight mid bass elevation, they sound enjoyable with pretty much every kind of music. However, I don't agree with your assessment of their technical performance. I have had them for almost a year now and I went through a dozen of closed-backs in that time. I find them average in detail retrieval and no way they can compare to Verité Closed. It’s not even close, Verité are full tier above these and I think it's really obvious from the moment you put them on - it’s like someone opened the door to the room where music was playing that was previously closed. There are even closed-back headphones in the same price range that are technically more proficient, like D9200 - detail retrieval, soundstage and imaging is noticeably better here. I would also mention that they are quite heavy headphones with headband that is narrow and not very soft, while earcups have no lateral rotation. Some people do find these uncomfortable. What bugs me personally is that there’s not enough space inside the earcups and after about 20 min. of listening the outer edge of my ears, first the right ear and shortly after the left ear, start to touch the plastic inside. It’s not the end of the world and the same thing happens when I listen to Stellia, but it’s kind of annoying.
I think WaveTheory's comments are largely fair re the technical performance. I've got the Radiance, VC, others, and have heard the Denons a few times. The Radiance is fairly strong in terms of detail resolution - it just presents details in a more relaxed way vs the Denons which can seem more resolving largely as a result of their more treble-forward tuning imo. Fair enough the Denons do have a bigger soundstage than the Radiance just about but there isn't much in it really. The VC are awesome and probably are a cut above but you'd expect that for their price, but even with that said their tuning isn't for everyone (more coloured than the Radiance) so could actually seem quite muffled / lacking clarity in the mids to some, depending on preferences (I'd say it's more that the VC also present detail in an even more relaxed way than the Radiance - where they really excel is how spacious they sound and the mids are more visceral and lifelike than all other closed backs I've heard). Think the only upper tier closed back WaveTheory didn't mention here is the Kennerton Rognir Planar - I haven't heard these but by all accounts they're on par with or better the others mentioned in this review.
I realized after the video I didn't mention my own TH900ii with Lawton Purpleheart chambers. The TH900 is v-shaped in its signature and arguably has a higher performance ceiling, but IMO it's rather difficult to draw that out. It is extremely source chain picky. It also does not isolate as well or stay on the head as well. To me these put it behind the Radiance as a complete, all-around, closed-back package. That bass...is quite fun tho.
@@wavetheorysound I believe you have the ZMF pilot pad on your th900? You could swap the stock headband for the ZMF Crescent strap to make the headphone fit tighter on your head.
@@wavetheorysound I mean, th610 really changed the FR of th900 and the overall balance of the sound a lot, th610 pad can make th900’s FR look like a bass boost hd600.
@@philip3123 It's also true Fostex cans are extremely sensitive to pad rolling, yes. I tried several and eventually landed on Lawton's pads to go with the chambers. With those biodynas tho, you're always playing the game of finding the right combination of pads and source gear to make their FR enjoyable. To me Radiance is basically just grab it and go.
I would love a pair of these headphones but it's way too expensive for me, I mostly listen to 80's/early 90's heavy metal / Hard Rock with some 80's AOR and have been racking my brain to get a good headphone for my music. I'm 41 and while I have been listening to music for all my life am quite new to the audiophile world and found out it is very expensive, I wish these companies would bring down their prices for the average consumer like myself who wants a really good listening experience but can't afford a premium price.
I recently bought the focal radiance headphone less then a week but I found out the vocal,low bass & mid bass is hold back how to I break in the headphone for the sound quality ? I sincerely need your advice on this & much appreciated
1) what cable are you using? The stock cable is a horrendous match, unfortunately. 2) breaking in a headphone is a simple process. Just play music through them at high volume for about 3 straight days. That will work 99% of the time. For the other 1% it just takes longer.
@@wavetheorysound ,i am using the original cable from the focal ! Just to ask what cable are you using ? What cable would you recommend ? Hope to hear from you soon
@@cutefunnyanimals1457 I use a Plussound X8 Type 6 copper Litz, but I wouldn't recommend jumping straight to that cable (it's $400) for a headphone the price of a Radiance. I use it because it came bundled with the Radiance when I bought it used from an individual seller. I'd look into Audiophile Ninja to get started. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, the Corpse Cables GraveDigger also does well with Radiance.
??? Electromagnetic energy - a physical entity - travels through the wires. Those wires are made of real materials. That matter absolutely has an effect on how that energy travels through the wire. Somehow that basic physical reality is only controversial in this hobby...and that controversy is a great mystery to me.
I subscribe anyway because your content is excellent, but I believe the objection on cables is rationally based in that except in very rare circumstances when a cable is out of spec (Fidelio X2 I believe was one specific case of this) and the cable changes impedance somehow, that there is very minimal difference in signal and almost never is this difference actually perceptible to human hearing -- I've yet to see any real scientific evidence with objective, measurable differences between cables except in these rare exceptions -- I'd love for you to actually put out a video that demonstrates differences with cables with objective measurements@@wavetheorysound
@@trellusg I appreciate your sub while disagreeing. I hear your questions/concerns and they make sense based on the way the conversations about cables are approached in our community. I am working on science-based and (hopefully) well-reasoned explanation videos as to why cable differences are real and also why they don't show up on the standard 20Hz-20KHz frequency sweep graphs that are everywhere. Progress is slow given that outside of this channel I have a full-time job and a family. But, it is moving forward. Stay tuned!
Agreed that they're one of the few companies that produced really good headphones with their first round of doing so. It often takes a couple generations of development for new headphone makers to really hit their stride. Focal figured it out early...at least with their public releases. They may have been developing headphones for years before they ever released one. As for price, there is clearly no way to get everyone to agree on what appropriate pricing is for audio gear. Generally I find Focals to be appropriately priced based on market context. But then there is a crowd that objects to the existence of that market context at a philosophical level.
Just recieved the Radiance and wow. What an amazing headphone. I understand what you mean by detail being presented in a very relaxed and not in your face way. The detail is there, but not pushed to you. But I must say, once EQd, this thing is insane. Heaps of clarity, detail as good as the OG Clear, a bit more air up top brings that feeling of a slightly larger stage, and you can still keep the qualities of its tuning. Simply one of the best closed backs. Especially if you can get it new and discounted 😁👍
how did you eq it?
Hey, have you tried the Focal Stelliance (Radiance chassis with Stellia drivers)? It sounds like a direct upgrade to Radiance.
i've had mine for almost 2 years as well and they truly are a great sound. I love the warm tuning. excellent review
The one closedback headphone I keep is the Elegia with Dekoni Sheepskin pads (ups the bass and seems to tame some quirks in the treble). But I only use it when I am in danger of bothering someone with my openbacks. Pretty good dynamics though, always pleasantly surprised when I haven't heard them for awhile.
Hi ! You think Rafinace worth the extra money compare to Celestee ?
Thanks
Just got this a few weeks ago, and I will be selling my Aeon Noire as a result.
Hello,
You are talking about the plussound X8.
Can you tell me which one do you use on it: X8 copper or silver plated copper or gold plated copper. Thanks
I have the same question, thanks
Thanks for review and sharing your personal favorites. *Looks like the Focal Bathys when using the USB cable with the built in DAC beats the Radiance in more than one way.*
Bathys beats Radiance? Sonically, no, IMO. The Radiance is comfortably superior. The Bathys can beat the Radiance ergonomically in the OTG use case though. Because the Bathys is a full AIO system of DSP + DAC + AMP + Headphone with ANC it's easier to transport and use OTG - athough if you stay with using the Bathys wired it really is no less cumbersome overall than Radiance + a good DAP. But sonically, Radiance very much outshines (pun intended) they Bathys...and it's not particularly close.
This is a relief to hear from you 😅 DMS in his review left me with the impression that Bathys was just about as good sonically as the Radiance -- so much so that I think he was getting rid of his Radiance -- I've been hemming and hawing and dithering back and forth between getting Radiance and Bathys and I just pulled the trigger yesterday on the Radiance and now I feel certain I made the right choice. :) @@wavetheorysound
I compared Bathys via USB and Focal Celestee. And Celestee wins at all sides. It's more detaided, more punchy, and bigger-sounding than Bathys. And Radiance is a Celestee with a bass-boost))
Just sold mine because I’d rather just go iems if I need isolation but agreed these are up there with the best closed backs 100% that warm tuning is beautiful
IEMs are certainly more convenient than any headphone for true OTG use. Personally I have comfort issues with IEMs after awhile. But, if they work for you then for sure they're the way to go for OTG.
Appreciate the honest review. The Radiance is my favorite wired closed back for the same reasons you mentioned.
I use a custom made 16 strand cable for it. Works perfectly with it.
can you compare to aeon noire? they are similar price
what cables should i buy?? copper silver??
Frankly for me the Radiance was nothing but a bad experience, I got pads with dissimilar height which messed up the imaging, the retailer acknowledged the issue placed order for replacement pads from Focal, its 4 months now and still no pads or any updates after multiple follow ups, I checked the head-fi thread and cases of pad uniformity issue is quite common and to make matters worse I learnt that Focal don't make spare parts for the Radiance any more (being a limited run) 🤷 needless to say very dissapointed with this purchase.
If you could compare the tonal balance to other headphones, which would be the closest? DT1770? There are lots of reports on head-fi that there are pad issues causing the bass to almost disappear on one side due to pad thickness variability which would mean I'd have to buy them new under warranty to make sure that's not the case, while I could get the Celestee used for ~500 or if the price drops again for ~700 which is a hard bargain, though the Dekoni Stellia Pads are mandatory imo which would put them at 600 used minimum. Comparison between Celestee and Radiance would be interesting but I don't think you've heard them so I'll refrain from asking.
The negative effects of quantization noise comes through more on a wider soundstage with better cables. Noise shaping restores some of the reverberant depth, though, which makes the highs less shouty as they can fade out more naturally.
Only floating point can provide the sharpest of highs, at good volume, without it becoming unpleasant.
I just ordered a pair of these, only thing that concerns me about them is the earpads wearing out, as they always wear out on any headphone are a few years, it's inevitable. It would be nice if Focal would make replacements for these, since they are marked as "limited edition" but you can still get them pretty easily.
Haven't heard any genre that they don't sound great with, eh? Tried polka, lol?
Have you had the opportunity to test the Sony Z1R?
Nope, not yet. That's one of the biggest of the few remaining holes in my listening experience with hi-end closed-backs. Hopefully soon!
I’ve been touting the New Neomusicia cable for Focal’s for years! I use it for my Elex and have been very satisfied. The stock cables are still in the box!
The budget Meze Audio cables for the 99 Classics also work well and slightly better than the New Neomusicia performance-wise.
Just got the meze cable, the 3m without remote per your recommendation but for elegia, you were right no more glare, only issue is you have to really push the cable in socket, it scared me at first it wasn't working, at first it sounds darker but then u notice more detail and naturalists from not being ear blinded by that glare that steal all the attention
Audio46 for $30 free shipping if anyone wants one
So far the best Closed back Headphone that I've heard are the E-MU Teak, nothing I've heard so far comes close to the tonality, timbre, definition and masterful bass that the E-Mu teak deliver, granted I'm not using it with stock earpads, I'm using aftermarket sheepskin earpads.
What pads are you using?
Got mine for $1000 Australian which is a bargain. Great headphone kills a lot of my other ones.
Yep, that's a great score. Congrats!
I've been trying to get my ears on these. But then I heard the atrium closed and was like NVM lol
Try and review Denon D9200
Bought these second time and know I remember why I sold these. For my ears these are very fatiguing. There is something about treble area that my ears don't accept. Can listen these max 30min and then earache starts. Tried different cables, no difference.
Would this be the best headphone in any price range for metalcore? need something punchy with clear mids for guitars and drums
Can confirm these are awesome for metalcore. Probably the best CLOSED BACK in this price bracket for it.
@@Marco-sc6fe Thanks for the assurance. Looking for something that is clear and dynamic at the same time that handles the congestion of busy metalcore tracks
No, not best at any price, but very very good and arguably best among closed backs. Radiance is excellent for heavy music, even at high tempos.
interesting to see someone mention the cable I have to EQ the metallic treble a fair chunk to enjoy em(13,000 ; (-6) ; 1Q ; peakfilter -- if anyone is curious, its far from perfect and needs some tweaking but helps a fair bit), will have to try out some cables.
What sounds would you say highlight the metallic treble most? 13000 is in the range of air and high cymbal clashes. I'm particular about the cymbals being too loud but not much else
@@Onii-chan_kimochii I honestly don't remember exactly sorry, I don't typically listen to music which has much in the way of cymbals.
It was more that something about the tuning in the higher frequency could get quite fatiguing to my ears over time more so than a readily apparent thing, I wear headphones for a many hours some days and after a bit I'd just notice most music had a metallic quality to the treble... initially when putting them on I didn't notice the metallic sound and if I only used them every now and then it wasn't apparent, if that makes sense.
I dropped the headphones pretty fast and went over to the ZMF Eikons, followed by the Verite Closed which I Love (but Wave didn't really seem to enjoy them that much so everyone definitely has their own taste).... as he mentions in the video he believes a cable change can solve any metallic timbre issues one might have, its very possible it won't be an issue for you and even if it is a cable change may just solve it, Focal are known for having pretty mediocre stock cables and most people swap them out for aftermarket ones anyway so its prob worth considering that in your budget.
I noticed you didn't mention the Celestee. Do try it out if you get a chance!
That is the last Focal headphone in the current lineup that I haven't heard. Hopefully someday soon.
@@wavetheorysound Yup would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it. I picked it up really cheap, and the Radiance, I wonder if Focal is clearing out stock before their next gen headphones.
@@chungang7037 Here in Australia you can get the Stellia for $1800, Radiance for $700, Celestee for $600 and Clear MG for $1049, all brand new. Something definitely up because that's an insane sale, Stellia is normally $4500 so I'm trying to decide which to get between Stellia and Radiance
Clear OG better?
IMHO Clear OG more high end details and better vocals, Radiance warmer and bit more bass.
I agree that the tuning is really good with Radiance, neutral, non-offensive sound with a slight mid bass elevation, they sound enjoyable with pretty much every kind of music.
However, I don't agree with your assessment of their technical performance. I have had them for almost a year now and I went through a dozen of closed-backs in that time. I find them average in detail retrieval and no way they can compare to Verité Closed. It’s not even close, Verité are full tier above these and I think it's really obvious from the moment you put them on - it’s like someone opened the door to the room where music was playing that was previously closed. There are even closed-back headphones in the same price range that are technically more proficient, like D9200 - detail retrieval, soundstage and imaging is noticeably better here.
I would also mention that they are quite heavy headphones with headband that is narrow and not very soft, while earcups have no lateral rotation. Some people do find these uncomfortable. What bugs me personally is that there’s not enough space inside the earcups and after about 20 min. of listening the outer edge of my ears, first the right ear and shortly after the left ear, start to touch the plastic inside. It’s not the end of the world and the same thing happens when I listen to Stellia, but it’s kind of annoying.
I think WaveTheory's comments are largely fair re the technical performance. I've got the Radiance, VC, others, and have heard the Denons a few times. The Radiance is fairly strong in terms of detail resolution - it just presents details in a more relaxed way vs the Denons which can seem more resolving largely as a result of their more treble-forward tuning imo. Fair enough the Denons do have a bigger soundstage than the Radiance just about but there isn't much in it really. The VC are awesome and probably are a cut above but you'd expect that for their price, but even with that said their tuning isn't for everyone (more coloured than the Radiance) so could actually seem quite muffled / lacking clarity in the mids to some, depending on preferences (I'd say it's more that the VC also present detail in an even more relaxed way than the Radiance - where they really excel is how spacious they sound and the mids are more visceral and lifelike than all other closed backs I've heard).
Think the only upper tier closed back WaveTheory didn't mention here is the Kennerton Rognir Planar - I haven't heard these but by all accounts they're on par with or better the others mentioned in this review.
Can I trade you my DT770 Pro 300's for this? You might like them more.
No
No one is tethered to EQ on a non-mobile system - welcome Roon Arc MUSE. LCD-X EQ otg!
Cables matter. Even a power cord changes sound which is demonstrable to a skeptic. A headphone cable really matters!👍
try th900mkii with th610 pad
I realized after the video I didn't mention my own TH900ii with Lawton Purpleheart chambers. The TH900 is v-shaped in its signature and arguably has a higher performance ceiling, but IMO it's rather difficult to draw that out. It is extremely source chain picky. It also does not isolate as well or stay on the head as well. To me these put it behind the Radiance as a complete, all-around, closed-back package. That bass...is quite fun tho.
@@wavetheorysound I believe you have the ZMF pilot pad on your th900? You could swap the stock headband for the ZMF Crescent strap to make the headphone fit tighter on your head.
@@wavetheorysound I mean, th610 really changed the FR of th900 and the overall balance of the sound a lot, th610 pad can make th900’s FR look like a bass boost hd600.
@@tadatube I do need to replace the headband. I'll look into this. Thx.
@@philip3123 It's also true Fostex cans are extremely sensitive to pad rolling, yes. I tried several and eventually landed on Lawton's pads to go with the chambers. With those biodynas tho, you're always playing the game of finding the right combination of pads and source gear to make their FR enjoyable. To me Radiance is basically just grab it and go.
The Radiance is my favorite closed-back and the cable is horrible.
I had two copies and did not like them at all. Way too warm (bass is boomy) and dark.
Yeah, it's a bassy headphone. That just is its nature, take it or leave it. The right answer there is up to the end user.
I would love a pair of these headphones but it's way too expensive for me, I mostly listen to 80's/early 90's heavy metal / Hard Rock with some 80's AOR and have been racking my brain to get a good headphone for my music. I'm 41 and while I have been listening to music for all my life am quite new to the audiophile world and found out it is very expensive, I wish these companies would bring down their prices for the average consumer like myself who wants a really good listening experience but can't afford a premium price.
verum1 349$/280£
@@frederf69 Thank you for that, I will definitely look into that headphone, much appreciated.
@@robertobuatti7226 welcome, oh and BTW with the Superlux HD681 pads (19£/20 odd $) sound amazing
I make $150 a month and I work full time who can afford this?
wrong video for you mate
You just gotta stop being poor /s
I recently bought the focal radiance headphone less then a week but I found out the vocal,low bass & mid bass is hold back how to I break in the headphone for the sound quality ? I sincerely need your advice on this & much appreciated
1) what cable are you using? The stock cable is a horrendous match, unfortunately. 2) breaking in a headphone is a simple process. Just play music through them at high volume for about 3 straight days. That will work 99% of the time. For the other 1% it just takes longer.
@@wavetheorysound ,i am using the original cable from the focal ! Just to ask what cable are you using ? What cable would you recommend ? Hope to hear from you soon
@@cutefunnyanimals1457 I use a Plussound X8 Type 6 copper Litz, but I wouldn't recommend jumping straight to that cable (it's $400) for a headphone the price of a Radiance. I use it because it came bundled with the Radiance when I bought it used from an individual seller. I'd look into Audiophile Ninja to get started. If you're willing to spend a little bit more, the Corpse Cables GraveDigger also does well with Radiance.
you almost made me subscribe until actual physical things conducted through stuff
??? Electromagnetic energy - a physical entity - travels through the wires. Those wires are made of real materials. That matter absolutely has an effect on how that energy travels through the wire. Somehow that basic physical reality is only controversial in this hobby...and that controversy is a great mystery to me.
I subscribe anyway because your content is excellent, but I believe the objection on cables is rationally based in that except in very rare circumstances when a cable is out of spec (Fidelio X2 I believe was one specific case of this) and the cable changes impedance somehow, that there is very minimal difference in signal and almost never is this difference actually perceptible to human hearing -- I've yet to see any real scientific evidence with objective, measurable differences between cables except in these rare exceptions -- I'd love for you to actually put out a video that demonstrates differences with cables with objective measurements@@wavetheorysound
@@trellusg I appreciate your sub while disagreeing. I hear your questions/concerns and they make sense based on the way the conversations about cables are approached in our community. I am working on science-based and (hopefully) well-reasoned explanation videos as to why cable differences are real and also why they don't show up on the standard 20Hz-20KHz frequency sweep graphs that are everywhere. Progress is slow given that outside of this channel I have a full-time job and a family. But, it is moving forward. Stay tuned!
they are one of a few speaker companies that make good headphones; but unfortunately are all overpriced.
Agreed that they're one of the few companies that produced really good headphones with their first round of doing so. It often takes a couple generations of development for new headphone makers to really hit their stride. Focal figured it out early...at least with their public releases. They may have been developing headphones for years before they ever released one.
As for price, there is clearly no way to get everyone to agree on what appropriate pricing is for audio gear. Generally I find Focals to be appropriately priced based on market context. But then there is a crowd that objects to the existence of that market context at a philosophical level.