Focal Elear and Utopia

I find it quite comfortable as long as you find a way to alleviate the cable weight. I form a loop or two of the cable on my chair arm to achieve this.

 

I also find it quite comfortable. Not on the level of a HD800 or Ether but still way better than every audeze headphone.

 

I'm having some comfort issues, but many are not. I think I have a particularly pointy head as I get some discomfort at the very top of my head with the utopias.

 

Shifting the headband front to back every 10 mins or so helps alleviate any headband discomfort with the Utopia. My big complaint is that it's got manlet earpads, way smaller than any other totl headphones, haha. It pinches the tips of my ears which really starts hurting after 30-40 mins. The Elear earpads have slightly larger openings which alleviates this somewhat, but I still can't stand to wear these over an hour without lasting pain from the top and bottom tips of my ears being folded inwards to fit the tiny manlet earpad openings of the Elear/Utopia earpads.

Weight or headband discomfort asside, the earpad openings are the biggest disappointment for me. HD800, Z1R, HE1000, Pioneer SEM1, Oppo PM-1, other totl headphones are all at least were built to fit people with bigger ears.

 

FWIW, I have had "hotspot" trouble with Audezes in the past, but am happy wearing Utopias for ~8 hour days. They come off several times, sometimes for up to an hour, but otherwise no issues. It seems to be a very personal matter. They are very different from my HD650s for sure: heavier but less clamp, and nicer feeling pad material.

 

Have you tryied The Focal Elears?

 

I've tried Elear on the loaner and have Utopias. My story is the same as @k1arg. Bad hotspot pain w Audezes. No comfort issues w Focals. They are on the heavy side, but I wore both for full workdays with some breaks. Could never have done it with LCD-3s.

But, comfort is a completely individual thing. It's best to try them in person if you can.

 

It looks like I might have a chance to demo the Elears for a week sometime early next month. With all the discussion, reviews and opinions offered I am mighty curious to see what I think once I have them on my head for a few days.

 

I only demoed the Elears for less than an hour, but they felt more similar to the Utopias than to HD650s or Audezes. A bit lighter, a bit stronger clamp, not as pleasant pad material, but no issues that stood out.

 

Elear brighter than Utopia? or vice versa?

 

From the measurements on innerfidelity, it looks like the Utopias might have more upper range in general, but the Elears are more jagged/peaky and as such could sound brighter.

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalElear.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalUtopia.pdf

 

Loaner pair or did you spring for the Utopia. If so, 'grats. Very nice acquisition!

 

Now that the Elear hype is calming down, is it still the best around $1000 headphone?
I've read some comparisons with HEX v2 and HEX V2 seems very interesting aswell. But who wants to support Fangs products?

 

Also looking for a $1000 headphone. I'm quite scared by people's critic on Elear's mid range dip.

 

I think it is still the best 1k$ phone but that's not because the elear is good but because all others are even worse (I didn't hear the HEX)

 

This thread is taking a weird turn. "The best $1000 headphone" is an impossible question to answer without a discussion of your chain, what you're looking for in signature, other sonic variables, comfort....etc and an exploration of such is best teased out in the advice thread.

But if you want a simple answer, I would say "no" but the answer could be "yes" for the right person (hence the above)

 

Now that the Elear Utopia hype is calming down, is it still the best around $1000 headphone?

 

Well thats just complicating things, in my opinion. Sure, if ur already very experienced its something else.
But lets say ur a HD650 owner looking for an upgrade.

It would be awsm if Marvey or someone else could make an updated "Upgrade map route", kinda like there was on CS.
Where do you go from HD650? What is actually an upgrade from HD650?