Focal Elear and Utopia Impressions at Source AV

As an aside, Jason is a very knowledable, non pushy guy. The Source customer service really is top notch! He's also looking to put together a loaner program where the buyer can purchase a can, use a lender for a week, and if they like it, the Source will ship a brand new one on return. If not, a full refund with no penalty. Sounds promising. It's not written in stone, but I thought it was noteworthy.

 

Don't judge any transducer based on how clear the guitars in dueling guitar rock and metal are. Those guitars are usually mixed to be hard panned and the are loudest things except for the snare and cymbals so 14 year olds in the 80s and early 90s could headbang on Sony Walkmen cassette players to the harmonized, counterpointed, or syncopated guitars.

Metal mixes often don't bother to cut down the mud around 100-150 hz at all, usually have high-frequency issues, and those late 90s albums are compressed to hell so making everything "clearer" isn't a sign of high-fidelity sometimes. Many planars and electrostats will artificially separate frequencies and instruments in recordings that usually sound like poorly-recorded and hastily mixed crap. Then you play the record on decent monitor speakers, and low and behold it the mix is mud and the playnar was just not presenting the actual staging of the record at all beyond the hard L/R panning.

 

In this case, I'm not really talking about imaging, just texture. In the case of the 650s, they just had some random nastiness on particular albums. The Elears just sounded like they resolved better.

 

@Mithrandir41 Some quick simulation math to demonstrate what Zout affects will have with the Elear




FR deviation with 32 Zout



FR deviation with 600 Zout

 

sorry if this is derailing the thread. I just find this a bit intriguing and slightly on topic since everyone is wishing for a super HD650 (including myself) Maybe the Elear and Utopia will have some new competition already.

This is supposed to be announced soon on HF. Tonight or Tomorrow.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/197776/sennheiser-hd650-impressions-thread/34665#post_12719626

 

From Sennheiser? Maybe MattTCG is just going to post his review of the Elear.

 

The post hints to keep an eye out for an announcement. Elear has been announced

 

What I see is "keep an eye on HF"... No mentions of announcements...

 

Its an announcement trust

 

Ah ok. If an announcement, I'd have hoped Senn was announcing HD650 mkii, especially when they call it a 'successor'. Interest level a bit... different... after reading Marv's post.

 

Oh wow. Hope ita not a dynamic Ether. He needs to remember the Mad dog tuning.

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/mrspeakers/status/753334775104937984?s=09

 

Pleated cone drivers! Can't wait.

 

this.


Also not that it is impossible but I would be surprised for it to come from MrSpeakers. Everything after the mad dog has been bright and lean. It is possible though and if it does we can at least count on it being comfortable and lightweight.

Even if there was a true HD650 successor I am still appreciative of the Elear coming close to filling the void. Anything that is called uber dynamic, not bright, with a relatively natural tuning is up my alley. I'll try all the close calls if I can afford it.