Elex Vs Eon Flow Open Vs LC2C

Hi guys, dunno if this is the right place to ask this but here it goes.
I have been using an he400s as my only gear with a schiit stack and decided this next month to buy my first real hi.end phone.

I have been reading the used market price for this 3 headphones is about the same but I'm not sure which one would be better, also curious about the clear if it makes a difference from the elax.hope you could drop some remarks ?

I'm looking for something mostly for rock/metal and some electro with the occasional acoustic/vocal. From a friend tried the stax SR-007mk1 from a kgss and didn't like it, too dark and distant.
Tried the esp950 with the kgss and loved the vocals and forwardness but has no bas.s. Tried the HP1000, and loved the forwardness/dynamics/liveness without getting piercing highs and sibilant like the other grados. Also tried the first LCD2's which I liked in the beginning but later the sound was slowish and lost the initial aggressiveness.

I'm mostly falling for the Focal Elex/Elear. Do you think this is the right choice for some one who just wanna buy it but be done for the next 5 years?

 

I don't have an answer for your questions but you should have posted this in the All Purpose Advice Thread or at least the General Advice Threads. And you should make an introduction post here

 

Yeah that treble peak some is annoying. Well.. that says it all! thanks Marvin.

 

Btw, when you say Clear pads you mean real clear pads and not the ones coming with Elex ?

 

I know that for electro LCD 2 classics are amazing and give an amazing fullness to vocals. I don’t listen to metal or rock but acoustic Yes! EDM and vocals the 2c’s are a HECK YES!

I haven’t heard the clears but people seem to LOVE them but they are also double the cost of your other options

 

I got the Elex pads and they're thinner and softer than Clear pads.

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...assdrop-x-focal-elex.5540/page-12#post-225553

 

Did you make the the comparison yet?

I just came from the focal dealer and listened to both the Clear and Elear plus aeon flow. Flow was meh..

The Elear with the Clear pads sounds so much better indeed..
I ended liking the Elear+ClearPads more, it looses just a tiny bit of definition but felt the sound was smoother, the clear had some harshness on some songs that the Elear didn't have, adding the extra bass and more open sound-stage, makes it for a better musical involvement.

This is indeed amazing for the price.

 

I'm in the middle of a 2 week vacation and didn't have a chance to do a critical back2back between stock and Elex pads on the Clear b4 leaving. Treble is definitely reduced a tiny bit from stock by Elex pads that I got, but this might not translate directly to the Elear. However, seeing as how they're mechanically identical except for the drivers, I'd say it was highly likely.

So my wild ass extrapolation is that Elear with Elex pads will sound a touch smoother up top than with stock Clear pads, but otherwise pretty much the same. But you might want to wait for @Torq's upcoming Focal Full Lineup Comparo Extravaganza where he'll do all pad swap permutations.

 

OP...by chance I have all three of these headphones on my desk right now and can give you my impressions.

The short answer is yes...you can purchase the Elex and be very happy for the next five years, full stop.

The Elex is the most engaging of the three to me with the 2c (with dekoni elite velour pads) coming in second and the Ether Flow (not 1.1) coming in third.

The Elex is also the easiest to drive of the 3 but seems to want to be played loudly.

The Ether Flows are very good sounding and have a great smoothness and clarity to them. They miss a bit of the bass impact (quality is still very good) of the other two, but certainly reveal provide a lot of detail (more than the LCD 2c). I'm going to hold off and wait until I get the 1.1 kit to decide whether or not to keep the Ether Flows or the Elex (likely the Elex). The Ethers seem to require the most brain burn when switching between headphones. They have a sound signature that requires some extended listening to really understand and relax into.

The LCD 2cs are also very good, if not great sounding. They are a darker sound for sure but have more overall body and the sub-bass extension and mid-bass impact are addicting. Listening to the Gorillaz Doncamatic really shows the sub-bass extension. After extended listening I find that these are the most relaxing and easy to get lost in while enjoying the music. These headphones have a smoothness that borders on being too smooth, perhaps it is the ever present rumble of the sub-bass. As an aside...these destroy the M1060's both in sound and in build quality (in my opinion of course)!

I am still on the fence because these are all great headphones. I have a special appreciation for the Elex because they are the only set that were purchased new and sound really great. The LCDs and Ether Flows each provide loads of enjoyment, but why I am starting to find is that the Elex could be the perfect combination of the two sounds in 1 headphone.

Note: I am driving all the headphones with a WA7tp with a 2Qute DAC. I listen to a lot of modern alternative and electronic music (Elex is great for these genres)

 

Thanks!

I had the chance to go to the dealer and actually hear the Aeon Flow open,LCD2c, LCD-X,LCD-3, Focal Clear, Elear stock and Clear pads.
So answering my own question since it can be helpful to others with the same doubt:

-The Aeon Flow open, was meh..Hated the closed feeling and the air plane style ear pressure it gave me ...and not that much detail.

-LCD3 were good but I didn't like the intensity of the instruments getting higher vol than the rest of the music making it uncomfortable to listen. I would have to lower the volume loosing the details and focus on the vocals. And if the cost of this was not enough to put it me away, the number of drivers failing definitely is.

-The LCD2c really is a nice pair of headphones just to put the music on and rock it with while doing other stuff at the computer etc.. if it was 300-400$ would be a steal and totally worth it, very musical emotional headphone. The mids/Vocals is really something special but otherwise lacks treble.

-Focal Elear with the normal pads it was a bit of a mess with the bass and hidden mids. With the clear pads improved greatly to the point of sounding to my ears better than the Clear specially for the type of sound I like (Rock,Metal,electro,acoustic) with a more open sound-stage and more fullness with the sound with the bass in the right quantity.
Even though the Clear was a tiny bit more detailed it was more clinical and lacked that extra bass which was noticeable on vocals, lacking that low "throat sound". And when records weren't perfect the extra bit of clarity/treble sometimes was a bit too much for my ears.

-LCD-X(new ones with the carbon-fiber headband) oh boy.. I really liked this.. it just had more texture to the music giving all the fine details. The tonality for me is really good, better than Elear-Clear and better vocals even though not on the lvl of the LCD2c(that would be perfect). The bass was also incredible textured, it gave me all the details of the music without much volume and almost could tickle my ear drums with its physicality.
Its been a long time since I heard the HP1000 but it reminded of them in the way they present the music so forwardly detailed without being fatiguing and without piercing highs.
I like to listen on medium-low volume, so this is perfect to get all the detail and dynamism without having to push the volume too much, which happened with the Elear-Clear when doing so, making it to get me tired fast.





In conclusion, from all those headphones the one I enjoyed the most was the LCD-X hands down.
Its the first headphone I hear that I know if I put on someone head outside of the hobby they will say "oh.. now I get it...why u spend such money in this."

While the Elear is good, it just sounds like another headphone, even though a good one overall specially for the price.But I feel its just another headphone you put on the head while giving your full focus to others tasks(background music)

For some one like me who really is looking for high fidelity the Elear doesn't cut it. And its worth to pay the extra money to be fully enjoying their music without being obsessed with improving their sound with another Dac/amp or headphone of lower prices. Just do the $ jump if so.

Never saw that much appreciation for the Xs here or elsewhere, so maybe my ears are broken or just not the norm ?
What do you guys think about the LCD-X ?

 

Some of us really dig the X, but a lot of people thought they were too expensive when they came out, and would rather go with a hd6xx. Also, some people just don't like the particular sound of planar headphones, even though I generally prefer them.

 

Love the X (mine are from 2015 with Audeze vegan/microsuede pads). Really dig the immersive-ness when listening to Rock/Metal, though I agree with your assessment of generally better vocals with LCD-2C.

 

I'd say, even if it would be the case, it is not like you can replace them

 

im not much of youtube reviewers but I find this guy good, his fav cans are the HD600 for what is worth.



He described perfectly what I heard.

 

I like metal571's reviews. He described the LCD-X he has like I heard mine back during 2014 or whatever. Big bass, big lower mids, big hole in upper mids/lower treble, some sparkle up top.

So I guess that could mean Audeze is consistently inconsistent, or maybe they're consistent and a lot of people don't get caught up on the 3k suckout.

 

He describes that "slightly upper mid ressed" .

 

-recessed-
I couldn't help it.