Focal Elear Measurements

Discussion in 'Headphone Measurements' started by purr1n, Aug 12, 2016.

  1. fierce_freak

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    Well, I haven't tried felt + hybrids yet. I'll have to give that a shot before I settle.
     
  2. Hands

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    Let me know how they compare. :) Namely in terms of brightness around 5-10khz. Or upper mid depression.
     
  3. Gatucho

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    Are the hybrids that you are using these:
    http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-...ck-suitable-for-large-over-the-ear-headphones
    I just ordered them, but Im seeing that they are also angled in the photos (or maybe Im a little blind :confused:). Are they supposed to be angled? Wont this add to the already angled drivers :p?

    In addition, is it easy to remove the double sided tape from the Elears? I dont want to mess them with sticky stuff yet!

    I will try to put the "foam disc" of the DT880 in front to see if there is any effect in the treble, although I AM a treble head and may end up liking them better with it.
     
  4. fierce_freak

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    Yep, those are the hybrids I'm talking about.

    It's not so much too much treble - it's more the unevenness.
     
  5. Hands

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    Got my HM5 angled pleather pads in today. Directly compared to the Alpha Pads, they are brighter, rougher, and peakier sounding. On the other hand, one could say the Alpha Pads sound too dark and muffled in comparison (albeit Elear + AP + damping is slightly brighter and clearer than the 650). The Alpha Pads work well with a thin layer of open-cell foam over the driver (same stuff that goes in front of HD600/650). The HM5 angled pleather pads need more damping, such as 1/4" open-cell foam or stiff felt.

    I am listening to HM5 angled pleather + 1/4" open cell foam over the drivers right now as we speak, and it's a tough call if I prefer this config or the AP config. The AP config is more laid-back and smoother sounding. More akin to the sweet nature of the 650 in a way, but not quite. The APs might have a wider, deeper, and more centered stage too (tough to tell so soon). The HM5 angled pleather config, even with the thicker front damping, is really gripping and forward yet balanced sounding.

    Well, might as well poop out some quick measurements (ignore bass distortion). HM5 angled pleather pads + 1/4" open-cell, charcoal foam (adhered with a few strategically placed, adhesive velcro pieces around edge of driver):

    Elear HM5 Angled Pleather w open cell foam.PNG

    Hmm...yep, this might work. $30 for pads, $6 for a big sheet of foam (plus shipping...trust me, this stuff is handy to keep around for HP mods), plus a few bucks for adhesive velcro at your local store. I do tend to prefer open-cell foam for front damping compared to dense, thick felts or paper-like filters.
     
  6. fierce_freak

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    Looks very nice. Good stuff, Hands

    -edit- I really like the sound I get with the hm5 angled pleather pads, but they're not the most comfortable to me - ears get a bit hot.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2016
  7. Hands

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    Hot ears is not a problem I can help you with, nor does it bother me when I'm getting good sound. :)
     
  8. Walderstorn

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    Nice job as usual.
     
  9. Gatucho

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    So.. which ones are better the hybrid or the pleater pads?
     
  10. fierce_freak

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    I'd say pleather. I haven't heard the alpha pads (or zmf cow hide) which could both be better...but I really like the pleathers.
     
  11. Hands

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    Out of HM5, pleather so far seems best. Unsure if angled or flat will sound better, but the angled pads + whatever you want to use for front damping, if any, works well.
     
  12. fierce_freak

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    Purchased some of the 1/4" open cell foam and replaced the felt in front of the drivers with this. This is mostly better than the felt...definitely cuts down on some reflections or some other treble energy that was present with the felt. This is pretty awesome. I'm curious to try the flat pleathers, but I think I've spent enough on hm5 pads for now haha.

    -edit- who am I kidding? flats ordered, haha. After that only thing I can think is maybe zmf cowhides.
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2016
  13. Hands

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    I got some protein oval pads from ZMF. Just haven't been able to try yet.
     
  14. fierce_freak

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    Ok, flat pleathers in. I think I like these even better than the angled, but I'm going to have to do more comparisons. The other pads/configs were much easier to decide on. These definitely showcase details better than the angled, though.
     
  15. Hands

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    How would you subjectively compare the flat vs. angled pleathers (other than details, if you still feel that way)? Any different requirements for optimal front damping?
     
  16. Hands

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    You know, one thing that drives me up a wall with the Elear is coming back the next day to measure something you measured the day before, and getting noticeably different results despite fiddling over and over with fit, angle, clamp, etc. But, ultimately, that's OK. Forces me to not rely on measurements and/or let expectation bias creep in too much. Anyway...

    I am currently listening to the ZMF Oval Protein pads right now, with the same 1/4" foam over the driver as with the HM5 angled pleather pads, and they seem to be both smoother and more cohesive/better integrated from top to bottom than both the HM5 angled pleather pads and Alpha Pads. I really think they are like taking the HM5 angled pleather pads and smoothing down the 5KHz bump (yes, bump) that shows in almost all of the HM5 pads, and Alpha Pads to an extent, on the Elear.

    Still have yet to try the flat HM5 pleather pads. But I think at this point it's safe to say I much prefer the Elear with pleather/leather pads in general. More breathable pads, even pleather/leather pads with venting holes in them, rub me the wrong way a bit.

    And now having heard the Utopia, I can say I'm shooting for something very different. Reference will always be something in the modded HD650 ballpark. Think B&K curve, or something that might have a hair extra bass and a slightly dark top end. The Utopia was considerably brighter to me than the HD650, perhaps right in the middle of the 650 and a stock HD800. Utopia might be closer tonally to a properly modded HD800, albeit with a bit more bass and oomph. Maybe...going off memory here. So, if you want something more akin to, but not exactly, a suped up HD650, what i'm doing might interest you. If you want a Utopia, that isn't what I'm going for.
     
  17. fierce_freak

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    I came down with a cold after my last post in this thread (great timing with a new job =/ ), so I haven't done any more comparisons, unfortunately. I didn't try anything else in front of the driver.

    The flats seemed more even from top to bottom, more put together, too. The angled had an uneven-ness in the soundstage I can't quite put into words along with a hard to explain discontinuity of sound. Pretty subtle there, but I couldn't shake that impression.
     
  18. Hands

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    While I do plan on eventually making a separate Elear mod thread, I keep gravitating towards the HM5 angled pleather pads + 1/4" open cell foam. Here are some measurements I took tonight and compared to my modded HD650:

    HD650M vs Elear Mod.png


    The HD650 has slightly worn pads, so its mid-bass bump is a bit higher than usual, and the 10KHz spot is a bit lower than usual. The Elear is SUPER fickle to measure. See the results for the same config above, where the 10KHz area wasn't so low. Subjectively, they do NOT sound this dark, and are actually a bit brighter and certainly clearer up top than the modded HD650.

    Subjectively, the Elear in this config is not quite as smooth and cohesive as the HD650, but still sounds cohesive and smooth. Instead of a slightly wooly, hazy lower-end, the Elear sounds crisp and articulate. This is both due to having a less accentuated bass hump, shifting the hump down in the spectrum, reaching more of a flat tone around 300Hz, and having lower distortion.

    The Elear like this has a stage that sits more in front of you, rather than through the head. Transients seem much less soft, yet still smooth. Very clean, clear, and fast sounding. The upper-mids and treble balance is one of the closer I've heard to the HD650, but, as mentioned earlier, sounds a bit brighter, a bit more detailed, and is noticeably clearer sounding. It's like a soft haze, the Sennheiser veil, has been lifted. Granted, it's not quite as euphonic, and I'm sure the lower distortion + bass characteristics compared to HD650 contribute to this subjective effect as well.

    The HD650 still has its merits, don't get me wrong. It's also lighter, cooler, and with clamp reduced, more comfortable. It's also a hell of a lot cheaper, and with the HD6XX at $200, it's still an incredibly worthwhile consideration over a modded Elear.
     
  19. fierce_freak

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    Almost over my cold, so I'm hoping to compare the flats and angled again soon. Did you do any measurements on your zmf protein pads?
     
  20. Hands

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    Yes, I actually tossed them in with my initial Utopia comparisons, if you check out that measurement thread. They sound noticeably darker and less sharp than the HM5 angled pleathers. Less resolving and detailed.
     

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