Focal Elegia Circumaural Closed-Back Audiophile Headphones

Over the past five-plus years of running this website, I have used more than my fair share of headphones. I’ve reviewed $US40 headphones and $500 headphones and everything in between. But the Focal Elegia are in a different class and these are the first pair of Hi-Fi headphones I’ve tried.

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  Easily the most comfortable pair of over-ear headphones I've used, Amazing looking design, Premium materials and stellar build-quality, Amazing Hi-Fi sound made even better with a DAQ

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  Pricey and probably out of reach of most consumers

The Focal Elegia are above-average for neutral listening. They have an extended and powerful bass, a flat and even mid-range, and a decent treble. However, they have a slightly forward sounding mid-range. Overall, they're versatile for a variety of music genres and will please most users.

REVIEW – When I was given the chance to review Focal’s new Elegia headphone, my first thought was to compare it to the slightly more expensive Elear headphone I reviewed earlier this year. The reason was simple: The Elegia is a closed-back design—good for personal listening in public places.

Days like these remind audiophiles that there is a god. Introducing the Focal Elegia closed-back headphone. Focal has risen to the top of the audiophile market with its three high-end open-back headphones: the Elear, the Clear and the mother of all cans, the Utopia.

Focal's Elegia price of $899 makes this an incredible value and a new benchmark in closed-back designs. The sound of the Elegia never disappointed and theheadphone's ability to recreate space had me totally hooked.

. So today is the perfect time to take a break from smelling the new pine wood Grados and buckle down with the Elegia. But how does it sound? And is this new Focal worth the $899 price tag?

Some question marks over its market purpose aside, this is a hugely enjoyable headphone to listen to. The work that Focal has put in means that even if you don’t see yourself wearing it on the move, its undemanding nature means it will deliver the bulk of its high-quality performance even when used...

Although the supplied cable is rather short, Focal's Elegia is otherwise comfortable to wear. Moreover, while its tonal balance might not be perfect for the critical classical music listener, it nevertheless has a responsiveness that's reminiscent of an electrostatic speaker, realising quite...

Our initial impression of the Focal Elegia headphones is very good; they sound fantastic, look great, and are comfortable to wear. However, that price tag means that only the most dedicated audiophiles will likely consider buying them.

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  Impressively wide soundstage, Comfortable, Luxurious feel

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  Very expensive despite being ‘entry-level’

The Focal Elegias have sublime design and styling, with a solid, spacious sound The Focal Elegias have sublime design and styling, with a solid, spacious sound

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  Classy design, Ideal for portable listening, Spacious, sophisticated sound

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  Beaten for absolute detail, Timing lacks precision

For those you who want to see just the major points please find them below, for more detailed thoughts please continue on.

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  Can be driven easily, portable. Can sound good when EQd slightly. Nice looks (sadly I don't care about that at all). Good comfort, - bass and treble extensions are good, - bass texture and impact are reminiscent of the Clear, - head stage width is great for a closed-back, - technicalities are also...

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  poor build quality, stock cable is like a seismometer and even if it were not microphonic - it brakes within a couple of hours of use. The sound of these headphone is worth about half the price. Funky reverberation within the enclosed space. Sounds very plasticky.

While working, I was very happy with the Elegia headphones to complement my home studio monitors and for late night listening. Sadly, the plastic frame of the headband broke a couple of weeks ago, making the headphones unusable.