Actual picture of Elegia stock cable:
13 Likes
Just got these and went to put them through their paces for an hour or two. As stated elsewhere, I was looking for a neutral-ish closed back with decent isolation from outside noise for sub $1k, and Adoramaās deal was too good to pass up.
OOTB, I was greeted by Focalās metallic timbre and immediately remembered why I wasnāt too enamored with loaner Elex that I evaluated several months ago. Thankfully the Elegia does not have as many weird dips as that Elex loaner. Overall, the Elegiaās sound signature appears to be more coherent and less offensive than that Elex pair. On the other hand, the Elex might have been a dud and already had one ear pad noticeably more collapsed than the other.
Anyways, I immediately knew that I wanted to EQ these and decided to use Resolveās EQ settings. His settings helped out a bit by making the sound a little less bright and reduced some of the metallic, artificial sheen. Post-EQ, the Elegia is more pleasing to my ears right now and I enjoy these more than that Elex loaner. Letās see how it goes over the next few days.
5 Likes
Bah, wishing I would have picked up a set of these. If these go on sale like that again, please make sure you post to the deals thread. Iāll pull the trigger next time.
6 Likes
I would highly recommend doing so.
My pair is very crisp with great positional imaging.
The bass isnāt great or very present, but that is what I have other headphones for.
Also very easy to drive
6 Likes
Same. Bass feels well-balanced to me on Elegiaāitās not lacking, but also doesnāt overwhelm or step on the mids. Itās there when it needs to be, absent when it shouldnāt be there. And itās pretty well controlled.
One of my test tracks for sub-bass is The Advent, Industrialyzer - Up Close. Thereās a very low beat thatās more felt than heard, and it occasionally cuts out. Elegia does this track justice, though itās not the most exciting presentation.
Another is Gorgon City - Go Deep. Same general idea, except here there are some bassy notes that are anchored with sub-bass. On cans with good extension these will feel weighty. On cans that lack that extension those notes are more hollow. Again, Elegia gets the job done.
If I want more exciting bass, 1770 Pro with leather pads delivers the goods. The presentation is not as smooth or refined as Elegia, and the highs are pulled back a little more than I prefer, but these have very deep and punchy bass while maintaining strong mids.
8 Likes
Not really liking Resolveās EQ settings. Really tizzy at 4.5kHz and 8.0kHz with my pair, which gave me a headache.
Hereās my EQ settings which primarily adjusts 4.5kHz, 8.0kHz, and 11.5k. Iām still adjusting these primarily, particularly 4.5kHz. Feel free to criticize, 
Also, looking for suggestionsā¦
Preamp Gain: -5.5dB (or -6.0dB)
Freq,Gain,Q, Filter (blank = Peak)
10, 0, 1.41,
21, 0, 1.41,
42, 0, 1.41,
83, 2, n\a, Low Shelf
166, 0, 1.41,
333, -1.5, 1.41,
577, -1.5, 2,
1800, -1.5, 2,
4000, 2.5, 2,
4500, 0, 2,
8000, -1.5, 1.41,
11500, 1.2, n\a, High Shelf
20000, 0, 2.99,
EDIT: Better readability
3 Likes
Made of wood? Dont get it?
1 Like
Took my Elegiaās to my dadās last night and played several songs for him and his wife off the UP4. Really fun to connect over music and each of us picking different songs to test out. He wants his own copy if it drops to the 430$ price again haha.
The cable is annoyingly stiff and keeps its curved appearance when rolled to travel in the case, but itās got a very satisfying āclickā and fit at the earcups. I donāt think after market cables will fit and look as nice unless someone has a good suggestion?
Overall I really enjoy the sound of the headphones and they donāt run as hot as the 177x with the leather or suede pads. Brought them into work and listened to music all day and it was very enjoyable. The earcups are large enough that I can ājustā see them at the very edge of my peripheral vision. HD6xx are much thinner and never had that issue. I donāt recall ever noticing on the 177x either.
4 Likes
Amphenol 3.5mm mono-jacks fit nicely in to the recessed female connectors on the earcups. Does not have the āclickā mechanism though. I use a custom Oidio cable for my pair of Elegia.
3 Likes
Snaggy like wood and microphonicā¦bit like your Maās iron flex 
1 Like
Iām with you here. These are a SOLID all-rounder that does most music justice. My Nighthawks are a great complement to the Elegia. I go to the hawks when I want the bass to really thump, but they are definitely not on the same level with the Elegia in terms of clarity, imaging, or separation. I find the sub-bass on the Elegia is very satisfying though. There is a lot of body to the sound when sub-bass is present in the track, but it still allows you to hear all the mids crystal clear because the mid / upper bass isnāt getting in the way.
3 Likes
Itās an in-joke for anyone familiar with the stock cables that come with Focal headphones. Hereās a real Elegia stock cable to show what the joke is all about:
Bends, janks, very stiff, too short for desktop use. Theyāve got a nice-looking black-and-white sheath, and build quality is good, but theyāre pretty unpleasant to use. The extremely high-quality of the headphones make the cables seem even worse than they really are. Still, the stock Focal cables are pretty much a mandatory upgrade.
IOW, the stock Elegia cable is about as valuable and functional as a short, inflexible, black-and-white stick.
Meanwhile, here is a replacement cable I bought for my Focal Stellias from Forza Audioworks:
This cable is like jewelry. Itās long enough to comfortably use in a desktop setting, very supple and flexible, does not transmit any physical noise through the cable (like when the cable rubs on the edge of a desk), and itās gorgeous to look at and a great aesthetic match for the headphones. It also has a 2.5mm balanced termination, which lets me use my headphones with balanced amps in addition to standard 1/4" and 3.5mm single-ended amps, phones, etc.
11 Likes
is that the Claire series cable? imo Forza has the best looking cables on the marketā¦ your setup looks incredible man 
(and focals are even prettier in person)
2 Likes
The Focal cable thing is reaching meme levels. Why wouldnāt they just include a nicer cable? Seems so weird for a company that otherwise makes such high quality, tasteful products (so I hear).
1 Like
Because nobody is allowed to release a perfect product.
6 Likes
Focal Ganggggg
5 Likes
Zi cableaux cāest baguette!
2 Likes
I previously asked this question too, and @MON replied they canāt be arsed or something along those lines?
im using the stock edition xx cable right now, so the focal cable is looking pretty good at the moment lmao
2 Likes
Yes, Claire HPC Mk2. I emailed Matt to ask about getting a mix of clear and ātransparent blackā shielding since the web store only allowed me to pick either / or. The pure copper and dark shielding makes a bronze color thatās a spot-on match for Stellia.
Thatās actually a pretty old version of my office setup; it has evolved several times since then. The latest, before quarantine / WFH became the new norm, is quite a bit more pimped out:
The older shot shows off the cable better, though.
3 Likes