Thanks for the reply. The price of the Stelliaās has always put me off them and I donāt care for the look.
I like my Elegiaās, but I think I will probably end up moving up to the Radiance, at some point.
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Sorry for double-post - I had to reupload my Radiance video. Here it is and hopefully I did some justice to this fantastic headphone!
Nicely done.
I am 0% surprised Focal is doing another run of these cans. Focal caught lightning in a bottle with this one. Amazing price/performance ratio, very natural tuning through the mids and treble, and bass that is FUN FUN FUN while managing to not be intrusive.
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Same and I hope they continue to do so. These deserve to be more available to many others.
Thank you for the compliment!
Read your comments about the Radiance on another thread but didnāt want to clog it up there - if you donāt mind me asking, what are your thoughts in comparison between the Radiance and the Elex? Also have you ever heard the Clear or Clear Mg? Iām a big Focal fan but havenāt heard this one, only have the Clear Mg, Celestee and Elegia to go off of memory as a comparison.
EDIT: Iām not sure why but I thought they were open back lol, didnāt know they were closed back. Well that makes the comparisons kind of irrelevant. Would still like to hear your thoughts though! The soundstage on the Celestee was a little claustrophobic for my tastes, how does the Radiance compare?
I have not compared them to the Elex yet. I compared the iBasso SR2ās to the Radiance and it was really close.
However, after a few days of using the Radiance I was reminded of the Elexās as in W-shaped sound. I donāt find the bass too much or too little. Same with the mids.
Really happy with these, where the Elegiaās fell far short.
Now I am thinking Hard about OG Clears.
I find the Radiance very balanced and pretty open, for a closed-back.
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The Radiance arrived today. It seemed like the drive home from work took extra long! But they are here. I had fun with the unboxing, I just took my time and let them reveal themselves! I like the way Focal packages these. They donāt come with a case that can withstand a nuclear blast or anything, but thatās OK! I like the case these come in, it has a copper-bronze finish and looks very nice, almost elegant. The cable - thatās already in the trash. The Black Tripowin went on immediately. And then there is the actual headphone.
First impression when you take them out of the case for the first time is that they are extremely good looking. The accents and the materials are fantastic. The build, fit and finish is of high quality and they have a premium feel to them. Like the Elegia, they are really comfortable to wear and cause no physical fatigue. I have had them on for over 3 hours now, and they are fine.
Iām going to need more time to gather thoughts on how they sound, but one thing is for sureā¦ They do things that are kinda next level for me and are a significant improvement over the Elegia in overall presentation. I am running them with the SA-1, and itās a great pairing. They grab your ass from the minute you put them on! I find them to be extremely engaging. These have great bass response; impressive punch and slam, but itās really tight. The level of detail is incredible. I love how they did the treble on these, too; I find it to be just right for my ear. Just incredible so far. To be continuedā¦
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Yeah, the radiance is definitely impressive, look amazing and really engaging, a big step up from the Elegia imho
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Anyone heard anything on when the next batch will drop? They really need to bring this headphone back. Itās easily top dog right now for well-isolating, great-sounding, easy-to-drive closed-back at this price.
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Itās kinda funny, I have to admit that part of the allure of these cans is that they are a limited edition. When I ordered them, I got excited that I was actually able to secure a pair. I had a pretty good idea that they were going to sound great based on your review and others I have seen, and they certainly do. But the fit and finish on these things really impressed me. And while the looks donāt make them sound any better, it enhances the overall user experience. When you hold them in your hands you know you are holding a quality piece. Then you put them on, and you just canāt stop smiling.
To me they are worth every penny, and maybe itās OK if they remain a limited edition. Focal can release a new model.
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Yep Snooze you lose 
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I know the words āend gameā are pretty much a joke usually, but I really have no intention of looking at other closed backs anymore. These do everything I need and look great doing it.
Great sound, comfortable, look great and have a three year warranty. I am done for several years at least.
I can see the Clear/Radiance combo being end game for most people, if you like the Focal sound.
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Yea I agree. Like I said before, wish they didnāt do more runs of these. When they were first announced it said it was only going to be a limited run of 200. Same as you, when I secured a set locally when they were released, I was so happy I was getting a 1 of 200 in the world piece of equipment. Donāt get me wrong, I love my radiance, but it is a bummer that their exclusivity is now gone. That being said, I do understand why they made more. The radiance has been getting great reviews.
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Ya when I found a nice second hand almost new Radiance at a good price and it was harder to come by, I really felt like I found a gem. A few weeks later Focal rereleased a bunch of them and I really felt like that was a smart moveā¦ As a closed back, its hands down my most engaging and fun setā¦ My favorite closed back that I have heard so farā¦
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got mine yesterday, out of the box sheesh the clamp actually gave me a headache after a few minutes, some light bending got it much better.
a pretty fun headphone, Iāll be doing some A/Bing vs my other closed backs (T50 Argons, Mahogany TR-X00, Aeon closed X, DT1770X) consider it a battle royal as Iāll be trying to sell all but 2. off of memory I think the Radiance competes with the TR-X00 for being the most fun
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Today I received my Liquid Platinum. I decided to immediately pair it up with the ADI2DAC-fs and plug in my Radiance via balanced. Holy shmoke and a pancake batman! This is a lovely pairing to my ears and Iām just starting with it. Iāve just been going through all of my normal test tracks and man itās just pleasure to my ears! I really wasnāt sure if the LP would be a good pairing or not. This has answered that question and passed with flying colors.
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Thatās what I did. Sold all but two, the Radiance and the Cascades.
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I am approaching 10 hours on the Radiance. They are already starting to open up and are just getting better. These are extremely good headphones in my opinion. The clarity and dynamic range are excellent. And they have excellent punch. Bass, subbass, all the other bassās This thing has plenty. Instrument separation and placement is outstanding. I have been running through some of my reference tracks, of course. Currently have this on going
This is a great song and these cans are bringing out every detail. I feel like I am right in the room with the band all around me. All the nuances of the instruments being played are there. You just get lost in the music. Part of that is the chain. I have them connected to the SH-9 balanced all the way through from the Frost and itās turning out to be an incredible pairing. The SH-9 has proven itself to be a very good piece. The Radiance seems to love it.
These cans are pretty rad. Iām really glad I got 'em.
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For any Canucks on here thinking about grabbing a set of Radiance headphones, there is a screaming deal on CAM. I do not know the seller, but holy crap! That is half of what I paid for an open box set!
Proceed with caution of course, but wow.
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Itās Friday night and I am anxious to get another session in with these cans. I am convinced that whatever these needed to do to ābreak inā, they have done it. I gotta say, I am really enjoying them. I find them to be incredibly engaging. They are punchy and technical at the same time. If you want to isolate on a particular instrument or vocal, you can. More than anything, I tend to just get lost in the music. These are rapidly becoming my favorite set in the fleet. The fact that they look as good as they do is just a bonus, and this may sound weird, but it adds a little something to the overall experience.
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