Focal Elex Review - Next step up from HiFiMAN Sundara?

[@cbomb1723]

I’ve had my Elex for about four years. They are still perfect.

[@GiulianoM14]

I've had mine for more than 4 months now. Still good. There may be some slight channel imbalance but it may be just me.

[@ErfanElahi]

do u get any cracking sound on lows 20hz at high volume?

[@cbomb1723]

@@ErfanElahi no, but maybe I don’t listen loud enough to get it?

[@Tripokaridos22]

The problem with Focal its the Quality choice of drivers, On Sennheiser 20-30 % of the drivers DO NOT pass the tests and stay out of the market . With Focal and Hifiman this doesnt happen . So u are a lucky one .

[@ErfanElahi]

@@Tripokaridos22 hi, I get a crackling noise from the lows, sometimes get's too much when I listen at loud volume and certain low sub bass range is emphasized in the song. I see even a review at headfi, they mentioned it's common from Elex, but still I feel it's too much and if it is a faulty driver. You have opinion ?

[@21cdeguia]

Best audiophile reviewer imo. Very very informative and knowledgeable. Keep up the good work and thank you.

[@bernarvz]

Have experienced driver failure also so I decided to get the clear instead and moved on.

[@GiulianoM14]

Did you plug and unplugged it while the amp was on? That could be the main reason Elex die. Very sensitive voice coil that can't handle the spikes.

[@timcorrigan]

So what is the proper method to use the Elex with an amp? Thanks!

[@ammar5400]

Finally you have reviewed it, I think the Elex is not worth period because of QC issues especially for the price, I know it’s the best headphone under $1000 that checks all the marks, but paying that much money and concerning to either it’s going to break or not that’s a deal breaker!. And some people say get the clear instead well... it’s double the price.

[@anasal-oweidi2202]

They have very poor quality issues. I have the Elear from way back when Tyll from inner fidelity recommended it and said it was so good. Sound wise it wasn't that impressive frankly (I have Shure se846 and that beats it by a mile to be honest). The drivers were rattling within the chamber (as if it's not made to withstand bass and the bass wasn't even that loud to begin with. A lot of people had problems with drivers being faulty on one side. Such an overpriced garbage to be honest and I would never buy anything with similar design. My unit started having issues only few months after I had it. While being extremely cautious, the cheap plastic making the arc behind the headpad broke, that made the seal issue very annoying as I had to use some sort of a strap and tie it around my head, just to keep it on top of my head. An absolute piece of garbage. If you have money to spare I would look into making your own speaker system at home. Maybe get a custom made box and use a multiple car audio drivers with a proper setup amp and tuning of boxes and period. You have an amazing sound that not even the 1000's dollars of speakers or headphones can produce.

[@JuanAuribus]

This Review was long overdue. Great Headphones, when they work.

[@JuanAuribus]

@NoblesseOblige I have a used one, so I'm just hoping it doesn't break

[@land_walker]

My left driver died recently and I went through hell too. I had to publicly shame Drop on reddit to get them to resolve my issues.

[@JuanAuribus]

@@land_walker geez. I don't have warranty lmao so I gotta be careful

[@charleswhite688]

@@JuanAuribus johnphone

[@boristrejos9169]

I've had the Elex for over 3 years now without any quality issues whatsoever and I can honestly say they're my favorite out of all the Focals I've had in the past. (Clear, MG, Elear ). I only kept the Elex and the Elegia with Dekoni sheepskin pads and could not be happier with them. I have to agree with Resolve when he says that they benefit from using a tube amp in terms of warmth and smoothness. The Elex are definitely keepers and kind of endgame for me as well. 'Nuff said!

[@ayewhite333]

How would you compare your elegias to the elex?

[@boristrejos9169]

@@ayewhite333First off, it’s important to remember the Elegías are closed and the Elex are opened. The Elegía will provide you with forward low mids and somewhat recessed bass and treble while maintaining good detail and resolution. A Dekoni sheepskin pads swap will raise the bass and treble a bit; improving dynamics while retaining their nice soundstage for a closed back can. They’re similar to the Elex and clear since they keep that typical Focal sound signature. The Elex are more balanced with a tad more bass and better treble but they complement each other nicely for sure. I hope this helps!

[@ayewhite333]

@@boristrejos9169 thanks for your reply. I have the Elegias and was a bit disappointed with their bass.. was expecting more from a closed-back I guess. I am thinking of switching back to an open back but don’t want to lose the bass response - thinking of springing for the Clears as I liked everything else about the Focal’s (comfort, etc).

[@boristrejos9169]

@@ayewhite333 The clears are a nice option for sure but if you still want a pair of closed backs with better bass, I would recommend the Fostex tr-x00 (Mahogany or Ebony) or the Audeze lcd2C.

[@Artaois13]

Wanted these for a long time but the numerous issues still being reported even with the newest batch has scared me away. That and the fact that it's impossible to get official replacement pads, not counting the overpriced Clear pads.

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

Hi! Elex owner of 15 months here. The only time I got the driver to clip was from pushing them way too loud. And the padding under the headband feels fine after all this time. Very expensive gear probably is overkill, but these and the Clear SING off a warm OTL like the Feliks Audio Echo. They pair great with that and a Bifrost 2. By the way, Clear pads are for sure more plush with thicker padding. Great review!

[@zev51104]

Try the song Breathe by Jacoo. ;)

[@ethelinwu]

I've experienced driver failure twice. Finally gave up and return it for refund. Alas, it's a great sounding headphone.

[@Willymaze]

Same for me.

[@paddypat]

Love the punch. Need the punch. Elex it is.

[@testek3053]

7:15 could you make a video with headphones punch ranking, regarless of open/close or price?

[@Sam-lx1ij]

I second that.

[@Sasha_May]

In order to damage these headphones it's sometimes enough to connect/disconnect the cable when there is a signal going on, thus causing a micro-sparkle. The wires in the driver coils are extremely thin and they might not survive. The extreme ephemerality of the coils is what provides for the lightness of the membrane, great excursion and punch but also for the extreme fragility of the coil that won't survive a certain peak in the signal caused by a short circuit or a spark while connecting or disconnecting the headphones.

[@chefgav1]

Didn't know this thanks

[@Artaois13]

Currently $550 on Drop. Finally pulled the trigger. Worth the risk at that price. Gotta be one of the best deals out there.

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

Same, any issues?

[@Artaois13]

@@BigChungusthe3rd nope none at all so far.

[@PantsaBear]

@@Artaois13 How about now?

[@Artaois13]

@@PantsaBear Nothing. Recently bought two pairs of pads for backups and the Elears too.

[@PantsaBear]

@@Artaois13 Sweet! Gonna grab myself a pair next chance I get. Wasn't feeling the Sundara's sound too much, and also they get sweaty because of the pad material

[@bheypuor]

Just received my sundara and they are perfect to me. Not going to step up anytime soon even though I love focal products

[@fclp67]

So basically the next step up from the Sundara is either Ananda or Elex depending on what you value.

[@chefgav1]

I wouldn’t call a step up from the Sundara the elex. Clear yes elex no

[@MarkLloyd-yo4li]

I love this headphone . You've aged these 3 years

[@FabioKasper]

Great review Andrew. 10kHz is no longer an issue as I get older and older. 😂😂

[@robm321]

Same

[@arthurhaywood2184]

My pair of Elex is over 2.5 years old & its performance has been exceptional. I haven't had one single issue with them. In fact, I much prefer them over the Clear. When I listened to the Utopia, I was surprised & how similar they sounded in timbre & tonality. The Utopia had a bit more refinement to it but the Elex, at 1/6th the price, is a steal. You really should try to get your hands on a Quad ERA-1. I think that you'd be pleasantly surprised.

[@spronkey]

Just you wait. One day you will pick them up, and they will have spontaneously died.

[@arthurhaywood2184]

@@spronkey I highly doubt it & why would you ever speak that into existence anyway? I think that it's much more likely that there is some variance in QC. Mine are from the 1st or 2nd tranche when the demand for Focal headphones weren't as great. These particular headphones gave a significant boost to the company that I don't think they anticipated & QC has suffered as demand has increased. A headphone that essentially undercut their pricing model & put the Elear & Elegia out of production. It's probably stolen business from their higher models as well.

[@spronkey]

​@@arthurhaywood2184 Oh it's more just a cynical view based on my own experiences with the headphones. Mine would have been from the 2nd tranche of the Elex, so I think I would have got in before any big rush - but ultimately I think it's actually the design of the headphone voice coil and the voice coil solder connections that are the issue here, not quality control. The voice coils are just too fragile, and the wiring that connects them to the solder pads is done so under some sort of rubberised/epoxy/conformal coating that makes it difficult to repair if it breaks in that spot.

[@arthurhaywood2184]

@@spronkey The problem with that theory is that there have been no such reports on the Elear which uses the exact same voice coil & driver. There's got to be something else going on. I don't know what Focal's process is for parts selection but I wouldn't be surprised if the Elex is not getting the top tested & inspected drivers. I have no way to verify this. Just a suspicion.

[@spronkey]

@@arthurhaywood2184 There have actually been quite a few reports of driver failure on the Elear - I specifically remember this because I looked around before I bought my Elex, and also some on the Utopia as well. All three use 80 ohm drivers with similar structure. There's a guy somewhere in Asia (can't remember off top of head) who does headphone repairs on Facebook as well who was saying the Elear drivers are one of the most commonly requested repairs, and that the usual failure point is the thin wire under the glue blob.

[@manfredsong1486]

Received my Elex on Tuesday, returned on Thursday this week. Why? The left side has no sound AT ARRIVAL!!! I found a video to repair the broken wire inside the driver. I won't consider focal until after I'm confident to solder that tiny wire since focal doesn't provide a warranty to their second-hand product.

[@allansh828]

it’s always the left channel that has problem. My Elegia failed after just three day’s use

[@shaunjacobsen5685]

My left one went out as well. Got it back a month and a half later or so, broke 12 days later again with moderate use-- been around 4 weeks now and they haven't started fixing it yet. Planning to sell them as soon as they get back!

[@sarumansaya8783]

Excelente revisión, muy buen video, gracias por compartir! Mano arriba y me suscribo!

[@praxis22]

I can certainly get them to clip running them balanced. However that was a mistake on my part as they were connected to the 789 and that was outputting to the SMSL SP100 tube amp, into which I was listening to something else loud. Didn't notice. The one thing I really noticed was symbals everywhere.

[@stevenjackson8226]

I love the Elex. I did go through three pairs of them from Drop. The first pair sounded GREAT but were missing its cup branding trim rings. I debated sending them back, and finally did, getting a replacement pair (Drop customer service was very responsive) that had lots of driver issues - channel imbalance, bottoming/popping drivers. Not good. Definitely defective. Drop sent me a third pair and all is good, though I feel that this last pair doesn't sound quite the same as my first pair that I enjoyed so much, but that may well just be a memory trick (my first and third pairs are very close in serial numbers). I also got caught up in the Drop Elex replacement pad thing. Ordered the pads. Took a while to get ONE. Just one. There were also reports of quality issues. Drop issued a full refund, and then I received a second pad. The ones I have are just like the ones on my Elex, and I got them for free, so Drop did work to make good on all this. I've been considering moving "up" from the Elex to the Clear and I have been watching comparison reviews. I'm also considering moving from the Hifiman HE-400i (which I feel is a very affordable headphone that holds its own well against more pricey headphones) and Drop + Hifiman Edition XX (which I do like quite a bit) to the Arya. Then, calling it a day - maybe? That next jump is a big one in price. Is there a performance jump commensurate with the price jump?

[@jamiesmith6838]

From my experience, it often is not. As price jumps, incremental sound improvement deminish. The Utopia and Stellia are the pinicle. Everything under those two, simple do not sound as good to my ears. That perfection cost $4000 & $3000 respectively though!

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

If you already have the Elex, definitely consider the Arya or LCD-X (with EQ) for something different.

[@stevenjackson8226]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow I get the sense that the Elex is more similar to the Clear than the Edition XX is to the Arya. The Arya has been at the top of my list. Okay, so the Arya...

[@GiulianoM14]

Did you plug and unplugged it while the amp was on? That could be the main reason Elex die. Very sensitive voice coil that can't handle the spikes.

[@stevenjackson8226]

@@GiulianoM14 Interesting. No, I don't do that that. When I plug in and unplug headphones, I've got the volume down all the way, typically no source playing, stopped or on pause. Now, I'm going to be extra careful with the Focals.

[@musicxxa6678]

Waiting for the LCD 2 review. Oh btw review Emu Teak too please. Drop should send you one.

[@mebaugh1]

Exceptional reviews, and articulate presentation thank you! I appreciated the fast-paced, well-thought out, balanced, measured contextual approach. Just for fun, you and Josh should do a show together! Anohte ridea is to do a show on "How you would describe the ultimate headphone listening experience in 3 minutes or less. . . and followed up by all the vocabulary used to describe audiophile elements.

[@patchiezero]

^this^

[@kurthertel4299]

I have the elex, sundara, and 6xx, for which I paid under 1k, total (Elex was used, ofc). For my budget, it's a collection that I cannot beat for anywhere near the $. In fact, they individually rival any single pair at that price, so if they all keep working (looking at you, hfm and focal) feel like I am set. Btw, both cables failed within 6 mos, so they are unreliable as well as unwieldy. They work with all the Sundara cables though.

[@nortonfamily6711]

lmao literally just two days ago I had the left connector on my Elegia's cable fail as well, and apparently my exact issue isn't uncommon either. I can second your assertion about their cables being unreliable.

[@alejandropalladino7674]

I had problems with Elear. right can died after les that 10hrs of use. had to ship to get repaired. came back working like they should.

[@Tripokaridos22]

after how many days ? Europe or US ?

[@GiulianoM14]

Did you plug and unplugged it while the amp was on? That could be the main reason Elex/Elear die. Very sensitive voice coil that can't handle the spikes.

[@darthdurkelthewise320]

I had a similar issue with the right driver except mine failed to work at all. I got mine repaired as well. I’ve enjoyed my Elear although I’m selling and moving on to the Clear. The Elex scares me due to reported QC issues. Since I’ve already been down that road I just can’t take that chance.

[@davidmason8212]

Excellent review You have answered all the question that i would like to ask. Is the Seperation of the ananda better than the lcd2f ?

[@LukasVokrinek]

Honestly, I'd say the imaging, soundstage and detail are quite excellent on all Focals. The tonality differs a little from one Focal to another, but the Elex is a really good headphone for the money

[@Marthos01]

Had my sundara for a year now. This was my sidegrade from HD600/HD650 ( own both at one point) sadly sennheiser broke down and there were no repair parts no longer after company split in two. Sundara however has given me so much joy, I only want to look forward and move past sennheiser. They only leech money and don't give back in return.

[@garygriffiths7353]

From my experience I’ve never had a hifiman fail while lots of friends have had problems with focal headphones. It’s definitely put me off focal

[@songboek]

Hi Andrew, can you please do a comparison between the Ifi pro ican and the Ifi zen can? It would be really cool to know how far the tech of 2020 has come and if there's equal quality to be had for way less money! One being the flagship and one the budget entry level amp.... Thanks in advance!

[@StraightEdgeAlexxx31]

i have it and like it. the details in the highs are a bit grainy but not terrible (a little brighter than i normally like). the mids are recessed compared to headphones like the 6xx and audeze lcd-2c but that may be a good thing for many of you, and i think the bass is great. my favorite thing about the headphone is the soundstage. it seems to stretch out quite far in front and behind you... i really like it but i think the tradeoff for the soundstage is an overall thinner sound. my 6xx, lcd-2c, shure 1540 and zmf aeolus all have a little more meat on their bones... that being said, i still enjoy the elex but tbf i rarely listen to it over all of my other headphones.

[@StraightEdgeAlexxx31]

now that im watching the video, are we listening to the same headphone? lol the elex is the least "in your face" headphone i own. the mids sound much further away than everything else. maybe the only headphone that sounded as distant to me was the audioquest nighthawk.

[@seanlefebvre438]

Great review as always! Have these on order! Curious what the EQ settings you used with the Cayin HA-1A MK2 (which I already own - agreed great tube amp!). Thx much!

[@chuckyfox9284]

I would really like to see a comparison to the elear (maybe featuring Dekoni pads), since the elex is not an option in EU.

[@twolazy6348]

thats because of the qc issues and they dont want to replace the EU units because of shipping costs is my guess.

[@omeee]

In Europe (Germany) you can buy Focal Clear < 1000 Euro right now. Elex is not a good deal here

[@kristoffer8740]

Drop does not ship the Elex to Europe.

[@omeee]

@@kristoffer8740 not directly but there are companies who offer such a service. I have seen Elex getting sold for 850 Euro used

[@devast8r3436]

How do these sound compared to the Elegia?

[@SilentClouds]

Well yeah, but why Sennheiser HD6XX or HD5XX owners don't complain about their headphones failing?

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Lower failure rates most likely. I did have a hd660s that had driver issues, so... Nobody is immune to it, but some are worse than others.

[@nullgator8073]

man imagine being focal and charging $400+ more for the pure copper wire vs aluminum coated in copper. The fact any company is selling a headphone like that above $100 is crazy.

[@JonathanGurgul]

I have the Elex and the HD558 which costs up to 90% less at times. I think it offers 90% the performance in some areas and beats the Focals in other areas. Not that there is anything wrong with the Focals just shows what you can get for a great price from other headphones too.

[@dark-california]

HD558 that close to the Elex ... 🤔

[@PuppetMasterdaath144]

Its hilarious that you say this because on z review of this headphone , z-review recommend Philips x1 as a upgrade, the headphones I'm using right now that's way cheaper than elex. and very low probability of being equal xD

[@Tripokaridos22]

I think to much of a Risk to buy in Europe , I love Focal it was my First audio company with B&W years ago for Speakers . But now seeing all these quality problems its no go for me i cant wait again months to be fixed (if i am lucky under warranty)

[@RayCabrera1]

Just picked these up on ebay and a good price. Thanks for the review, it really helped me make my decision.

[@Harzexe]

I left a like for Elex pronunciation: you have to respect other languages. Learning one word is not hard ;)

[@RonnyC98]

I added +10 dB 100 hz shelf to my Sundara and it becomes amazing

[@ChrisKeyman]

Do they have good sub bass??

[@krmatiu]

I use a woo audio WA22 with upgraded tubes with my pair of elex. Pair very well. Both cables failed on me though. I got the xlr right channel fixed for the left to fail 2 weeks later. Hopeless, but headphones sound great, nit far off the utopia after run in.

[@cd-rom.]

Has anybody been able to modify these (Clear, Utopia, etc) by removing the entire right and left cups and replacing them with a more comfortable headband? I can’t stand the headband of the Clear and enjoy the comfort of Meze headbands.

[@spronkey]

The much easier option is to stick a foam pad on the headband. Something like a ZMF Pilot Pad, or even cheaper something e.g. the Sennheiser HD201 pad.

[@irun2sanaxox]

also if you didn’t know about the ha-1a mkii cause I had no idea what it was for until recently & I’ve owned it for about half a year now is that the “phones a” is more dynamic in comparison to “phones b” & phones b is much more soft in comparison to a, I thought it was cool that it even has that option but I like phones a more, I feel like it for sure has more detail & just sounds more realistic overall

[@missmygamergirl445]

Your second harmonic of a good tube amp will help with treble assuming it's not just peaking but potential out of band or odd harmonics in the treble. I wouldn't risk it. I would build a tube amp for stax and sit them on the rack and listen to for dt150.

[@c4monkey]

Great value stock, even better with oratory1990's eq. Ended up replacing with 880 600ohm which have been my main since

[@fclp67]

What a waste of ears. I hate my 600 ohm 880.

[@c4monkey]

@@fclp67 did you use any eq?

[@frankfang4605]

Hey Andrew, will you review your Ha-1a mkii sometime? I’m really interested.

[@syncwork]

Listening this on Sundara. Btw, which amp and dac you recommend to use sundara to its full potential?

[@ronnyp6934]

For what it's worth i have the Sundara's with a Modi Multibit and a Rupert Neve RNHP and could not be happier could be end game for a while ...

[@dinojoe1788]

So what you’re saying is it’s good for Slam Metal?

[@kyleo2113]

Had Elex and right side failed - treble was a bit much for me - very detailed sound but moved on to ananda and no regrets at all as I prefer the ananda over elex. Ananda seems just a bit more balanced to me

[@GiulianoM14]

Did you plug and unplugged it while the amp was on? That could be the main reason Elex die. Very sensitive voice coil that can't handle the spikes.

[@kyleo2113]

J.MAGNI - that is possible - I was plugging in prior to starting the amp and I did notice a thump when the amp turned on - I believe this may have contributed but uncertain - I have no way of knowing definitively if that was the cause of failure - Elex are very nice but too hot on treble for me but precise and punchy - not as big sounding as ananda and not as comfortable - Elex are excellent headphones just not for me

[@shahkhan110]

Hi there, good review as always. Can you tell how the treble (shimmer) of Elex is different from Sundara? Some reviewers say, treble on sundara is peaky.

[@malek8736]

Will you review the new SPL Phonitor One d ($600 DAC/amp)?

[@Suzume900]

May be a long shot but what are your thoughts on making a choice between Elex for $550 vs the Elegia for $400?

[@HiFiGOAudio]

Eyeing the Clear for a long time, would you suggest the Elex over the Clear's?? I mean you said both are surprisingly close, so is it worth spending more for Clear??

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

The Elex is definitely better 'value', but personally I'd take the Clear if given the choice.

[@jamiesmith6838]

Punch and impact gives life to reproduced music. Analogous to someone speaking in monotone like you do here on your videos. It can produce a sleep trance state. Polite headphones compresses the musical performances to un involvement. Key reason I avoid planar cans.

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

Maybe that's why the Meze are so popular despite being planar, and the LCD4

[@Jakems28]

I agree with you on that. The LCD 2c's were lifeless everywhere but in the bass even after EQ. The treble just didn't stand out. Got Sundaras... Again.... And am amazed by the texture and punch they bring in comparison.

[@thelastrhino2581]

You can't defend a product that is getting high failure rates by saying all the happy owners are silent. The proof is the nr of people complaining vs people complaining about other headphones.

[@ResolveReviews]

To be clear, I'm not defending the product. If there are QC issues that's a problem. I'm only saying that anecdotal reports alone aren't sufficient to know that it is a problem.

[@stevebofearth2692]

@@ResolveReviews Anecdotal reports to this extent should definitely be a major red flag though my friend. There sure is a helluva lot of smoke for there not to be a fire.

[@ResolveReviews]

@@stevebofearth2692 no argument there. If this is a consistent problem then that's bad, but since it's just anecdotal and we don't have official failure rates (at least I haven't seen any figures), I can't really report that this is a predictive issue.

[@spronkey]

@@ResolveReviews Based on verified purchase Drop reviews alone we can say at least 1.2% of units shipped have had a driver failure. If you include cable failures that jumps up to more like 2%. That's quite high in my books.

[@Chopped86]

I know you have done multiple videos on the Aeon but the AFO/C RT is $499 while supplies last and there are dekoni pads available for them, where do you think they fall in the landscape now? I did not enjoy my AFO RT until I put the Dekoni Hybrid pads on them, with no filters, to turn down the warmth and now I quite enjoy them and am pretty happy with the price point. I am looking at the Elex next so thanks for the excellent rundown!

[@fabiokelm]

Elex, Alex, or Ilex. Doesn't matter, it's more important getting a Focal than the correct spell. Question for Andrew, is the same effect good for the Elegia? I was looking into giving them a bass boost and thought about trying with tubes, but I was afraid of the problem with impedance matching.

[@duckgod7370]

I jumped to the clear pros a year after owning my sundaras.

[@lukepatto4366]

Im looking at Sundaras but scared they will break. Whats your thoughts?

[@duckgod7370]

@@lukepatto4366 I've enjoyed them, no driver or cosmetic issues to speak of. I've had them for almost 2 years. I've even had them fall off my desk onto carpet once, no discernable damage. I still listen to them a few times a week. Though i will point out that the headband adjustment could scrape the metal slides over time. I never have to adjust them though. Not a big deal. Definitely a great buy at it's price point, if you're lucky you might get em cheaper from sellers.

[@lukepatto4366]

@@duckgod7370 thanks. What do you use them for? gaming or music? If so what streaming service do you use and are you using your motherboard audio or amp?

[@duckgod7370]

@@lukepatto4366 I use them for music 90% of the time. Though they are fine for gaming. I wouldn't recommend long sessions as they are on the heavier side at 370grams. Also their soundstage isn't the widest I'd give it a so-so performance in that aspect. Soundstage is a nice thing to have in gaming, but it isn't something you need to have. While you can use them with mobile devices, i wouldn't recommend it. I power them using a dedicated dac and amp stack. Nothing too expensive or fancy atm, but I'm running the headphones with a topping d30 and thx smsl sp200. If you're on a cheaper budget you could go for a grace dac/topping d10 and pair them with a schiit heresy or a jds labs atom amplifier. Should run you about 200$. I buy and convert my music as well as purchase/download my files. As for streaming i use tidal for the time being.

[@allansh828]

My Elegia failed after three day’s use. Ouch.

[@justind4175]

I have an HD600. Would this be a direct upgrade? Is it worth the extra? Are they similar? I want everything my HD600 does with more resolution and more bass quantity

[@cristobalhansu]

I want an Elex but I'll be shipping it to southeast asia using a forwarder and it'll be a huge pain having to get them replaced if they go bad :( :( :(

[@mylifematter]

Back to under $600 now. Guess it's time to take a gamble.

[@Artaois13]

Exactly what I just did. Lol

[@Tripokaridos22]

Sundara that i love i am on 3rd pair , Hifiman support is great ...but they have Problems. ALso Focal Elex have a lot of quality problems.

[@Barnsey87]

Nice review on the Focal Alexe 😂

[@BeardedManFromWaco]

Listened to a great review of the Focal Elex, on my Focal Elex.

[@futuresense]

Is there a high failure rate? I watched Oluv's video where he had several failed drivers between his Elexs and his friend's

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

I haven't had any issues.

[@LOLCoolJ]

There are a lot of unhappy folks in the Drop forums.

[@allansh828]

my Elegia failed in just three days

[@donvittoriosierra]

I've had firsthand experience with them. The drivers distort within a few months if you listen loud.

[@donvittoriosierra]

distort as in permanent damage

[@amse9297]

I literally bought a mint condition Elex on ebay less than a minute before I got a notification on my phone for your review. I then said to myself, "damn, I hope he likes it." ... Glad I bought it. Your reviews I respect very much. Great job.

[@Pyregazer]

They pair well with Lyr 3 and I am not going to tell you the best NOS tubes because the price will hike.

[@Mosamania]

It’s not pronounced Focal Elex, it’s pronounced Focal Elex.

[@ewso100]

How does the dynamics of Elex compare to Vérité/Utopia?

[@kugelschreiber5678]

I've been eyeing these for a while, but have been turned off from pulling the trigger because of quality control issues. Regardless, between these, LCD2c (or fazor, haven't decided), or Ananda, which would you recommend? I really can't decided. For reference, I love my 1990's, and very rarely do I experience any issue with sibilance, but I'm looking for an upgrade. Planars have been on my radar, but so has the Elex.

[@kugelschreiber5678]

I also listen to all genres of music with a slight inclination towards hiphop, R&B, and orchestral music ala FFXIV lol.

[@Sam-lx1ij]

I'm new to this, what do you recommend for EQ?

[@user-vi3tb3bw5t]

Given the massive amount of quality control problems people have had with these, I wouldn't even consider them. You don't hear about the failure rate of the 6XX or 58X, hifiman, or other similar priced products nearly as much so your argument that its just a few people like always isn't correct. Just look up the elex on reddit shows hundreds of people who have had issues and had to return them, or better yet go to the comments on their drop page. I wonder how different the unit they sent you would sound to one a consumer would buy themselves. I have even heard that Focal is not happy about this and wants nothing to do with drop as it has ruined their image.

[@megazine]

Great review. I’m sold. If Drop puts Elex on sale again for $499, I’m jumping in.

[@jonathanchau-chiu2893]

$550 right now!

[@megazine]

@@jonathanchau-chiu2893 damn! It’s all sold out. That’s crazy it already sold out so fast. When did it drop in price?

[@jonathanchau-chiu2893]

@@megazine I think a day or so ago.

[@megazine]

@@jonathanchau-chiu2893 I’m not sure. I thought I checked yesterday when I commented but maybe I didn’t. Thanks!

[@megazine]

@@jonathanchau-chiu2893 I’m now seeing that the Elex have very poor quality control with many driver failing

[@gwapster13]

So which one will fail faster - the Frocal or the Chifiman? Don't get me wrong, I like both brands, but they seem to have build/quality issues according to numerous owners?

[@spronkey]

These headphones have design elements, arguably flaws, that cause the issues you mention - such as the extremely fragile voice coil with only a single layer and no former, extremely thin voice coil wiring, and poorly supported cable suspension and solder connections. My pair had right driver die to open circut while it was *in storage* in its box - I've never encountered that with any other headphone. I agree with Metal571 on their performance though - they are good, but... they really aren't good enough for the price. They do some things really well, but they also have flaws that cheaper headphones (cough HD650 cough) don't. If Focal were better about their service, sold spares (and pads) at reasonable prices and didn't massively gouge, I might be a little more forgiving about the issues with the driver design, but as it is, I would strongly recommend people avoid this headphone and the Elear entirely. Buy a 6XX and visit a steakhouse.

[@anasal-oweidi2202]

They have very poor quality issues. I have the Elear from way back when Tyll from inner fidelity recommended it and said it was so good. Sound wise it wasn't that impressive frankly (I have Shure se846 and that beats it by a mile to be honest). The drivers were rattling within the chamber (as if it's not made to withstand bass and the bass wasn't even that loud to begin with. A lot of people had problems with drivers being faulty on one side. Such an overpriced garbage to be honest and I would never buy anything with similar design. My unit started having issues only few months after I had it. While being extremely cautious, the cheap plastic making the arc behind the headpad broke, that made the seal issue very annoying as I had to use some sort of a strap and tie it around my head, just to keep it on top of my head. An absolute piece of garbage.

[@ItsVab]

What's something like this but with a wider soundstage?

[@charlesnr]

Loved the Phonitor x at AXPONA a few years ago. But they had the bottom FOCAL model connected, and the headphone distorted. Have you run in to this? I saw this mentioned on the internet, but wondered why they were incompatible. You apparently did not have that with this new model.

[@KrakPoT13]

What about for gaming? If the headphones you mentioned here which one would you choose?

[@megazine]

Question. The Elex carries the name as the Super Senn HD650 for many people. Is this true? May you share what they do similar on and what are the major differences? Because I heard the Elex offers that intimate sound for vocals. Thanks for video, it was great!

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Yes it is, but maybe more like a super HD600. It's not as smooth there in the treble as the HD650.

[@janspaan6122]

Hi Andrew, here some feedback from the Netherlands. I really like your approach and reviews. In this review you have compared the Focal Elex with (among others) Hifiman Ananda. Focal has more punch and slam while Hifiman Ananda has a better image separation and soundstage. What if I want best of both worlds combined with really good clarity (budget till approximately EUR 2.000), what are your recommendations ?

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

An EQ'd LCD-X or LCD-2

[@janspaan6122]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow Thanks for your quick answer. I'm not familiar with EQ-ing, so do you have any other recommendations (without EQ), like mentioned Budget up to EUR 2.000,00. I know, finally I have to listen myself, but any guidance in the "headphone-jungle" from you experts is always very welcome :)

[@wcg66]

I run my Elex with a Darikvoice tube amp and it's a great combination. I don't think the bass boost is a big as you heard.

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Darkvoice is an OTL amp (I think?). It all depends on output impedance. If it's high, then it'll be quite bass boosted. If it's not high OI then it won't change as much in the bass - even if it still warms it up in the upper bass and lower mids.

[@pyregazer9210]

@@TheHEADPHONEShow They sound great on Schiit Lyr 3

[@valleyguy633]

It seems to me that slam and punch would be more related to amplifier characteristics than that of the headphones. Any feedback on this would be much appreciated.

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

It's not, but I can see why someone would wonder about that.

[@diudiamoustache7765]

Any comparisons with some of Dan Clark stuff?

[@TheHEADPHONEShow]

Aeon 2 Open isn't something I can recommend, but the Aeon 2 Closed was really nice for detail. Lacks punch, but for a closed-back planar I thought it was pretty good.

[@orthosympa6993]

Have you done any pads swap with the Elex? Are the Dekoni velour as good on the Elex that they were on the clear? I wish to tame the treble a bit to make them smoother. My la figaro 339i should arrive by the end of november so i'm excited to see how tubes pair with them as well!

[@kevinholliday2066]

Just to be 'clear' (no pun intended), when you say Clear, are you referring to the Original (OG) or the MG?

[@gramblor1]

My Focal Elex clip a ton at moderately high volume depending on how bass heavy the music is.

[@ekess7458]

I'm having the clipping issue as well. I purchased for the punch and these fall apart quickly below 50 as you turn them up.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

Apparently I am not as enamored of the Elex as everyone else seems to be. I just wasn't very impressed. The bass is too rolled off. The mid-range is nice. However, the sound stage is very congested with poor separation of sounds. I found the treble acceptable but nothing to write home about. I don't think I will be keeping these. I have other headphones that I like considerably more than the Elex.

[@irun2sanaxox]

do you still own these ? i thought they were boring even compared too hd6xx at first, its been some time i had them & i ended liking them much more after getting the arya’s they’re opposite’s

[@irun2sanaxox]

if you own these still one thing i learned is the drivers need to be placed perfectly for your ears, the sweet spot is kind of a beam

[@megazine]

Do you consider the Elex a “SUPER HD650” as many say? Is there truth to this?

[@Richbroth]

Yes

[@megazine]

@@Richbroth I ended up getting one. I agree.

[@timcorrigan]

Will my Schiit Lyr tube amp work well, or is it worth it or necessary to upgrade the amp to use with the Elex? I was considering the THX AAA to use with the balanced cable. Thanks!¡!

[@olimphus26]

You’ve never done a review of that cayin tube amp

[@BunnyslippersEUC]

I love my Cayin HA-1A. I bought it second hand. The first owner replaced the tubes with better sounding ones. I think it sounds fantastic. I use the Ifi IEMatch for sensitive Headphones and IEM.

[@lextr3110]

do you plan on reviewing all the LSA headphones?

[@BennyKsBandwidth]

I've been trying to get a pair of these for a while to review but no responses

[@firvaldur]

The left driver on my Elex failed now

[@GiulianoM14]

Did you plug and unplugged it while the amp was on? That could be the main reason Elex die. Very sensitive voice coil that can't handle the spikes.

[@firvaldur]

@@GiulianoM14 it just stopped working as I was listening.

[@BigChungusthe3rd]

how many years of ownership?

[@firvaldur]

@@BigChungusthe3rd 1 year

[@ayushbhaumik7980]

what impedance setting did you use with the cayin tube amp to get the bass boost ?

[@WestonWill]

I'm currently auditioning the DT 1990 Pro with some Dakoni Suede pads to try and smooth the 8k spike. I'm not convinced this is the headphone for me. I'm sensitive to the treble spike but like the detail and mid/bass response/punch. The sound stage could be a little wider as well. Would the Elex be a headphone to consider? I tried the GL2000 as well and thought it was horrible so I'm shying away from planar, but that is my only reference point. Thanks!

[@fclp67]

goldplanar is just a bad headphone why would that make you not want to use planars is beyond me, hifiman Sundara already beats the dt1990 so the Elex is even better than that.