Focal Celestee is the most beautiful headphone!

[@teslinphotog9168]

I’ve been watching your videos for over a year, going into 2 years and I love you new approach in this video. Very engaging!

[@3therspark63]

Just ordered a pair on special, wanted a Focal for so long... I dont know what to expect, but the Celestee are so god damn beautiful. Cant wait... and awesome review Josh like usual

[@TimeGrowing]

The background music that is low that hardly can be noticed when focussing on foreground is amazing

[@Brightly2109]

I'm getting a stronger sense of your personality in this video. Lovely evolution :)

[@bravenkind7843]

Hey Josh, looking great man keep up the good work

[@Nonesuch6588]

Great review & useful info regarding amps. Thanks Josh 👍

[@JTB--]

Radiance is the best Focal HP for sound and looks. Too bad you pay the Bentley tax on them. Focal needs to do a non Bentley Radiance for $900. I tried the Celeste and it was ok but nothing special. It's a weird fit in the Focal lineup.

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

Very much loved the radiance as well. Not the widest soundstage but vocal/mids intimacy was great!

[@ryanhostudio]

i still wanna hear the radiance, i have heard the rest of their lineup already except for that one!

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

@@ryanhostudio always fun to compare indeed!

[@soulfulfool]

yep they look better than celestee

[@izlord50]

Just got the Radiance and I love them

[@theodorezurla496]

Love my focal Celestee !! Great review for the best travel headphone under 1000$ imo !

[@aceofspades6667]

I got my Celestee used for $500 and it’s a great neutral tuning with decent technical capabilities and great build/comfort. The stage is tight and the bass impact isn’t “huge”. But sound bleed and isolation are top notch.

[@prabinpaudel5572]

Congrats! ❤️ Hope you're doing well. I see you around every now and then and it feels good. 😁

[@yellow2683]

@@prabinpaudel5572 This feels sarcastic as hell but I’m guessing it’s not

[@prabinpaudel5572]

@@yellow2683 nah its not. We share the Same hobby and follow same channels. So we do see each other every now and then. I'm still on entry level and he has a collection of some nice gears. It's not sarcastic at all. 😁

[@yellow2683]

@@prabinpaudel5572 aw, that's great. Usually super nice comments on the internet are sarcastic as that's just how the internet works. It's nice to see something so nice and genuine. Hope y'all have a good one!

[@prabinpaudel5572]

@@yellow2683 yeah it's funny how people choose to spend their time sharing bitterness cuz they have nothing else to do.

[@Manupassero]

I probably need to stop watching your videos, because everytime you like something I end up buying it and enjoy it as well.. too many things and my bank account cries!! (by the way, your reviews are the best and most accurate out there, enough "analytical" and very honest, and most of the times matching my tastes - keep on!)

[@mark012498]

I utterly utterly fell in love with the design of these but was not a huge fan of the sound unfortunately. Tempted to buy a broken pair just to have on display! Ended up getting Clear OGs and I love their sound for the music I listen to which is mostly classical.

[@JoshuaValour]

Clear OG is my all time favorite focal!

[@justinwalsh5521]

I auditioned it a few months ago and the sound quality left me wanting. Really let down, because I really wanted a premium closed back. Their open backs sounded wonderful fwiw

[@justinwalsh5521]

And fwiw, I auditioned them using an almost 5k headphone amp/Dac so I definitely didn’t audition it in a weak chain. I may look into the radiance and see if that works better for me

[@fritzykarl]

Agree. I auditioned them before along with other headphones and iem’s for comparison. The celestee has a horrible timbre, like I was listening through a tube. I dunno what Focal was thinking.

[@mrk131324]

Same with me. Had my eye fixed on this very firmly until I finally listend to them and was completely underwhelmed.

[@gianlucaalessia5538]

Wish they wouldve done a cooler color on the bathys. The simple grey is so blah compared to this blue grey or the bronze

[@brothatwasepic]

Nice vid Josh! P.s. why get an XM5 or momentum 4 when yiu can have a celestee and a small Bluetooth dongle like a Fiio Btr5

[@jeremymiller3305]

Hi Josh nice review on the Focal Celestee. I was wondering if you are going to do a review of the Focal Stellia anytime soon Josh?

[@TheUNKLEPaulTHX]

I'm bought these for my Cambridge Audio EVO 150

[@jaynayy]

Hey Josh, a few of the affiliate links don't work. Thanks for the review.

[@wynoglia]

Hahaha that one line opener /chef's kiss/

[@carlcamper]

Nice review :) btw, when is the Topping A90 Discrete review coming out?

[@XemnasTM]

I tried a pair of these for a few weeks, but ended up returning them. The soundstage was just too narrow, and they felt like they REALLY lacked dynamics, especially for a focal headphone, who are known for their headphones having very good dynamics. Also there is this odd tonality that just feels "off" that I couldn't really ever put my finger on. They were very comfortable and isolating, and a beautifully crafted pair of headphones, but definitely not my cup of tea.

[@cp070476]

Excellent looking and built headphones Focal's are but the sound falls very short to say they get really good reviews. My Sony's with built in amps sound so much better. The bass power and punch is superior. Maybe Focal need to go down the 'Active' route?

[@m.b.6129]

My top 3 most beautiful Headphones: 1 Meze Empyrian 2 Hifiman HE 1000 V2 3 Fostex TH 909 Red

[@kyron42]

You forgot to mention KSC75 :)

[@m.b.6129]

@@kyron42😂

[@ThemsChameleons]

I'm looking to buy Focal Celestee High-End Closed-Back Over-Ear Wired Headphones, and was wondering if these Moondrop moonriver 2 ti can be used with them? Ex - plugging my phone into the moondrop moonriver 2 ti and that into my Focal Celestee headphones? I want am amplifier for those headphones to take them on the go or relax in my home. But I'm new to being an audiophile at a high end in depth level. Thanks for any advice you can give me!

[@NegativeKelvin]

My worry with these was that with the recessed cable it might be harder to use aftermarket cables.

[@JoshuaValour]

The stock cable is pretty wide actually, so unless it’s a HUGE diameter aftermarket cable, you should be good, even though it’s recessed.

[@NegativeKelvin]

@@JoshuaValour Thats good to know! Might not look the best but at least would work ok. These are the top of my closed back list but just invested in the MM-500 so will have to wait a bit before I take the CB plunge.

[@jozef_franek]

I have Celestee and bought longer balanced cable without problem

[@BabuRaj-pr8gt]

Hi Jo, could you please review the new focal Bathys headphones. Much appreciated. Thanks

[@Xenaman]

Would be nice to have a review for the stellia and how they compare to the radiance and co

[@Raul.Sharma]

Sir, first of all you do a great job of reviewing headphones, dacs and amps. My request is, would it be possible for you to review Chord mojo 2 dac? It is highly praised in audiophile community, is it really that good?

[@collinswitzer1111]

Any plans to review a ZMF Atrium?

[@marisagbecerra]

Sweet pair of headphones

[@MuhammadKharismawan]

Do you still have the Z1R? How does it compare?

[@thor_86]

hey Josh, have you reviewed stellia? i didn't see a video. your thoughts?

[@antxiety]

7:30 damn... you good joshy?

[@kyron42]

Sorry to hear about your first love.

[@97Syahmie]

For a sec there when you said "something that's never going to happen" I thought you said storm lmao

[@luigismilazzo]

Yes, 0,1 db difference on an amp response is amaaaaaazing

[@johngotti8544]

I got these focal celestee headphones from a friend of mine for $300 dollars is that a good deal 🤷‍♂️ because they are like 2 years old headphones

[@michelegambierazzi]

Have you tried Focal Listen Professional? Seems very cheap for being a Focal headphone, but I can't find any reviews on them from sources I trust...

[@arthurhaywood2184]

My choice for a travel friendly closed back is the DCA Aeon 2 Noire. Better comfort & stylish without standing out too much. The only negative is that it does require some power to sound its best.

[@jamesbittle469]

The Noire feels much more premium compared to the Focal.

[@NTR_Savant]

Any reason sound wise? Comfort and style aren't much of a deciding factor for me

[@arthurhaywood2184]

@@NTR_Savant I’m very happy with the sonics. They’re designed to adhere to the Harmon Curve and the technicals are very good. The soundstage has good depth and height. Only the width feels a bit constricted. Still, all-in-all, it’s excellent for a closed back headphone. If I had to critique one area, it would be that they don’t have that last nth of air in the treble. I don’t mind that though because image separation is excellent & I’m treble sensitive. No treble fatigue with the Noire. I don’t get your not being concerned with comfort though. An uncomfortable headphone is not going to receive a lot of time no matter how good they sound!

[@gwapster13]

The Noire sounds limp compared to the Focal. Dynamics is just not great. The other aspects of the sound are actually good, though.

[@koureywheeler]

i happen to pick up the newer Sony Walkman would these headphones be good for that?

[@steveee2511]

my celestees just arived these week how long of burn in time do they need i saw somewhere 20 hours other place 100 i personally had heard them now 5 hours on my ear with instrumental jazz,female voice jazz,electro,rock plus 1 hour i used then on gaming pc with a cod game laud explotions shotting ,one night i let them 8 and half hour playing to a youtube mix shoud i repead these 3 or 4 times leaving them even 10 hours.

[@IndecisiveConclusion]

I'd like to see you review focal bathy's

[@dr.emilschaffhausen4683]

Buy these over the Clear Professional?

[@AJL713]

Great videos. Have you considered doing a video on the iFi Gryphon portable dac/amp? It might be a good match for the Celeste. I wonder how it sounds appreciably different with the XBoost & XSpace features.

[@Xzvsc]

Is celestee will leak sound to outside? I bought elegia for music recording purpose (monitoring). But it leaked to my microphone

[@weihuang6165]

sir, i know this is off topic but can i ask you about sennheiser hd 280 pro, can i use it on my pc with onboard soundcard alc 1200, the Standard output is ≤ 1.1 Vrms (32 Ω) and the hd 280 pro has 60 Ω impedance, or a dedicated soundcard is a must?

[@booksquotes948]

Best noise cancellation headphones ????

[@RabbitConfirmed]

How would you compare this to the Sony MDR z1r? I want a headphone for gaming as well. Must be closed back though.

[@146maxpain]

Has the channel imbalance of the Focal Clear MG been fixed in this edition????

[@GabrielUnger]

What is the best amplifier for the focal celestee? 😃

[@hannibalhector3719]

Do you see them making a wireless set at any point?

[@Vugar.Ahmadov]

Review new Bowlers and Wilkins Px7 S2...

[@Donsploitation]

Editing and quality of your videos are always on point. I do have to say that the camera shake, earthquake effect, seizure look doesn't suit the well structured videos. Camera shake is used primarily to cover up bad editing and lazy choreography in action films. Distracting in static subject matter.

[@TimCz83]

Would these be good to pair along with a set of HD600s if I wanted something a bit more punchy for stuff like daft punk (random access memories in particular) with a Schiit stack? Granted it is for home use, so if there is a better open back to pair with, def can look elsewhere.

[@MrSaproling]

got a HD 600 for over 5 years, recently got the Hifiman Xs, absolute game changer and I am a big fan of daft punk, got a shiit stack as well.

[@TimCz83]

@@MrSaproling interesting! How do you find the difference in the two?

[@a2raya87]

Its not about looks.. called up local store and its half price cause they discontinued focal brand. Was about to order these and he said your hifiman ananda nano are still better overall

[@leagueofotters2774]

Well, if some dude said...

[@jimlionberger685]

Can you compare to the DCA Aeon 2 Noire?

[@personwiththeface4416]

Meze would like a word with you about beautiful headphones.

[@frank2908]

Auditioned these, very suprise at Focal since it sounds like if you cover any open back hp with your hand. I thought it was a bit lazy job.

[@coalregionrider18960]

Does anyone know if I could run these with a Dragon Fly Cobalt ? I like good bass and I listen to classic rock and metal and death metal.

[@supernehc]

Have the Clear MG Pro... very very satisfied with them... the cables... well... not so good lol

[@HiFiInsider]

IMHO, it is too big to travel with. I think Diana by ABYSS is more travel friendly and lower profile on the head.

[@vianhoho19]

I personally don't mind the size; I've tried the two original headphones, the Utopia and Elear and if this Celestee is around the same size as those, as big as it is, I don't really mind it. I do agree with the Dianas though; they're so conveniently sized

[@AliArghavan]

Isn't Diana open back?!

[@JoshuaValour]

Or IEMs!

[@TylersEclectic]

Such a good looker! The cable is short ha!

[@odzinski]

I own Celestee. The cable is not short.

[@jamesbittle469]

I think Focal headphones are fine, but some folks might their fit and sound to be a bit strange. I listened to a Celestee in a store recently, and I wasn't very impressed (not for $1000). Plus, the build quality seemed a bit suspect as the demo unit squeaked terribly. Personally, I find the Aeon Closed Noire a better portable solution for me. The Noire sounds excellent (when properly powered), is very comfortable, and is ultra-portable.

[@BLEED.THEBLUE]

Replaceable headphone ear cups? Where have I seen this before🤔🤔🤔

[@vitalysamonov3399]

There is no such thing hing is too much bass 😅lol. So it sounds great on tubes yeah. Is exactly what I need just grabbed a pair 🎉. Those esthetics thou

[@matthewweflen]

Celestee vs Z1R?

[@808mp5]

But but does it clip

[@Krishnakumar-wl7ih]

Hi Joshua.. Can I drive them with a Fiio BTR5 or BTR7??

[@patrick9036]

I tried a Celestee with my BTR5 and I was really disappointed. It easily got it loud enough but it sounded really thin, dry and congested with almost no bass or treble.

[@SKY11211213]

BTR5 no, BTR7 yes. Reason is probably the headphone takes all the properties of the amp / dac and gets coloured. It is like using Koss KPH30i level of sound change from amp to amp 2:40 min - but please do not quote me on that. I just assume this.

[@jodiac]

You can drive these out of a phone since their impedance is only like 30ohms, but whether they sound good or not, that is another matter.

[@LaVey1999]

I use the Celestee with the FiiO Q1 Mark II balanced. I have enough Power (even unbalanced) but in comparison with my iFi Stack (Zen DAC v1 & Zen Can v1) the bass is not that powerful and the sound is not so '‘clean‘‘. It‘s not as detailed as with my iFi‘s. But Overall its better than direct from my iPod.

[@AudioHead809]

Me: “Can his video production possibly get any better?” Josh: “Hold my beer”

[@cgdogan]

hi Josh, I'm not in this hobby not for so long, mostly started with your channel, what I can not understand in this hobby is almost everyone I listen is hating EQ but trying to EQ the earphone or headphone with a matching amp. it sounds really silly to me to spend 100 times of an EQ equip to many different amps. I also came to the point once more while watching this video when you said it's matching really well with this or that amp. is this a marketing for the amps? where am I missing the point?

[@gwapster13]

Reminds me of Spiderman. Dunno why but it does.

[@Morden97]

I have the focal elegia and damn I wish I'd known about their weird shape beforehand. They're insanely uncomfortable

[@Paul-py1oh]

"Best modern travel companion"???? Until the headband snaps lmao

[@POINDXTRMUSIC]

I’ve been considering this one for a looong time. I listen to fast and deep EDM like Drum and Bass. Would this be a good pick or would the Clear be better?

[@Fremmy]

It works excellent for drum and bass but the clear sounds better in my opinion, but as you know, the clear are like what $5-600 more so you're getting what you're paying for. I own both Celestee and Clear and I find that I use my Clear more often now.

[@Monsoon1030]

I agree with Fremmy. I like these for drum n bass more than my Sennheisers or Dan Clark phones most of the time. Modern d n b tends to mix the snare a bit hot in the upper mid as opposed to the early 2000’s tendency to boost around 200hz. The Celestee is detailed enough that if the mix engineer was on crack that day, you’ll get a bit of glare in the upper mids. Most higher end headphones will do that. Blame the mixing guy. Paired with an amp that controls this area will pay big dividends on Celestee. The Clear MG though, is slightly more recessed in this zone, making it my absolute favorite for dnb. Long story short- the Celestee is dope for dnb. The clears are a bit better. Bass after some break in is amazing on the Celestee. It might take you a bit to figure out the best fit on your head, but once you do…very very good. They are on my ‘never sell’ list.

[@falcodarkzz]

ive owned the clear and these side by side (now stellia). The Clear are eons ahead of the celestee. Zero comparison there. Might sound like hyperbole but it really is suprising how much better the clear perform

[@RamSarup]

The clamping force on these were too much for me to handle especially at the bottom of each cup due to the spring design. Returned and went for the Audeze LCD-X. Heavier, but soo much better.

[@marzcapone9939]

I love my LCD-X, but keep looking for some closed backs for work. Currently using some old Ultrasone Proline 650 with a Schiit HEL2E, it's better than nothing, but kind of harsh on the highs. I just can't spend $1,000 on something for work, when I can hear so much machinery around me.

[@Rayman30]

@@marzcapone9939 I have a pair of LCD-X, after being somewhat underwhelmed with other closer backs, I bit the bullet and purchased LCD2 Closed backs, I love them, they barely sound closed, and retain everything I like about the X.

[@kbeau937]

the EYE contact lol

[@masterxyr]

they look very similar, excluding colour hues, to the Elegia, which I reckon have quite decent stage, but do fail to excite me. Ironic, since they are my most expensive pair. has that Broadway been reviewed yet? def in the market for something different from the 887 besides tubes

[@abej9790]

Wish these sound as good as they look. I never wanted to return these beauties but the sound was too bright and unbalanced for me, offering a not-so-enjoyable listening experience.

[@TigraZ]

i like the stellias more

[@erickus36]

My friend those in Canada sell for 1200$$$ there is no way in hell that I could afford those in this lifetime or the next!

[@richm4402]

Get the Elegia for $550 Canadian, excellent deal. Really happy with mine

[@HobbyTalk]

I liked Celestee more than MG myself…

[@theonlinething1039]

There's schmutz on your sensor

[@TheFIghtin]

Dianna, iBasso's headphones, the T60rp, AWKT, SE Master 1, etc etc look better than this french plastic looking set with suspect QC near Hifiman levels. That being said, Focals have always sounded pleasant to me. Nothing crazy, not the best, but incredibly pleasant. I regret ditching my Radiance to try different things, the 'ol friend will return some day.

[@j_cob]

For me, Celestee are the best looking headphones out there. Unfotunately, in sound quality, they are at least medicore. For that price you can buy real HiFi unicorn, which are MEZE 109 PRO. I got them 2 months ago and since then, they became my referrence. Spectacular sound for their value.

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

I'm very sensitive to dark headphones. Dark = Veiled as far as I am concerned and it kills the music. I tried the Clear MG Pro and hated them.

[@bilelbeavis977]

Tried these at canjam. They're now my go to for a thousand dollars. Peace

[@Sandman121]

They are beautiful but man is their headband design horribly uncomfortable and has questionable durability.

[@najeraz]

Ear pads, not the best - not the worst? So like the 99.999999999 of the market?

[@sheep7255]

my monitor is long enough for the e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e

[@DarkFireBlade25]

idk, i think the Radiance is better looking

[@karthikvel1608]

My phone outputs 32bit 384khz so I can use this with my phone

[@samuelljackson.]

Dark 🙂

[@cp070476]

I have some Focal Elegia's.. £900 new. My Sony XM3's totaly destroyed em... If you want zero bass, poor midrange then go for the Focals.. Utter rubbish.

[@asplmn]

_Might just be the prettiest headphones..._ **Laughs in ZMF** ;)

[@willsenwijaya9410]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 ZMF is the undisputed super model in the world of headphones

[@morespinach9832]

Also breaks a lot.

[@jdllim]

7:30 bruh...

[@efgp1315]

Bruh...

[@mikylenaidoo1779]

Every focal to date has mechanical clipping. If you did not experience it, go ahead and listen to something with alot of subbass and you will find it.

[@DylanKallander]

hey josh, are u a chewer it always looks like you have a dip in

[@ragecandy]

No way

[@BLEED.THEBLUE]

Thousand dollar headphones???? I remember when they thought Apple 600$ headphones were a lot 😂😂😂😂

[@MrMrpony]

Too short :)

[@gumbyno5808]

That intro lmao

[@eugeneondasound]

This doesn't sound like a very positive review 😂