Review of Focal Celestee by Alban Amouroux fro Qobuz.com
Focal Celestee: closed-back headphones with an open mind
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weight looks good, less than 500 gms, can use it longer.
@resolve last January in your high-end closed-back headphone shootout, you compared the Aeon 2 and Focal Elegia. You ranked them in a tie. Would you rank the Celestee over the Aeon 2? Thanks!
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Absolutely. I’d like to evaluate the Noire at some point, but at the moment it’s an easy pick for me.
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Does anyone happen to have compared these vs ZMF’s Aeolus? I’m looking at options around 1k and the Celeste is right up there.
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I might be able to do that in the near future =)
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That would be super helpful! I know it’s a strange comparison to ask for but as a first timer looking into options around 1k it’s easier to ask someone who’s knows better on how to A/B the differences!
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Hi all,
Just asking a question as I can’t find anything on the internet. I will be grabbing the Celestees and was wondering if the Hifiman cables will work with the Focals.
I have a balanced XLR and 2.5. I know they use the same connection headphone-side, but will the circular depressions of the focal inhibit a proper connection for these cables?
Thanks a bunch
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Hey welcome to the community!
Focal headphones use 3.5 dual mono connectors, not 2.5…The current hifiman headphones use 3.5 though which are interchangeable with the focals.
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Thanks and thanks for the reply! Sorry I meant 2.5 on the other end so I guess I should be fine. Yay no sriracha and toast for the month just for expensive cables.
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How does the regular DCA Aeon2 compare to the Focal Celestee in terms of the technical performance? Can’t decide wich to buy. I mostly listen to accoustic music with a lot of vocals
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I listened to Célestee at Focal’s factory.
No more than four hours with Dragonfly Cobalt and Audirvana on MacBook Pro.
I own DCA Noire (closed back with perforated pads).
If you’re into acoustic music with vocals you can definitely go for Célestee.
Midrange isn’t a A2C thing, as much as I love mine.
Just my opinion based on an unfair comparison between 4 hours/1 month listening.
Enjoy.
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Any more analysis on the Celestee for us? 
Four hours with an headphone are like few minutes with Aristotle’s Metaphysics: you can’t get a lot.
Comfortable, perfectly set on head with no issues in excessive clamping force nor loose.
Premium construction and materials.
Richness and smoothness in tones.
Never had the impression of congested sounds nor with Bach’s Cello Solos nor with Autechre’s Amber.
Alvin Lucier’s Works for Ever Present Orchestra sounded with a perfect balance and without any disturbance in treble. These are psychoacoustic pieces for solo guitars, piano and reflective sounds. All came very well controlled.
Alva Noto + Ryoji Ikeda + Mika Vainio Live 2002 sounded good with no particular hisses in the highs coming from Ikeada computer generated blemished pulses.
The last two albums I’ve mentioned are quite hard to control properly with a closed back headphone.
Being closed cans after two hours I felt the need for a pause but I believe this is a good time in listening without any issue.
I hope it will be useful.
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According to the Grados, midrange accounts for @ 85% of the music information. If that’s anywhere near correct, then one would hope it was the Aeon Closed 2’s thing.
As much as I can respect Grado opinions I’m used to listen to music through my ears and not through someone’s statements.
When I say midrange isn’t A2C thing I mean you can find better headphones for it.
A2C are closed back headphones with a sound that to my ears is very good as long as you can accept the compromises coming from closing an headphone.
Opinions may vary from one another.
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Thanks, yes agreed it is a short time but I’m glad to hear what you discerned anyway
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For those few who have heard the Celestee, is there a genre for which they are clearly inappropriate? I listen to pretty much everything, from classical and jazz to metal and electronic and am looking for an all-rounder closed back that I won’t have to EQ.
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I’ll say country music but that’s because I find country music to be inappropriate to be played anywhere,
I listen to a lot of metal, punk and edm and they’re great for those genres. @Resolve is the jazz guy and I know he’s a big Celestee fan so I’d say they do pretty well there as well.
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Awesome, thank you! Ordered.
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