This is a response I posted on reddit to a review of the Focal Elex, I had a lot of fun going through each song (granted I was a couple drams deep by the point of the review of the songs with the Elex), it was a very fun exercise and I would love to do it again, maybe we could do a “book club” style playlist with different headphones? What do you think @andrew, @taronlissimore?
"I just got mine, and the detail is really good, such a crazy sound. I’m really liking them, mine are #0031 so that is super cool. Man listening to random music right now and they are just an intense listen…snapping fingers are crisp and the little details that separate out are crazy, and I have the HD800/HD700 these can’t compete on soundstage but musically they are a nice sidegrade. I’m going to go through each of your songs you posted to compare, that should be fun, maybe have a dram or two of whiskey while I listen.
Here is my take on your songs you posted, I listened with the Elex, through the JDS labs Element powering while the El DAC does the dirty work of changing the 010101010110001001 (don’t quote that it is random). Without further ado:
Kashiwa Daisuke - April.#02: I thought my headphones or PC broke… what did I just listen to??? Da FuQ, my brain hurts now…I don’t think I could do that song again lol
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon [Remastered 2008]: Ahhh now this is nice, it goes well with my Irish whiskey I’m drinking (cheap Sexton but nice flavors for the price, plus the bottle is sexy as hell) Frank put my brain back together… =) The Elex is nice with this song Frank def is up front and able to shine!
Tom Odell - Another Love (Zwette Edit): That intro bass with piano (?) is nice, to me it felt like it was cascading across the front of my brain (the piano) and the bass was thumping all around me, voice was very intimate feeling (close to my ear).
Pink Floyd - Interstellar Overdrive: the scratchy intro is just detailed, and the rest just comes in and is…well honestly I was waiting for a jump scare lol Psychedelic isn’t my thing though…onto the next song.
Caravan Palace - Rock It For Me: oooh, I like this, man the left and right at :46sec was a trip, I’m a fan of this song, if you like it check out this: https://open.spotify.com/track/717lZxxn53x2B0eucGiD1Z?si=M_W-fEaYSqGSHc5DxJHdog deadmau5 - The Veldt [8 Minute Edit]: Bass heavy, but is a nice track, Elex performs nicely but I prefer my Fostex X00 for this song. Vocals really shine though, and everything is crisp and intimate.
Blue Scholars - Anna Karina: oh man that intro is just precise, and the stick strikes are so detailed, it almost sounds like a 5gallon bucket that they are striking… I feel like I can hear how he is warping his mouth to rap, if that makes sense…odd hearing that.
Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun: That xylophone is cool sounding(i think that is what I’m hearing). The rest isn’t my thing though, cool track though, except for the high whine around 2:30 onwards that doesn’t sound good at all on the elex.
Cynthia Harrell - Snake Eater (Album Ver.): I’m not a fan of tracks that put fake Vinyl sounds, but the percussion, sounds very precise and detailed.
The Zurich Boys’ Choir - Schubert: Ave Maria: Mmmm, that is just relaxing, and the present(not sure what I was trying to say here…). The Elex is really shining for me on this track, the fingers on the harp…yeah this is nice. Time to refill the tumbler (Redbreast neat is up next, or maybe Balvenie Caribbean Cask)
Radiohead - Daydreaming: (went with Balvenie Doublewood instead) this one felt like faerys were flying around my head for the first part of the track. very soothing song, reminded me of a less intense Saeglopur song: https://open.spotify.com/track/01GwbORTprr9TyO9dxE41O?si=qXQajR2sSImFbfJGQq4a2Q Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra: couldn’t find the song so listened to a couple other tracks from this Orchestra…Classical sounds splendid on the Elex nothing else needs to be said here move along
Secret Garden - Song From A Secret Garden : emotional response inducing, I don’t listen enough to Orchestra or classical tracks, I should they are a ride and an experience that should be taken, more often by everyone.
The Beatles - A Day In The Life: …I got sidetracked listening to this…one sec, it is a trip having voice only in one ear and music in the other. Don’t think I could listen to many more times, cool but not for me. The Elex picks up the strumming very nicely though.
AC/DC - Back In Black: Tolling and cymbals with the guitars wow, that just sounds really good on the Elex the only thing is the cymbals sound kind of far away. The guitar is center stage to everything else. Everything else feels like background to the guitar. Oops accidently listened to Hells bells first ( I blame the booze on track now… the guitar still takes center stage. I recommend listening to both tracks now =)
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean: ooH this sound excellent, the shakers and vocals, mmmm… yeah this track lets the Elex excel! This track really puts a shine to the neutral character of the Elex
Adele - Lovesong: Guitar strumming with Adele vocals…plus good whiskey, and you are in for a treat. nice intimate music listening. I could listen to this for a long time. It was like slow dancing with someone and being pressed tightly together, and not wanting to let go.
Hans Zimmer - No Time for Caution: This is amazing, Hans just creates such iconic tracks, you can get lost in them. I would say the Elex wasn’t so great here on lower listening volumes, but once I turned it up it really shined, and I also got the THX/IMAX immersion. The Elex really sounds good, and picks up a lot of the details and doesn’t let the bass take over. I recommend checking out this Hans Zimmer track as a complement: https://open.spotify.com/track/0UWa0AdUscdQUI7mjjx6G1?si=N1wYAF-USEeI1JabPOdxYA Johann Pachelbel - Pachelbel: Canon and Gigue in D Major for 3 Violins and Continuo, P. 37: 1. Canon (Orchestral Version) | : I can conclude that the Elex really shines with Orchestral performances, it separates but puts everyone right next to you while they play, great listening to Orchestra with these. I’ll have to start listening to more now, and maybe do A/B with the HD800 and the Elex.
Yosi Horikawa - Bubbles: The detail is there but it feels/sounds like a tiny stage in between my ears, It really sounds like the detail of the HD800 but brought way in close. I don’t get the reach out and grab the ping pong ball feeling I get with the HD800/700. Still sounds great though. Especially the rain stick sound.
The Elex has a very neutral character, I was expecting bass cannons from all the reviews of the Elear. I would say these are a sidegrade to the HD800, the Elex is more musical, and more intimate. The soundstage is pressed up against you in a good way. I will say though that I found myself turning the volume higher than I like with the Elex, to really let it shine, I never got higher than peaks in the high 80DBs but it did feel held back at lower listening levels."