Focal Elegia

The Focal Elegia is above-average critical listening headphones. They’re the closed-back variant of the similarly designed Focal Elear. These premium headphones are very comfortable for long listening sessions and have a great build quality with a metal frame and a detachable cable.

They’re a bit more versatile thanks to their closed-back design and shorter cable, which allows you to use them outside as well. They did their best to use outdoors since they have a bulky design, their isolation performance is average-at-best, and they don’t have an in-line remote with a microphone for calls. Nevertheless, these are headphones that should please most users who can afford them.

Aesthetic Design with an M-shape dome driver for Focal Elegia

The jacks on the 1.2m silver and black detachable cable (we wouldn’t mind one a little longer, though) slide a good few millimeters into each cup to connect, locking into place. This adds to the premium feel but also gives this potential weak spot an extra level of protection.

At the other end of the cable, you have a 3.5mm stereo jack plug and a 6.35mm jack adapter. This all comes in a smart hard shell carry case for the footballer-getting-off-the-team-bus look and means you don’t have to sling such expensive headphones lose into your bag.

While the inclusion of a carry case is pretty standard, these Focals perhaps warrant it more than most: they are designed for portable and home use, which isn’t always the case with high-end headphones.

The all-important business of music delivery is done by the 40mm aluminum/magnesium dome drivers. Designed and manufactured in-house at Focal’s factory in France, the company calls it an M-shape inverted dome design and has a patent-pending to boot.

‘M’ drivers for a lifelike sound

Featuring 40mm aluminum and magnesium speakers with an exclusive ‘M’-shape dome, the Focal Elegia headphones have the signature Focal sound. Unlike other designs, the Elegia headphones use a full-range driver for each channel. This means no filters or crossovers to get in the way of the music signal and distort the sound. From the deepest bass to the highest treble, Elegia’s sound is just as the artist intended.

Closed-back design for excellent sound isolation

With closed backs, the Elegias offer superb outside noise isolation. With outside noise reduced to a minimum, you can hear every musical detail inside the headphones. Another advantage is, with the sound kept in, the sound won’t disturb others around you.

Lightweight and luxurious comfort

The solid aluminum yoke provides strong but lightweight support for the speakers. Combined with the leather and microfibre-covered headband and rotating earpiece adjustment, you get the perfect fit for long-term listening pleasure.

Crafted from microfibre fabric and memory foam, the earpads combine the perfect function of a luxurious feel against your head with a non-sweat design. Combined with the padded headband, it makes these headphones comfortable to listen to for even extended listening sessions.

Neutral Sound for Optimum Comfort

The Focal Elegia is above-average for neutral listening. They have an extended and powerful bass, a flat and even mid-range, and a decent treble. However, they have a slightly forward-sounding mid-range. Overall, they’re versatile for a variety of music genres and will please most users. They’re also well-padded and comfortable for long listening sessions, and their great build quality will last you years.

Last Thoughts about Focal Elegia

The Elegia matches the near-perfect sound quality of other expensive headphones, but it produces rich, accurate audio that you won’t be disappointed with. Its greatness lies in the genius engineering of the M-profile dome driver, which does a solid impression of reproducing sound the same way one would hear it from a pair of speakers.

Focal Elegia’s Specifications

• Type: Over-ear, closed-back
• Drivers: Dynamic Driver
• Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 23 kHz
• Impedance: 35 ohms
• Sensitivity: 105 dB/1mw
• Connector: 3.5mm dual-pin custom
• Weight: 15.4 oz, 430 grams