Focal Celestee And Focal Clear Mg Review: Headphones ...

Since the launch of the impressive Focal Utopia flagships full five years have passed. Although in this case it is better to say “only five” ... Hi-FiSpeakersGamingHeadphonesMobileGadgetsLaptopsTVMoreFocalCelesteeandFocalClearMgReview:HeadphonesmadeforAudiophilesGeorgeBaumratner·Headphones·04/03/2021ShareAllTechWeekwritersareindepententandfrommanydifferentcountries.Someenglishmisspellingandgrammarmistakesmayoccur.Wanttocontribute?JointheteamSincethelaunchoftheimpressive FocalUtopiaflagships fullfiveyearshavepassed. Althoughinthiscaseitisbettertosay“onlyfive”,ifwetakeintoaccounthowrapidlytheentirerangeofpersonalaudiohasgrowninthebrand,whichpreviouslyconsistedonlyofthe“classic”Listenline.Nowthereareplug-inmodelsandwirelessones,andintheupperaudiophilelinethereisgenerallyafullhouse:onthetechnologicalbaseofUtopia,thecompanyfirstmadetwoopenversionscheaper,andthenaddedacoupleofclosedonestotherow. In2018,Focalwowedthejeweleryworldwithaone-offversionoftheUtopiaMaisionTournaireinsolidgold,andin2020withexclusiveRadianceco-createdwithBentley. ItisalsoworthrecallingthereleaseoftwoprofessionalvarietiesoftheClearmodel(theoldandthenew,whichwewillalsotalkaboutlater). Andofcourse,Thelatter,althoughnotnew,deservesaseparatereview. Inadditiontobeinganexcellentconverterwithdifferentialoutputanddualmonopowersupply,Arkahasseveraluniqueand,inmyopinion,greatlyunderestimatedbyHead-Fifans. TheamplifyingpartofthedeviceworksdeeplyinclassA–withnotsicklyheatdissipation,butinthemostlinearanddistortion-freemode(uptoamaximumoutputpowerof1wattat32Ohm,whichismorethanenoughevenforthelowest-sensitivityheadphones).Inadditiontothis,theoutputstagesaredouble,switchable. Oneworksasaclassicvoltageamplifier,theotherasacurrent/voltagehybrid,andthischoiceallowsyoutoachievethebestsoundfromheadphoneswithcompleximpedance. But,perhaps,thiswasjustnotworthdoing–somemusicloverswithpoortechnicalknowledgemighthavetheimpressionthattheamplifiersareoptimizedonlyfor“Focal”headphonesandarenotsuitableformodelsofotherbrands(which,ofcourse,isnotthecase). Becauseofthis,theArchedidnotreceivetheinterestitdeserved–theamplifierwillsoonbediscontinued,althoughfewcancomparewithitinthe“calligraphic”renderingofthelowerregisterandtheclarityofthetransferoftherestofthespectrum.AsforthenewproductsthatIwilllistentotoday(includingwiththeFocalArche),bothrepresentthegoldenmeanoftheaudiophileseries. Celesteebridgedthepricegapbetweentheaffordable Elegia andthetop-of-the-lineStelliainamodelclosed-backbranchofheadphones. AndClearMGfitinexactlythesamewaybetweenthehi-fiElearandthetop-endUtopiaamongopenheadphones,sendingits predecessors toretirement .Concept“M”Inshort,thismodelcanbethoughtofasamoredesignerversionofthe Elegia . TheyaremadeinoneofthemosttrendycolorsNaviBlue(thisiscalledthe“newblack”intheworldoffashion)andfinishedwithmetalfittingswithacoppershadecarefullyselectedaccordingtotheruleofcolorcombinations. Ingeneral,theylookluxuriousandarepurelytechnicallyexecutedwithimpeccablequality.Forme,theCelesteefitsontheheadalmostperfectly–youcannotfindfaultwitheitherthetightnessofthefit,orthesoftness,orthedegreeofsoundinsulation. TheyarenotheavierthanthesameElegiesandcomewithacapaciousstoragecase,whichwillbequiteconvenientforportableuse(despitethefactthatwearedealingwithordinarynon-foldableheadphones). Otherelectricalcharacteristicshintattheuseofthesamedriversastheaforementionedcheapermodel,which,bytheway,doesnotbothermeatall. Thesearethesameadvanceddriverheadsmadefromthefinestaluminum/magnesiumsheetthatareshapedlikeanM(whenviewedinradialsection)formaximumstructuralrigidity. Addtothisanunusualmagneticsystemthatdoesnotinterferewiththeexitoftheacousticwave.Thesearethesameadvancedheadswithultra-thinaluminum/magnesiumsheetemitters,whicharegiventheshapeoftheletterM.Twoyearsago,Elegiaconqueredwithitsdensesound–anabundanceofdetailsandtonalshades,well-defineddynamicdominantsandsubtlereverberations. IexpectedthattheCelesteewouldgiveoutaboutthesametexturedsound,however,pairedwithArche(defaultsettings:Neutral/Voltage),thenewmodelssurprisedmewiththeirclarityandexpressivespeed,verycoolelaborationofdrumfronts,whichseriouslyaddedrealismtothereproductionofanycombatmusic.ButIwillnotattributethemtoheadphoneswithabassbias. Atfirst,onegetsthefeelingthatthelowerrangeisevenalittlenarrowed(althoughthisisnotso–onrecordswithareallydensespectrumbelow40Hz,everythingisinorderwiththe“foundation”). Thereisnoexcessivebrightnessatthetopeither. Forclosedmodels,theygenerallysoundevenandopen. However,Elegiawaspleasedwiththesame,butthenewitemsdonotevenintroduceanylocalresonancesintothesound–probably,whendesigningthecups,theengineerscarriedoutadditionalacousticoptimizationoftheCelestee’sinternalparts. Togetagenerallyperfectlylinearandneutral(inmyear,Iemphasize,everythingisindividual)transmission,Iusedonlyone(!)Frequencycorrection–weakeneditwithaparametricinawide1200Hzband,andonlyby2–3dB.Thereisnoexcessivebrightnessatthetopeither. Forclosedmodels,theygenerallysoundevenandopen.Celestee–Modelsarerelatively“light”andflatforanamplifier. SwitchingtheArchetohybridmodedidnotresultinanynoticeablelossofdynamicsorchangesinbassresponse. Switchingtoabalancedoutput(thesecondbundledcable)alsodoesnotmakeanymajorchangesincharacter–thedetailingisenlargedquiteabit,whichmanywilllike.EvenfromasmartphonewithaDAC/HPamplifierchiporfromanintegratedcircuitwithanoutputthrougharesistivedivider,theCelesteeretainsitscollected,richandbalancedsound. Inthefirstcase,thespectralregionof2-4kHzisonlyslightlydistinguished,andinthesecond,onlythefastdynamicsinbassisslightlyweakened. ButwithArche–theduetiscool:bothmelodiousandclear,andsofast-firingindynamicsthatitwillnotseemlikealittle.reportthisadreportthisadRelatedShureAONICFreeReview:ReferencesoundinTWSformatByMaximNovikFiiOFH7Review:PremiumheadphoneswithprofessionalperformanceByÁlvaroNietoXSubscribetogetthebestTechnewsandreviewsoftheweek. 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