3-way shootout; Focal Clear vs Hifiman Arya vs Focal Stellia

Great honest human feedback. I love, like love the utopias, but i also love the clears. I honestly love all focal headphones ive heard, ... Menu Home Forums HeadGear Gallery Articles Sponsors Classifieds Login Register What'snew Search Newposts Searchforums Menu Login Register Installtheapp Install LatestThreadImages Seefullthreadgallery... FeaturedSponsorListings DROP+HIFIMANHE-R7DXCLOSED-BACKHEADPHONES Drop 149.00USD Youareusinganoutofdatebrowser.Itmaynotdisplaythisorotherwebsitescorrectly.Youshouldupgradeoruseanalternativebrowser. 3-wayshootout;FocalClearvsHifimanAryavsFocalStellia Home Forums EquipmentForums Headphones(full-size) Threadstarter Bodhi01 Startdate Feb24,2019 Prev 1 2 First Prev 2of2 joesuburb 100+Head-Fier Joined Aug7,2010 Posts 172 Likes 70 Location SimiValley,CA jooonnnsaid: Greathonesthumanfeedback.Ilove,likelovetheutopias,butialsolovetheclears.Ihonestlyloveallfocalheadphonesiveheard,ijustknowwhichilovemore,andithinkeveryone’skindfeedbackisreinforcingthelifelessonivelearnedofbuywhatiwantorsaveupuntilicanifmymeanscanmakeitwork(also....avoidbuyingtwicebysettlingfirst,oops). Whatdac/ampareyouusingwiththese? Clicktoexpand... I'mjustusingaDragonflyRed.Iusethesemostlyatwork.Drivesthemabsolutelyfine.   FocalStellia UEIERM 329161 HeadphoneusSupremus Joined May5,2012 Posts 2,453 Likes 464 Don'twriteofftheAryafromyourlessthanidealaudition.I'veheardanEmpyreanownerhassaidtheHifimanisbetterthantheMezeafterhearing.   joesuburb 100+Head-Fier Joined Aug7,2010 Posts 172 Likes 70 Location SimiValley,CA dcfac73said: Don'twriteofftheAryafromyourlessthanidealaudition.I'veheardanEmpyreanownerhassaidtheHifimanisbetterthantheMezeafterhearing. Clicktoexpand... Imightbeaminorityhere,butinmyopinionopen-backheadphonesservenopurposeandthat'swhythephenomenalperformanceoftheStelliaissoexciting. Ilistentomyhomeloud-speakersystemwhenIwantmusicathomealone.IusemycanswhenI'matworkonthego.That'smyuse-case.Notsayingitseveryone'suse-casebutI'dsayitsprobablyprettycommon.ClosedbackTOTLheadphonesarewhereitsatforme.   FocalStellia UEIERM BassicScience 500+Head-Fier Joined Feb3,2017 Posts 989 Likes 1,701 jooonnnsaid: Imleaningtowardstheclosedbacksinceiliveinasmallsomewhatnoisyapartmen,butofcuriosity,arethereanythingstoworryaboutwhenitcomestogettingapairofusedutopias?Ididntknowiftheyweresuperfragileorhadissuestolookforbeingmadeofsuchfancymaterials. Clicktoexpand... WhenIbuyused,Iprefertopurchaseanitemthatisstillwithitsoriginalownerandideallyinsuperbcondition.Iaskquestions(likehowmuchweretheyusedandatwhatvolume)andcantellalotbythemannerinwhichthesellerresponds,bothabouttheheadphonesandaboutwhetherIwanttodealwiththeseller.Iftheheadphoneshaven'tbeenabused,dropped,etc.,Idon'tthinkyou'dhaveanythingtoworryabout.MyunderstandingisFocalhonorsthewarrantyforfiveyearsfromoriginalsalenomatterwhocurrentlyownsit.Theyaren'tfragile,ingeneral. Onepossibleissueistheleatherintheheadbandandearpadscanbeaspongeforbodyoils.Youcangetnewpadsifyouwant(foraround$200,Ibelieve)andthere'sacoolknittedwrappingcoverfortheheadbandavailableoneBayforabout$10.Icanpostalinkifyou'reinterested.   Roon/Tidal==>Self-builtSilentPC==>EMMLabsDA2V2==>AudioResearchRef6SE==>NADM22V2==>{HifimanSusvara,iFiProiESL==>HifimanShangri-laJunior} Other:DCAAEON2Noire,ApollonPurifi1ET400AMINI,BenchmarkDAC3HGC,QuestyleCAS192DGoldDAC,QuestyleCMA800i BassicScience 500+Head-Fier Joined Feb3,2017 Posts 989 Likes 1,701 joesuburbsaid: Imightbeaminorityhere,butinmyopinionopen-backheadphonesservenopurposeandthat'swhythephenomenalperformanceoftheStelliaissoexciting. Ilistentomyhomeloud-speakersystemwhenIwantmusicathomealone.IusemycanswhenI'matworkonthego.That'smyuse-case.Notsayingitseveryone'suse-casebutI'dsayitsprobablyprettycommon.ClosedbackTOTLheadphonesarewhereitsatforme. Clicktoexpand... Iworkfromhome,andamrarelyaloneinthehouse.Openbackheadphonesareperfectforme.Ialsohaveclosedbacks(andIEMs)fortheothersituationsyoumention.   Roon/Tidal==>Self-builtSilentPC==>EMMLabsDA2V2==>AudioResearchRef6SE==>NADM22V2==>{HifimanSusvara,iFiProiESL==>HifimanShangri-laJunior} Other:DCAAEON2Noire,ApollonPurifi1ET400AMINI,BenchmarkDAC3HGC,QuestyleCAS192DGoldDAC,QuestyleCMA800i Svatopluk 100+Head-Fier Joined Sep13,2014 Posts 494 Likes 238 Bodhi01said: Yes,buttheUtupia'sarelesspracticalinthattheyneedadedicatedhighendheadphoneamptoproperlydrivethem&getthebestoutofthem.Andalso,beingopenback,they'renotpracticalinnoisyenvironmentsorpublicplaces.TheStelia'sOTOHcanbedrivencomfortablywithahighendDAPlikeanAKSP1000orSP2000,orportableheadphoneamplikeaWooAudioWA8.Andobviouslytheycanbeusedathome,onlongtrainorplanetrips,onholiday,anywherereally. Clicktoexpand... Iagreewiththededicatedheadphoneamppart,notsureaboutithavingtobehighend.CurrentlyusingaNuforceIcon/DAC(nolongerinproduction)forabedroomampwiththeUtopia.Thepairingdefinitelyworkswithoutanydetectableshortcomingsoratleasttomy60yearoldears.NotsayingtheIconperformsonthesamelevelastheYggdrasil/RagnarokcombobutithasnothingtobeashamedofwhenpairedwiththeUtopia.TheNuforceIconwaslessthan$500whennew.   jooonnn NewHead-Fier Joined Feb20,2017 Posts 49 Likes 29 Location Washington,USA Thanksalotthreaditis100%yourfault(definitelynotmine)iorderedthestelliasandwillreporthowtheyfareonWednesday....thanksforeverythingiwillloveinadvance   bagwell359 HeadphoneusSupremus Joined Nov10,2016 Posts 3,804 Likes 2,830 Location NNWofBoston joesuburbsaid: Imightbeaminorityhere,butinmyopinionopen-backheadphonesservenopurposeandthat'swhythephenomenalperformanceoftheStelliaissoexciting. Ilistentomyhomeloud-speakersystemwhenIwantmusicathomealone.IusemycanswhenI'matworkonthego.That'smyuse-case.Notsayingitseveryone'suse-casebutI'dsayitsprobablyprettycommon.ClosedbackTOTLheadphonesarewhereitsatforme. Clicktoexpand... Openbacksmayservenopurposeforyou,butthereveryfewclosedbacksthatevendeservea2ndlookIMOgoingbackalmost40years.Unlessyoulistentoopenbacksatcrunchingvolumestheycanbarelybeheardat10feet.Iusedtohavesomegreatspeakers(VerityParsifalv3,MLXLSIIzw/Gradientsubs)andI'vegotopenbackedheadphonesthatcost25to35xlessthatsoundbetterinsomeways. IwilltrytofindtheStelliatolistento,andseeifit'sworthy.   cans:HE-6sev1,HE-500,HEXv2,HE-5LE,HD-600w/BHCs,HE-5LE src:CambridgeCXC,SonyCE595,Kenwood880D eq:Toneboostersprmtric;usb:NeoOyaided+;coaxCalradAG dac:GungnirMB1,LGv40845;amps:Ragnarok1,BHCs(mods) other:Triangle202,Cizek1;MusicHall7.1,Shelter501,AdcomGFP-750,Rotel1070 FullBright1 HeadphoneusSupremus Joined Dec5,2013 Posts 8,183 Likes 9,367 Location Israel:ortheUSA joesuburbsaid: Imightbeaminorityhere,butinmyopinionopen-backheadphonesservenopurposeandthat'swhythephenomenalperformanceoftheStelliaissoexciting. Ilistentomyhomeloud-speakersystemwhenIwantmusicathomealone.IusemycanswhenI'matworkonthego.That'smyuse-case.Notsayingitseveryone'suse-casebutI'dsayitsprobablyprettycommon.ClosedbackTOTLheadphonesarewhereitsatforme. Clicktoexpand... Yes,youareintheminority. Theconsensualfactisthat,regardingsoundquality,anopenbackisgoingtowin. Thisiswhyall"real"headphonemakers,puttheirbestTEK$$$$$$$$into"open"headphones.   Prev 1 2 First Prev 2of2 Youmustloginorregistertoreplyhere. Userswhoareviewingthisthread Total: 2(members: 0,guests: 2) Share: Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link Home Forums EquipmentForums Headphones(full-size) Wearecurrentlyupdatingthesearchindex,anditmaybetemporarilyunavailablewhilethisisinprocess.Thankyouforunderstanding. Thissiteusescookiestohelppersonalisecontent,tailoryourexperienceandtokeepyouloggedinifyouregister. Bycontinuingtousethissite,youareconsentingtoouruseofcookies. Top