A great addition to my collection, it really has great macrodynamic punch, while retaining a balanced tuning!
Focal
Focal Elex Headphones - B Stock
Regular price
$399
Sale price
$399
Regular price
$749.00
Unit price
per
Save 47%
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Focal
Focal Elex Headphones - B Stock
Focal Elex Headphones - B Stock
Regular price
$399
Sale price
$399
Regular price
$749.00
Unit price
per
Save 47%
Pre-order now
Expected to ship next week
Dynamically Engaging Headphones At A Steal Of A Price
Cup style
More information
Open-back headphone designs are often higher-performance but have poor noise isolation and leak sound. Closed-back designs provide better noise isolation and leak less sound.
Open-back headphone designs are often higher-performance but have poor noise isolation and leak sound. Closed-back designs provide better noise isolation and leak less sound.
Open-Back
Wearing style
More information
Over-ear headphones sit over your ear and surround your ear with a ring of padding. On-ear headphones are padded but rest on top of your ear. In-ear monitors are worn inside your ear canal.
Over-ear headphones sit over your ear and surround your ear with a ring of padding. On-ear headphones are padded but rest on top of your ear. In-ear monitors are worn inside your ear canal.
Over-ear
Driver type
More information
Speakers and headphones use a device called a 'driver' to create sound. Different types of drivers have different strengths and weaknesses, but can all produce great sound. Common varieties include dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic.
Speakers and headphones use a device called a 'driver' to create sound. Different types of drivers have different strengths and weaknesses, but can all produce great sound. Common varieties include dynamic, planar magnetic, and electrostatic.
Dynamic
Connectivity
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Connectivity refers to the method in which the headphones connect to the audio source. Headphones can be either wired or wireless.
Connectivity refers to the method in which the headphones connect to the audio source. Headphones can be either wired or wireless.
Wired
Description
Condition, warranty & pricing
B‑stock items have been fully tested and are confirmed to be in good working condition by Focal. B stock items are not opened by Headphones.com when received at our warehouse from Focal. All B‑Stock items include a 1‑year warranty and are sold as final sale. They cannot be returned.
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The Elex represents the culmination of Focal's brilliant engineering minds coming together to bring the best of Elear and Clear to create a truly great dynamic headphone listening experience.
Our take: Reviewer Fc-Construct found the Elex to be a meaningful upgrade from the Sennheiser HD 600, offering a crisp treble forwardness and air with greater clarity and openness. "But what truly sets the Elex apart from the HD 600 and almost every other headphone under $1,000 is its punch and dynamics. It brings a level of energy and liveliness to music that compels you to engage in the listening experience." Read the review
Unparalleled Acoustic Precision and Elegance
Discover a world of sonic perfection with the Focal Elex headphones, a true testament to the relentless pursuit of audio excellence. Crafted by the renowned French audio manufacturer Focal with 40+ years of experience in audio, these headphones seamlessly combine state-of-the-art technology with a timeless design, offering an unparalleled listening experience that will transport you into the heart of your favorite music.
Immersive Soundstage and Unrivaled Clarity
Designed with the utmost precision, the Focal Elex headphones boast an open-back architecture that delivers a breathtakingly wide soundstage. Immerse yourself in a rich and three-dimensional auditory landscape, as the Elex effortlessly recreates the artist's intended presentation with remarkable clarity. Whether you're exploring the delicate nuances of classical orchestras or rocking out to the thunderous beats of contemporary tracks, the Elex headphones faithfully reproduce every detail, ensuring an emotive and lifelike performance.
Exquisite Engineering and Premium Materials
Crafted with a perfect blend of artistry and advanced engineering, the Focal Elex headphones feature an array of premium materials to optimize performance. The 40mm aluminum-magnesium M-Shaped cone acoustic drivers are meticulously designed using Focal's cutting-edge technology, ensuring accurate and controlled sound reproduction across the entire frequency spectrum. Luxurious, perforated memory foam ear pads provide exceptional comfort for extended listening sessions, while the sturdy yet lightweight construction ensures durability and portability without compromising on style. The perforated microfiber on the pads also helps tame the bass on the headphones to bring it to a level everyone can enjoy.
Precision and Perfection in Every Note
At the heart of the Focal Elex headphones lies Focal's 40mm M-Shaped aluminum-magnesium cone that replicates the technology Focal uses in their speakers that they are world-renown for. The extensive audio knowledge from Focal's team combined with their unique driver technology combines the best of both worlds, allowing the Elex to deliver punchy and impactful bass, smooth midranges, and detailed highs with unmatched precision. Experience your favorite tracks with a newfound depth and emotional resonance, as the Elex effortlessly reveals subtleties you never knew existed.
Ergonomic Design for Long-Lasting Comfort
Designed with your comfort in mind, the Focal Elex headphones boast an ergonomic construction that minimizes listening fatigue, making them ideal for prolonged listening sessions. The adjustable headband ensures a personalized fit for any head shape, while the generously padded ear cups envelop your ears with a gentle touch, providing a secure yet gentle seal to enhance sound isolation.
Timeless Aesthetics
True to Focal's legacy of timeless design, the Elex headphones feature an elegant and sophisticated appearance that complements any style. The combination of sleek lines and premium materials exudes a sense of luxury, while the discreet branding adds a touch of exclusivity to the overall look.
Unleash the full potential of your music collection with the Focal Elex headphones - a remarkable fusion of art, science, and unparalleled acoustic prowess. Elevate your auditory senses to new heights and indulge in the purest form of musical pleasure with the Focal Elex, now available at Headphones.com.
Specifications
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity | 104 dB SPL / 1 mW at 1 kHz |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) | < 0.3% at 1 kHz / 100 dB SPL |
| Frequency Response | 5 - 23,000 Hz |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Impedance | 80 ohms |
| Headphone Weight | 450 grams |
| Warranty | 2 year manufacturer's warranty |
Our review
Video review
Reviews
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Customer Reviews
Driver flex leads to clipping at moderade listening levels making horrible metallic pops during the base notes.
First time user. Excellent results
As a Headphone Collector, I was only missing one of Focal's line of wired headphones. I have everything from the Elear to the Utopia. The Elex completes the collection - and as with all of Focal's headphone products, it too delivers with no disappointment. I'm glad to have caught it before its disappearance from the market.
Great product and fast delivery
I have not had these Focal Elex headphones very long, (less than a week), but I am learning to love the sound they produce. I am a low budget audiophile, and these are the best headphones I have purchased, and have ever listened to. I’m loving how musical they are, very tight, punchy bass, vocals that are very present above the instruments, and every horn and stringed instrument sounds so natural.
classic focal sound, dynamic and contrasting
They sound great and have an excellent build.
Sound characteristics are wonderful. The headband is uncomfortable, creating a pretty severe hot spot. The earpads are kind of small, I guess that’s just a focal thing. When adjusting the band I can sometimes hear a strange crack sound like it could be a stress point in the headband.
Getting into the audiophile market and these headphones are spectacular!
Great headphones!
I love Focal stuff, using there monitors in my studio. I thought I can mix and mastering on this headphones. Some reviews sad it’s almost same as a Clear. It’s not. Sound wise and pressure on the head- big difference. I spend a lot of time in headphones to mix my music and this one are not working for me as I expected. Probably should talk to technicians before. Do not rely on reviews, talk to pros
These are great sounding headphones. I didn't realize entirely that these are a Massdrop collaboration product until I saw the premium box they arrived in. I had seen them advertised on Drop.com (always out of stock) but always labeled simply Elex. Regardless, I am a fan of Massdrop (now Drop) products (I own a pair of Drop Panda THX's) and Focal (I own a pair of Focal Bathys). When I listen to my new Elex, I am mentally comparing them to 2 pair of wired open back headphones that I own: the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro and Sennheiser HD 660 S2. I am driving the the headphones with a Hiby R6III DAP through a NewFantasia 4.4mm Balanced cable. The Elex are smooth from the upper frequencies all the way to the bottom. If anything is slightly forward it would be the range of female vocals. The bass is present but not forward. It will still vibrate your molars if that's the way the music was recorded. This is a big set of headphones for my average (size 7 3/8 hat) size head. More importantly, the ear cups are generous, elongated and deep, providing a rich soundstage for any music that was well recorded. The fenestrated faux suede ear cups are soft and conforming. While 42% heavier than my Sennheisers, the well-padded headband makes them comfortable for extended listening. In summary, for a 70 year old man with limited mobility who listens to music via headphones (happy wife!) 5+ hours per day, these $500 Elex headphones are a wonderful addition to my music environment.
The Focal Elex headphones sound amazing, and the service was excellent
The Elex is what many would consider the next logical step up from the HD600, being a neutral tuned dynamic driver headphone with a relatively open baffle/minimal damping. I would say that the Elex succeeds in some places, depending on what you want from your headphones. Here I will compare vs the HD600 ++ Sub-bass, Present on the Elex while basically being absent on the HD600 (still rolls off past ~40Hz on Elex, but at least you can feel the rumble in tracks) + Mid-bass, Punchier on the Elex - Lower mids, The Sennheisers have a warmth to the mids that make lower register strings and male voices seem like they have a pleasant reverb to them. The Elex does not sound cold, but is not warm like the Sennheisers +/- Mids, The Sennheisers are more pronounced in the upper mids while the Elex is more pronounced at ~1.5kHz. The emphasis on the Sennheisers makes vocals sound more prominent, which will be preferable for most people who are not sensitive to excessive ear gain. I am sensitive to this region, so this advantage the Sennheisers would normally have becomes a wash - Treble, The Elex has a generally more peaky treble, although it is not all that noticeable in my opinion. In some cases the peaks in the treble result in a more focused sound vs. the Sennheisers, but this is listed as a - because it is also more likely to be fatiguing (though it is not so for myself) + Stage and Imaging, The Elex opens up the stage vertically and horizontally just enough so you can hear all of the elements of a mix that end up on top of each other and inseparable on the HD600 As a whole, the elevated bass and peakier treble on the Elex, along with the better staging, results in what I would consider a more balanced sound vs. the mids-centric sound on the Sennheisers. As you can see, the comparison is quite close, but the fact that the Elex can stack up against the classic HD600s shows that the Elex (or Clear) may themselves go on to be known as classic headphones.
These are mind-bogglingly good and probably the last headphones I’ll need for a long time. I was coming from HD600, my first pair of audiophile headphones, wanting more bass and softer treble. Elex delivers all that in spades with much better resolution. I am almost always walking around and power these with an iFi GoBlu, and the pairing works brilliantly. Speaking of bass, people are saying good things about the Hadenys. I haven’t tried them but can say the bass on the Elex is perfect and I wouldn’t want more—and I listen to (and DJ) a lot of drum and bass. The bass on these is punchy and dynamic but natural—they’re now my new DJ headphones for home sets (I only mix in ear so open back is ideal). I tried a couple old trapstep songs to test sub-bass and found the tiniest touch of low end EQ strengthens the very low end without dampening mids. Happily, these cans have me suddenly listening to a lot more acoustic and rock, especially older stuff. My go-to demo tracks are You Got It by Roy Orbison and Paul Mariat’s arrangement of Here’s to You. Stunning improvement over the 600s. Although I couldn’t be happier, my only caveat is that these don’t come with a case (you can get one for $30) and the stock cables are only a 1/4” unbalanced and balanced XLR. So you may need a 3.5mm adapter or a 4.5mm unbalanced.
Liked the sound but after adding an EQ to warm them up a little they're my new favorite headphones.
Brilliant brilliant brilliant headphones. The details are just mind blowing. Speed and response - pretty good. Mids and treble - very accurate. Bass is good, not boomy, just the way I like it. Comfort top notch. Overall - as close to perfect as it gets. At the price point, it just cannot be matched. I think I've found my endgame openback headphones. Unless i feel the need for a closed back, might well be the last pair I buy. It's that good. Can't really say more, can I?
Got them for a really good price especially since they are brand new. The headphones sound and feel fantastic and that 3 year warranty is a huge plus.
I'm coming from a place where I really enjoy the Focal house sound as I have their speakers throughout my house, in my car, and in their headphones. I picked these up because they are getting harder to find new, and for the asking price they are very good. I do think they do benefit from some minor tweaks through eq or filter depending on your gear. They are typical Focal in that the mids are forward and the treble is well extended. I tend to find most open backs to struggle with bass and these are no exception. But again, they are half the price of the clear and I wouldn't say the difference is very dramatic. I think most people will like these, unless they have very warm gear to start out with.
Just the Perfect "Fun" Sound signature I wanted to add to my collection... upper-mid budget. Meze 109 pro & Sundara. Sold Philips 9600 & selling Meze 99 Neo. Endgame.
Great headphones and price. Smooth transaction
The Elex was a nice upgrade over the HD 6XX although the HD 6XX mids are still undefeated you get a lot more bass and quite a bit more bass boom. You get unveiled trouble, it's not bright but it's not veiled like the 6XX or 600s are. On top of that the mids are still really good maybe not quite as good as the 6xx but still very good. The Sound Stage is a bit wider than the HD 6XX but I mean the bar is not high the 6XX's are very intimate and I wouldn't say the staging is wide on the elex but in a couple tracks like nf's intro, being used to the 6XXs I was like oops is this playing through my speakers? So at least with the elex you get a stage. They are a bit heavier than the 6xx's, but not so much that I have to rest my neck after a few hours, but at the end of the day at least for the first couple days I did notice a little bit of soreness. They also clamp a lot less which some might find that enjoyable and actually at the start the 6xx's clamp a little too much, but combined with their weight they don't feel as secure on my head.
Perfect sound,very good for any style of music and good instruments separation for studio work ( not for mixsing ) It is good for recording music arrangement and preparing for mixing
A very nice counter to my Senny 800s. Naturally, a less wide and detailed sound (I'm not comparing them to the 600s after all. Which. Mmmm 👌) For when I wanna jam out to my more upbeat music, this is my go to. She bops. She bumps. She sounds great and isn't afraid to express herself, sometimes she just doesn't get the point across as clearly.
First focal and I’m loving this sound signature.
Terrific headphones. I was wary of all the hype, but after just putting them on, I was taken aback. Get them!
Getting this sound quality at $400 is crazy. Sounds like a beefier HD600 and is the perfect upgrade path, especially at this price.
When I saw the price drop, I decided to pick up a pair; Coming from the hd600, these are a nice change from the very analytical sound of the HD600s, they are fun, but at times very honest, which I don't mind but could be a deal breaker for some, overall I don't really have much complaints, I'd say watch some reviews, and then buy as it has some flaws that could cause one to not like the headphones. Edit: Forgot to mention, but build and comfort is good, but I'd highly recommend getting a better cable, as the stock one sucks.
I have always loved the look of focal headphones, so when the Elex went on sale I had to get a pair. They did not disappoint. I'm upgrading from a 6xx and Sundara combo. These seem to combine the best parts of both, but with additional bass and sub bass extension. These have quickly replaced the two on my desk. I find them more comfortable overall, with less clamping force. Also, my ears seem to stay cooler when listening for long periods of time. Without a lot of others to compare them to, these are my favorite headphone so far. I would recommend these at the sale price for sure.
My new Focal Elex arrived on schedule, and came in a nice package. It included both single-ended and balanced cables which was very nice and saves me having to round up a set. The sound is excellent, clear and rewarding to listen to with some soundstage. The fit is also excellent, although they are warm (as in make your head hot), heavy headphones. A nice tube amp seems to make them really sing.
Great headphone, very nice price. Lightning speed delivery. Can't be better.
My first foray into over $200 headphones, they sound so great. Very happy with my purchase.
I plugged my Elex into Questyle’s M15 DAC headphone amp paired with a Meze Audio cable, 3.5mm TS mono to balanced 4.4mm pentacon connector. I love this setup. I love this sound... and I forgot how much I love Shostakovich.
I am not an audiophile by any means. I didn't get into the hobby of exploring higher quality audio until a year ago when I bought my HD 6XX. Those headphones were a huge step up from what I had listened before (Sony XM4, AirPods, etc). I can certainly say that these, the Elex, are a step up from the 6XX, but not by a lot (to my untrained ears). I'd rate the 6XX as a 7/10, and the Elex an 8.5/10. So, for the price that I purchased these for, 450, I'd say they're worth it 100%. For their original MSRP of 7-8 hundred, I'm not so sure that a normie such as me would be as satisfied. If you're on the fence about buying these because Headphones.com is listing them as "final sale, no returns," don't worry, you won't want to return them. The build is a HUGE step up from the 6XX, and the sound is a marginal, but noticeable, step up. For a normie such as me, these are endgame headphones as I don't want to want to spend 1k+ to get another marginal upgrade (wanted to save up for the Arya organic). Though I am curious to see what the best of the best sounds like (HE-1). - Running these off a M1 Pro 14inch MacBook Pro. They sound great. The audio jack can definitely power these (though I did have to buy a different cable from Hart Audio).
TLDR is that the Elex is amazing, it's my favorite within my collection which includes far more expensive headphones. When I first received the Elex, I didn't care for it, even considered returning it. Not sure if my brain adapted to the sound or if there was a burn-in effect, but maybe you can learn from my mis-step and give them an extended trial. So what's so great about it? First thing that stands out to me is the detail and air in the treble. Compared to HD 6XX, ZMF Aeolus, and LCD-2, the Elex reveal so much sparkly detail that they make the others sound veiled. btw, I don't EQ any except the LCD-2 (for which I boost some bass and treble), I did try to EQ the Elex a bit but they didn't respond well (bass when boosted got slow and boomy whereas normally it's tight). Ok second thing that stands out is the punch of the bass, especially for kick drums. I guess it's the extremely dynamic drivers but kick drums come alive with the pop of the strike and bass punch, whereas they sound relatively dull with all the other headphones (especially lacking the popping sound from when the pedal hits the drum). The Elex has a surprisingly solid amount of sub-bass (almost to the level of LCD-2) and I dare say the best separation of bass from the mids. Bass guitars and synth bass occupy a unique space in the soundscape, nicely separated from everything else. Where do the Elex fall short? I'd say the imaging is decent but not as great as LCD-2 which has superior separation of instruments. There are also certain recordings where the Elex just seem to have a strange sounding timbre that I don't hear on the other headphones. It's probably the more revealing highs that bring it out, or maybe some peaks/valleys in the mids/highs that I'm not skilled enough to discern. Bottom line, ever since the third day of owning these, I listen to them almost exclusively over the 6xx, Aeolus, and LCD-2. Now and then I still grab those ones for A/B testing, but it only reaffirms my decision to listen to the Elex. It has me wondering if the Clear, Clear mg, or Clear mg Pro are worth getting or if they'll be similar/side-grade to the Elex. Especially when considering price, Elex cannot be beat.
Overall, I like the Elex. It does some things great but it lacks in some areas where I'd expect an open back to shine in, such as sound stage and imaging. Much cheaper open backs can do better than it in sound stage and how wide it feels. That's not to say it's nonexistent in the Elex, but it's just not nearly as wide as I expected. Detail and clarity of music is excellent however, and it handles bass pretty well. Vocals are generally nice, but it is borderline fatiguing at times. In terms of comfort, it's above average in my opinion. Clamp force is almost perfect, it's just slightly too tight for an average sized head. The stock pads are nice, but they feel a bit rough in terms of texture personally. No swivel on ear pads but the head band does flex quite a bit to allow it to be angled. The headphone itself feels fairly lightweight, it's not heavy at all and build quality is acceptable. Included cables are pretty high quality, albeit just a bit short. An extra 6 inches would've been nice.
These headphones got rave reviews on headphones.com (fifteen 5-star reviews and one 3-star review) from customers who had purchased them. On The Headphone Show on YouTube (which I believe is associated with headphones.com), the reviewers placed it in the "A Tier" in "the GIANT headphone tier list (end of 2023)" video. So when they went on sale for $500, I figured this would be a very safe bet. I just don't agree with the A-Tier placement. These headphones were just way too bright for me. I couldn't even listen to them for any more than 15-20 minutes before my ears needed a break. While I could EQ that out, I just don't want to have to do that. I want a pair of headphones that sound good without having to EQ them, simply for practicality purposes of how I work and would've needed to use them as I traveled. I record, mix and master music (primarily rock bands) and wanted a good pair of headphones for when I'm traveling and don't have access to my studio monitors (Neumann KH 310 with a KH 810 sub) in an acoustically well-treated control room. I wasn't expecting to make mixing and mastering decisions on these headphones, but just wanted to do more of the technical editing functions and maybe get a rough mix to pass along to clients after a remote recording session before tweaking the final in my studio. Beyond that, I just wanted a great sounding pair of headphones to enjoy music with. Maybe these are great headphones in general and perhaps I just got an out of spec pair or something, but what I received are definitely just not for me.
These are amazing. Hands down best upgrade from the Sundara. Certainly warmer than the Sundara, which is nice, but also sooooo sooooo sooooooooooo much more revealing. While they are open back, if I cover them with my hand, the sound doesn’t change compared to the Sundara. I like that. The imaging on these is something you can seriously get lost in, making this an amazing headphone to daily. I love these things. If you were like me and get these on sale, I applaud you :)
I have a lot of headphones and IEMs. A lot. But, no Focals. I have been circling them for a while but have not pulled the trigger until now as I have been very satisfied with my Sennheisers (x4), Audez, Hifiman (x3), and others I have. After a lot of research, the Elex seemed to be what I had been looking for. Balanced sound. Reasonable cost. Very well-reviewed. Great looks. Time to buy. Push button and ship. When I first heard them I thought I made a mistake. They sounded so clean and clear with a great soundstage. Now, I like a solid bass sound in my headphones and while these have a good bass response I found it focused, punchy, and direct. I had never heard the Focal "sound" before and didn't know what to make of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. It was a new sound to this old noggin but it did take a little bit to get used to. After about a week they started to settle down a bit (or my ears got used to them) and I have to say, all my listening sessions over the last week have been with the Focal Elex. The sound is very well rounded and it can cover just about any genre I feed it. Rock, Jazz, Blues, and vocals, all sounded very good. I do have to say they sound better on a DAC/AMp setup (which, again I have a few of). It pushed the Elex to its full potential in my opinion. If you are on the fence as I was, consider just pulling the trigger. You can always send them back but I think they will stay with you. Also, Headphones.com has been terrific! Fast shipping. Great follow-up. They went out of their way to make sure I was satisfied with my purchase. Recommended.