Focal has constructed a status of providing extremely high-quality headphones — and whereas they’re not at all times probably the most reasonably priced, they typically boast a premium audio high quality and nice design. We definitely discovered that to be true just a few weeks in the past after we reviewed the Focal Utopia headphones — and now its the Focal Stellia’s flip.
Just like the Focal Utopia headphones, the Focal Stellia headphones are aimed toward providing the perfect of the perfect. Not like the Utopia headphones, Stellia provides a closed-back design.
However are they definitely worth the $3,000? We’ve been testing the Focal Stellia headphones for just a few weeks now to seek out out.
Design
The very first thing you’ll discover concerning the Focal Stellia headphones is their design and so they’re gorgeous. They’re maybe much more superbly designed than the Focal Utopia headphones, given their elegant bronze color-scheme.
Like different Focal headphones, the Focal Stellia headphones provide a really premium look to them. The headphones are largely constructed from metallic, with a nice-feeling full-grain leather-based and robust really feel all through. As talked about, the headphones have a pleasant bronze color-scheme, with a darker brown peppered across the headphones, together with on the ear cups and below the scarf.
From first look, every thing concerning the headphones appears and feels premium — and that extends below the hood too. The headphones characteristic Beryllium drivers aimed toward delivering a dynamic, clear sound high quality — which we’ll get into slightly later.
Aside from the headphones themselves, within the field you’ll discover a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch adapter a removable cable, and a beautifully-designed and robust arduous case. It’s good to see — when you in all probability gained’t need to take these headphones on the street with you, should you do occur to take them out of the house they need to be comparatively well-protected.
Consolation
The Focal Stellia headphones really feel fairly darn nice too. As talked about, they boast a premium leather-based and foam within the ear cups and headband, making for a listening expertise thats as snug as it’s great-sounding. Due to the padded headband and loads of padding within the ear cup, we have been capable of put on the headphones for hours on finish.
There’s additionally loads of room for adjustment for these with bigger heads, and whereas the headphones are heavy, they’re not too heavy, coming in at 0.96 kilos, or 435 grams.
Sound
In the end, a very powerful factor to contemplate is how the headphones sound, and as you’d count on from a pair of $3,000 headphones, the Focal Stellia headphones sound superb.
Just like the Focal Utopia headphones, these provide Focal’s much-hyped Beryllium drivers, and matched with a good headphone amp, the standard is plain.
Among the finest issues about these headphones is simply how dynamic music is. The headphones stay exact and detailed all through a dynamic construct, making certain that the total affect of louder components of a track are on full show.
Frequency response is superbly detailed. Low-end is punchy and exact with out getting muddy by any means. Focal has determined in opposition to going excessive with the low finish response, which we actually recognize — and we predict most different audiophiles will too. Mids on these headphones are properly tuned, whereas the high-end is fantastically detailed and clear.
Given the truth that these are closed-back headphones, you’d count on a considerably slimmer soundstage than headphones just like the Focal Utopia headphones. There’s a narrower soundstage, to make sure, however the best way these headphones are constructed ensures that music remains to be vast and sensible — way more so than most different closed-back headphones.
Conclusions
The Focal Stellia headphones are an absolute pleasure — however, in fact, they’re not for everybody. In case you’re an audiophile who actually needs the perfect of the perfect and like a closed-back design, then these are the best way to go. Most, nevertheless, will need to avoid the sky-high price ticket and go for one thing slightly extra reasonably priced.
Nonetheless, contemplating the truth that these are such incredible-sounding and beautifully-designed headphones, the Focal Stellia headphones are an apparent winner for the Headphone Overview Gold Medal.