The sound stage width is surprisingly wide for a pair of closed-back, yet it's also quite deep and tall.

It’s hard not to compare them to other Focal headphones — but the fact is that in this price range, these headphones really stand out.

There's a decent amount of detail, but a slight roughness to the high-end, and a soundstage that doesn't quite feel as large as it should. All the same, these have remained in rotation for a reason; the sound may be rough, but it's addictive and fun.

The Focal Elegias have sublime design and styling, with a solid, spacious sound

Focal’s Elegia are something of a revelation. They not only sound excellent, falling somewhere between the Massdrop-modified Elex and the Clear tonally as well as technically, and with an unusually open-sounding delivery, but they’re the least expensive, lightest, easiest to drive headphones in Focal’s “high-end” line-up. And that lower-price includes Focal’s excellent carry/storage case.

Look past its $900 MSRP and you’ll find the Focal Elegia to be a sonic pleaser with audio quality that matches its premium aesthetics. It’s just not as feature- or portable-friendly as other headphones.

hey're designed for critical listeners who want to enjoy their good audio reproduction anywhere. They're the closed-back variant of the Elear, so they might be more versatile, but they're still not portable and stable for sports. They do, however, isolate more noise and could be a better choice for commuting or at the office, but won't as good as noise cancelling headphones or other closed-back over-ears we've tested. Unfortunately, their short cable won’t be ideal for watching TV, and they don't have a microphone for gaming.