I haven’t heard too many high end closed back headphones beyond a brief demo with the DCA Stealth and Aeon 2 Noire, but I feel comfortable in saying that the Radiance is at the top of my closed back shortlist.

Focal has managed to create what I honestly believe is the price-to-performance champion in the high-end closed-back headphone category. While the Stellia remains on top of its perch in the performance stakes, for a fraction of the cost, the Radiance is actually a better-packaged product and gets you most of the way there sonically.

Sumptuous materials, elegant design, and excellent sound are all hallmarks of this headphone, though its tuning overbalances the bass and treble just a bit.

The French manufacturer Focal is no stranger to producing high-quality headphones, but I think the Radiance deserves its unique spot in their catalog. The build is striking, it’s a great fit and the sound signature has interesting subtleties that I found exciting the longer I listened. For $1290 Focal offers a great headphone for a fair price considering its quality.