Focal Listen Wireless - Review 2022 - Delgado Weentemeare36

At $299, the Focal Heed Wireless headphones deliver a solid audio experience in line with their lofty cost tag. The highs are articulate and crisp across all genres, and sculpting and boosting are kept to a minimum. Booming bass lovers might be disappointed with the general restraint exercised hither, however—there'due south bass, but the main goal is balance. The design is simple and stylish, the on-ear controls are easy to operate, and overall, the pair is a strong entry in the luxury Bluetooth headphone realm for listeners seeking accuracy—only there are several other tempting options to consider.

Blueprint

The Heed Wireless headphones look clean and refined. They have an all-blackness contour with glossy surfaces on the earcups and matte surfaces on the headband. Reddish grilles are one of the few blueprint flourishes—behind these grilles, 40mm mylar titanium drivers deliver the audio. The circumaural (over-the-ear) nature and plush earpads make for a comfy fit, and as well block out some ambient noise passively. The underside of the headband is less cushioned than the earpads are; it has some rubberized padding, but over extended sessions, information technology tin can experience like it's putting a bit of pressure level on your scalp.

On the right earcup, there are controls for play/pause, track frontwards/backward, and volume up/down that work in conjunction with your mobile device's master volume levels. There'south also a power switch and a Bluetooth pairing button along the outer panel. The headphones can also connect via NFC. Overall, the controls are well placed and, thanks to the dedicated volume and tracking buttons, it'southward unlikely you'll accidentally press the wrong one once you get a sense of the layout.

Focal Listen Wireless inline The headphones ship with two cables: one micro USB cable for charging (it connects to the right earcup), and one standard three.5mm headphone cable for passive listening. Plugging in the cable, which unfortunately lacks an inline remote control or mic, automatically breaks the Bluetooth connection with your mobile device. The audio cable offers a listening experience similar in quality and volume to the Bluetooth stream.

The mic, located on the bottom border of the correct earcup, delivers solid intelligibility—using the Vox Memos app on an iPhone 6s, we understood every word we recorded quite clearly. Information technology doesn't option upwardly much in the lower frequencies, so things sound pretty sparse, simply it delivers splendid clarity nonetheless.

Focal estimates bombardment life to be roughly xx hours, just your results will vary with your volume levels. In improver to the cables, the headphones ship with an airline jack adapter and a zip-upwardly foam pouch they fold down into.

Functioning

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife'southward "Silent Shout," the headphones deliver a solid low frequency response. At top, unwise listening levels, the drivers exercise non distort, and at more than moderate volume levels, the lows are nonetheless quite powerful. Focal does a good job of keeping things balanced and not allowing the deep bass to overtake the mix—this isn't a boosted sound signature then much every bit an accurate 1 with sub-bass capabilities.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a amend sense of the overall sound signature. The drums on this track can exist overly thunderous on bass-boosted headphones, but through the Listen Wireless, they sound almost restrained. They don't completely lack any bass response, but there's goose egg here that implies thunder or deep lows. Callahan's baritone vocals go a solid low-mid richness and an ideal loftier-mid and high frequency presence, keeping things clear and crisp. The guitar strums also do good from the loftier-mid presence, but you wouldn't call this an overly vivid audio signature, either. Focal seems to make balance a priority, and boosting in the lows and highs is quite subtle—if there'southward not deep bass in the mix, information technology isn't invented.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the boot drum loop receives enough loftier-mid presence to continue its attack sharp enough to slice through the mix'due south layers, simply we really hear a chip more boosting in the higher frequencies, bringing the vinyl crepitation and hiss that's ordinarily relegated to the groundwork a fiddling forward in the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with solid depth, but lovers of booming bass might feel that the response hither is slightly restrained. The vocals on this track are delivered with excellent clarity, though at that place seems to be a hint of added sibilance.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, go some slightly boosted low frequency presence, only it only brings the supporting lower register instrumentation slightly forward in the mix. The spotlight still belongs to the higher annals brass, strings, and vocals—this is a well-baked, bright sound with some subtle richness to it. Purists might find the bass slightly too boosted, but most listeners volition be very pleased with the blend of full general accurateness and slight boosting here and at that place.

Conclusions

If y'all're looking for huge bass or completely flat response, the Focal Listen Wireless headphones satisfy neither criteria. Instead, they will appeal to listeners who want something closer to flat response, but are happy to receive some extra richness and boosting in the lows. Overall, it makes for a clear, balanced, full sound signature, only at that place are many good options out there. In this toll range, the B&O Play Beoplay H4 headphones are our Editors' Choice, but we're besides fans of the Klipsch Reference On-Ear Bluetooth and the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless. The less expensive Marshall Mid Bluetooth is a solid pair if yous're looking for decent bass response paired with a somewhat accurate sound signature.