Focal Spirit One S Premium Closed Back Headphones

I'm very particular about headphones. I was researching headphones for about 1 or 2 months trying to figure out something that would deliver high quality audio while being portable. I already owned the ATH-M50s but I wanted to upgrade to something with a fuller sound and a more articulate sound all around. I was deciding between a host of headphones, but the ones it came down to were the HP50s, the MDR-1R, AKG K545, B&O H6 and these.The HP50s had great reviews all saying they sound great but the problem was the build quality and the alien look one gets when wearing them. I'm a college student so I need a great build because I'll be throwing these thing in and out of my backpack. I also don't want to look like there are antennae sprouting out of my head when I'm walking around campus.The MDR-1R seemed like a great choice as well. People say that they are really comfortable and the built is decent. But many say the sound is not all the way there.The AKG's have a great build quality and sound but it takes a bit more than just a laptop or a smartphone to drive the headphones. I am mainly going to be listening to headphones through my laptop or my smartphone and seeing that these headphones might not get loud enough was a drawback.The B&O's seemed great.... except for the $400 price tag. I wasn't trying to spend anything more than $300.Then came these bad boys. Not many people have reviewed them so I was a bit skeptical to buy them at first but I decided to pull the trigger. The great thing about the Spriti One S is that it uses the same drivers that are in their more expensive Classic and Professional models for only $250 compared to $400 and $350 respectively. One thing I was concerned about was the cup size. They have the same dimensions as the Classic and Pro and many people were complaining the the cups were too snug and fit almost like an on ear headphone.When I first got the headphones they sucked. They sounded worse than my ATH-M50s but obviously I had to let them burn in before I heard what they are really about. After about a week or two I could definitely tell the difference. The Spirit One S sounded so much more full. The ATH-M50s sounded tinny and bright in comparison. The bass response it better as well and sounds fuller than my M50s. The one gripe I had for a while was the comfort. My ear fit in the cups, they were just a tad tight but my whole ear fit in them. The clamping force on these headphones was so much to begin with. I was constantly feeling pain around my ears because they fit so tightly. Maybe I have a big head, but after stretching them out and wearing them for the past month the comfort has increase immensely.I am really satisfied with these headphones and am looking forward to hearing how the sound changes over time. They are very portable and the built quality is great. The only thing I wish these had are the rotating cups like the M50s. It'll be hard to top these as a portable headphone. I would recommend these all the way!!!!

Love the way these cans sound. I saw Focal was making headphones and, being a studio engineer, decided to give them a whack when I was ready to get some new cans. They have a nice flat, even sound and a good frequency response. They're great! Except now I'm holding them together with duct tape and cut up pieces of cardboard.I bought them in '18 but didn't actually take them out of the box until late 2019 - I was fine with the cans I was using as they hadn't reached their end of life yet. So fast forward about a year, and they're starting to get stress cracks near where the band flexes out to meet the cans. I probably should have paid more attention to all the squeaking noises the headphones make when I move my head. Anyway, I tried to save them by putting some cardboard in and duct taping the cardboard into place - it worked for a few months. Today is the day they finally snapped. I have re-duct taped them with new cardboard, but now I'm going shopping again. After about a year and a half of using them, I don't think I'll ever buy Focal headphones again. Going back to Sennheiser, I suppose!

Just got my Focal, and starting to break them in, unfortunetly when I received it the adapter had came loose and banged around in the case and left a couple of dings on the right side. Really disappointed in that. But quality of build and sound I love. I had some DJ Technics which had awesome bass. This may not have as much but seems like it's more controlled. Bass is not the only thing you hear. The highs and mids I just love. Really tempted to look in to the higher end models, maybe the BT version to be wireless.UPDATE:After about 10 months, headphones still sound awesome, unfortunately I reduced the score to 2 stars as the build quality has disappointed. Both sides of the headphone are cracking or broke, only thing still keeping it together is the metal which seems to be cracking too. I use this at work allot as my job requires listening to all kinds of media. Again I love the headphones and sound but disappointed with the build. I've attached the pictures of the cracks.

First off let me say that these are the worst built pair of headphones that I have ever owned. Also, the ear pads are laughable in size, and the clamping pressure is WAY too much. I also don't have a very large head, but I had to have these extended to the second to last position in order to get them to fit with the pads. What else is bad on these... the cable. It's very short, like 3 feet short.Ok, so all the bad stuff out of the way... let's talk about what makes these good value if you can get them under $100. First, you HAVE to change out the pads. This is not a maybe...you have to change them out. They will come off. Mine had some glue attached to the pads, but it's a simple 4 pole clip system to remove them. You can either fish out that plastic ring and punch holes in new pads, or you can just buy a pair of Brainwavz HM5 pads and guide them in to the slot on the cup.Changing the pads fixes the issue with the clamp pressure and the lack of adjustments in the headband. It also opens up the soundstage and removes the THICK cloth from the original pads between you and the driver. They sounded muddy before the change of pads, but the thinner cloth on the HM5 pads allows more of the mids/treble to come through.bass response is good, not Audeze EL8-C great, but very good for a dynamic driver. The sound signature of these with the pad change reminds me of my Focal Elear somewhat without the massive impact. They are slightly V shaped in sound with slightly reduced mid-range, but just ever so slightly. Not nearly as much as the Fidelio X2, but just a tad.These are now very enjoyable headphones, and ones that will now be my gym pair. Again, if you can pick these up for less than $100, and you MUST spend $25 on HM5 pads.... for that price these would be hard to beat in the 'closed' headphone world.

Amo Focal y estos auriculares no me decepcionaron, son la opción ideal para quienes aman la música y el detalle, excelente relación calidad - precio, 150% recomendable

j'adore le son est a mon gout 💯🥇✨👌😊🆗👍➕

super

Not as comfortable as some others for the price but outstanding sound even better with some burn in time

価格なりの音といった感じです。ですが、当初の販売価格よりだいぶ安くなっていますので、そういった意味で価格以上の音でコスパが良いですね。フラットで無難な音なのでジャンル問わず使えます。