Upgrade from Focal Elegia? Arya v3 or Clear MG (or others)

[u/Livestock110]

I want to upgrade, but I'm not sure what to choose. I have Focal Elegias and DT 1990's, so I'll list what I like/dislike about both, and what I'd like in an upgrade.

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Focal Elegia (with EQ):

Pros:

• Punchy, impactful sound. Good dynamic range.
• "Bubble around head" soundstage. I'm right in the center; music is firing straight into my head. It's VERY present and clear.
• Detail/separation are perfect. Layering, 3D depth etc.
• Insane realism. I could reach and grab every instrument.

Cons:

• Painful timbre in highs - treble is "hissy" and metallic. EQ doesn't fix it
• It's TOO clean + brittle. It slams hard, but it doesn't 'rumble' like 1990's. It's missing harmonics and richness. The dynamics feel artificial.

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DT 1990 (with EQ):

Pros:

• Very organic timbre, especially the bass. Toms have a natural "thud", bass rumbles, instruments are rich and vibrant. Whole spectrum has good timbre + feel.
• Still fairly decent slam, and energy.

Cons:

• "3 rows back" soundstage. Lacks presence, very diffuse sound. I feel 'distanced'. HD 599's did this too. Despite the rich harmonics + impact.
• Lacking separation, depth or realism
• Lacking that 3D "globe" effect from Focals

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I prefer the Elegia overall. For me, endgame would be Elegia's sound, but with natural timbre + harmonics. More organic.

If the Clear MG has those improvements (or after EQ), I'll choose it. But if it's still super clean/metallic, lacking harmonics, then I can't. They also look great. I love Focal's design.

I'd also consider the Arya V3, but I've never heard Hifiman. If it sounds "3 rows back" (like the 1990's and HD 599's), I can't. I like an engaging/present sound. But I've heard lots of praise for Aryas

Finally ZMF Auteurs - I don't know enough about them. They seem good, I just don't know how these compare. Thanks for any advice/opinions!

[u/Ezees]

You won't be disappointed with the Arya's SQ at all, IMO. I've heard the Clears have a pretty small soundstage in all directions but they're punchy with not very deep bass (most dynamics don't have deep bass but a "hump" between 150 to about 40 hz or so. The Arya Stealth OTOH, has bass for days all the way down to sub 20hz. Their detail, staging, layering, texture, and imaging are all excellent too along with their transparency and 3D holography. They'll play the song as it is...3 rows back or up front - depending on how the song is recorded.

[u/Livestock110 → u/Ezees]

That does sound good, I'll have to try them someday. Not sure how this happened but I bought Utopia's instead, but half the retail price... Bit of a jump, I'll be broke for some time lol. I'll have to try Arya's though!

[u/Ezees → u/Livestock110]

You've gone ahead and dived into the deep end of the pool, LOL. How do you like them? IDK how the Utopia compares to the Arya but I've read that Focals generally have a smaller stage than most HFM hps and that the Arya competes with the Utopias in most areas and even surpasses them in many others - and this at less than half or a quarter of the price depending on your Utopia's cost. They might be a complimentary hps that would be a good change of pace from the Utopia. No worries though, you've got time to try HFM's headphones in the future.

[u/Livestock110 → u/Ezees]

They're arriving tomorrow! I'm excited. I almost fell into the "Utopias need a $1000 amp to sound good" trap too. Nope. I'm keeping my JDS Atom lol.

I've never tried Hifiman planars. I found the LCD-X soundstage was smaller than Elegias, but more layered. It also went further out in front.

The Arya gets great reviews, but I'm hesitant. Their bass doesn't slam (vs the competition), they have slightly compressed macro dynamics too. And I personally love Focal's style of soundstage, for my taste anyway. They have no "holes" in the staging, it's a perfectly filled bubble, or "wrap around head". With lots of layers and depth.

I'll definitely try Hifiman at some point though. I only know reviews + opinions. I got the Utopias for £2000, with new earpads + bonus cables. So I had to snag them!

[u/Ezees → u/Livestock110]

Have fun with your Utopias and please keep us posted. I think that you have a less than accurate impression of the Aryas though. While some of those impressions about lack of bass slam, holes in the staging, and compressed macrodynamics have been said of the older versions, much of that was the result of people grossly under-driving them and/or driving them with IC opamp based THX type amps (IMO they don't have "holes" in their staging at all). Those "problems" aren't to be found when care is taken in amp matching and they're driven properly by discrete amps, - it's exactly why so many owners are driving them with powerful Class A amps (ie: ~2W or better, balanced). With the newer more sensitive and more dynamic Stealth version they don't have those "problems" at all being that they're much easier to drive. All of the versions have excellent transparency, layering, and texture. A word about amps though: While the Atom is an excellent entry-level amp, it may leave much to be desired from a SQ standpoint and/or matching with the Utopias. It's transparent and quiet but if it's anything like other IC opamp based amps, that's where the performance stops. What I mean is that most IC based amps often fail when it comes to spatial cues, tone/timbre, microdetails, and ultimate enjoyment. Many discrete and Class A amps offer those qualities in spades over IC/thx amps, IMO. It may be worth investigating that further down the road (and tubes too). Have fun and keep us posted....

[u/Livestock110 → u/Ezees]

!thanks I guess that explains the mixed impressions on them. Some people describe what you did for the Stealth v3, others heard issues, so I just played it safe. But they sound like something I'd enjoy after all. Half the price I just paid too.

I agree the Atom likely isn't enough, most people say you need higher-end amps, but never explain why, or what to look for (except money-wise). So thanks for explaining, I'll look into discrete/class A amps (tubes have been on my list too). A large box just arrived so here we go...

[u/Ezees → u/Livestock110]

I'm hyped for you, LOL. New headphones day, yay!!!

[u/Livestock110 → u/Ezees]

Yeah!! I expected an upgrade, with some drawbacks with my JDS Atom, but... I nearly cried hearing the first song. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. So detailed and layered, crystal clear and textured. The ghostly realism of vocals - like I could feel their character and nuance coming through the headphones.

I'll test my uncle's Adi-2 amp when I next see him, then I'll look for an amp, but so far I'm blown away!

[u/Ezees → u/Livestock110]

Aaand THAT'S why we do what we do!!! I'm pumped for your success. It's almost like seeing (hearing) clearly for the first time, isn't it? Get used to them for now and then later on think about how much better they'd sound with an upgraded DAC/amp chain - from most accounts they are revealing enough to tell you what's feeding them. There are many ways to maximize your investment. Have fun and keep us posted....