Focal Stellia | Closed-Back Headphones

Ive had my eye on the Focal Stellias to go with my Clear MG and Utopias. I found an open box version on the Bloom Audio website. After receiving personalized emails from Andrew about my questions (even after hours) and finding out they offer 100% return even on open box items ( beware other major online companies do not) and reading their amazing reviews I went for it and could not be happier. The Stellias arrived on Tuesday having purchased them on Saturday. Besides being amazing and add to my headphone options they are also beautiful and arrived essentially new and there would be no way to tell the difference. Shipping was free, no tax was collected and the email communications from Bloom were on point and kept me up to date about the status of the order.

If you are considering buying the focal stellias go for it, you won’t be disappointed. If you are considering buying from Bloom Audio, don’t hesitate. It was a great experience and I got a fantastic deal on amazing headphones.

A++++++++++++ experience all around!

I will be making some comparisons with sennheiser hd800s in this review, since those are my primary open headphones.

Soundstage: meh (compared with hd800s). I can't help but feel a bit claustrophobic when I listen to these. They are not bad, just about the same as the average headphone. You can't help but feel you are really listening to headphones with these.

Isolation: very good. The clamp is strong enough to create a good seal.

Comfort: these get warm after say 30 minutes. And this is in winter. So I can only imagine how hot/sweaty/gross these can be if used in a non-AC environment in the summer. The clamping force is a bit strong, so you do develop a bit of a sense of pressure over time, but it's just not large enough to be bothersome. Not as comfortable as hd800s, which can be worn for HOURS without any discomfort, since those hardly clamp and mostly hug your head.

Packaging: 100% here. The whole package is done right and exudes luxury. Given the amount of markup on these (they are essentially same materials as the Celestee which cost 1/3 retail, and the only real difference is the pure Beryllium driver), I am happy to see the packaging gets attention.

Cables: yes they are stiff, but I don't find them that bothersome the way some reviewers do. The short cable is perfect for mobile use (but too short for desktop amp), while the long cable is perfect for desktop use.

Bass: tight and well controlled, not bloomy. There's a midbass bump in the tuning, which accentuates the bass texture. It is a noticeable sound coloration but a very pleasing one.

Mids: not much to complain about here, but for my taste female vocals could be accentuated a bit more. The bass doesn't bleed into the mids, but the sound definitely feel bottom heavy.

Highs: they are there, but not accentuated. For my taste I prefer a bit of a boost. Fwiw, these were apparently tuned to sound like mini speakers in a very small room. I gather that means there will be roll off in the highs and the sound would be more bottom heavy. For details see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsBP-eoPyS8&ab_channel=headfi

EQ: I find these opens up in the highs with oratory1990's harman eq settings. I leave out the settings on the lowest frequencies (24 and 116hz) as they remove too much bass and make these less "fun". The boost around 4k helps brighten up the sound signature.

Would I buy these again? These are luxury headphones (just look at the leather and color!). I think if I am looking today, I'd skip the Stellia and take the Celestee or the Radiance for about 1/3 the price and best bang for buck. The leather on those will not stain (really just leather developing patina, which is natural) like on the Stellia (Celestee is semi-aniline which just means they applied a coating to prevent staining; Radiance is black leather so staining is not a problem). I suspect with EQ, the sound difference among the 3 is minimal. Plus, I'd actually be okay using those 2 cans in public, since they are way less conspicuous.

I took off a star because the sound needs a bit of EQ to sound the best, and these are not the best bang-for-buck focal closed-backs you can get.

I was reticent to spend this much on headphones but I’m glad I did - zero buyers remorse. While the styling isn’t 100% to my taste, I don’t see them when they are on…. I was looking for a something similar to a closed back Utopia and these deliver.

Best headphones I ever had. Great sound, improves every time the input quality is increased. Fantastic build quality and awesome looks. 6 stars.