A Hifi experience like no other.
Jacob from Peru, IL on 8/14/2022
These headphones are truly an experience in themselves to behold. I cannot put towards how incredibly special these headphones are, and by proxy you will feel upon first listening. I can't say this enough, the Focal Stellias are a work of art just from a visual and tactile experience, let alone the sound they produce (which is otherworldly). They're build quality, craftsmanship, and fit and feel are just unbelievable. As for the sound I'm sure the extreme microdynamic detail and sound separation all stems from the beryllium composition of their drivers. The Focal sound is extremely detailed, almost to a fault at times. This was my first venture into high-end headphones, and beryllium products, but I felt as if certain songs that I was accustomed to sounded almost too forward given this new form of clarity and hyper detail of the high frequencies. My preferred listening bias is to a wide and deep soundstage, where high frequency clarity isn't as desired as quick and impactful bass, with distinct instrument placement and front to back audible depth. The Stellia's offer all of this at a near class leading level, but high frequency microdetail shines over bass and soundstage depth in my impression. This product's premium build, fit and finish are something that are intended by design, but I found fault in that the cognac brown color. It's really not to my liking, and when buying a product at this price point I couldn't help but wish there were other options.
Pros: - Build quality, fit, and finish have absolutely no faults, and absolutely no rivals. - The sound separation and microdetail will make you realize what you haven't been hearing in all your favorite recordings. - A dream headphone with a strong tube headphone amplifier.
Cons: - Price... yeah they're expensive. - Color might not be for some. - Can the unforgiving with poor recordings.
4 of 4 found this helpful
Focal Stellia
Crutchfield customer from Saint Louis, MO on 5/27/2022
i'am very happy with my purchase.the sound is excellent.
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3 of 3 found this helpful
Focal Stellia
Guest from Ft Myers, FL on 2/16/2022
Purchased the Stellia head phones with the Naim Unity Atom Headphone amp. The sound is not what I expected, harsh high end and very little on the low end. I do not know if the sound issue is the headphones or the amp. For the price I should not have to write a poor review.
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3 of 10 found this helpful
Superb
John from Sylmar on 10/18/2021
overall I would give the Focal Stellia headphones a 4.75 out of 5. With the price that they cost i had very high expectations for the sound. They did exceed the expectations in the instrumentals, base sounds very clean and well defined without being overly done, with highs i hear subtle nuanced instrumentals on my favorite songs that were never audible before on anything else I have ever heard before. The only knit pick i have about these is the vocals, especially male vocals do not sound forward enough with the instrumentals, it almost makes it sound like the singer is ever so slightly behind the rest of the instrumentals staging wise, however with how superb they perform on every other area in my opinion this slight imbalance in the vocals is far from a deal breaker
Pros: Absolutely stunning in how dynamically precise they are in performance
Cons: Vocals do have a very slight bit of fade compared to everything else
3 of 3 found this helpful
Focal Stellia
Crutchfield customer from N.Y. on 12/18/2020
I have had the Stellia's about a week now and have only spent a few hours with them so this may be premature if there is a break in period with these which I have not found any info on. I purchased the Denon 9200's early this year and have spent many hours with them so I thought I would use them as a comparison tool and played my favorite music through both, comparing after each song. There is a clear difference in width and depth between the two headphones, the Stellias have a wider and deeper sound stage, depth being the most impressive. The Stellias are not bass heavy, they will not smack you in the side of the head and this is not a bad thing. Bass is deep with a more refined impact. I would say the Strellias have an edge in detail but the Denons have better clarity in the upper bass, low mid range which for me is the important range for the type of music I enjoy. The Denons are definitely more upfront and can get a little harsh in the high mids, low treble areas at higher volumes. The $1400. price difference between the Denons and Stellias in my opinion is too much for the difference in sound. The build quality on Stellias is better overall but I think you're unnecessarily paying for a carrying case and some fancy packaging. I have no need for the carrying case and all the packaging is just going to take up space in my closet. The Stellias would be best to eliminate some of the extra packaging and lower the price down to $2200. range. I am using the Moon 230 Amp.
Pros: Deep and wide sound stage Very comfortable. Dynamics are warm, not harsh.
Cons: Price. Some bleeding between lower and upper bass. Sometimes muddy.
10 of 13 found this helpful
Wholeheartedly Recommend
Crutchfield customer from Corning, NY on 8/19/2020
When I ordered these, I half expected to return them because I thought they couldn't be worth the high price (though I did get them on sale). Even when I received them and saw how nice the packaging was and the quality of the build and their wonderful appearance , I was still skeptical. But upon listening to them, I was completely convinced that they are worth it. They are truly exceptional and, even 5 months later, I am still overjoyed every time I use them. The look might turn some off (seeing them online, I couldn't decide if I liked it or not), but in person I find them to be very attractive and not at all ostentatious. Build quality is excellent, but the plastic parts seem to "creak" a bit when handling them (but not while listening). I don't have the vocabulary to describe the sound, so look elsewhere for that, but they sound amazing. They are my favorite headphones. Comfort can be a significant issue for me. As with my Focal Elex phones, I find these to be extremely comfortable. I have a large head, but clamping pressure is not overly tight and is comfortable. If I shake my head side to side, they move a bit, so they are not super tight. But during normal use, I am never concerned about them moving or falling off (unlike my LCD-2s). They are also very light. Pressure on the top of the head is not an issue, even after wearing for an extended period (this is an issue for me with most 'phones). These are the most comfortable phones I've worn.
Pros: Sound, comfort, lightweight, materials
Cons: Slight creak-iness of materials when handling them
12 of 12 found this helpful