Verdict
A affectionate , detailed , and spacious - sounding span of open - punt phone , the Focal Hadenys deliver a pleasant and gratifying sound although if you privilege an energetic performance to listen to music with , there are less expensive alternatives .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
After jumping into wireless stochasticity - cancelling earpiece to neat effect with itsBathyspair , Focal find itself on more intimate ground with the Hadenys over - ears .
They are open - backed , wired headphones with a name exhort by The Hadean , which was an aeon in which the Earth was first take form .
Focal has a far-out direction of naming its headphones , and while Hadenys go a lilliputian pompous , I care mainly about how they sound . If they ’re anything as serious as the Bathys were , then Focal is onto a winner .
Design
The Hadenys come in one colour – earth subtlety of brown that reflect the origins of the Earth . I suppose it looks nice , and it ’s the eccentric of unusual colour choice Focal is n’t diffident of . It ’s at least a variety from the blackened finishes that prevail headphones for the household .
The design is lightweight , which makes them very comfortable to wear – a prime reason if ever to buy these phone . There ’s just any latent hostility in terms of the clamp force play , plus there is plenty of way for my great pinna to fit in .
The yoke – the connecting arm between the headband and earcup – contain Mg to keep the weight down to 294 g. There ’s plenty of swivel action with the earcups to find a paroxysm that cleaves to your head .
The honeycomb grille , a common design trait of Focal ’s headphone , is not there just for the esthetic . As the Hadenys are open - backed headphones , they allow audio to pass - through the earcups ’ tissue layer , and the grille is said to accentuate the receptivity and decompression of the driver .
The advantage is a big soundstage than close - back wired cans – cover the earcups with your script and you could hear the soundstage receding . What is n’t great is that the phone leak out speech sound to the outside universe , and the Hadenys do vocalize loud when audio is playing , but these are made for the home and not public transport .
They use a combining of leather and breathable cloth for the headband , while it ’s memory foam for the earpads , although the former of which wo n’t go down well with the vegans in the audiophile crowd . The phone come with a carry case for ecstasy that admit a 1.8 metre line , which offers mint of rope for plugging these earphone into hi - fi outfit .
Specification
The Focal sport an electric resistance of 26 ohm , which is amazingly not all that much for a twain of phone with this price tag . It mean you should n’t encounter many , if any issues plug these earphone into , say , a laptop computer . They are n’t too demanding in terms of the power they draw .
The frequency reply cover up 25Hz – 22kHz ( although the Focal website say 20Hz to 22kHz ) , which is above the normal human listening stove , but like with theDyson OnTrac , it ’s not about what you ca n’t hear but having that extended frequency reaction allows the earphone to exert more control over how they handle miserable and eminent absolute frequency .
Sensitivity is 100dB , which is around touchstone for wired headphones and indicates they can get relatively loud when pushed , and THD of 0.2 % means there ’s miniscule levels of randomness in the sign . The 1.8 m overseas telegram terminates in 3.5 mm , but there ’s a 6.3 millimeter adapter to slot into other hi - fi equipment .
Sound Quality
The Hadenys feature 40 mm aluminium M - shaped dome for the driver that ’s become de rigueur for Focal headphones . The French audio firebrand describes the output as “ precise , dynamic , and warm ” and I ’d tend to concord with that summing up of the earphone ’ personality .
Armed with theChord Mojo 2andQobuzstreaming service , listening to euphony through the Hadenys offers a wide soundstage , furnished with pleasing amounts of item and clarity . They ’re not the sharpest - sound pair of headphones thanks to that warmth , but the suaveness of its sound gumption off tracks that could fathom sibilant or uncouth . These earpiece are n’t ‘ ample ’ in how they sound , add a warm people of color to music but not at the disbursal of too much detail .
The Hadenys go about their business enterprise in a touchy fashion , so I would n’t describe them as brawny or forceful ( at least not at the volume tier I was listening at ) , but there ’s a nice , unfaltering counterpoise across the frequency chain .
There ’s a signified of cohesion and uniformity about the stereo simulacrum they make , though it is a little flat in terms of how it layers voices , orchestration and background sounds . There is , however , a sense of cool about their execution that suggests control and an admirable tendency not to get fluster . Although personally , I ’d like them to get loose a little .
The twofold performance is a clean one that offers comely fluctuation in the high-pitched frequency notes that pop in GoGo Penguin ’s Ascent , especially as the high note go up in register but compared to the less expensiveSony MDR - MV1open - backed over - ears , the Focal are n’t as bright or as detailed to my ears , with the high being more piercing on Sony ’s offering .
With Faye Webster ’s Sometimes there ’s a sturdiness to the pleximetry though the warm colour of the Focal ’s sound impedes the crispiness and detail of the crash cymbals . Again , when compared to the Sony , the MV1 offer more of a display case for bass levels . Though both headphones put in a good performance with bass as far as open - backed headphones are worry , there ’s a prolificacy and poke to the Sony distich that charter more .
The Focal feel a little position back in comparison , so while they boast a good sentience of rhythm with flow tracks , they ’re not the most energetic and explosive sound duet . Perhaps you would n’t want to necessarily listen to rock ‘ n ’ roll or similar eminent tempo raceway .
They ’re not the most overtly dynamic sounding pair either . There ’s less of a expanse to Norah Jones ’ inflection in Do n’t bang Why , though it avoid the sibilance trap some headphones fall into with that track . It ’s a similar issue with System of a Down ’s Chop Suey ! or Joe Hisaishi ’s Water Traveller as the thrust and expansion of the orchestra with the latter is n’t as forcefully communicated as it is on the MDR - MV1 . Dynamism is on a slightly smaller scale with the Hadenys .
With song there ’s a adorable sense of naturalism to voices whether it ’s listening to Dominique Fils - Aimé ’s base , Olivia Rodrigo ’s Vampire or Hard Life ’s Skeletons ; though to be a spliff in the mud , there ’s not the same grade of detail and nuance of the Sony brace , which also draw out a piddling more definition with the rhythm section in Chop Suey !
So while the Focal Hadenys are a consistently pleasant and pleasurable hear , they miss out on that zest and vitality that I enjoy about the Sony MDR - MV1 . If a lay - back but still elaborate and precise sound is what you ’re hankering for , the Focal Hadenys will beseem your tastes , but if you ’re after more muscularity and spectacle to listen to your music library , there are choice that pop the question a standardized if not slightly good performance that are less expensive .
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Should you buy it?
They ’re lacking the highest faithfulness in terms of sharpness and particular , but if you prefer a warm sonic bathing tub of a sound to mind to at home , the Hadenys meet the bill .
Compared to the Sony MDR - MV1 , they ’re not the most industrious , which is not what the Hadenys are at long last going for , but if you listen to thumping , dynamic rails ; they ’re not quite the earphone for your tastes .
Final Thoughts
I palpate as if I ’ve been a bit abrasive on the Focal Hadenys but it ’s more that over the course of testing they palpate as if they ’re for a finical person who enjoy music delivered in a certain way and so I do n’t think they ’ll be for everyone .
The elaborated , open speech sound is enjoyable in closing off , and they ’re a comfortable and fashionable duo for home use . TheSony MDR - MV1headphones are for mix and monitoring so are n’t a unmediated competitor , though they serve as a admonisher of what else is out there in the open - backed pumped market .
However , I do retrieve the Focal are lack in the energy and vitality department : less direct and with less of a flourish than what thebest headphonesoffer . They ’re entertaining , though I do think they ’re on the expensive side but they get an endorsement from me . The Hadenys are a classy - looking and enjoyable pair of undetermined - back headphones for the home .
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How we test
We test every lot of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time . We use industry standard tests to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we see . We never , ever , take money to review a intersection .
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FAQs
No , because they are loose - backed headphones , the Focal Hadenys do not use ANC .
