[Wayde]

Im a sucker for attack and snappiness so the Vali hits home but im betting the Elear has a faster decay in the midrange and has better microdetails. 

Wow... exactly what I thought. I think you'll love Elear!

 

[Stillhart]

How is the Soundstage compared to the Ether(imo not that big) or LCDX (very deep, not wide) and bass compared to Omni?

 
I'd call it wide and not deep.  Maybe a bit wider than the Ether?  Bass compared to the Omni is a good question.  It has similar qualities of being sort of big and enveloping without bleeding into the mids, but it doesn't have that planar edge to it that the Omni has.  Again, closer to the cherry than the blackwood.

 

[Vigrith]

  Wow... exactly what I thought. I think you'll love Elear!

 
The plot thickens. 

 

[HiFiGuy528]

quick video on the Utopia
 

 

[frix]

so any chance to measure the inner earpad diameter?
Looks not that big in the video.

 

[Stillhart]

  so any chance to measure the inner earpad diameter?
Looks not that big in the video.

 
I had to send back my review unit.  I can check it out on Friday if nobody gets you the info sooner.
 
FWIW, it's not small at all.  It's no HD800, obviously, but it's not small.  Think Ether if the square was rounded maybe?  Also, it's deeper than it looks thanks to the angled driver... the back where your ear sticks out most is recessed in the cups so you have more depth back there.

 

[jude]

  so any chance to measure the inner earpad diameter?
Looks not that big in the video.

 
The Elear's earpad is about 6 cm (measured inside the pad), top to bottom, and a little less than that from side to side.
 
The Utopia is about the same, but its pads seem a bit thicker, so I'd say that its earcup opening in either direction may be just a touch smaller.

 

[onlychild]

Anyone compare the Elear to the Edition X?

 

[Extorsivo]

Wow, would like to hear them!
 

 

[AxelCloris]

Manufactured hype train. I'll believe it when somebody trustworthy gets their hands on these.

 
So Jude, Warren, Jason Lord, Brian Hunter and Stillhart aren't trustworthy? How about other media outlets like The Verge, CNET, Audioholics and Home Theater Review? None of them are considered trustworthy by your standards? Not a single one?
 

So Jude's uncomfortable walking around outside with a $4k headphone, but he's perfectly fine with a $1K one?

Just so you know Jude, if some dude walks up to you and robs your Elear, it wasn't me, okay?!

*goes off to Detroit to concoct dastardly Elear acquisition plan*

 
Placing my bet now, $1,000 on Jude.

 

[TMRaven]

Only Tyll the all-mighty is trustworthy.  

 

[MattTCG]

Well, honestly while these both look very interesting they are a fail for me. There is no need to design a headphone that weighs more than 400 grams with the materials and tech available for todays headphone designers. Both Ether headphones and both variations of the hd800 are under 400 grams and are all world class IMO. It doesn't really matter that "the weight is evenly balanced." The rules of gravity still apply regardless. I wear headphones for several hours at a pop when I'm working from home. I refuse to pay a grand much less 4k for a headphone that isn't still comfortable after an hour. IMO, ymmv

 

[Blinxat]

Focal September 2015:
 
Quote:

Dear Sir

 Excuse please our limited English vocabulary.
 Thanks for your kind words about our product.

<<<I was wondering if Focal might make an open headphone one day? <<
Actually not planned yet.

Sorry.

 Best regards,

 Focal France support.

 
Biggest lie EVER

(in a good way)

 

[mscott58]

  Well, honestly while these both look very interesting they are a fail for me. There is no need to design a headphone that weighs more than 400 grams with the materials and tech available for todays headphone designers. Both Ether headphones and both variations of the hd800 are under 400 grams and are all world class IMO. It doesn't really matter that "the weight is evenly balanced." The rules of gravity still apply regardless. I wear headphones for several hours at a pop when I'm working from home. I refuse to pay a grand much less 4k for a headphone that isn't still comfortable after an hour. IMO, ymmv

If 400 grams is your limit then guessing you're not a big fan of the LCD line... 

 

[mscott58]

   
Biggest lie EVER

(in a good way)

Ha! That's great. 
 
Although if it was run in a "skunk-works" type of secret project team then maybe they didn't know? 
 
Cheers