Massdrop x Focal Elex Headphones Discussions | Drop

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Massdrop x Focal Elex Headphones

Audiophile

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born2relax

Feb 2, 2019

How are these for gaming? I am assuming their amazing for music

Feb 2, 2019

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jaydunndiddit

3262

Feb 4, 2019

born2relaxReally great. I run them with the THX789/SMSL SU8 stack and have been playing Ace Combat 7 and Resident Evil 2 recently. Both games just sound awesome especially RE2 as they have a dedicated setting for headphones and binaural. Just makes the atmosphere that more intense and lifelike.

Feb 4, 2019

MrHumble

Feb 6, 2019

jaydunndidditI see you on alot of drops and you may be able to help me. I am trying to decide on whether or not to get both the ad700X's and the 4XX's I'm wanting the ad700X's because for their price they seem unrivaled for competitive gaming due to what I've heard about their imaging. I was also thinking of getting a pair of 4XX's for all other gaming, mainly rap music, and movies etc... Any other reccomendations around and preferably under $200? Would I be content with just using EQ on the ad700X's to achieve a different sound rather than purchasing both?

Feb 6, 2019

jaydunndiddit

3262

Feb 7, 2019

MrHumblePersonally, I would go for the 4XX. I have used them for gaming as well prior to my obsession with my Focal sets. They were pretty great for FPS gaming. The AD700 is very mid-centric and is rolled off on the low-end. People claim huge soundstages are the best with gaming (they same the same about the AKG 7XX) but I find that an artificially large soundstage actually makes it harder to pinpoint sounds like footsteps or rustling in bushes, etc. But, for an open world game with a ton of ambience I could see them being better in that regard. Also, the 4XX are very dynamic so the difference between a soft or loud sound is much more perceptible. THat dynamic range for me has been a big boost to my gaming since the audio swings are so large. Cans like the AD700/7XX kinda mush it all together way too much to pick out details like that despite "sounding larger." Kinda how I ended up loving Focal's due to their driver speed and high level of dynamics. They have a big dynamic range so you don't miss anything and while their stage isn't huge, it's "just right." But, I also have a 9.2 Dolby Atmos speaker setup for when I can crank it up so my definition of a "large soundstage" is probably skewed a bit. But for me, my Focal's and HiFiMan's have delivered that same sort of dynamic sound, speed, and imaging I enjoy from my speaker setup but in a headphone (reasonably, of course). Of note, the 4XX do like power so just make sure you're pushing them properly and you should be quite pleased with their performance.

Feb 7, 2019

MrHumble

Feb 7, 2019

jaydunndidditInteresting, from research I have done people have said the imaging (not soundstage) on the ad700 is better (pinpointing footsteps etc..) I guess I could get both and return the ad700x's via amazon if I end up not liking them for my uses, I can get the 4xx's for $140 and I could always resell em. Decisions decisions.. Everyone has so many differing opinions when it comes to audio lol. The Focals look great but I don't think I wanna drop that much on headphones personally.

Feb 7, 2019

jaydunndiddit

3262

Feb 7, 2019

MrHumbleWhich is why I mentioned range. Gaming and movies can have huge variances in their dynamic range compared to music. If the drivers of said headphones can't keep up then everything else suffers IMO. Not to mention, the Focal and HiFiMans extend further than the AD700 and neither are rolled off in the lows. The AD700 have such a huge mid centric emphasis I can't see how they would be great for gaming. Same when many of those reviews leave out reproduction of depth and height. They almost always focus on width instead of thinking of the soundstage as a holographic field. Again, my brain may just be trained differently at this point due to my speaker setup. RE2 sounds absolutely amazing running in Dolby Atmos especially with dynamic range set to max and binaural effects turned on. I wish more games put that much effort into their audio streams. The fact that the Elex can even give me a taste of that is heaven to my ears. They're just fastz dynamic as hell, and punchy. All of which you won't get from the AD700. The 4XX has a lot of character of the Elex but loses out in overall technical ability. For the cost though, they're pretty great as they're pretty fast and dynamic as well due to their planar setup. They'd also work well with movies and the music you listen to as their bass is pretty good. The AD700 is gonna let you down there as they are bass light and have a pretty big hump in the mids. From memory, their imaging was nothing special and on par if not behind the 4XX. I was rather underwhelmed by them after seeing a lot of the same reviews. Same with the 6XX and 58X. Not horrible by any means but not these perfect headphones every review would have you believe. Especially for my gaming, movie, and music needs. Ever since I got into Focal, they bring what I love about loudspeakers to headphones. They are expensive but nothing else sounds like them, has their build, speed, or technicalities. Just my .02 cents mind you but after listening to something like the Elex and then going back to another set of cans I always find something missing or off. They just get so much right that others don't . HiFiMan is my 2nd fave manufacturer as they have a lot in common with Focal except I tend to find them a bit brighter, but not in a bad way. They sound "cooler" by comparison but still very dynamic and have a nice linear extension in the lows and mids with some energy up top. They both compliment each other and I tend to swap depending on mood or game.

Feb 7, 2019

jaydunndiddit

3262

Feb 7, 2019

MrHumbleRting's sums up pretty well my experience with them except I didn't find their bass good at all. It was just too rolled off for my taste: "The AD700X is an above-average sounding pair of open-back over-ear headphones. They have a good Bass and an open sounding Soundstage due to their open-back design. However, they lack a bit of sub-bass, tend to sound Mid-Rangy and their Treble could be piercing on certain tracks." https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/audio-technica/ath-ad700x-audiophile

Feb 7, 2019

MrHumble

Feb 7, 2019

jaydunndidditThank you for all the detail you have put into your replies. I'm sure I will be happy with my 4xx's

Feb 7, 2019

JJDeviloper

191

Mar 29, 2020

MrHumbleI have to agree. I love the 4XX, but they're awful for gaming, with the worst soundstage in a GOOD headphone I have ever heard. Get them for music, but there are better gaming options. Focals are the definition of god-tier, imo, but overkill most most games. Good gaming options on Drop: Beyerdynamic DT770 80 Ohm (top pick for closed backs), Sennheiser HD6XX, and Drop + HiFiMan HD-35X.

Mar 29, 2020

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