"Hot Chocolate" for the ears

First of all, many thanks to the previous reviewers of the Focal Spirit Classic. You have the headphones very well described in my opinion, and thus moved him into my focus. When I drove the listening (after 200 km, as it the Focal Spirit Classic in my town are apparently nowhere), I thought only: if he reasonably so as described here, then I have to buy him commercially. Well, he is just as described here, and I have therefore purchased it commercially ... ;-)

The Focal Spirit Classic is operated with me on FiiO FiiO E07K X3 or the Andes. Both are enough to really elicit the good headphones. After I had less and less happy with my Audio Technica ATH-m50x, I finally wanted a neutral and differentiated headphones, suitable for hours of listening. Based on my listening habits (a lot of rock, pop, blues, metal and various forms of electronic music, less classical and jazz) I wanted rather again a closed headphones. In open copies me always the bass seem too imprecise and in my opinion here the crisp bass at the altar of the premises to be sacrificed.

Well, there does not seem to be many good closed over-ear headphones on amount three-digit euro range, the choice for me soon reduced to the Bowers & Wilkins P7 and the Focal Spirit Classic. Between the two, the choice is simply because the Focal Spirit Classic is superior in my opinion, the P7 in almost every respect. Only the design is in favor of P7, where the Focal Spirit Classic looks better in real life than in photos. "Hot Chocolate" is called the color of the Focal Spirit Classic. However, it does not just look like chocolate, but also its sound results - even more so as the consumption of chocolate - to mass endorphin secretion! More on this later. The Focal Spirit Classic looks stable, the pressure is ok, it seals well and is also suitable for eyeglass wearers. But failed Very small the oval ear pads with an internal diameter of about 5x4 cm. For me it is just adequate, but I need a few seconds when putting on the headphones to "stow" my ears in the ear pads to. For several hours listening to my right ear begins to hurt easily because of too small cushion pushing something. I must therefore strongly advise you to be careful pre-listening.

Sonically the Focal Spirit Classic in my opinion the price range up to at least 400 euros is unmatched. He is neutral and incredibly clear and differentiated. Although the heights are easily unrolled, their clarity does not suffer. There is never here the unpleasant hissing at S-sounds, that has annoyed me when ATH-m50x. The centers are as clear as the P7, but without ever emerge uncomfortable. Human voices, especially female voices sound incredibly well. The basses are differentiated and dry and go incredibly deep. The vote is somewhat "laid-back", ie for example not unlike the open Sennheiser HD650. To speak of a "carpet" When Focal Spirit Classic, but would certainly be inappropriate. It enables any case for hours listening to the highest level and without artificial sensationalism.

Particularly impressive is the big stage of the Focal Spirit Classic, I have otherwise been found so similar only in some open headphones.

Some Anspieltipps for Use Pre-listening:
- Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything for Love (stage !!)
- Paul Van Dyk - Spellbound (clarity, sophistication and spaciousness in perfect combination)
- Peter Fox - Schwarz zu Blau (wonderful space pushes, also by super deep bass)
- Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl (piano and voice!)
- Madonna - Music (otherwise often tends to hiss, not the Focal Spirit Classic; the overlapping sounds are all presented perfectly).

Conclusion:. Interracial and powerful bass, the mids seductively soft and creamy, never thick and delicately fragrant upward "The magazine Audio so describes the Focal Spirit Classic very well He is an incredibly good thing to Metal all sovereign of classical music. and relaxed playing and allows for hours of listening without fatigue an inspiring allrounder with surprisingly great stage for a closed headphone to a relatively humane Price But beware:.! small inner diameter of the ear pads!

Addendum: I've gotten properly upgraded the DAC and gained me the Denon DA-300USB. This elicits the Focal Spirit Classic so wonderful sounds that one almost ears fall off !!! ;-) That shows me how strong upward scalable is the reproduction quality of the Focal Spirit Classic with an improved audio chain. Regarding details and stage huge progress has been evident here, and yet he never sounds over-analytical and annoying.