Focal Stellia Headphones Review

When it comes to audiophile experiences, no one delivers quite like Focal. Their open-back headphones are forever a masterclass in providing stellar audio quality, and their closed backs are also something of genius. The more affordable Azurys and the Bluetooth-enabled Bathys are two closed back pairs that gain a lot of attention, but what is the very best of the best? The Focal Stellia is $3000 musical experience that is often an endgame goal for most audiophiles. Today, we'll take a deep dive into all the finer details of this legendary headphone. 

What Comes In The Box

• Stellia Headphones
• 1 x 4ft OFC 24 AWG cable with 1/8" (3.5mm) TRS Jack connector
  
• 1 x 10ft OFC 24 AWG cable with 4-pin XLR connector
  
• 1 x Jack adapter, 1/8" (3.5mm) female – 1/4" (6.35mm) male
• Carrying Case
• Focal Warranty

Design & Build Quality

The Stellia sports the M-shaped dome (full-range speaker driver) that Focal fans have become accustomed to. And they're pure Beryllium, just like the Utopia. Like the most other Focal models, these cans are super easy to drive. At 35 Ω, a small portable amp will provide more than enough juice to power it. Using something like the Chord MOJO 2 is a great pairing, or the Bluetooth-enabled BTR17 really brings out the highlights of the extended frequency range. 

The fit is so luxurious and comfortable, you’ll want to wear these cans while getting a mani-pedi. Seriously folks, the build and aesthetic design of these beauties is where the money is being spent. No cutting corners in this department. The Stellia employs the same headband and yoke as the famous Utopia. And the full-grain leather, memory foam earpads are softer than a baby’s bottom. In fact, after wearing these Cadillacs, a lot of other headphones feel like a 1999 Honda Accord. The Stellia feel much less obtrusive and more plush against the ears. The sound isolation is great for immersive and focused listening, with no room for outside distraction.

Compared to some other closed-back models, like the Dan Clark Noire E3 or the Audeze LCD-XC, you'll notice a lot less swivel on the axis for ear cup adjustment. They have a little bit of rotation so you can adjust it to your head accordingly, but there isn't any rotation so you can lay it flat or fold it any other way. Still, with the handy carrying case Focal provides, you'll see that taking these on the go is still easy and doable. 

Functionality

Focal throws a balanced cable in the package, in addition to the regular ¼ inch. At 3 meters, the 4-pin XLR cable is also twice the length of the unbalanced cable. So, you can dance around the living room without ripping the plug out of your amp. The material-insulated cables also have a thick and durable feel. The great thing about having the dual 3.5mm headphone cable is its ability to adapt to other headphones that take the same connection. Additionally, while you may not need an upgrade cable immediately, it's good to know you can easily find a replacement that doesn't require a special connection. 

Technical Specifications

• Type: Circum-aural closed-back headphones
• Impedance: 35 Ω
• Sensitivity: 106dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz
• THD: 0.1% @ 1kHz / 100 dB SPL
• Frequency response: 5Hz–40kHz
• Loudspeaker: 1.6" (40mm) pure Beryllium "M" shape dome
• Weight: 0.96lb (435g)

Listening Review

Overall Impressions: Detailed with great separation, but vapid at times.

Soundstage

Let's get to the meat and potatoes of this review: the sound quality. Starting with soundstage, the Stellia impresses for a closed-back. Of course, its not as spacious as an open-back model. Still, the imaging is pretty spot on. But in terms of dimension, I was hungry for a little more depth. And comparing the Stellia to other closed back models, you get a slightly grander feel from something like the DCA E3. And that may partially be because of the fit. That being said, the Stellia was still able to maintain great definition with distant instruments, beating out headphones from Audeze or Hifiman for level of balanced detail.

Low Frequencies

We have a civilized and controlled bass here. It has some tight grip, giving pop some good punch for the most part. But there’s not much of a sub frequency response, despite the range starting at an ATL of 5 Hz, so it's best to steer away from bass-heavy genres like EDM or hip-hop. Still, it’s detailed and clean, avoiding bleeding into the higher frequencies. If it's low end you're looking for,  Meze's warmer signature may be a better match. However, it'll bring you a fuller and more bodied experience than something like the Sony MDR-Z1R or the Sennheiser HD 820. 

Midrange Frequencies

The Focal Stellia delivers a present and almost even midrange, with the upper mids slightly favored over the lower mids. But vocals don’t sit too far forward, and you’ll feel like you’re getting the full scope of the mix in this range. Still, it’s not as meaty as the Utopia. And while it may seem harsh, it should be said that these cans lack vitality. There is a certainly lifeless quality to them that makes it hard to even use as a reference tuning. Snare drums, for example, that are mixed to convey tons of impact are left tepid in their presentation, subsequently detracting from the energy of the song. And mixes that are usually filled with richness and color (even on a flat headphone) are left weak and unemotional. 

That being said, the Stellia does certain things very well. Listening to guitar strums in the lower mids, the separation was primo, while the layering of instruments in complicated arrangements was handled skillfully. And the level of detail is also worthy of Focal’s brand. String instruments revealed all their nuance and subtle tones, giving cellos and violins a very natural feel. So, classical or folk music might be the most ideal genres for the Stellia.

Treble Frequencies

Listening to strings in this range, there was an outstanding amount of transparency and resolve. And in general, the nice high-frequency extension (along with some good speed) breathes a little life into the headphones. Listening to Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, the percussion had a snappy sparkle that finally gave me the whiplash I expect from a headphone in this echelon. At the same time, you shouldn’t find this frequency range fatiguing on the ears. Even while playing a little Miles Davis, my sensitive ears didn’t mind.

Final Thoughts

The Focal Stellia is a huge headphone upgrade for people, but it isn't without its faults. A bit unemotional and lifeless, lacking the sub-bass drive some folks crave, and a high price point might just be deal breakers for people looking for an end-game closed-back pair of cans. However, let's not gloss over the exceptional performance these give with classical, jazz, folk, and country genres. For the audiophile that loves detail and wants a an immersive listening experience, paired with easy-to-drive and adaptable functionality the Focal Stellia may be exactly what they're looking for.

At the end of the day, it'll come down to your own listening preferences. If you've got 3 grand to burn and a love for detailed listening, the Focal Stellia should definitely be on your radar. For the audiophile who has everything, this luxurious and aesthetically gorgeous pair of Focal cans will add to your collection and give you a brand new sound signature to fall in love with. 

 Get Focal Stellia headphones at Audio46 today. live chat now, email us, or call (212) 354-6424 during store hours for assistance.