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Focal Listen review: 'Phones bring audiophile sound, reasonable price into focus

French company Focal's closed-back, over-ear headphone is designed for mobile use and delivers excellent sound for $250.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials
  • Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
David Carnoy
3 min read

You may not have heard of French company Focal, but it makes some very good-sounding headphones. The latest case in point is its new Listen closed-back over-ear headphone, which retails for $249. No word yet on an international launch, but that price roughly translates to £175 or AU$340.

8.1

Focal Listen

The Good

The Focal Listen has a sturdy design and a comfortable and snug fit, and it sounds excellent for the price. Detachable cable includes an integrated one-button remote. The headphone folds up to fit in an included neoprene case.

The Bad

Headphone is a tad heavy, may fit a little too snugly for some folks, and may not have enough bass for some listeners.

The Bottom Line

French company Focal's closed-back, over-ear headphone is designed for mobile use and delivers excellent sound for $250.

Although this is a full-size headphone, it's designed for mobile use and works just fine with phones -- it has a one-button remote and microphone integrated into the cord, which is detachable. The single-button remote allows you to skip tracks forward and back, pause and play music, and answer and end calls (call quality was good).

focal-listen-headphones-05.jpg

Focal's Listen headphone is an excellent sounding and comfortable full-size over-ear headphone that's fairly affordable.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Although there are no volume controls on the cord, I like that Focal separated the microphone (a decent quality omnidirectional mic) from the one-button remote, which sits lower down on the cord and is easy to access.

The Listen may not look superstylish, but it is comfortable and is a better designed headphone than Focal's earlier Spirit One, which we reviewed back in 2012. The Listen feels nice and sturdy, but -- at 9.9 ounces or 281 grams -- it isn't the lightest headphone. That weight takes a little away from its comfort level. (Bose's around-ear models and Sony's MDR-1A are more comfortable overall.)

Focal Listen headphones (pictures)

See all photos


Both Steve Guttenberg, who writes CNET's Audiophiliac column, and I really liked the way this headphone sounded. It offers well-balanced sound with excellent detail; potent, tight bass and clear mids. It also sounds pretty open for a closed-back headphone, so the sound doesn't get stuck inside your head.

I compared it to a few headphones in this price class, including the Sony MDR-1A and Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7, which costs the same as this Focal and has received positive reviews for its transparency at its price point.

Let's start with the Sony. The MDR-1A is a more forgiving headphone and has bigger bass. Depending on your musical tastes, it may be easier to listen to over longer sessions and is more suitable to a wider variety of musical genres, particularly if you listen to more bass-heavy tracks and are looking for that extra energy in the low-end response.

The ATH-MSR7 is even more transparent and forward sounding (the treble really jumps out). By comparison, I found the Focal a little smoother and even-handed sounding. I preferred it to the Audio-Technica.

The long and short of it is the Focal Listen is an excellent headphone, but it isn't for everyone. Ty Pendelbury, CNET's home audio editor, whose musical tastes trend toward alt rock, wasn't particularly enamored of its sound (he also thought the headphone fit a little too snugly).

But the two times I gave it to Steve Guttenberg to try out, he came away impressed, declaring it a "really good headphone for the money." Steve's a fan of Focal's super-high-end model, the $4,000 Utopia as well as the $1,000 Elear, and the Listen certainly is cheap by comparison. While it's not in the same league as those headphones, it does have a similar sound profile and doesn't require a headphone amp to use.

Specs:

  • Price: $249 (£175 or AU$340, converted)
  • 281 grams (9.9 ounces)
  • Closed-back, around-ear design
  • 40mm (1.6-inch) Mylar/titanium drive
  • Impedence: 32 ohm
  • Sound pressure: 122dB SPL at 1kHz -/1Vrms
  • 15Hz-22kHz
  • Cord length: 1.4 meters (4.59 feet)
  • Carrying case included
  • Microphone and one-button remote integrated into detachable cord
8.1

Focal Listen

Score Breakdown

Design 8Features 7Sound 9Value 8