Radiance

Radiance or MDRZ1R, they make any genre smooth and enjoyable

Planars have amazing sound but they all lack bass. That's how this technology works. I have Fiio FT7 which should have good bass but still it sounds sometimes paper and not enough as I am used to dynamics. Even after more than 6 months of use i still want sometimes "different" kind of bass. Thats why i bought Focal Radiance just for chill and bass. It's all about what music are you listening and do songs have all the features that planars can provide. If you are more into hard electronic, very powerful music - planars are no go. I would suggest planars if u are into slower and less dense type of songs.

Hey, i bought Focal Radiance about 2 months ago. From the get go i've heard some strange noises comming from the left driver with very low bass songs. At first I thought it was in the song or something but after a month I got to the one song that I was certain something was wrong. I sent them to the service and when i got them back the imbalance was huge and the bass on the right side was noticeably lower. Not only that but also i've heard driver issues on the right and clearly worse than it was on the left one before. The left driver was fixed. After i checked the earcup i took off the pads and i saw broken pin. So the headphones came back in worse condition than before. I sent them back to the service and still waiting. What is your experience? Is it normal to have faulty driver after the service? actually wtf? I really like the sound besides that, i would return them only after there is a problem again...

Hey, i just got my focal radiance from the service for the second time. The headphones are in the worst shape ever. Before they broke a pin and made right driver rattle at low frequencies with huge pressure difference (because of broken pin) . Before first warranty it was the left driver which was "fixed" i think but it's hard to tell, only the rattling disapeared. Now they only changed pads and i still feel the difference in pressure, the right earcup still rattle and if i use it for 30 min i get clogged ear for hours. Also the sound on the left earcup is muffled. The response from the dealer is that they need to burn in for 25h. Is it true or just stalling? I already sent them a return notice.

For clean clear detailed bass slam and slap the focal radiance are a clear winner if you can find them on the second hand market they discontinued a while ago or a cheaper option with a similar sweet spot are the v-moda cross fade 100M they both shine with edm but the radiance will sound astonishingly good to my ears with any music I put through them 🎧🥁🎤🎲❤️‍🔥

I forgot about the Radiance, but that is one I'll second for the OP to try. Those and the Sony MDR-Z1Rs were probably my favorite closed backs when it came to a sense of dynamism and punchiness. The Stelliance is definitely a cool mod as well, as I remember seeing a couple headfi listings for them here and there.

I may add my opinion, since I have currently the Focal Radiance and the ZMF Bokeh Closed and you are curious about that one. The Radiance is fast and dynamic, but the timbre always feel a bit dry, and there’s a bit of treble that bothers me around 12–13 kHz. The bass is excellent, but maybe a touch too boosted around 70–100 Hz. The Azurys is much more tonally balanced than the Radiance (and Bokeh). The Bokeh is more natural in terms of timbre and much warmer overall. With the hybrid pads, it’s even a bit too much dark past 8 kHz. The bass isn’t quite as tight as the Radiance, but it’s still bassy and delivers enough energy. The staging is much more enveloping (more depth and height) than the Radiance, and the dynamics are fairly close. It sounds both laid-back and punchy at the same time, while the Radiance is more lively and fast. Both headphones complement each other. The Bokeh is also less comfortable — my stabilized pair weighs about 606 g, which starts to feel heavy after a while.

Listened to a lot of headphones in stores, bought the ones I thought sounded the best (Focal Radiance and Focal Clear OG).

Focal Clear OG, if it's a bit loud for them then Focal Radiance, if it's really loud then Jerry Harvey JH7.

2 or 3 unless you're a multi-genre listener. Focal Radiance (warm leaning yet very detailed and fun) - HipHop/Rap/R&B HE6se V2 Modded & EQ'd (neutral yet dynamic and punchy) - Rock/Metal HE1000 Stealth (holographic and natural) - Classical/Movie and Videogame OST's I also listen to EDM, House, and Trance which sounds fantastic with all of the above. For playing video games and watching movies I use the HE1000 Stealth. I have also noticed that some headphones sound better than others within their respective genres depending on the specific track. But as a whole this is how I split my headphones apart for their use cases. I haven't tried any estat headphones but would like to the try the STAX SR-009D or even the Stax SR-X1 which is considered a great entry level known to be better than many estats that are much more expensive. I might give them a go.

Honestly they are seriously impressive sounding. It's the only open back headphone I own where every genre you throw at it does wonders. I even favour them over my Atrium open. Also to note when you do eventually try them be sure to place the headphone low enough so that the top of the ears are touching the top of the ear pads. It will give you slightly more bass presence. The soundstage is crazy good too. It may not be as wide as a HE1000 but is only a few hairs behind with more frontal/rear depth. Not only that but they're also the most comfortable headphone you'll ever come across. I won't be owning any new headphones for a very long time because of them.

The Atrium and Radiance are a little similar tonally but the the Radiance is smoother and more punchy especially in the sub-bass region. The HE1K Stealth are my reference when it comes to deciding whether or not to keep new headphones. However I no longer listen to them with music unless it's orchestra occasionally but they've now taken movie/gaming duty. The HE6se V2 is like a blank canvas, they're very neutral and can be EQ'd to preference. They do need a lot of power and headroom when EQ'ing which is the downside. However I run them off a 10W into 32ohm amp which drives them with ease.

Honestly I could happily own just the Radiance and I'll be content. If they ever released an open back version with a soundstage like the Empyrean II or HE1K then it's going to cause some havoc in the audiophile realm. But at the same time it's perfect as a closed back and very ergonomic and portable. Even my 900mW DAP can fully drive them.