Focal Listen Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

You may not have heard of French company Focal, but it makes some very good sounding headphones, and this 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.

Although this is a full-sized 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.

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 very comfortable, and is a better designed headphone than Focal’s earlier Spirit One, which we reviewed back in 2012. With plush earpads that do a good job sealing out ambient noise, it folds up to fit into an included neoprene case.

Focal Listen headphones (pictures)
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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 and potent, tight bass. It also sounds pretty open for a closed-back headphone, so the sound doesn’t get stuck inside your head.

I’m still comparing it to a few competing models and will deliver a full review soon, but my early impression is that it’s a strong contender in the sub-$300 price class.

No it isn’t cheap at $250, but Focal does make some very high-end models, including the new $4,000 Utopia and $1,000 Elear, and the Listen certainly is cheap by comparison. It’s a good deal for what it does offer at its price.

Specs:

• Price: $249 (£175 or AU$340 converted)
• 273 grams (0.6 pounds)
• 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