FOCAL STELLIA REVIEW 

The Stellia is Focal’s premiere closed-back headphone. It was launched back in in 2019 and has a hefty price tag. Like the famous Focal Utopia, it sports an “M” shaped beryllium driver, although the driver hardly is the same as it has different impedance. They have a similar form factor, though. All Focal headphones look more or less the same. It is a “true” closed headphone and offers great passive sound isolation as well as refined sound. With 35 ohm impedance and 106 dB sensitivity it is designed to be driven by portable sources, although it does of course sound even better with a good desktop amp and source.

The Stellia is a comfortable headphone, with leather headband and pads. Build quality seems good. It comes with two detachable cables (with 3.5mm jacks on the headphone side): 3m (9.1ft) cable with 4-pin XLR connector, 1.2m (3⅜ft) cable with 3.5mm jack (⅛”) and adapter and a travel case.

WHAT WE LIKE
Sounds great, with a mellow, sweet mid-range, silky highs and powerful bass
Easy to drive
Effective passive noise isolation
Comfortable

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
Very expensive
Bass can get boomy
Small soundstage
Needs 3rd party pads to get the best performance

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The headphones used in this review is a kind loan from a fellow enthusiast. I did not have the original cables and the one you see below is the one used in this review. It is made by Lystad Cables. I have tested these cables with other headphones and they are of very good quality.

ABOUT PADS 

In the following, I’ll go through a range of comparisons. I’ll start with the stock pads.

All comparisons were made using the RME ADI-2 DAC FS as the source and the Questyle CMA800R or Bryston BHA-1 amplifier. 

COMPARISONS – STOCK STELLIA PADS

FOCAL STELLIA VS FOSTEX TH900

The Fostex is a biocellular driver, with wooden cups and a V-shaped signature, focusing on bass and treble. Sound-wise, the mk1 and mk2 are identical. It has great clarity and looks beautiful but doesn’t isolate as well as the Stellia. My TH900 has “‎AHG-ORION-SHEEPSKIN” pads bought from Amazon. They are all sheepskin and are thicker and stiffer than the original pads. I didn’t really notice any significant change in sound when swapping them out.

Track-by-track comparison

Variation 25 (From J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988) by Marcin Wasilewski Trio

This piano-oriented piece sounds beautiful on the Stellia. It’s reminding me of the HD650 in a way. Switching to the TH900 things sound very different. There is a much more open soundstage with more clarity, especially the highs. The mid-range, however, is drawn back. 

The bass is quite prominent on both headphones. It is hard to say that one is better than the other but I prefer the sound stage and the instant clarity of the TH900, I enjoy the intimacy and mid-range fullness of the Stellia. 

Vashkar by Marcin Wasilewski Trio

Similar impressions as above, but I do prefer the TH900, it’s just more air and the treble is clearer sounding. 

Almost like The Blues by Leonard Cohen 

Again, they are very different. The TH900 is much more open sounding with better separation. Both headphones render Cohen’s voice nicely, but differently. It is more intimate with the Stellia, with the TH900 it gets a bit distant. 

As Before by Olga Konkova

Again the soundstage is a lot more open with the TH900, details are more pronounced. The female vocals are much more intimate with the Stellia, though. 

Bored by Deftones

Hardcore metal. The Stellia is offering more mid-range presence, otherwise, I think I prefer the TH900. It is more open-sounding, and details are more present. Micro and macro dynamics are better. But the mid-range is a trade-off. 

Can’t you see by Susan Wong 

Slow female vocals. Here Stellia is the clear winner. It’s more luscious, intimate and offers that “milk and honey” sound. The TH900 is more distant. 

Limit to your love by James Blake 

Extremely nice spaciousness from the TH900 and the insane bass that hits at 1 minute is handled fabulously. 

Stellia also handles the bass, but not really equally good/even. They both have quite a lot of bass presence, the TH900 is just more even here. But the vocals, the vocals… they keep being the Stellia’s advantage.  

Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons by the Norwegian chamber orchestra

The TH900 is again showing off the wider, deeper soundstage and a lot more air in the treble region. 

The Stellia again, is more intimate and with more focus on the mid-range, with a less aggressive treble. I find I prefer the Stellia, just for its tonal balance. 

Concluding, these are very different-sounding headphones. If velvety mid-range and intimate soundstage is your thing, then go for the Stellia all the way. For openness and more pronounced detail all along the spectrum, the TH900 is better. Personally, I would like a mix of both. 

FOCAL STELLIA VS SENNHEISER HD650

As it kept on reminding me of the HD650, I wanted to compare the two even though they are vastly different in price class and construction. 

I moved through the playlist, and for sure, my memory didn’t fail me. Soundstage, mid-range tonality and treble energy are all very similar. The Stellia basically sounds like a more detailed and bassy HD650.

FOCAL STELLIA VS A HEAVILY MODDED FOSTEX TH900 

I have always had mixed feelings about the Fostex TH900. It has great detail and clarity but the v-shaped frequency response bothers me. Bass and treble, there’s just often too much of it, and more often than not, I want a more balanced sound signature. When my friend offered to lend me his modded version, I immediately could hear that it fixed all my issues with the TH900. Everything but the driver unit has been replaced, though, even the cups and headband. 

So this heavily modded TH900 sounds gorgeous. Expansive soundstage (almost like the original), not only for a closed headphone but compared to many open-back headphones as well. The treble is delicate and spacious, the mids are more present than the original, and the bass is better controlled. 

In direct comparison, the Stellia sounds less clear and open – as with the TH900 – but the mids are not recessed on the modded version. 

However, when comparing headphones it is important to remember that the brain has a way of levelling things out. These headphones are quite different, and comparing them you need to let yourself adjust. 

Track by track 

Almost like The Blues by Leonard Cohen 

Now, I prefer the mid-range of the modded 900. The Stellia has more fleshed-out vocals, and the bass is less precise and seems to bleed into the mid-range. 

Compare Manuel by Vincente Amigo

Oh, the brilliant flamenco guitarist Amigo… The strings have more attack, there is more air and space between instruments and sounds in general with the modded 900. The Stellia is more enveloping and “cosy” sounding. 

For himmerigs land maa man kjempe by Flaten/Kornstad/Christensen 

Wonderful psalm improvisation. The saxophone is marvellous on the Stellia. The bass is full but again, it bleeds a bit and is a little bit too bloomy for my taste. The percussion could be more snappy. With the modded 900, everything is more tidy and clear, but the wonderful saxophone (although very nice) is not as enthralling as with the Stellia. 

Hilary Hahn plays Higdon 1726 

The violin and flute are delicious with the Stellia. The percussion is sparkly but lacks a bit of air. Moving over to the modded 900, there is more air and sparkle, and better separation. But the violin and flute are not as delicious, even though they have more texture and “plankton”. When things get busy nine and a half minutes into the song, the Stellia is less articulate, but also less aggressive and more pleasant sounding. 

I continue to listen through my playlist and the impression remains the same. This pair of modded TH900 is a brilliant headphone. It takes the best from the TH900 and brings the rest closer to the Stellia. Especially the all-important mid-range. However, there are places where the Stellia is just more yummy. 

FOCAL STELLIA VS DENON D7000 

The Denon AH-D7000 is a true classic. A legendary closed-back headphone. I was of course very curious to see how the Stellia held up. 

Hilary Hahn plays Higdon 1726

These headphones are quite similar in their presentation. Smooth and a bit fleshy. Midrange and treble are quite similar on this piece, both in quantity and quality. Mid bass is more boosted with the Stellia. To be honest, I enjoy the D7000 more. 

Almost like The Blues by Leonard Cohen

Bass is powerful on both. Cohen’s voice is presented in a similar fashion, very enjoyable, rich and full. I find them more similar than different in most ways. 

Down by Stone Temple Pilots

So, they sound a little different but mostly similar. The detail level is similar, tonality is similar. Both are nice with fuzz guitars. 

If I Were a Fish by Múm 

Calming music from Iceland.  “If I were a fish and you were a poodle…”… Sounding great on the Stellia. Spacious and soothingly delicious. So is the D7000. 

To conclude, these sound surprisingly similar. Sounding similar to the D7000 is a very good thing in absolute terms. 

FOCAL STELLIA VS DENON D7100 

The Denon AH-D7100 is the most hated flagship headphone ever. Well not all true, but Denon fans were very disappointed since it deviated from the original Denon house sound. Especially the bass can be overwhelming with stock pads. However, its technical performance is very good. I like it quite a lot. Mine have 3rd party pads (Geekria) on them that reduce the bass amount a bit. 

If I Were a Fish by Múm 

The D7100 is more spacious and crisp sounding. It brings out lots of details, but I prefer the more soothing presentation of the Stellia. 

Holberg Variations by 1B1 

String orchestra music. I find the Stellia to sound more gentle and refined, the D7100 crisper, with more “in your face” detail. It’s easier to follow each instrument with the D7100, but the overall experience is better with Stellia. 

It could be sweet by Portishead

They sound very different. Stellia is very gentle and enveloping. Vocals are thinner sounding with the D7100. The bass is strong and a bit bloated on both. 

In Conclusion, I prefer the Stellia to the D7100 (with non-original pads), more because of the preferable sound signature than the technical performance (detail retrieval etc.)

FOCAL STELLIA VS FOCAL CLEAR MG 

Having compared the Stellia to a range of closed-back headphones, I move on to Focal’s own open back Clear MG, which is roughly half the price of the Stellia.  

Four by Arild Andersen Group 

Stellia sounds good, intimate, mellow, and quite bassy. Except for the bass, it has a bit of a laid-back presentation. But the bass is quite bloomy, not the cleanest I’ve heard. 

Moving over to the Clear MG is almost like cleaning your ears. It’s so much more open sounding, the bass isn’t excessively present and doesn’t bleed up in the mids. 

All For Us by Labyrinth

Sounds great on the Clear MG. Open soundstage. The bass is strong and textured without being overwhelming. Vocals are clear and pleasant, the treble is crisp but not too bright.

With the Stellia, the vocals are nice and smooth but a bit withdrawn, the bass overpowering and bleeding upwards. The treble is less pronounced. 

C.P.E. Bach Cello Concertos by Queyras et.al.

Stellia is very enjoyable and enveloping. Dark and smooth. Most of the action here is in the mid-range, where Stellia has proven to have its main strength for me, at least. 

The Clear MG sounds more open and spacious. Details and textures are more pronounced. The treble is more present, and the upper mid-range is too. 

In conclusion, I think the Clear MG has the upper hand. It is more balanced, more open sounding and has a better soundstage. I feel it has better detail and the bass is not bloomy. My hand would reach for the Clear MG 9/10 times. 

PADS, PADS, PADS!

The Stellia review pair is not new, it’s been used by its owner for some time. Thus, the stock pads are well-worn/broken in. I do not know how brand-new Stellia pads sound. However, I wanted to try out the Stellia with different pads. It became quite interesting. 

1 | STELLIA WITH DEKONI FENESTRATED SHEEPSKIN PADS 

I was not prepared for the massive change that happened to the sound when I swapped pads to the Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads. They are noticeably stiffer in the padding, and of course with small holes (fenestration) in them. Stock pads are non-fenestrated leather, bit the inner 50% of the inside is mesh fabric, to absorb some sound. (The Utopia, by the way, has the same construction, but with fenestrated leather all around).

Swapping the pads actually transforms the Stellia headphones to such an extent I must reconsider my previous comparisons. I won’t do it all twice, but start with the Clear MG. 

FOCAL STELLIA (DEKONI) VS FOCAL CLEAR MG 

So how is the new Stellia sounding compared to Clear after the pad swap? 

C.P.E. Bach Cello Concertos by Queyras et.al.

The difference between the two is much smaller now. Stellia is much airier sounding than before, but still not as much as the Clear MG. The MG’s midrange is much clearer and has a lot more texture and detail to it. The treble has more sparkle and is more articulated. The Clear MG has a warmer-sounding midrange. Even with the new pads, I still find the Stellia a bit recessed in the upper mids. Nothing I can’t adjust to, the mids are delicious, but in direct comparison I find the Clear MG more correct and natural. 

All For Us by Labyrinth

Oh, wow where did the Stellia bass go? On the positive side, the sound is more spacious. I prefer the treble and the mid-range to the stock pads, but…with the Dekoni Fenestrated Pads, the bass quantity is suddenly well below HD800 level”. Extension and quality are good but the quantity is dramatically reduced. The good part is that there is absolutely no bloom or bleeding, better quality, and more texture. The bad part is that quantity and punch are so polite. However, the Stellia is now a lot more detailed sounding all over the spectrum. Those beryllium drivers suddenly come to their right. 

With the Clear MG, the bass is much more full-bodied and present. The whole presentation is warmer, and more enveloping, while the Stellia sounds more “hi-fi” with focus on details. 

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead

Listening to this album, switching back and forth, the Stellia is now the bass light, analytical headphone, and the Clear MG is more enveloping with a fuller bass and mid-range. 

STELLIA WITH DEKONI FENESTRATED VS MODDED FOSTEX TH900mk2

The difference in bass amount and rumble is ridiculous. The Dekoni pads on the Stellia simply minimize the bass impact. The bass is there, but completely and utterly put a long way back in the mix. The detail level is similar. 

In conclusion, the Dekoni Fenestrated pads totally changed the Stellia. More detail, air and soundstage, much, a lot, less bass quantity. I want a middle way…  

2 | STELLIA WITH UTOPIA PADS

I had no high hopes for this combination and indeed it was a terrible match – even worse than the Dekoni Fenestrated. All bass and lower mid-range are magically sucked out of the music and teleported to outer space. 

3 | STELLIA WITH CP YANG SHEEPSKIN PADS 

So I previously bought these lambskin pads for my Elear from the store CP Yang on AliExpress. Very nice pads with soft memory foam and smooth and soft lambskin. Slight fenestration on the inside only. When I put them on the Stellia, they bring back the bass whilst the bloom is kept in check. Importantly, the detail level generally is very good. Very promising first impressions, here are some comparisons:

STELLIA WITH “CP” SHEEPSKIN PADS VS FOCAL CLEAR MG

They sound surprisingly similar in tonality now with these pads. The Clear MG is a bit more open sounding, even though the Stellia has a quite wide soundstage for a closed can. Further, the Stellia has a little bit more rumble in the bass, the Clear MG has a bit more presence in the upper mids. Detail level-wise, the Stellia generally feels more subtle and nuanced. The Treble is less pronounced but more refined. The Stellia now reminds me a lot about Audeze headphones, like the LCD-3. And I love it. Moving through the playlist, playing electronica, vocal jazz, classical (oh, wow the Holberg Suite on the Stellia sounds so good), listening to Radiohead’s Hail to The Thief…  Now everything sounds great on the Stellia. 

STELLIA WITH “CP” SHEEPSKIN PADS VS AUDEZE LCD-3 

Holberg Variations by 1B1 

The Stellia and LCD-3 are very similar here, the sound signature, and the soundstage. LCD-3 is one of my favourite headphones ever, so I like the Stellia now! The main difference is that the Stellia is a little bit less dark sounding and has more detail in the treble, but less textured bass.

If I Were a Fish by Mùm 

They are not as similar here, the LCD-3 is more open sounding. However, the Stellia is delicious, more detailed and subtler sounding. 

All For Us by Labyrinth 

Oh, the bass on the Stellia is so satisfying now. Strong, textured, even, tactile and powerful but without being bloomy or bleeding up into the mids. I imagine this is how Labyrinth wanted it to sound. The LCD-3 is also great, more open sounding but the bass is less in quantity. I feel the Stellia has a higher level of resolution, especially in the highs. 

As Before by Olga Konkova 

Lots of thump from the Cajon, clear vocals, and nicely rendered piano. I love the Stellia presentation. Smooth and refined. Clear but not bright, rich and full but not overly so. Just natural. 

The LCD-3 is also good here. A bit more open soundstage, a bit less thump and not as refined, not the same sense of effortless detail retrieval. 

Concluding, the Stellia with these pads is delicious. Reminiscent of the LCD-3 but with a more refined and effortless presentation, with a smaller soundstage and more bass quantity. 

STELLIA WITH “CP” SHEEPSKIN PADS VS MODDED FOSTEX TH900 

I preferred the Modded TH900 to the Stellia with stock pads, so I am curious to see how they compare with my new favourite pads on the Stellia. 

Bergen Open by BMX 

The Stellia is nuanced across the spectrum, with a polite but detailed treble, the upper mid-range is a bit polite too. There is a rawer presentation from the modded TH900, with more bite and attack. 

Bored by Deftones 

This track hardcore metal track sounds massive with the modded TH900. The bass kicks ***, lots of texture to the distorted electric guitar, and great separation. Stellia also has great bass punch, extension and quantity but sounds a lot less aggressive in the upper mid-range and especially treble region. In other words, the bass is similar but otherwise, they sound like two different mixes. 

Can’t You See by Susan Wong

The female vocals are beautifully rendered by the Stellia, and everything else too. Although it sounds great – the modded TH900 feels less refined and with rougher edges in direct comparison. 

Pie Jesu by Sølvguttene

My favorite version of this beautiful song. The two boy sopranos are just beyond this world. Equally beautiful on both headphones. The Stellia is a bit darker and mellower. 

Mahler Symphony #2 by Paavo Järvi… 

The Stellia renders this fabulous piece of music beautifully, but the modded TH900 has that extra treble energy, giving the strings more bite and attack. 

Concluding, these are two of my favorite closed-back headphones so far in my high-fidelity headphone journey. They both have great bass. The Stellia is more refined and has better micro detail. It is a bit mellow and polite in the upper regions. However, could I choose one to keep, I’d personally take the Stellia with the CP Yang Sheepskin pads. 

STELLIA WITH “CP” SHEEPSKIN PADS VS DENON AH-D7000  

The D7000 is totally stock and I think it’s my favorite closed headphone to date. It’s just so smooth and enjoyable, the bass is a bit too full and a bit “loose” at times, but otherwise it’s always a musical pleasure to listen to. 

Muggen Fallskjerm by Jøkleba 

Massive, physical bass with the Stellia. Even more with the D7000, but it is a bit on the boomy side. Otherwise, they sound quite similar, but the Stellia has more fine detail, although they are both smooth as butter. 

As Before by Olga Konkova

Stellia sounds stellar. Nice punch, clarity and smoothness. A bit lush. Delicious. The D7000 is also delicious. Bass is more pronounced. The vocals are a bit less crisp compared to the Stellia’s, but still beautiful. The presentation is remarkably similar. I enjoy both equally much, but the Stellia is a bit more detailed sounding. 

Overgrown by James Blake

Pretty much the same as above. More bass with the D7000, a bit more clarity with the Stellias. They are both delicious. Definitely not bright or harsh or sharp sounding. Smooth operators. 

Bach Trios by Yo-Yo Ma et.al.

Both are good but relatively dark sounding, not too much bite from the strings. The Stellia is less laid back and more detailed and enjoyable. 

Undertow by REM 

Again, similar presentations. A bit more bass in the D7000, a little bit more sparkle from the Stellia. 

Where Is My Mind by M.Cyrin 

I love this piano version of the fabulous Pixies song, maybe the best indie rock song ever made if you ask me. The piano is crisper with the Stellia. Both are great.

Aubade by Berne Trio 

The D7000 somehow sounds more natural here. I love the way the saxophone is rendered. The intro drums are also fabulous. The Stellia is very good, but sounds a bit thinner. 

Concluding, the D7000 and the Stellia (with the CP sheepskin pads) have a lot in common. Smooth highs, rich bass, mellow and delicious mids. The Stellia has tighter bass with better texture, a bit more sparkle in the highs. It’s a bit more detailed but the D7000 is no slouch, never sounds edgy or lacking, except sometimes in the overly rich bass presentation. If you like the D7000, you’ll like the Stellia, especially with these pads. I often thought I was wearing the Stellia while I was wearing the D7000 and vice versa. In my book, that is a big compliment to both. 

STELLIA WITH “CP” SHEEPSKIN PADS VS FOSTEX TH900

Again, my TH900 has “‎AHG-ORION-SHEEPSKIN” pads bought from Amazon. They are all sheepskin and are thicker and stiffer than the original pads. I didn’t notice any significant changes in sound when swapping out the protein leather stock pads that literally had started falling apart. 

Bergen Open by BMX 

TH900 has better separation and a wider and deeper soundstage. It also has a fuller, more punchy bass. I really like TH900 on this track. The Stellia is also great though, with a bit more balanced frequency response/presentation. 

Brothers by Adam Baldych and Helge Lien Trio 

The bass is fuller with the TH900, a bit too much. The Stellia is more balanced, the saxophone and violin are more pronounced, more detailed with better texture and separation. 

Blood Beech by Kashmir 

The bass is more powerful with the TH900 as usual, the soundstage is also more spacious, separation better. The Stellia has less treble energy but feels more detailed. 

Brahms Symphony #3 by Gewandhausorchester 

The TH900 is more open sounding, with better separation and crisper treble. I find the Stellia’s a bit disappointing here, the symphony sounds better and more natural on the Fostex. 

Can’t You See by Susan Wong

The TH900 sounds great but moving over to the Stellia, Wong’s voice just melts away and enters a new dimension. This song is Stellia all the way. The mid-range is just so sweet. Milk and honey. 

Concluding, the TH900 offers better separation, bigger sound-stage, a fuller bass and a crisper treble. The Stellia is smoother, with a more balanced sound and most importantly a more present, sweeter mid-range. Neither is perfect but I overall would say I prefer the Stellia (with these pads). 

STELLIA WITH BRAINWAVZ SHEEPSKIN PADS 

I got some nice adapter rings off AliExpress that lets me attach standard oval pads from Brainwavz (and other oval pads) easily on the Focal headphones. You can also use double sided gel tape. These pads are sheepskin on all sides, no fenestration. I like how they sound: The bass is tight but more powerful than with the CP pads. Compared to the stock pads, the bass is generally more powerful, but tighter and not as bloomy. There is good sense of separation and space, good sense detail. I prefer them to the stock pads but they are not as nice as the CP sheepskin pads with fenestration on the inside. They are still my favorite. 

BASS TEST

I found some tracks that in particular brought out the Stellia’s weak spot, and chose to compare Stellia to the Focal Elear/Elex and Beyerdynamic DT1770PRO to illustrate it. As you will see, I’m using both stock and CP pads on the Stellia.

FOCAL STELLIA VS FOCAL ELEAR / FOCAL ELEX

My Elear has Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads, I find them much better than stock. So it’s the same as a Focal Elex with Dekoni pads, since Elex is an Elear with different pads. I chose to use this comparison to see if I can expose some of the weak spots of the Stellia. 

First, I compare using the stock Stellia pads: 

Nightmusic by Tonbruket 

This electronica song is an example of where the Stellia bass resonances destroy the listening experience. It’s just not worthy of a headphone in this class. Boomy, bleeding into the mid-range. The Elear/Elex has powerful bass, yet is tidy, spacious and clean sounding all through the spectrum. 

Nightwalker by Trentemøller 

Another electronic bass heavy song that exposes Stellia’s flaws. Similar results to the above, generally. 

No Trees Land by Susana Santa Silva 

Acoustic jazz, yet another mid-bass focused track. Also here the Stellia’s weak spot is exposed, but to a lesser degree. Otherwise the Stellia is not bad here. 

Soooo… I swap pads on the Stellia. I put on the CP sheepskin pads. Things become a lot better running through the same songs. All the are now quite good with the Stellia. The bass is still a bit boomy, but not like with the stock pads. I still prefer the bass on the Elear/Elex, though, but now they are more different flavours than good and bad. 

Wild is the Wind by Solveig Slettahjell

I’ll give the Stellia a chance to show its strength too, though. Some nice slow female jazz vocals. Here the Elear is extremely open sounding, crisp and clear. The Stellia more intimate, the voice more mellow and smooth. 

I am an open-back-headphone guy, running through the playlist I must admit that I would pick a well amplified Dekoni Fenestrated Pads-equipped Elear or Elex over the Stellia unless I really had to choose closed headphones.

FOCAL STELLIA WITH “CP” SHEEPSKIN PADS VS BEYERDYNAMIC DT1770PRO (WITH VELOUR PADS)

I run these two cans through the same playlist as above. The closed-back DT1770PRO doesn’t have the bass issues that the Stellia had. Even with the CP pads, the Stellia isn’t  on the same level in bass quality as the DT1770PRO on these three songs. That’s disappointing given the price difference. I am too lazy to swap pads on the Beyerdynamic to the pleather, but I cannot remember having any issues with the bass with those pads either. 

Anyway, bass performance aside, the Stellia offers a sweeter mid-range, a darker and more intimate experience. The Stellia has more micro detail, or “plankton” as some calls it. The DT1770PRO is more spacious, a bit rawer sounding, not as subtle as the Stellia. I must say, however, that it fares quite well against the competition here, especially considering the price difference. The DT1770PRO offers almost as good passive sound isolation as the Stellia too, even with the velour pads.

CONCLUDING ON PADS

The stock pads are mostly quite good, but I find that the “CP” sheepskin pads with fenestration on the inside only are better, with tighter bass that doesn’t occasionally bleed into the mids and generally offers better separation and staging. Brainwavz pure sheepskin does much right too but elevates the bass more than I like. The Dekoni Fenestrated sucks the bass out, although not as much as the Utopia pads that are terrible with Stellia and obviously they were never made to be used with a closed headphone. 

To me, the $29 sheepskin pads with fenestration on the inside from CP YANG on AliExpress just makes the Stellia a much better headphone. Not everything in this hobby needs to be expensive.

FOCAL STELLIA VS FOCAL UTOPIA

So, some might be curious how the Stellia compares to the Utopia? They both have Beryllium drivers and are very expensive. Is the Stellia a closed, cheaper Utopia? 

The short answer is no. The long answer is yes and no. They share some traits. However, they are not the same at all. Here is a track-by-track:

Four Seasons Recomposed – Spring by Max Richter

They certainly have a lot in common on this piece, which only features strings. The Utopia is, however, more open sounding and offers more fine detail. The Stellia sounds like a closed in, less detailed Utopia.

Ride by Wild Nothing and Rocket by Smashing Pumpkins

Indie rock. Here they sound very different. First of all the bass, which is quite dominating with the Stellia. Second, the whole frequency spectrum is different. Utopia is brighter, lighter and more spacious sounding. The bass is precise and blends into the mix rather than being slightly bloated and dominating the track. 

Scratch Bass by Lamb 

Electronic instrumental music. Again, the bass of the Stellia dominates. The Utopia feels like a finely tuned high-end rig, the Stellia adds a medium quality subwoofer to a decent rig. It can be fun and enjoyable, but it’s not the same. 

Skate Park by Wax 

Fusion jazz. It sounds good and fun on the Stellia, but a lot more we hi-fi on the Utopia. Better separation, more detail, less boomy bass. Everything is tighter and better balanced. 

Slow by Leonard Cohen 

With the Utopia, Cohen’s voice is full of texture and subtle nuances that simply disappear with the Stellia. 

Teardrop by Massive Attack 

The female vocals are drawn way back in the mix with the Stellia, the bass is brought forward and it’s not very clean sounding compared to the Utopia. 

I could continue with more tracks but I guess that the point is made. It is a good headphone, it can be fun and charming, but the Stellia simply does not come close to the overall sound reproduction level of the Utopia.

AMPLIFICATION

Unlike the Utopia, the Stellia is not extremely picky with regards to amplification. I have tried it with many desk-top amplifiers. It did scale with a good amplifier match, but not as much as many other headphones out there.

My favourite is the Bryston BHA-1, especially the balanced outputs. This is a very powerful amplifier. The difference to other high quality amps, like the Questyle CMA800R, is relatively small, though. I tried the Woo WA22 and EAR HP4 tube amps as well, but the solid state amps were better.

You don’t need to go for the most expensive amps, though. The little Lake People G103P works very well with the Stellia. It’s actually not only good with regards to the price, it’s really good. Not as smooth as the bigger amps, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the Stellia.

The headphone output of the ADI-2 DAC FS is also great with the Stellia, sounding similar to the G103P. Sometimes I even prefer it to the Bryston. In terms of cost, the ADI is a great value amp, since you get a superb DAC included. Being a highly resolving headphone, the Stellia deserves a great DAC.

I also used the Stellia with my Audioquest Dragonfly Black and even my LGV40 and Sony Xperia 5.3 phones with quite decent results. It’s a noticeable step down from the big amps, but absolutely enjoyable. I don’t have a portable amp arsenal to choose from, so you’ll be better off finding advice somewhere else on that but I have been told by someone I trust that the iFi Diablo is a great match.

CONCLUSION

This review became a lot longer than I planned. Partly it was because the Stellia responded so differently to pads, but also because I kept having mixed feelings about it. It is a great sounding headphone but sometimes serious flaws are exposed. These flaws are mostly fixed with 3rd party pads and a good amplifier match. 

As I am sitting here listening to the Stellia from the ADI-2 DAC FS, it is highly freakin’ enjoyable. So what if the bass could be tighter and the soundstage bigger? It is a pleasure to listen to the Stellia and in the end that’s what it’s all about. 

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MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS:

Type Circum-aural closed-back headphones

Impedance 35 Ohms

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)

Cables provided: 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 provided 9.8″x9.4″x4.7″ (250x240x120mm)