The French brand continues to innovate with two new additions: the Focal Hadenys open-back headphones and the Focal Azurys closed-back headphones. As attractive as ever, these headphones benefit from the manufacturer’s acoustic expertise, incorporating patented transducers designed and manufactured in France. A tried-and-tested formula that promises an immersive, accurate reproduction.
Included accessories
The Focal Hadenys and Focal Azurys hi-fi headphones come with an elegant hard carrying case in fabric matching the colors of the headphones in question: brown for the Hadenys, blue for the Azurys. Inside is a 3.5mm mini-jack cable (angled plug), that is 1.25m long for the Azurys model. The latter also features a remote control (play/pause, answer/hang up) and a microphone for taking calls.
The Hadenys model features a 1.80m 3.5mm mini-jack cable. It comes with a 6.35mm jack adapter to extend its compatibility with a wide range of sources.
Thanks to their one-sided design, the cables allow greater freedom of movement, eliminating the annoying tangles often associated with Y-cables. They also generate no noise when rubbing against clothing, for example.
“M” dome transducers
Made in France in the brand’s own workshops, the 40mm aluminum/magnesium “M” dome transducers of these headphones are identical to those developed for Focal Bathys headphones. They have been reworked by Focal acoustic engineers to fit both the open architecture of the Focal Hadenys headphones and the closed Focal Azurys headphones. These headphones aim to offer dynamic hi-fi musicality.
Open or closed design
The new Focal headphones are distinguished mainly by two different architectures. The Focal Azurys model benefits from a closed-back design that guarantees better isolation from outside noise. This approach means it can be used both in the comfort of your sofa and on the move.
The Focal Hadenys headphones are an open-back model designed for hi-fi listening at home. To achieve this, they use honeycomb grilles to ensure that the transducers open and close properly. This design allows instruments and voices to unfold in a wider sound space, offering precise, captivating stereo imaging. However, this results in sound leakage, and acoustic isolation is effectively non-existent, making these headphones more suitable for use in quiet environments.
Design
In terms of design, the French manufacturer scores many points with these new iterations. Although this characteristic is subjective, it is undeniable that Focal wanted to set itself apart from the competition with trendy colors and a distinctive design. The clean lines are in keeping with the brand’s high-end headphones, such as the Focal Bathys, Focal Clear MG and Focal Stellia. They feature the same openings on the ear cups with the brand logo in the center.
The Focal Hadenys and Azurys headphones use high-quality materials that give them an elegant, contemporary aesthetic. These include a two-material headband with genuine leather on top and breathable woven fabric on the inside, plus magnesium yokes.
Focal Hadenys: inspired by the formation of Earth
The Focal Hadenys headphones feature an elegant brown finish. They take their name and color from the Hadean, the era of the Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago. According to the brand, the Hadenys headphones embody a return to our roots, combining power and a mineral aspect. They evoke the earth’s depths and organic warmth. This hue gives these headphones a certain charm, highlighting their beautiful curves and sophisticated materials.
Focal Azurys: inspired by a semi-precious stone
The Focal Azurys headphones, for their part, feature a magnificent azure-blue finish. Their name and color come directly from azurite, a semi-precious stone renowned for its virtues such as creating positive energy, confidence and dynamism. The blue color, as captivating as the properties of azurite, blends perfectly with the design of the headphones and the materials used.
Wearing comfort
The Focal Azurys and Hadenys headphones are both very comfortable. They feature Magnesium yokes for greater lightness. Their weight (306g for Azurys and 294g for Hadenys) is evenly distributed across the head, so they can be worn for several hours without discomfort. The adjustable headband is adequately padded, and the fabric is both breathable and durable. The ear pads, which swivel horizontally and vertically, are covered in the same material, which is very pleasant to the touch. What’s more, their generous memory foam padding ensures optimum wearing comfort.
Key specifications
| Focal Azurys | Focal Hadenys | |
| Design | Closed-back | Open-back |
| Transducers | 40mm aluminum-magnesium “M” profile dome transducers | 40mm aluminum-magnesium “M” profile dome transducers |
| Impedance | 26 Ω | 26 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB | 100 dB |
| Frequency response | 15Hz – 22kHz | 25Hz – 22kHz |
| Included accessories | Carrying case 1.25m 3.5mm mini jack cable with remote control + microphone | Carrying case 1.80mm mini jack 3.5mm cable, 6.35mm jack adapter |
| Weight | 306g | 294g |
Listening conditions
To test the Focal Azurys and Hadenys headphones, we paired them with the FiiO R7 headphone amplifier using a 6.35mm jack adapter (supplied for the Hadenys). We also used the Audioquest Dragonfly Red USB DAC. We listened to Hi-Res music streamed from Qobuz.
Both models were very pleasant to wear over long sessions. Their excellent craftsmanship and meticulous assembly make them true works of art that are as much a pleasure to look at as they are to wear. Every detail has been carefully thought out to provide an immersive listening experience and optimum comfort.
Listening impressions
Focal Hadenys
The Focal Hadenys headphones are the entry ticket to the brand’s open-back headphone series. Priced at €699, they boast a rich, detailed sound signature. Listening to tracks such as Billie Eilish’s “Billie Bossa Nova”, the artist’s voice was perfectly brought to the fore, while every note, from treble to bass, presented great clarity. The bass delivered a striking dynamic that brought the music to life. Thanks to their open design, these headphones offered a pleasant feeling of space.
On Hans Zimmer’s “The Dark Knight Trilogy Medley” (Live in Prague), each instrument was perfectly positioned in a harmonious soundstage, making the track sound very realistic and natural. We felt as if we were right at the heart of the concert, thanks to an incredibly vast soundstage. The Focal Hadenys headphones faithfully reproduced every nuance and crescendo, creating a balanced, authentic listening experience of remarkable intensity.
Focal Azurys
Priced at €549, Focal’s closed-back headphones are ideal for use at home or on the move. Although the soundstage was not as wide, the Focal Azurys headphones focused more on sound isolation, which enabled us to enjoy the music no matter the situation. Their sound signature placed more emphasis on the midrange and bass. On the track “Feeling Good”, Nina Simone’s haunting voice benefited from great clarity. Brass instruments were perfectly embodied, while the highest notes of the violins and piano were crisp and detailed.
Electro, Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rock… The Focal Azurys headphones were comfortable with all these musical genres. Bass was deep and dynamic, and also descended a little lower than the Hadenys model.
The microphone on the Focal Azurys headphone cable provided an overall satisfactory communication experience. We found that our voice was reproduced with great clarity. However, it should be noted that the volume of the transmitted voice is relatively low. On the other hand, attenuation of ambient noise, such as traffic or wind, was highly effective, preserving call quality even in noisy environments.
Who are Focal Azurys and Focal Hadenys headphones for?
The Focal Hadenys and Focal Azurys headphones are aimed at music lovers looking for a comfortable model with a design that is instantly captivating.
The Focal Hadenys open-back headphones target music lovers looking for an immersive experience in a quiet environment. They offer a wide, detailed soundstage that will be appreciated by lovers of live music or classical/jazz genres.
The Focal Azurys closed-back headphones are equally impressive in quiet places or on the move, thanks to their excellent passive isolation. Offering a rich, immersive listening experience, they adapt to a wide range of musical genres, including Pop / Rock / Electro / Blues, where the bass lends gives tracks substance.
Conclusion
With their refined designs and remarkable sound quality, the Focal Hadenys and Focal Azurys headphones guarantee an immersive and accurate listening experience, tailored to the needs of the most discerning music lovers. Whether you’re listening at home with the Focal Hadneys or on the move with the Focal Azurys, they excel in their field and demonstrate the French brand’s expertise at the right price.
We liked
- The design
- The build quality
- The comfort
- The lively, immersive sound
We would have liked
- A balanced cable
- Two pairs of earpads: leather and velvet
