(May 8, 2024) Focal may have cut its teeth and made a name for itself in the loudspeaker business, but it's rapidly building an equal reputation in the headphone department. Having previously released its Utopia, Stellia, Clear Mg, Celestee, and Bathys headphones, Focal is building upon the past with the release of Hadenys (pronounced ah-den-ees) and Azurys (ah-zur-ees).
Both new models, expected to ship this June, feature the same speaker drivers as those found in the Bathys headphones, originally launched in October 2022. Designed and crafted in France at Focal’s workshops in Saint-Étienne, these 15/8" (40mm) speaker drivers carry an aluminum/magnesium ‘M’-shaped dome described as delivering a "detailed, warm, and dynamic high-fidelity sound."
The Hadenys ($699) is an open-back, passive headphones meant for home use or places where ambient sound is minimized. It features eye-catching honeycomb grilles and a genuine leather (top-side) and breathable woven fabric headband and yoke for comfort and lightness. Focal says its brown, organic coloring harkens back to the Hadean era when the earth completed its formation.
The Azurys ($549) is also a passive design but features closed-back ear cups for use at home or in louder ambient environments. Featuring the same design and the same premium materials as Hadenys – genuine leather, woven fabric, aluminum, magnesium, etc. – Azurys stands out for its unique blueish hue, inspired by Azurite, a semi-precious stone of many virtues. Its closed-back design gives the Azurys slightly deeper low-end capabilities, promising a factory-measured frequency response hitting down to 15 Hz (Hadenys is rated to 25 Hz).
Paying meticulous attention to every detail, Focal provides each set of headphones with a matching colored carrying case and necessary cables (the Azurys' cable includes an in-line remote control and microphone).
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