Celestee Over-Ear Closed-Back HiFi Headphones

I bought these Focal headphones "open box, full warranty" from Audio Advisor via Amazon for $699. I've done biz with Audio Advisor via Amazon in the past and they are very reliable, stand-up operation. The Focals arrived in pristine condition and very much "like new". The build quality is exquisite, the carry case is reasonable, but the cable is a bit irritating to me because it's too short (4 foot) and very stiff. I’m also not a fan of screw on 1/4 (6.3mm) TRS adapters because they introduce a potential connection flaw. That cable thing may not be an issue for other buyers out there who use a desktop amp but for me it's annoying to use with a recliner. Not enough to knock off a point but 1/2 a point for sure. Audio reviews, even when written by an experienced audiophile reviewers or skilled musicians are, by their very nature, variable. That variability can increase exponentially when done by inexperienced reviewers running the Focal headphones off a laptop or cellphone with no external DAC and using that as their audio judgement bar. I’ve been an audio nut for 50 years and still learn more every day. It’s a subjective and pricey hobby. The Focal Celestee’s benefit greatly from a dedicate external headphone amp and i would not evaluate these without a dedicated headphone amp and DAC I use a Rupert Neve RNHP amp with a Bluesound Node and a McIntosh MVP-861 CD player as my sources. I stream Tidal MQA (master quality audio which is a terrific source through the DAC in the Node. It’s not a super high end set up, but I’m a believer in diminishing returns as prices escalate dramatically. I’d put the Neve amp up against a litany of $3000 headphone amps and it would stand proud. Bottom line is that I'm not using a laptop as my source, and I can hear details in familiar music that I've never heard before using these Focal headphones. I'm getting definition, clarity, background percussion, and soundstage like never before. My other headphones are Meze 99 Classic and Sony Bluetooth/wired WH-1000XM5 phones. Both of those are terrific headphones for the money but are not on par with the Focal Celestee. The Meze and Sony models add color and warmth to the audio and the Focal sound more accurate to me. You have to listen for yourself and check out the headphone reviews from the master headphone audiophile, John Darko. $999 is too much for the Celestee's. I was OK with $699. Hope that helps!

I’ve been a musician for awhile now. 36 years of playing professionally. Like a man who becomes a chef because he likes to eat, I chose to be a musician because I like to listen to music. And, as you start that adventure, you quickly realize that the difference between getting a job or not, is in the details. Your attention to details will help you grab that elusive paying gig. There, that was the intro of this review. Now, I’ll give you a secret: 75% of my paycheck comes from my ear. I play what the music requires because I have references. And now comes the Celestee headphones. I have the Shure se846, about the best earphone I’ve ever had. Great details, great dynamics, great textures. But after shoving those plugs in my head for the last 4 years, my ear canal got a little fatigued. So I switched to headphones. I had an excellent pair of Grado SR325e, the very one graded best in class by Consumer report. They are open back, meaning when I’m immersed into some grand tune by Bach or Leonard Cohen, my wife can’t read her book in peace because she hears the nasal version of the Music bleeding outside the cans. So, I needed to get some closed back. I wanted the Focal Stellia. Oh man, my body ached to put my skull into those cognac cushions. But, too expensive. So I went for the Celestee after much research on the internet. When they came, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Wrong, I am not expressing myself correctly. It’s more precise to say that I didn’t think I could hear all and whole of music. Everything is there. The tiniest detail can be followed as easily as an elephant footprint in muddy soil. And, I must say, without turning the volume to an uncomfortable level. At reasonable volume, the sound you thought was a synthesizer is in reality a guitar coupled with an accordion. That bass line you were sure was done by a bass, we’re a bunch of bass drums tuned to make a scale. The bass are not too boomy, not too strong. Again, because everything is so precise, should you decide to follow the bass, you’ll hear them, you’ll feel them without any problem. The middle, meaning almost anything related to the voice are gorgeous, you are in the mouth of those singers, catching their intonations, their screams, their little inflexion, you can almost tell if they brushed their teeth or not. And the highs, from the horns to the flutes, from the violins to the synthesizer, it is there to be enjoyed effortlessly, never brutal, never strident. I put these things on and rediscovered music. I was there when Frank Sinatra took the stage at The Sands. I was in awe when Otto Klemperer conducted the ninth symphony of Beethoven. I was there when Van Halen recorded their first album. I could hear the little accents on the hi hat, I could hear when the cellos led the orchestra, I could hear when Sinatra took a puff from his cigarette. I almost coughed. I understood that I had never heard music before. All I needed was a Pioneer XDP-300r and the Celestee headphone plugged in the balanced 2.5 mm plug. Yes, it’s about $1800.00 worth of equipment. But it would be the equivalent of a hi fi system of around, let’s be conservative, $60,000. Buythe Celestee, my friends! You won’t regret it. Music deserves to be appreciated at such levels of clarity and warmth. After all, that’s only what the artist who did the recordings intended for you to hear.

I just got these this morning, so this is very much a first impression...and that first impression is Wow! So far, I've had a chance to check out a few minutes of a PC game, music playing from my laptop at various sample rates, some streaming videos, and some of the Dolby Atmos marketing videos. As a little background, I do work in the audio industry, but don't really consider myself an audiophile. I've been taught what to listen for...but I really don't have the nuanced hearing that true golden ears possess. I also own a set of speakers and a different wireless headphone from this brand...so am a fan of their sound. Having said that, here's my experiences so far. Unboxing was well up to the standard we expect from a premium brand. Fit and finish looks gorgeous, set up was a breeze (just plug it in). The included cable was a bit short. While listening to a few rounds of Civ7 (PC Game) which I normally play through mid-grade 6.5 inch USB speakers. Immediately I heard nuances to the sound effects that I'd never heard before. The whole thing seemed fuller and warmer and with detail that was impressive. A massive improvement over 'decent' bookshelves. Some of this may of course just be that it's headphones not speakers, but I have a couple of other good consumer grade headphones, and they never showed me this much of an improvement. Playing music on the PC was good, but didn't quite have the same wow factor. Sound quality was very good, individual instruments were clear and there was plenty of natural feeling bass for the deeper drums, without the artificial feel of some brands that like to enhance their bass levels. Playing a couple of the Atmos marketing videos (with Atmos for headphones enabled) there was a huge difference in the feel of the soundscape. Regular stereo felt very flat and dull whereas the Atmos elements were clear, had a much wider soundscape, and the audio followed the locations on the screen very well. Felt like listening to a 360x360 sphere of sound rather than having two point sources directing noise to my ears. Really opened up the audio to be much more lifelike. So far the only negatives I can think of are price and shortness of cable in box. I would have liked a USB-C cable as well so I could more easily connect to a modern phone, but that's an easy problem to self-solve. Over the years I've tried several headphones in this mid-high priced segment. Most of them claim to be amazing and deliver all kinds of profound audio. This is the first time that my initial reaction to a set of headphones has been "Wow, listen to that!"

Although these headphones sounded good they were just not worth the money compare to a $400 dollar set of head phones I already owned

I enjoy these headphones immensely . I listen to smooth jazz ,classic rock , baroque classical music , symphony, old country not pop country . I listen to a lot of Diana Krall , Metallica, Chicago , and it’s wonderful the sound it spews . The packaging is very apple like but better . Most come with a nice case as this one . The cables are of good quality but I would like them to be more pliable not so stiff. The fit and finish is excellent. The pads and headband are soft and in my case I don’t find that they get warm on my skin. I generally wear them for a hour or two and no issues . I have 5 different Focal headphones the Celeste . The Clear . The Elex ,the Stellia , & the Bluetooth Bathys . I love them all . The Clear are my favorite . The Bathys are my favorite for travel . A lot of Focals are being discontinued ,& they have come out with 2 new headphones I know nothing about. I believe these are going to be away too. If you are looking for at mass production beats some sony ,or Bose I would highly recommend recommend these over those other brands . Beats and Bose are to artificially bass boosted . Focals are much more a musical venturing into audiophile headphones. Good luck hope this helps .

Not worth the money. Horrible soundstage and not nearly as enjoyable as other less expensive options. Excellent build and comfort. I use either a Schiit Magni Heresy or an Aune S9C with my headphones.

Review revisited: Now that these headphones are well worn in, I can still affirm that they are great. By now the earpads have molded to my ear and the fit is just excellent. Putting these headphones on is like putting on a worn-in shoe. I've had the opportunity to compare the Celestee to the Bathys and Radiance but I keep coming back to the Celestee. In my opinion vocals sound much better on the Celestee as well having a more impactfull sound. The crash of cymbals, the bass drum smack, and electric guitars 🤤 After a couple months of ownership, I can say that I am satisfied with these headphones. They provide a good level of detail and suit certain genres of music. These headphones are great for rock, jazz, music with lots of instruments (except classical). These headphones do not have the soundstage for classical music. Guitars sound great on these headphones; listening to Polyphia on these headphones is heaven. On certain songs they can get a bit harsh in the highs. The low end of these headphones is acceptable but won't impress you. Looks-wise these are beautiful headphones. I recommend these headphones to people who want to try a Focal headphone and do not want to jump into the Clear Mg or something more expensive.

Beautiful detailed sound! I am noticing minor details I have not heard before with other headphones. The sound signature is fairly bright with great bass! I have them paired with an IFI Hip 3 and I am loving it! Audio bliss!