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  1. Home
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Sennheiser HD 820 vs Focal Elegia

Which Headphones Are Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Design
      StyleComfortControlsBreathabilityPortabilityCaseBuild QualityStabilityHeadshots 1Headshots 2TopIn The Box
    Sound
      Sound ProfileFrequency Response ConsistencyRaw Frequency ResponseBass AccuracyMid AccuracyTreble AccuracyPeaks/DipsImagingSoundstageWeighted Harmonic Distortion
    Isolation
      Noise IsolationLeakage
    Microphone
      Microphone StyleRecording QualityNoise Handling
    Active Features
      BatteryApp Support
    Connectivity
      BluetoothNon-Bluetooth WirelessWiredPC / PS4 CompatibilityXbox One CompatibilityBase/Dock
    Comments

Products

Sennheiser HD 820
Focal Elegia

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Sep 26, 2023 01:56 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Jan 24, 2024 08:01 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sennheiser HD 820 Picture
Focal Elegia Picture
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
Noise CancellingNo
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
MicNo
TypeOver-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
Noise CancellingNo
WirelessNo
TransducerDynamic
MicNo

Our Verdict

Sennheiser HD 820

Focal Elegia

Because of the disappointing performance of the Sennheiser HD 820 for their price, the Focal Elegia might be a better choice for most people. They are better-built than the Sennheisers and are as comfortable. On the other hand, the Sennheisers have better sound quality and perform closer to our target curve than the Focal, but at their extremely high price point, you could probably find something similar in performance, but at a cheaper price, like the Focal.

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Variants

  • HD 820
  • Elegia (Black/Silver)

Review

See Sennheiser HD 820 Review
See Focal Elegia Review
0 
0 

Check Price

Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
B&H
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEARCH
B&H
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
Standard
HD 820
SEARCH
Sennheiser
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEARCH
Focal

Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 
 

6.0
5.9

Soundstage 
 

6.9
3.9

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Design Picture 2
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

No
No

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

8.0
8.0

Comfort Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Comfort Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.8 lbs
1 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0.7 lbs
1 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

0.0
0.0

Controls Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Controls Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

N/A
N/A

Feedback  

N/A
N/A

Call/Music Control  

No
No

Volume Control  

No
No

Microphone Control  

N/A
N/A

Channel Mixing 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Cancelling Control  

N/A
N/A

Talk-Through 
 

N/A
N/A

Additional Buttons  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

6.8
5.0

Breathability After Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Breathability After Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

4.8 °C
8.9 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.2
5.2

Portability Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Portability Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Portability Picture

L  

7.6"
8.5"

W  

7.6"
7.5"

H  

4.4"
4.1"

Volume  

260 in³
261 in³

Transmitter Required  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Case 
 

0.0
8.0

Case Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Case Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Case Picture

Type  

No case
Hard case

L  

N/A
8.5"

W  

N/A
9.5"

H  

N/A
4.7"

Volume  

N/A
380 in³
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.5
9.0

Build Quality Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Build Quality Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

6.5
6.0

Stability Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Stability Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Angled Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Angled Picture

Side Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Side Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Front Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Front Picture

Rear Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Rear Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Top Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Top Picture

In The Box  

In the box Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 In the box Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia In the box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Frequency Response
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Frequency Response
 Compare in Graph Tool

Bass Amount 
 

-2.06 dB
-1.79 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.38 dB
-3.4 dB

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.5
6.9

Consistency L  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Consistency L
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Consistency L
 Compare in Graph Tool

Consistency R  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Consistency R
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Consistency R
 Compare in Graph Tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

1.22 dB
0.65 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Raw FR L
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Raw FR L
 Compare in Graph Tool

Raw FR R  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Raw FR R
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Raw FR R
 Compare in Graph Tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.9
9.5

Bass  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Bass
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Bass
 Compare in Graph Tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.58 dB
0.64 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
10 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

-0.52 dB
0.12 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

0.71 dB
-0.02 dB

High-Bass 
 

1.89 dB
0.57 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

7.3
7.8

Mid  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Mid
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Mid
 Compare in Graph Tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.64 dB
2.95 dB

Low-Mid 
 

-2.29 dB
3.3 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

3.81 dB
2.66 dB

High-Mid 
 

3.09 dB
2.65 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

7.5
6.8

Treble  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Treble
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Treble
 Compare in Graph Tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.94 dB
4.51 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-1.7 dB
-3.77 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

0.2 dB
-2.27 dB

High-Treble 
 

-4.39 dB
-2.07 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.9
7.7

Peaks/Dips Graph  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Peaks/Dips Graph
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Peaks/Dips Graph
 Compare in Graph Tool

Peaks 
 

1.74 dB
1.26 dB

Dips 
 

2.29 dB
1.85 dB

Imaging 
 

8.3
8.3

Group Delay  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Group Delay
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Group Delay
 Compare in Graph Tool

Phase Response  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Phase Response
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Phase Response
 Compare in Graph Tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.52
0.19

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.93
0.27

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.45
1.68

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

5.1
15.79
Show Text 

Soundstage 
 

6.9
3.9

PRTF  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 PRTF
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia PRTF
 Compare in Graph Tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

3.21 dB
4.34 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

3.33 dB
2.05 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

24.23 dB
3.3 dB

Openness 
 

4.0
4.3

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

5.6
4.4
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.0
7.9

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Weighted Harmonic Distortion
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Weighted Harmonic Distortion
 Compare in Graph Tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.245
0.298

WHD @ 100 
 

0.094
0.099
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

5.8
5.5

Noise Isolation  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Noise Isolation
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Noise Isolation
 Compare in Graph Tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-14.94 dB
-13.22 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Bass 
 

0.59 dB
-0.38 dB

Mid 
 

-14.45 dB
-13.11 dB

Treble 
 

-32.42 dB
-27.41 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

5.5
6.5

Leakage  

 Preview Graph
Sennheiser HD 820 Leakage
 Preview Graph
Focal Elegia Leakage
 Compare in Graph Tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

47.56 dB
42.63 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

N/A
N/A

In-line 
 

N/A
N/A

Boom 
 

N/A
N/A

Detachable Boom 
 

N/A
N/A

Mic  

No
No
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

0.0
0.0

Microphone Frequency Response  

Sennheiser HD 820 Microphone Frequency Response
Focal Elegia Microphone Frequency Response
 Compare in Graph Tool

Recorded Speech 
 

N/A
N/A

LFE 
 

N/A
N/A

FR Std. Dev. 
 

N/A
N/A

HFE 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted THD 
 

N/A
N/A

Gain 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

0.0
0.0

SpNR  

Sennheiser HD 820 SpNR
Focal Elegia SpNR
 Compare in Graph Tool

Speech + Pink Noise  

N/A
N/A

Speech + Subway Noise  

N/A
N/A

SpNR 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

0.0
0.0

Battery Type 
 

N/A
N/A

Continuous Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Additional Charges 
 

N/A
N/A

Total Battery Life 
 

N/A
N/A

Charge Time 
 

N/A
N/A

Power Saving Feature 
 

N/A
N/A

Audio While Charging 
 

N/A
N/A

Passive Playback 
 

N/A
N/A

Charging Port  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

App Support 
 

0.0
0.0

App Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 App Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia App Picture

App Name  

N/A
N/A

iOS  

N/A
N/A

Android  

N/A
N/A

macOS  

N/A
N/A

Windows  

N/A
N/A

Equalizer 
 

N/A
N/A

ANC Control 
 

N/A
N/A

Mic Control  

N/A
N/A

Room effects 
 

N/A
N/A

Playback Control 
 

N/A
N/A

Button Mapping  

N/A
N/A

Surround Sound  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

0.0
0.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

N/A
N/A

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

N/A
N/A

NFC Pairing 
 

N/A
N/A

Line of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Default Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

aptX Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

aptX(LL) Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

9.5
9.5

Cable Picture 
 

Compare High-Res
Sennheiser HD 820 Cable Picture
Compare High-Res
Focal Elegia Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

Yes
Yes

Length  

10 ft
4 ft

Connection  

1/4" TRS
1/8" TRS

Wired Latency 
 

0 ms
0 ms
Show Text 

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC / PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PC / PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Wireless 
 

No
No

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

N/A
N/A

USB Input 
 

N/A
N/A

Line In 
 

N/A
N/A

Line Out 
 

N/A
N/A

Optical Input 
 

N/A
N/A

RCA Input 
 

N/A
N/A

Dock Charging 
 

N/A
N/A

Power Supply 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Check Price

Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
B&H
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEARCH
B&H
Standard
HD 820
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEARCH
BestBuy.com
Standard
HD 820
SEARCH
Sennheiser
Black/Silver
Elegia
SEARCH
Focal
Back to Top

Sennheiser HD 820

Focal Elegia

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 2 years ago

Sennheiser HD 820 vs Focal Elegia: Main Discussion

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