Review: Focal Sphear S

Sound

The Sphear S really is all about that bass, ‘bout that bass.  No, this isn’t for the perfect gift for the basshead in your life, but this is right at the border of having too much bass to be called neutral.  So, the quality of the bass here is very important, and that quality is pretty exceptional for the price.  It uses a bass-reflex system, similar to what you might find in a loudspeaker (and Focal knows loudspeakers).  In the bass department, it does feel like a loudspeaker in your ear.  For an in-ear just over $100, its bass goes pretty deep.  More impressive than that, however, is the amount of detail and texture unearthed by the Sphear S.  It isn’t quite up there with what you would find on an LCD, or the HE-560, but the fact that’s where my mind went, should tell you the bass hear is punching above its weight.  Even now, I am still surprised at what details I can make out in the bass.  The impact cracks hard when called for.  Just about the only “issue” with the bass is the fact it isn’t as tight as it could be.  It isn’t bloated by any means, but it isn’t quite svelte, either.  A minor point however, as the bass here is really hard for me not to like.

Now, a tale of two mids.  After the bass, the first thing you notice about the Sphear S is its forward upper midrange, and lower treble.  This gives an immediate impression of clarity.  It also means that you need to tiptoe very carefully around the music you are going to play.  I didn’t always enjoy using it with my phone, because the extra presence here could make things edgy and uncomfortable.  With good music, well recorded, this isn’t a problem.  In Dvorak’s American string quartet, the violins are bright, but never turn shrill.

Due to the strong bass and elevated upper mids, the lower midrange is a little lacking.  The Sphear S is missing that fullness and warmth you get from the midrange, which gives the overall sound a brighter sheen.  This is most obvious in the vocal presentation, where the vocals are very clear, but are missing the weight that a stronger response in the lower mids can give you.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I really like how the Sphear S does voices, but, it isn’t a romantic choice.  It can also be quite prone to sibilance, so know your sources.

The lower treble offers plenty of sparkle, and the upper treble provides some nice air, and rolls off agreeably.  There are no weird zingy sounds up in here.

The soundstage performance gets the job done.  Width and depth are both solid.  Nothing feels crushed together or congested.  Instrument separation is quite good for the price.  It is easy to tell where a sound is coming from.  Detail, and overall level of refinement to the sound is again, very solid for the asking price.  As long as you are interested in what the Sphear S is selling, it is worth it.

Comparisons

Comparing them to the Final Audio E2000 which I reviewed recently, the step up in refinement is obvious.  The bass has a LOT more detail.  Everything has a lot more detail, in fact.  The E2000 is more linear, with less forward upper mids, but the Sphear S sounds like the higher end (and more expensive) IEM that it is.  I would say the same thing about the E3000, but trying to listen to it the other night gave me quite a shock, literally.  So, Sphear gets the win in both sound refinement and build quality.  I actually find the sound to be more detailed here than I did with the Focal Listen.  However, as I said before, that can be both a blessing and a curse depending on how you use it.  For that reason, I could see someone preferring the Listen when using it with a phone.  With a good music player though, I think the Sphear S edges it out.  It’s all about that bass.

Conclusion

I like the Sphear S quite a bit.  It has been my go to for my Cayin N6 since it arrived.  It sounds great.  I do however, know my source and the files I am playing.  That does need to be taken into account.  Do that, then this is $129 well spent!