Focal Listen Wireless review

For a pair of headphones that came out a couple years back, they still hold their own quite a bit today. Listen Wireless provides an awesome sound quality experience in quiet settings. Seeing these are older, the design is a bit outdated and would love to see Focal release a newer version with a sleeker look and throw in things such as Type-C and possibly give an ANC option.

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Comfortable to wear and simple to use, you get a whopping 20 hours of listening time from a full charge. And there's an audio cable too, so you can still use them even if the battery's flat. The sound quality is good at a low level but at higher levels we found it lost some of the bass.

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The biggest sticking point with the Focal Listen headphones is going to be that $299 sticker on the box. If that doesn’t put you off, these headphones are worth checking out as a set of high-quality wireless headphones that should be able to take a beating while offering superior sound and comfort. This is my first experience with Focal headphones, and they’ve earned a spot on my map.

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At £179 the Focal Listen Wireless are some of the best-sounding full-size Bluetooth headphones you’ll find at the price. The Focal Listen Wireless don’t have active noise cancellation, of course, and elements of their design are less well thought-out than you’ll find elsewhere. However, it’s only comfort that stops this pair from earning an even higher score.

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Though the Focal Listen Wireless aren't the best value when it comes to Bluetooth, over-ear headphones, they're comfortable, aptX-compatible, and provide 20 hours of CD-quality playback.

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The corporate is aware of how to produce top quality merchandise, albeit at a really excessive worth level. Whether or not it’s for comfort or as a result of your telephone producer thought it en Vogue to take away the headphone jack, the Focal Listen Wireless are an outstanding set of Bluetooth cans that may get painfully loud.

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Still, these are bright-sounding headphones. With well-recorded music, the treble push didn’t bother me, though I have a feeling the Listens’ brightness may be a deal breaker for some potential buyers. With typical harsh or overcompressed music, that harshness is hard to ignore. If you prefer laid-back or mellow-sounding headphones, the Listen won’t be the best choice. Bass is one of these ’phones’ strong points: The Listens go low without overdoing it or making bass sound monotone.

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Focal is more than capable of making stunning pairs of headphones, but the Listen Wireless don’t quite meet the company’s usual high standards. They’re not, overall, an especially bad pair of cans – but at their price, the lack of transparency, dynamism, and questionable perceived build quality mean it’s entirely justifiable to want more. There are better alternatives for the money.

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They deliver outstanding Bluetooth wireless range and hands-free performance, but you'll want to plug them in to get the best sound.

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The Focal Listen Wireless stand up to some of the best wireless headphones in this price point and arguably some priced higher. Focal continually impresses us with their sound and build quality and their comfort is pretty amazing as well. If you’re looking for really great sounding wireless headphones, these are a pair you should consider.

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