Focal Sphear S High-Def In-ear Earphones

Ok, this will be long, I'm sorry, but it needs to be. I bought these for the office, which is not the place I really get to settle into a piece of music and loose myself. That said, I had been using some nicer sony ear buds, but they were just ok, they made a noise and got the job done, sorta. Before I go on, I do love my 2 channel audio, my homes systems include PS audio, Parasound Halo, Martin Logan, higher end AKG Headphones , Shure IEM's, lots of Audioquest, ect. I bring this up because these are what my taste and references are for sound. Now back to the Focal Sphear S. Nice build, they look great, came with a good selection of tips (foam and silicone), cable feels solid, and I actually really love the angle the cable exits the plug. But the sound..... well.... this gets interesting. They need to be broken in (burn in), they just do. Brand new, they sounded thin, kinda. They extend down, but aren't weighty. what this means, you hear the note but you don't "feel" it. As I tried rotating through 3 other ear buds (2 sony and one cheapo (better sounding than you think, but I forgot the brand)) I noticed something, the other buds lacked balance, and had been swaying my "normal" or "correct" sound (these don't insert deep enough compared to my Shures (which are very balanced) for me to really think of them as IEMs, they don't block the same amount of sound or seal as completely). After 24 hours continuous playback at hi-ish volume with tone sweeps, and another month of listening daily, these have now opened up. Bass is improved, still not huge in weight, but more correct. these are detailed, almost too much so. The highs are sharp, and will reveal poor recording and equipment for what they are (I was/ am using a Denon USB 300 dac/headphone amp, which is smoother sounding). I really like them, but they didn't grab me at first, but once broken in, I started the really appreciate all that they did right. Like many things, the truth (accuracy) isn't always as much fun as people might think, most people like a little exaggeration in their sound, images, video. These are honest, almost to a fault, but I really like that, I can trust them. FYI, the foam tips sound best (a better seal is the trick for good bass as is with all IEMs), but given my use, the silicone tips are work well enough. They are really making my day to day much better, I am able to enjoy work more with such a nice sound in my ears. These are pretty close to my Shures, but much more convenient to use at work ( The Shures block too much sound for work, take time to seal when removed), and I don't have to give up much, if anything, the Focal's may be more resolving. I have become a fan.