So, I own focal Hadenys and before each listening I wash my ears and the area around with soap and water, then wait for everything to dry and only then put them on. Maybe we need to do something else? After listening, I put them on the table for 10-15 minutes and then put them in a set case. And how do you take care of your headphones?
I've had my Focal Hadenys for about three weeks now, and I think I've spent enough time with them to share some impressions.
During the first few days my ears would get a little warm after a while, but that happened less and less over time. I guess I just wasn't used to this type of earpad material.
Other than that, they're extremely comfortable. They don't clamp too hard, the pads are soft, and I can wear them for hours without feeling any discomfort.
The presentation feels open and well separated, with good instrument placement. The only thing I noticed is that my previous ATH-R70x had a slightly wider soundstage.
I'm not much of a gamer, but I also enjoyed using the Hadenys for games.
I'm driving them directly from my MacBook Pro M1 Pro. Modern MacBooks have surprisingly good headphone outputs, and the Hadenys sound excellent straight from it. I'd still like to hear them on a dedicated amplifier one day, but honestly I don't expect a dramatic improvement.
This is where these headphones really shine for me.
The bass isn't huge or overwhelming like it was on my old ATH-M50x, where it often felt more like a low-frequency rumble than an actual impact. Instead, the Hadenys deliver quick, tight and controlled bass hits. Drum & Bass is incredibly addictive on them—I found myself listening for hours while walking outside.
They're not bass cannons, though. If a track wasn't mixed with strong bass, the Hadenys won't magically create it. They stay faithful to the recording.
One thing I didn't expect is that they made me want to revisit my entire music library. With my previous headphones I was often searching for new songs or focusing on technical details. With the Hadenys I simply enjoy listening to music.
I also spent a lot of time listening to rock and metal, and that's where I really understood what these headphones do well.
The first thing that grabbed me was the vocals. They're closer, more emotional and somehow more expressive than on my R70x. The R70x always sounded technically good, but emotionally distant. With the Hadenys I can feel the aggression, sadness and energy in the performance much more clearly.
The drums took me a little while to get used to. Instead of hearing just a "boom," I now hear the texture of each hit, the stick attack, the clicks and subtle differences in the recording. Every album sounds slightly different because it's much easier to hear how the drums were recorded and mixed. Even when the kick doesn't hit especially hard, it's always fast, clean and easy to follow in a busy mix.
The guitars are another highlight. I often hear people describe V-shaped headphones as sacrificing the guitars for extra bass, but I don't feel that here. Guitars have weight, great clarity and never sound thin or recessed. Bass guitars are deep and satisfying, while guitar solos sound smooth, melodic and almost vocal.
The treble is also very well balanced. It's detailed without becoming harsh. Even at higher volumes I've never felt that it was piercing or fatiguing. It's much smoother than my ATH-M50x while still keeping all the excitement in the music.
These headphones won't hide a bad recording, but they also don't exaggerate its flaws. Feed them a well-recorded album, and they're incredibly rewarding to listen to.
After three weeks, I can confidently say that the Hadenys are some of the most enjoyable headphones I've owned. They're balanced without sounding boring, detailed without becoming analytical, and energetic without relying on exaggerated bass or treble.
Most importantly, they make me want to listen to music—not analyze it. And for me, that's probably the biggest compliment I can give a pair of headphones.
I've had my Focal Hadenys for about three weeks now, and I think I've spent enough time with them to share some impressions.
During the first few days my ears would get a little warm after a while, but that happened less and less over time. I guess I just wasn't used to this type of earpad material.
Other than that, they're extremely comfortable. They don't clamp too hard, the pads are soft, and I can wear them for hours without feeling any discomfort.
The presentation feels open and well separated, with good instrument placement. The only thing I noticed is that my previous ATH-R70x had a slightly wider soundstage.
I'm not much of a gamer, but I also enjoyed using the Hadenys for games.
I'm driving them directly from my MacBook Pro M1 Pro. Modern MacBooks have surprisingly good headphone outputs, and the Hadenys sound excellent straight from it. I'd still like to hear them on a dedicated amplifier one day, but honestly I don't expect a dramatic improvement.
This is where these headphones really shine for me.
The bass isn't huge or overwhelming like it was on my old ATH-M50x, where it often felt more like a low-frequency rumble than an actual impact. Instead, the Hadenys deliver quick, tight and controlled bass hits. Drum & Bass is incredibly addictive on them—I found myself listening for hours while walking outside.
They're not bass cannons, though. If a track wasn't mixed with strong bass, the Hadenys won't magically create it. They stay faithful to the recording.
One thing I didn't expect is that they made me want to revisit my entire music library. With my previous headphones I was often searching for new songs or focusing on technical details. With the Hadenys I simply enjoy listening to music.
I also spent a lot of time listening to rock and metal, and that's where I really understood what these headphones do well.
The first thing that grabbed me was the vocals. They're closer, more emotional and somehow more expressive than on my R70x. The R70x always sounded technically good, but emotionally distant. With the Hadenys I can feel the aggression, sadness and energy in the performance much more clearly.
The drums took me a little while to get used to. Instead of hearing just a "boom," I now hear the texture of each hit, the stick attack, the clicks and subtle differences in the recording. Every album sounds slightly different because it's much easier to hear how the drums were recorded and mixed. Even when the kick doesn't hit especially hard, it's always fast, clean and easy to follow in a busy mix.
The guitars are another highlight. I often hear people describe V-shaped headphones as sacrificing the guitars for extra bass, but I don't feel that here. Guitars have weight, great clarity and never sound thin or recessed. Bass guitars are deep and satisfying, while guitar solos sound smooth, melodic and almost vocal.
The treble is also very well balanced. It's detailed without becoming harsh. Even at higher volumes I've never felt that it was piercing or fatiguing. It's much smoother than my ATH-M50x while still keeping all the excitement in the music.
These headphones won't hide a bad recording, but they also don't exaggerate its flaws. Feed them a well-recorded album, and they're incredibly rewarding to listen to.
After three weeks, I can confidently say that the Hadenys are some of the most enjoyable headphones I've owned. They're balanced without sounding boring, detailed without becoming analytical, and energetic without relying on exaggerated bass or treble.
Most importantly, they make me want to listen to music—not analyze it. And for me, that's probably the biggest compliment I can give a pair of headphones.
The Focal Hadenys has good drum impact, but the hits are very controlled rather than explosive.
I really like these headphones in every respect, but there's one interesting thing I've noticed. On rock and metal tracks, the drums are extremely clear and very fast. I can hear details that used to go unnoticed before. However, they seem to be lacking a bit of drum impact. It's a strange effect: I can hear the drum kit perfectly, and it feels like the hit should be powerful, but the sound is very controlled, even though it's clear and precise. The attack is there, but the physical punch seems a little restrained. Could an amplifier make the drum hits feel more impactful? I have no issues with the bass on EDM and electronic music. In those genres, the attack is fast but also powerful and energetic, which makes the music very engaging. It's mainly with rock and metal that I feel the drums could have a bit more slam
This is my first post here! I owned ath m 50x. from 2018-2024, then from 2024 I switched to ath r 70x. 70x were great headphones, very smooth sound, excellent and spacious stage. But as if the music was missing something? After a long search and correspondence on reddit, I took a closer look at focal Hadenys. I sold my r 70x for 150 dollars, waited for these headphones for 2 months and today I have them! Unpacking and the box itself are already in a good mood: The packaging is of high quality, a beautiful and very practical case. The headphones themselves look beautiful! I really liked their appearance, it's very nice to hold them. On my head they sit comfortably, but r 70x were less noticeable on the head, but the comfort is very good.
Sound. So, I put them in my MacBook pro m1 pro and run my favorite tracks, very exciting. I fell in love with them from the first notes! Now I've been listening to them for several hours. The scene is not wide, the previous ones by 70x were much wider, but then Hadenys gave me a lot of fun. Great bass, edm just comes to life on these headphones! Then I started listening to staind, thornhill, northlane - the sounds themselves began to play somehow differently. Everything is very clearly audible, my painfully familiar tracks have become much more distinguishable, every instrument can be heard clearly. Voices, guitars and drums have acquired a slightly different sound, everything is so beautiful and juicy, energetic. The voice began to have a slightly different study. So far, it's one of the best sounds I've heard!
Hey,
I’ve been using the ATH-R70x for a while and overall I really enjoy them — great detail and presentation.
But with rock and metal I keep feeling like the drums lack impact, especially kick drums. It sometimes makes the music feel less engaging than I’d like.
I’m considering the Focal Hadenys as a potential upgrade. I mainly listen to rock, metal, and some EDM.
For those who’ve heard both — do the Hadenys deliver more punch and energy? Or am I looking in the wrong direction?
