Today, Thomas reviews the Focal Hadenys, a new set of open-back 40mm “M”-shaped dome dynamic driver headphones designed for home use. They are priced at $699.
Disclaimer: This loan sample was sent to me in return for my honest opinion. Headfonics is an independent website with no affiliate links or services. Thank you to Focal for their support.
Click here to read up on other Focal products previously reviewed on Headfonics.
Note that this article follows our latest scoring guidelines which you can read here.
Focal is well known in audiophile circles for its top-of-the-line offerings like the Stellia and Utopia 2022. Recently released is the Hadenys, a more affordable, but still performant, open-back headphone.
Coming in at $699, the Hadenys slots in near the bottom of Focal’s “High-Fidelity” lineup, just above the closed-back Azury’s which was released simultaneously and has much in common with the Hadenys.
Features
A premium headphone should be crafted from premium materials, and the Hadenys doesn’t disappoint. This compact open-back headphone features a magnesium yoke to help keep weight down and durability high.
The headband features genuine leather on top for pleasing aesthetics. A breathable cloth underside avoids excessive, uncomfortable warmth during long listening sessions.
The earpads are also designed to maximize comfort. They are made from a breathable cloth and filled with genuine memory foam that does a fantastic job of conforming to the shape of the user’s head.
Inside the Hadenys is a 40mm dynamic driver that uses an aluminum/magnesium material for the ‘M’-shaped dome. This is the same driver found in 2022’s Bathys but adjusted to work with the passive, open-back design of the Hadenys.
Design
Focal’s designs are always striking, and the Hadenys are no exception. It pulls the headband design from the Bathys and marries it with a honeycombed ear cup that draws inspiration from the Clear MG.
This results in a sleek, premium design that would not be confused for anything but a Focal headphone. The brown colorway is unique and gives off a classy old-school vibe that pairs unexpectedly well with the modern flair of the Hadenys.
Every aspect of the build flows naturally as well, without any single aspect that feels clumsily inserted or out of place. The recessed cable insert provides effective bend protection for the stock cable but still allows for 3rd party alternatives.
The location and feel of certain materials were also handled well, such as the plastic surrounds of the ear cups. It has a soft, matte feel that is nice to touch and doesn’t come across as thin or cheaply made.
The same goes for the soft leather of the headband, and matte coating of the magnesium yolks. Not only does the design look attractive, but that thoughtfulness carries over to provide a pleasingly haptic feel.
Comfort
Focal’s headband and earcup design provides a wide range of motion ensuring the Hadenys will fit a wide variety of head shapes and sizes. The headband extends about 1.5” on either side with strong detents to ensure you can extend it evenly.
The ear cups pivot forward and back, up and down, with enough range to ensure the pads are always firmly resting against your head. Combine that with prominent memory foam, and you won’t be worrying about a poor seal anytime soon.
Where the Hadenys can be faulted is in the size. I have a small noggin and there are plenty of headphones that fit poorly, even with everything set up to make it as small as possible, such as the Brainwavz Alara and Advanced Alpha.
The Hadenys is small, and I fear it won’t extend enough to properly fit those with large heads, especially since I’m extending it two detents on either side. The ear cup openings are slender as well, so those with larger ears might find them brushing up against the pads.
The clamping force is also quite high, and discomfort begins to set in around the base of the ear pad after 30 or so minutes of listening. Where the headband rests also begins to get sore around the same time.
The Hadenys is overall a comfortable headphone with good ergonomics but could benefit from some additional padding, a lighter clamping force, and additional headband extension to ensure it will be able to accommodate larger head sizes.
Isolation
While isolation isn’t something I’d normally mention on an open-back, there is some on the Hadenys, albeit minimal.
Compared to other open-back models like the HIFIMAN SUNDARA or Advanced’s Alpha, the Hadenys can be used outdoors, and the tuning choice supports this despite being marketed as an indoor-use headphone.
Bass is usually the first thing to go when using headphones outdoors, and the Hadenys’ prominent low-end holds up well and remains at a pleasing level, even in noisy environments.
An increase in volume is necessary to block said noise, but you don’t need to raise it as much as you’d think before the effectiveness kicks in.
The Azurys or Bathys would be better as traveling headphones given their closed-back designs. However, if you’re a single-headphone customer, the Hadenys is versatile enough to work in multiple environments.
Stock Cable
Focal ships the Hadenys with a single 6ft cable. The rubber sheath is quite thick and dense with plenty of memory of the default bends necessary to store it in the case.
As such, if you’re sitting close to your source it can be unwieldy as it curls in upon itself and bounces about. Noise mitigation is good though, so bouncing and rubbing doesn’t work its way up into the cups to impact your listening experience.
The 3.5mm plugs on either end are quite beefy, with the source end being threaded to accommodate a ¼” adapter. What looks like strain relief is stiff rubber that does little to protect the cable.
On the headphone end, there is a small indent around the lip of the plug which helps lock it in place once inserted.
While far from being a bad cable, it seems mismatched for the Hadenys’ intended use case and feels like it would be more at home as a secondary cable for something more mobile-oriented, like the Azurys.
Something more flexible and with less memory would be a better fit for the Hadenys.
Packaging & Accessories
Focal’s packaging for the Hadenys is straightforward with little in the way of flair. It comes in a medium-sized, magnetically sealed, white cardboard box that is large enough to hold the case the headphones are stored within.
On the top of the box is the brand and model name along with a stylized profile shot of the Hadenys’ main visual cues, in the same brown colorway as the headphones themselves. A ‘Made in France’ sticker proudly announces where the Hadenys were born.
The left and right sides highlight some basic features and a few different collections in the Focal lineup, while the rear provides a matte image of the headphones themselves and the rigid case they come with.
Opening the magnetically sealed flap securing the box shut, you are greeted with the brown rigid carrying case. Lifting that out reveals two long booklets, one being a quick start guide and the other a brand showcase.
Going back to the case, unzipping it reveals the Hadenys laid flat around a cloth-coated partition. Within the loop of the partition is the stock rubberized cable. A ¼” adapter is also included, but that was missing on the loaner sample I was sent.
Overall, a simple unboxing experience with few flairs. You get your headphones, the cable necessary to use them, a ¼” adapter, and a place to store and protect everything when not in use.
Sound Impressions
Summary
The Hadenys have a well-balanced signature with prominent mids and elevated bass and treble regions giving it a mild V-shaped signature.
The boosted low-end presentation was a pleasant surprise, as most open-back headphones I’ve used struggle at maintaining a proper balance of mid- and sub-bass regions. You usually get one with heavy compromises to the other, but rarely both.
That’s not the case with the Hadenys which extends quite well to give off a visceral feel on deep notes while maintaining a punchy, warm mid-bass region. The presentation is more like a closed-back in that regard.
The upper ranges are energetic with a mild roll-off at the very top, which combined with the punchy low end makes the Hadenys a good match for pop, rock, and hip hop.
Detail retrieval is okay from top to bottom, but not good enough to move it from a general listening headphone to something I’d consider for critical listening or monitoring purposes.
Also, the dynamics and energy at low volumes are lacking leaving the presentation somewhat dull. As such, the Hadenys performs at its best at mid to high volumes where it is considerably more energetic and livelier.
Bass
Focal did a fantastic job of keeping the bass on the Hadenys well-rounded and versatile. While not the tightest bass I’ve heard, notes still hit with a decent amount of impact and decay quickly enough to keep things from smearing on congested passages.
Roll-off is present on the deepest notes but extension is generally quite impressive for an open-back headphone. There is plenty of visceral feedback to go with the warm, punchy mid-bass.
Texturing and detail are also good, but not amazing. Nuanced details are smoothed over while the grit and grunge of noisy tracks lack energy.
This is a very entertaining presentation. What it lacks in technical excellence it makes up for in general versatility.
Mids
The midrange on the Hadenys sits just behind the other regions in terms of emphasis, with an upper mid bump giving it the prominence it needs to stay visible and not be overshadowed.
This also results in instruments displaying satisfying attack and decay qualities, without being overly aggressive. This combined with warmth injected by the mid-bass bump gives the midrange of the Hadenys a natural, realistic presentation.
It is just as suitable with male and female vocalists as with instrumental-only tracks. The level of detail output by the Hadenys won’t win any awards though.
While not lacking detail, the presentation has a softness that keeps minute nuances from standing out. This is great for long listening sessions but leaves me wanting more from the Hadenys when it comes time to listen critically.
Treble
Heading into the upper ranges we find the Hadenys is relaxed here too. Extension into the brilliance region is enough to give the presentation some shimmer and sparkle, but it is minimal and completely non-fatiguing.
The presence region sees the most prominence but is not emphasized enough to give the Hadenys a supremely detailed upper range. Again, detail and clarity are good but are not the focal point of the presentation.
Notes are very well controlled though. There is no splash or sloppiness with every instrument and effect sounding tight, well-defined, and clean.
Staging & Dynamics
Staging is usually a big plus of an open-back headphone, but I feel the compact sizing of the Hadenys limits its abilities.
This results in a spacious and well-rounded stage with even width, depth, and height, but not particularly large compared to other open-back headphones.
The default vocal positioning of the Hadenys is even with the side of your head which doesn’t immediately give off a huge sensation of space. Sounds still have plenty of room to move though with intimate vocals closing in uncomfortably, and distant effects sounding convincingly far.
The Hadenys does a good job of providing a layered experience that gives tracks depth and dynamics. Instruments are also spaced out and separated well, contributing further to engaging staging.
Channel-to-channel movement is done with precision and accuracy. It is easy to follow sounds off to the stage edges and those that meander just off-center, without feeling like they are vague or inaccurately placed.
Click on page 2 before for my recommended pairings and selected comparisons.
