You’ll want to ditch wireless with these Focal over-ear headphones
Design-led wired cans offer open and closed-back listening
Who knew audio gadgets could also teach geography? Focal has looked way, way back into the Earth’s history – 4.5 billion years back, to be precise – for design inspiration for its latest pair of high-end wired headphones, the Azurys and Hadenys.
The brown-hued Hadenys was apparently inspired by the Hadean Eon, one of the earliest points in Earth’s history, where the planet’s tectonic plates were still being formed. The blue coloured Azurys was influenced by the precious mineral Azurite, which is almost as old.
Both use the same 40mm speaker drivers as the superb Focal Bathys Bluetooth over-ears, which were easily one of my favourite pairs of headphones in 2023. Except here you have the choice of open- or closed-back drivers. The open-back Hadenys is meant for at-home listening, while the closed-back Azurys won’t earn you disapproving tuts from your fellow commuters when you use ’em in public.
The two new arrivals effectively become the French luxury audio firm’s entry-level wired offerings (its high end headphones will set you back well north of four figures) – but don’t go thinking Focal has skimped on materials or styling. They each tick all the familiar Focal design boxes: honeycomb grilles, memory foam ear pads, woven fabric stretched over the headbands and yokes, and liberal amounts of genuine leather.
Both headphones ship in a sturdy fabric travel case. The Hadenys gets a 1.8m cable and includes a 6.3mm adaptor for hooking up to a high-end Hi-Fi; the Azurys has a shorter 1.25m cable with an in-line remote control and microphone.
The two new pairs of headphones are on sale right now, directly from Focal. Expect to shell out $549/£499/€549 for the Azurys, or $699/£599/€699 for the Hedenys. They’ll start shipping in June, but eager audiophiles heading to this week’s Munich High End show will be able to check them out in person ahead of launch.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
