Наушники — Focal AZURYS

The Azurys is a passive closed-back over-ear headphone that Focal announced in May 2024 together with the open-back Hadenys, with deliveries beginning in June 2024. Its US launch price was USD 549 (CAD 699), and the UK price was GBP 499. Both the name and the blue finish refer to azurite, a semi-precious stone. Focal intends the model for listening at home and on the go, and production takes place in France, with the drivers designed and built at the company's workshops in Saint-Etienne.

Key specs that matter

Behind the pads sits a 40 mm driver whose dome, formed in an M profile, uses an alloy of aluminium and magnesium. The circum-aural closed-back design has an impedance of 26 ohm and a sensitivity of 100 dB SPL at 1 mW and 1 kHz. Harmonic distortion is given as 0.3% at 1 kHz and 100 dB SPL, and the frequency response runs from 15 Hz to 22 kHz, within a tolerance of plus or minus 3 dB. Without its carrying case the headphone weighs 306 g. A single 1.25 m mini-jack cable with an inline remote control and a microphone is supplied, and a hard case covered in fabric, 24 x 21 x 7 cm in size, is included.

Engineering and use context

Focal describes the driver as a patented design that is developed and manufactured in France. The M profile of the dome is meant to combine two material properties - aluminium adds rigidity, which lowers distortion, while magnesium contributes internal damping. Weight is kept down by a yoke made of magnesium, and the headband pairs leather with a breathable fabric. The earpads are covered in a breathable braided textile over memory foam, which lets them follow the shape of the head and seal the ear from outside noise. Leather, magnesium and aluminium are the main visible materials, while the outer cups carry a pattern of circles. The cups swivel through 90 degrees so the headphone lies flat in its case. Focal points to low mass and a compact size as the reasons the model suits long listening sessions and travel.

Pairing

Being an easy load that needs little power, the Azurys can be driven directly from a smartphone, a portable player or a laptop output, and it also connects to the headphone socket of a home amplifier or DAC. The remote and microphone on the cable make it usable for calls and playback control on a phone without removing the headphone. The cable enters the left cup only and ends in an angled 3.5 mm plug, and this is the only termination listed, so a socket of 6.35 mm needs a separate adapter.

Alternatives

The Focal Celestee is a wired closed-back model placed higher in the range, with a 35 ohm driver, a leather-covered 430 g build and a launch price of about USD 1,000.