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he Listen Professional

headphones from

Focal represent the

only closed-back

phones in the French

company’s

‘professional’ range,

replacing the now defunct Spirit

Pros. We were really impressed by

the all-round performance of the

Spirit Pro phones back then, with,

perhaps, the only misgiving being

the ﬁ t. So we were pleased to see

that the design of the Listen Pros

has changed somewhat when

compared to its predecessor, but of

course the proof is in the pudding.

Fresh out of the box and we ﬁ nd

the LPs neatly encapsulated within a

rigid case, which also includes a 5m

coiled cable and a 1.4m cable, with

omni-directional microphone and

remote control. Of course, the

obligatory 3.5mm to 6.35mm

adapter is present, as is a handy

little elasticated strap for your iLok

dongle, which is a thoughtful touch.

The design differs from the Spirit

Pros quite signiﬁ cantly. The

headband and hinge looks to be

more robust than before and will

withstand any twisting, or bending.

The folding mechanism differs from

the Spirit too, with one cup folding

after the other, not at the same time

the lower mids and bass are both

tight and lusciously rich.

The Focal Listen Professionals,

are exactly what they say on the tin;

ideal for both listening and pro

duties. As a result, we’d put them

ﬁ rmly in the all-rounder category.

Overall, the ﬁ t is snug, but not too

tight that long periods in the mixing

saddle are unbearable. In fact far

from it, the longest period of time we

had them on continuously was for

around three hours – with little

discomfort or need for a ‘breather’.

While many engineers and audio

specialists may prefer open-backed

designs for their lack of fatigue, the

closed Listen Pros perform admirably

in this regard.

with the earcups pushing against one

another, which could damage cones.

The overall ﬁ t feels like a marked

improvement on the Spirits; these

are some of the more comfortable

phones we’ve tried. This is largely to

do with the memory foam earcups,

which provide the right density for

both comfort and isolation. The

headband grip is ﬁ rm, yet reassuring.

The low weight and cup-proﬁ le

ensure long hours of monitoring and

mixing are possible and you wouldn’t

bat an eyelid at wearing them out

and about. We’re loathe to use the

word ‘stylish’... but we just did.

Being a closed-back design

means you’re not going to get the

most expansive soundstage that an

open-backed design can provide, but

next to its closest rivals, the Listen

Pros are honest, direct and the

soundstage is very pleasing. Those

memory foam earcups aren’t just for

comfort and isolation, as Focal have

deployed certain materials as

acoustic treatment, which further

enhances the level of clarity and

detail that these headphones

provide, leaving you with no

unwanted frequencies bouncing

around, getting in the way.

Reproduction across the entire

spectrum is transparent, with plenty

of excitement down the low end –

THE PROS & CONS

Sturdy and

comfortable ﬁ t

Solid sound

reproduction at

low volumes

Silicon cushion on

the headband,

though comfortable,

will attract sweat

FM VERDICT

9.5

Honest, transparent

circumaural phones that

cause little fatigue over long

periods. A new favourite in

the all-rounder category