Short answer: the Focal Stellia, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #370 of 481 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.9/5, at $2,999; the Meze Elite ranks #397, rated 2.7/5, and costs $4,000, so there is little reason to consider the other one. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 481 over-ear headphones, and the Dan Clark Audio E3, ranked #1 at $2,299, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.
What the Focal Stellia does well: A closed-back design with a beryllium dome driver keeps sound in and outside noise down, and the 35 ohm, 106 dB/mW load runs well from a phone or portable player. The catch: Presence, treble and air all fall 4 to 7 dB below target, and oratory1990’s measurement shows a 12.8 dB dip near 9.7 kHz, so cymbals and detail sound dull and recessed.
What the Meze Elite does well: Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. Watch for: Presence sits about 5.2 dB low with a 14.4 dB dip near 9.7 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Buy the Focal Stellia. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Meze Elite and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
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A closed-back design with a beryllium dome driver keeps sound in and outside noise down, and the 35 ohm, 106 dB/mW load runs well from a phone or portable player.
Amazon $2,999.00 eBay
Lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
Headphones.com $4,000.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Focal Stellia | Meze Elite | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,999.00 | $4,000.00 |
| Ranked | #370 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #397 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 56 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 52 (median of 5 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.04 dB standard deviation | 3.31 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.27 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.34 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 38 Hz (-6.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Open |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Planar magnetic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic (beryllium dome) | 1 x 102 x 73mm planar magnetic |
| Impedance | 35 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB SPL/mW | 101 dB/mW |
| Weight | 1 lbs (435 g) | 0.8 lbs (372 g) |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 3Hz - 112kHz |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the Focal Stellia from aden, daemonxar, gadgetrytech and vsg; the Meze Elite from aden, cammyfi, gadgetrytech, sai and vsg, all via squig.link.
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