Focal Headphones
Focal Hadenys Open-Back Headphones
$899.00
Canadian Shipping Details
We offer free shipping in Canada on most items when an order totals $99 or more before tax. Some exceptions apply; click here for our full shipping policy.
Estimated free shipping transit time:
- Greater Toronto Area: 1-2 business days
- Rest of Ontario: 1-3 business days
- Quebec: 2-3 business days
- Maritimes, Manitoba: 3-4 business days
- Alberta & Saskatchewan: 3-5 business days
- British Columbia: 4-6 business days
- Territories: 6-10 business days
Express options available at checkout. Orders dispatch next business day. Delivery times may be extended for remote areas.
Toronto Store Pickup
Select in-store pickup at checkout and collect your order from our store in Toronto.
Find our entrance on Bay Street, near Charles Street West. We also have a pickup area in the Manulife Centre parking garage. Click here for directions. Before coming to the store, please wait for a confirmation email indicating your order is ready for pickup.
⚠️ No Returns on Headphones Once Opened
Buy with confidence, backed by Price Protection: if our advertised price goes down within 30 days of your purchase, contact us and we'll refund the difference.
For hygienic reasons, there are no returns on headphones and earphones once opened.
All in-stock headphones are available for personal demonstration in-store. We encourage you to try before buying to ensure satisfactory sound, fit, and functionality.
Click here for our full return policy.
If an item is defective upon receipt, please notify us within 30 days of purchase so we can arrange an exchange. For issues following 30 days, we will work with you and the manufacturer within the scope of each brand’s warranty and service policies.
Description
Grell Audio OAE2
High-quality headphones provide an exceptional listening experience without the influence of room acoustics distorting the pure sound. However, modern headphones still cannot fully reproduce sound as naturally as it occurs in the outside world, such as at a concert or in a recording studio with high-grade studio monitors.
The OAE2 moves closer to the ideal of natural sound reproduction, and marks the beginning of a new generation of audio products.
The experienced development team at grell is redefining the sound of headphones through a research-based approach. Thanks to Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM) and the careful selection and tuning of acoustic components, the OAE2 offers a unique headphone listening experience.
- Natural high-frequency perception through Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM)
- Powerful and precise bass reproduction
- Carefully balanced mids
- Accurate soundstage
- Wideband sound transducer with bio-cellulose membrane
- Precision-manufactured stainless steel damping fabric from Germany
- Innovative damping concept using carefully selected materials
- Modular design for easy replacement of all parts during service life
- Fully balanced cable concept
SOUND
The OAE2 delivers sound in its purest form. The natural tonal balance across all frequencies results from the deliberate selection and fine-tuning of every acoustic component.
Through the interaction between the ear’s natural shape and the front-sided transducers, the OAE2 achieves a natural, fatigue-free yet highly detailed reproduction of the upper midrange and treble. The finest nuances become audible, and the midrange remains clear.
The carefully balanced mids and open soundstage allow every detail to be heard. Bass reproduction makes low frequencies not only audible but also physically perceptible through psychoacoustic effects, creating a sense of real impact.
The housing’s large, acoustically open surfaces give the OAE2 its spacious and airy character.
The grell team encourages you to audition this headphone, and is partnering with trusted retailers around the world to ensure availability. Many of our ears have become accustomed to the sound of traditional headphones; therefore, it may take some time to adjust to the OAE2. Compare the sound with high-quality speaker systems or natural instruments, because the goal of the OAE2 is natural sound reproduction.
TECHNOLOGY
Hearing is as individual as your fingerprint, and everyone perceives sound differently. That is why we investigate how sound is perceived and what factors influence this perception.
Our ears do not function like measurement microphones, and the frequency response function at the eardrum of each person is unique. This is due to the diffraction and reflection of sound by the body, the head, and especially the individual ear. The closer the sound source is to the eardrum, the less influence these natural diffractions and reflections have, and the more distorted the perceived sound can feel.
Together with the Institute of Communication Technology at Leibniz University Hannover (IKT) and supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, grell continues to research how the angle of sound incidence affects frequency response depending on individual ear geometry.
The sound of the OAE2 is shaped by the listener’s individual ear anatomy rather than being radiated directly to the eardrum. The breakthrough is our innovative Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM). This technology, developed by Axel Grell through decades of experience, makes the finest nuances in the midrange and treble audible in a natural and detailed way.
Developing headphones also means researching materials that influence acoustics. From this work emerged a completely new damping concept. It lowers the resonance frequency to 40 Hz, whereas most conventional dynamic headphones reach 70 Hz. This means a much more impactful bass response for the discerning listener.
Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM)
Unlike conventional headphones, the sound of grell's OAE series is shaped by the individual anatomy of the ear. This is thanks to grell's innovative Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM) technology. Developed by grell based on decades of experience, this technology makes the finest nuances in the mid and high frequencies audible in a natural and detailed way.
At a concert, in conversation, or at home with a stereo speaker system, we hear sound coming from the front. When sound comes from the side, we instinctively turn our head so that we can hear the sound coming from the front again. This corresponds to our natural hearing behaviour and allows us to perceive sound accurately and without distortion.
In conventional headphones, the transducers are positioned so that the sound comes directly from the left and right. This creates a sound field next to the ear. As a result, sound reaches the ear in a less natural way.
Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM) positions the transducers in the headphones at an angle in front of the ear. It projects the sound waves as if they were coming from a source in front of us.
Our ears are designed to process sound optimally from the front. When listening with Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM), the individual geometry of our ears is utilized to shape the frequency response arriving at the eardrum. This allows us to perceive sound as naturally and undistorted as possible through headphones.
The Damping Concept
During the development of the OAE2, the properties of a wide variety of acoustic materials were analyzed in detail. This resulted in a new damping concept that enables exceptional low-frequency bass reproduction.
In addition to precise mechanics, grell headphones feature components made of high-quality damping materials, plastics, zinc, and stainless steel. An acoustically transparent stainless steel mesh injection molded into a delicate but robust plastic dome. The special geometry of the baffle, in combination with the high-quality acoustic materials, is responsible for the outstanding openness of the OAE2. The design is patent pending.
The Baffle
Unlike conventional headphones, the OAE2 from grell is equipped with an angled transducer that sits at an angle to the baffle – the acoustic heart of the headphones. The dome of the 40 mm transducer is made of bio-cellulose. It enables a large radiating surface of the transducer combined with with high excursion. The result is an optimal balance between finely resolved highs and powerful bass.
The curved open area of the OAE2's baffle is twice as large as that of comparable headphones. This design allows the sound to spread naturally without being reflected by large, acoustically closed areas. Covered with a precision-manufactured stainless steel mesh made in Germany, the baffle defines the acoustic impedance. It creates a balance between low and high frequencies and controls bass reproduction. This prevents sound coloration and uncontrolled resonances.
COMPONENTS
The transducer and the baffle form the technological heart of the OAE2. But there is much more to the everyday experience of this headphone.
Headband
The head padding is made from breathable velour filled with high-quality memory foam. A combination of flexible polymer and a steel sheet spring precisely defines the clamping force. Inside the headband, two die-cast zinc sliders allow for size adjustment. A rotating joint connects to the yoke that holds the earcup and allows the headphones to fold flat for easier transportation.
Housing
A support structure made from high-grade polyamide ensures that the acoustic components are held firmly in place, mitigating unwanted vibrations. The construction is encased by a perforated steel sheet with 60 percent open area, protecting the baffle and transducer while avoiding resonances.
Earpads
The earpads are made from premium velour stretched over an acoustic foam with specifically defined openness. As acoustic elements, the earpads help prevent resonances and improve overall tonal balance. Uniquely for the OAE2, the transducers extend into the earpads to make the extreme frontal orientation possible.
Connectors
The OAE2 features a 4-pole 2.5 mm socket on both sides, allowing for either single-sided connection (left or right) or dual-sided connection.
Cables
The OAE2's included cables are made from four ultra-fine, silver-plated OFC copper strands for optimal signal transmission. They are low in microphonics and easy to handle. One cable is supplied with a 3.5 mm connector and 6.3 mm adapter, plus a second balanced 4.4 mm cable is also included.
COMFORT
The OAE2 is ergonomically optimized for a wide variety of head shapes. The extendable sliders adjust smoothly for both large and small heads. The clamping force is tuned to provide a secure fit without pressure points. The headband and earpads flexibly adapt to the user’s head, while the wide, large contact surfaces helps ensure excellent comfort for most heads during long listening sessions.
DESIGN
grell’s brand design philosophy follows a technical, simple, and harmonious design language. In the OAE2, ergonomic and acoustic principles come together. The contrast between delicate elements (sliders, yokes) and more substantial ones (head padding, earcups, earpads) defines its character. The aligned curves and round shapes create a sense of harmony.
The grell headphone design received the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, an internationally recognized award of excellence for outstanding design and quality.
SUSTAINABILITY
For grell, innovation without sustainability is unthinkable. Environmentally certified production facilities, plastic-free packaging, and replaceable wear parts such as head padding and earpads are given for us. The high quality of the components ensures long product life.
The OAE2 can be completely disassembled and reassembled, which makes replacement of every component possible. In cooperation with local distributors, grell ensures comprehensive spare part and repair service. Head and earpads are available for purchase and can be easily replaced by customers.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency response:
12 - 34,000 Hz (- 3 dB), 6 - 46,000 Hz (- 10 dB)
Transducer principle:
dynamic
Ear coupling:
Circum-aural
Sound characteristic:
front-oriented loudness diffuse-field equalization
Adaptation to individual hearing curve:
Front-sided Sound Field Modulation (FSFM)
Nominal impedance:
38 Ω
Sound pressure level:
100 dB at 1 kHz, 1 VRMS
Maximum continuous input power:
500 mW (per IEC 60268-7)
Total harmonic distortion:
0.05% at 1 kHz, 100 dB
Weight without cable:
378 g
Headband clamping force:
2.5 N
For hygienic reasons, there are no returns on headphones once opened.
All in stock headphones are available for personal demonstration in-store. We encourage you to try before buying to ensure satisfactory sound, fit, and functionality.
If an item is defective upon receipt, please notify us within 30 days of purchase so we can arrange an exchange. For issues following 30 days, we will work with you and the manufacturer within the scope of each brand’s warranty and service policies.
Specs
Dimensions
About Grell Audio
Warranty
All grell headphones are designed and manufactured to meet the highest expectations and provide the best customer experience. We strive to produce high-quality products using the latest technology. In rare cases, electronic products may malfunction due to manufacturing defects. For this reason, we provide a two-year limited warranty from the original date of purchase that covers defects in materials and workmanship.
grell warrants that this product is free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for two years from the original date of purchase. The replacement warranty applies only when the original proof of purchase indicating the purchase date is presented together with the product to be replaced.
grell warrants that this product is free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for two years from the original date of purchase. The replacement warranty applies only when the original proof of purchase indicating the purchase date is presented together with the product to be replaced.
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