Focal Spirit One review

Despite a rocky start upon initial release of the Spirit One, Focal was able to rectify the situation and produce a pair of premium headphones. The headphones are made from highly polished plastic with aluminum hinges for improved durability. Rather than the standard one hinge, the Spirit One has two vertical hinges that attach to the faux leather ear cups and one horizontal axis, which allows users to adjust the tightness of the headphones to suit their head shape and size. According to reviewers, this has the added benefit of improving passive noise isolation though the additional pressure also makes it uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Experts paint the Spirit One's soundscape as having a fairly punchy bass and well realized mid and high range. They note that in general the headphones are natural sounding if not a little on the neutral side. What Hi Fi adds, "The only noteworthy drawback is a slight, but palpable, lack of excitement…the Spirit One never really take flight, and this…is coupled with a slight lack of dynamic thrust." In addition to music listening, it also comes with controls for smartphones so you can make and receive calls.