GADGET REVIEW | Focal Spark Wireless
Focal is one of those audio brands that will definitely ring a bell as they make some of the most high-end monitor speakers and headphones for the audiophile and pro audio space.
Focal Spark wireless
If you’ve spent time in the professional audio industry, Focal is one of those audio brands that will definitely ring a bell as they make some of the most high-end monitor speakers and headphones for the audiophile and pro audio space. To the average consumer, they may not be that well-known but this French audio brand also caters to their market segment.
Their entry-level Bluetooth earphones, the Focal Spark Wireless, are an interesting set of buds because it costs way less than their audiophile and pro audio stuff.
What’s in the box?
Upon opening the package, you’ll find the earphones, a small hard-shell carrying case, extra ear tips, a magnetic clip, and the manual where you can find instructions on how to operate the Bluetooth device.
Aesthetics
The product itself looks premium with a lot of Focal branding. The earpieces are small bullet-shaped earbuds with flat cabling that can help avoid tangles. Across the device you will find the battery module and the controller module that houses the microphone, micro-USB charging port, and controls.
The battery module doesn’t weigh much but the control module tends to slip to the left side often giving a somewhat unbalanced feel on the neck.
Performance
For a set of Bluetooth earphones, the battery life of the Focal Spark Wireless is exceptional. So far it has lasted up to 6 hours without dying out.
Connecting to a Bluetooth capable music player or smartphone is pretty straightforward but there is nothing special about it.
As for the sound quality, Focal’s high-end audio has a very good reputation in the audio space. The Focal Spark, despite its price range, is almost no exception but to some degree, some audiophiles might find it to be a bit mainstream.
The bass frequencies are more prominent with a lot of punch but tend to lose clarity on certain music genres. The mids and highs however are smooth and do not drown each other out.
Listening to one of Radiohead’s best hits, Creep, you can definitely hear the bass guitar and kick drum almost drowning each other out but the clarity of the vocals stayed consistent. When the distorted guitar riff comes in, the guitar almost sounded flat and does not drown out the vocals on the high frequencies unlike on some other earphones.
For a genre-hopper such as myself, the spread of detail across the sound frequency range is not as satisfying as I hoped to be specifically with bass-heavy genres. On the other hand, the overall sound is not fatiguing to the ears.
Conclusion
For a set of mid-range and competitively priced wireless earphones, the Focal Spark Wireless is a good performer in terms of battery life. The audio quality on the other hand, may not be for everyone. If you are into strong bass frequencies, this is probably something that you would want to check out.
