The Elyxr Fusion headphones are an interesting mix of old meets new, with a classic design and vintage sound that works itself better with older material.
Elyxr probably isn’t an audio manufacturer you’ve heard much about, having only founded themselves in 2016. The Irish audio manufacturer prides itself on bringing a ‘classic sound’ to their product, which range from headphones to turntables and even more. The Elyxr Fusion is a pair of on-ear headphones designed by the company and made to pair with their turntable, a device which we’ll be reviewing very soon. Having used the cans with both the turntables and other external equipment, we’ve managed to put together a pretty decisive idea of what to expect with these budget cans.
Coming in at ¬59.99, they’re not super cheap but definitely sit in the lower end of the market. In the box you’ll find the headphones themselves and a carry pouch, made of a thin material that feels pretty nice to the touch. The Elyxr Fusion cans go for a more classic look which seems to be synonymous with the Elyxr name, though we’d argue that it can come across as a little cheap depending on taste. The metal trim on the earpads themselves is actually plastic, with the only real metal being the extension clamps. The rubberised coating on the earpads feels like it could scratch quite easily but does a reasonable job of preventing marks.
These things are incredibly light to hold and on the head it’s easy to forget they even exist. Each ear has a foam pad with a leather covering, which we found to be quite comfortable with a nice amount of clamping force. The elongated shape could be a problem for some peoples ears however, so we would advise caution if you have some rather large lugholes.
Onto the sound quality and the Elyxr Fusion headphones definitely exude a classic sound, with an emphasis on lower mids and not much in the top end. While they weren’t unpleasant to listen to, we did feel that the high register was perhaps a little too empty, leading to an overly warm sound. Likewise, the mid-range itself felt a little muddy at times when faced with congested material that had lots going on, making it difficult to pick out subtle nuances in the track. Giving the external EQ a subtle bump in the high end improved things somewhat and we would suggest for smartphones and MP3 players that you pick a treble setting for better results.
Pairing these with the Elyxr turntable was a different experience altogether, as the classic sound of vinyl owes itself to this type of sound. The saturated mid-range came to life and it was a joy listening to old-school tracks on these cans. If you’re after a ‘classic’ sound, it makes sense to pair the two together, as they seem very well tuned.
Verdict
The Elyxr Fusion headphones are an interesting pair of cans which carry a very specific sound that works better with more classic material. if you’re part of the MP3 generation, it may be a struggle to appreciate these. Pair them with the turntable however and the sound comes into its own, with the saturated mid-range giving a very 60’s feel.
