Focal Clear Review (headphone)

[DJBonoBobo]

Focal Clear Mg Professional announced. Since it is said that the bass has been improved and the phones are more "dynamic", perhaps some of the problems mentioned here in the review could be addressed. I am curious.

 

[joseG86]

Proud owner of the Clear, already experiencing that extra bass using couple of DSP @ foobar with huge soundstage, I want to believe I'm using the MG's already haha

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Hmm. From what they told us, most of these changes seem to be cosmetic.

Personally I would not expect the Xmax issue to go away.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

most of these changes seem to be cosmetic.

I understood that the driver was redesigned.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

I understood that the driver was redesigned.

Sure, they re-designed the driver coming from Ütopia too.
The way I understand it, the excursion limit and hard "clipping" is a deliberate design choice.
So unless that changed and they make it compress at higher levels to limit the excursion, don't expect the result to be much different.

 

[parimento1]

I cannot wait to see a few reviews or to hear the new Clear Mg. I love my Clear so much, I really can't even imagine an improved version.

 

[roskodan]

The Utopia have some fancy magnet array. They didn't mention changes in that regard for the new Clears. Too bad they didn't go deeper into the new Mg membrane design, being lighter but requiring additional coating to improve rigidity vs Be and Al alloy ones.

Found it a little bit confusing (cheese) they mention improved openness as a result of additional layers (outer honeycomb grill) on top of the outer dense metal mesh. Maybe they meant it as opposed to using round holed grill, but then no grill as in the original Clears is clearly even more "openness".

Interesting feature being they made the inner grill (between the ear and the driver membrane) follow the M shape of the membrane (equidistant from the membrane along its whole surface), and with larger honeycomb holes.

One thing I noticed recently is the thin silk dust filter is present around the whole cup. I suppose that is accounting for most of the acoustic impedance, and downplays any effect the larger honeycomb holes may provide.

The inner grill changed quite a bit.

 

[Golyatx186]

Hi!
So I got few days ago RME ADI 2 DAC FS and Focal Clear few weeks ago. Loving the sound!
I tried Amir song "Un Espejo en el Cielo" (beautiful song btw) and it also clip 2:45 subbas on -17 volume (or -16.5 rather) on RME HIGH GAIN. My ears can handle more then this on this song.
The question is do I have bad pair or it should clip as the manufacture says? Anyone with RME ADI 2 DAC can try it? Thanks.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

Hi!
So I got few days ago RME ADI 2 DAC FS and Focal Clear few weeks ago. Loving the sound!
I tried Amir song "Un Espejo en el Cielo" (beautiful song btw) and it also clip 2:45 subbas on -17 volume (or -16.5 rather) on RME HIGH GAIN. My ears can handle more then this on this song.
The question is do I have bad pair or it should clip as the manufacture says? Anyone with RME ADI 2 DAC can try it? Thanks.

No clipping for me when using my regular audio path, which routes all sources through an Ashly mixer. I played it about as loud as I would ever want to listen; and in fact, I dropped from +5 Lo-Power to -16 Lo-Power on RME's PH 3/4 volume right after confirming I did not hear a clip.

My audio path (USB / unbalanced) which does not use the DAC in the RME ADI-2:

• Qobuz 16 bit/44.1 kHZ (100% vol, Win10Pro, Topping v5 wasapi exclusive) >==USB==>
• Topping D90 (DAC mode) >==Unbal RCA/TS==>
• Ashly LX-308B (input gain: unity, master out gain: unity) >==Bal TRS/TRS==>
• RME ADI-2 Pro FS R (Phone 3/4 Lo-Power, +5 DB (max); no DSP settings)

Sometime later, I can try with Topping D90 direct to RME via Balanced output and/or High Power.

But a question: does triggering clipping degrade the headphones over time? That is, is there any harm in trying to force a clipping event; or better to never have it intentionally clip in the first place?

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

But a question: does triggering clipping degrade the headphones over time? That is, is there any harm in trying to force a clipping event; or better to never have it intentionally clip in the first place?

It's the driver running out of physical way to travel. So either the voicecoil leaves the gap of the magnet and is yanked back or it touches the bottom of the magnet.

Long story short: I would not recommend forcing any driver to operate this close to their maximum capabilities for an extended period of time. It sounds ugly because what happens is ugly. It's a warning sign to turn it down immediately (if the pain in your ears is somehow not enough).

 

[Deleted member 27758]

Is there a way to warm up/calm down the sound of the clears. I do have E30/L30 stack and even though it's a bit less "grainy" and warmer than my MacBooks headphone jack I still find it's treble too hot sometimes. Sound presentation is in your face and even though I enjoy it sometimes, but more often I find it difficult to focus on my tasks and can get tired in general. Curious how much of improvement can be brought via different amping and is it really worth it.

 

[Count Arthur]

Is there a way to warm up/calm down the sound of the clears. I do have E30/L30 stack and even though it's a bit less "grainy" and warmer than my MacBooks headphone jack I still find it's treble too hot sometimes. Sound presentation is in your face and even though I enjoy it sometimes, but more often I find it difficult to focus on my tasks and can get tired in general. Curious how much of improvement can be brought via different amping and is it really worth it.

What are you using as a source the MacBook? I'm not familiar with Apple OS, or the media players available for it, but are there any bass and treble controls or equalisation of some sort available within the player? If not, there maybe an alternative player or a plug-in available for it.

 

[roskodan]

If gonna use EQ (imo the easiest and most efficient solution), make sure to check these threads:

EQ Software for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS/iPadOS and Android

List of Amir's Headphone PEQ filters

 

[Deleted member 27758]

Thanks for replies, I'm mainly listening to streamed music and using boom 3D which basically has just graphical sliders on frequency spectrums.
As per Amir's Focals PEQ settings I can only adjust gain in boom 3d. Are these other settings would impact sound in a noticeable difference ?
I've got no idea what these preamp/filter1/on LS Fc/Q 1.0 means....

Preamp: -5.3 dB
Filter 1: ON LS Fc 40 Hz Gain 3.0 dB Q 1.0

 

[Count Arthur]

Here you go: https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-use-a-parametric-equalizer--audio-2301

 

[Bernd]

Hi, I would like to add my experience concerning the clipping/clicking reported by Amir:

Setup:

• Source: Tidal trough Roon via RoopîeXL on a Raspberry 4 (Wifi) USB out (no hats or extra boards etc): Roon DSP is active to EQ the Clear. Reference title: Billy Gibbons 'Perfectomundo' MQA 48Khz, first unfolding done by Roon)
• DACs: Denafrips ARES II & ADI DAC 2 FS
• Headphone Amplifier: SMSL SH9 for both DACs (line out level on ADI DAC is - 13 db to match output level of ARES 2 output level)

In this setup the Clear clips with ADI DAC on 3 occasions: on the Denafrips I can hear no clipping/clicking no matter how much I put up the volume!
If you have any explanations, let me know!

In any case, I love the sound of the Focal Clears, but I just bought a pair of Dan Clark Aean RTs (closed) to compare them too (planar magnetic, closed and with a thorough recommendation from Amir)

 

[Nabooh]

I got my Focal Clear for a week, and I just send them back for a refund.

Yes, they are really nice headphone, they sound really great... But not 799e (price I've paid) great. In fact, they have more details than my HD650, but they also sound way more artificial. Keeping the Clear wasn't worth it given the ratio of quality/price compared to my 650.

Without EQ, the brightness give them sometimes a weird unnatural sound. With EQ, they are more balanced and sound way better... But the random quality issue with the clipping, even if mine didn't do it, is a big "no no" for me.

Especially for the price. I dont' want to risk damaging/stressing my headphone in the long run, just because I want them to sound better. They is already enough issue with the Elex/Elear, I don't trust Focal enough to risk it on the Clear.

I'm just keeping my Senny until a better quality/price headphones comes out. I really wanted to love the Clear, I tried them again and again, but they weren't worth it for me.

 

[J-B]

Here is one my speaker killer tracks that sends the Focal Clear into a ditch: Pascal Gaigne - Un espejo en el cielo (From "Kamandú, un espejo en el cielo")

It does this with no EQ and with youtube clip:

Deep bass starts at 2:45 (none before that time) and it easily causes crackles at volume level of -18 dB on RME ADI-2 DAC headphone out (1/4 inch - high gain).

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I wanted to react to this post.

I own both the Focal Clear and RME ADI-2 PRO (which is exactly the same as the DAC for headphone playback).
When checking this track at the exact same volume of -18db in high gain mode I get no distortion/crackling at all. Really none.
This makes it very obvious that you tested a copy with faulty drivers.

BTW, how can anyone tolerate that kind of volume? I feel that volume will damage your ears.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

BTW, how can anyone tolerate that kind of volume? I feel that volume will damage your ears.

He only does so for testing purposes and yes: it will most certainly damage your hearing in extended sessions.
We are talking about volumes of 110dB+ @30Hz so caution is definitely advised.

Push a little further, you will get the driver to hit Xmax eventually.
My Clear reached it some 3 dB earlier than his sample but the volume was still painful to me.

Usually I listen at -26dB in LOgain mode. *chuckles*

 

[melowman]

According to some videos I’ve watched, the clipping noise is so distinctive that you don’t have to wear the headphones the hear them! You don’t have to torture your ears and make severe damage to them, just put your Clear appart and listen from the outside. Let’s not be dumb in the name of science.