Focal Clear Review (headphone)

[budje]

View attachment 100408

Basically we have some bass boost, some reduction of energy around 1.1 kHz center frequency and lowering of the peak at 11.3 kHz. The latter was important to get rid of the brightness.

I have the Clears and I'm trying to match the EQ settings you have. The screenshot of the EQ you have shows an increase in the peak at 11.3khz. Am I missing something?

 

[solderdude]

you should lower the peak at 11kHz. It is really there and is responsible for the slight 'metalic' sharpness.

 

[budje]

you should lower the peak at 11kHz

Spoiler: Spoiler

You should read my post

 

[Wegi76]

Hi,

I`m sure he did. He told you the right thing to do and was even kind enough to show the SPL graph, which clearly shows a peak in the 11k region which makes it obvious that the text-part in the original post was OK, but the EQ screenshot from Roon was not. What do you miss now?

 

[budje]

I am curious if:
- The screenshot or the text is wrong
- If the listening tests were done in error, and if they weren't, what happened in the screenshot?

 

[Jimbob54]

I am curious if:
- The screenshot or the text is wrong
- If the listening tests were done in error, and if they weren't, what happened in the screenshot?

I dont think this was ever responded to (but its a long thread) but same point made here. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ocal-clear-review-headphone.18585/post-607901

Its a fair point. There is an inconsistency in the OP/ review around the 11.3k filter. However, only the individual user can answer whether they prefer an increase at 11.3k or a decrease of that magnitude. I would love to see a blind test done on those that claimed to be able to discern a bump, dip or none in a filter of that order. Especially if they didnt know they were being tested.

 

[solderdude]

Basically we have some bass boost, some reduction of energy around 1.1 kHz center frequency and lowering of the peak at 11.3 kHz. The latter was important to get rid of the brightness.

The improvement was quite noticeable and pleasant. More bass helps balance the rest of the response. Detail resolution improved with the 1.1 kHz filter and as noted, the final 11.3 kHz filter took care of remaining brightness. There was a cost in distortion but not audibly:

my emphasis:

It looks like Amir listened with a treble cut filter at 11.3kHz. as he mentioned it took care of brightness.

Yes, the EQ screenshot is certainly contradicting. I'm afraid we will never know if the EQ screenshot was created afterwards or not and whether he used it this way.

My plot (different test method) clearly shows a peak at 11kHz so when EQíng there should be a -something dB treble cut there as described in Amir's listening test as well.

 

[Savi]

I would love to see a blind test done on those that claimed to be able to discern a bump, dip or none in a filter of that order.

For information, I have the clear and tried abx tests (foobar) with and without the EQ suggested by Amir (except for the bass EQ which was always on). I failed the test. Note that my hearing test show nominal results for a 30 years old person BUT I am not a trained listener like amir and others.

Without evidence, I believe there is a bias when pretending that small dip EQ can litterally transform a headphone from bad to good.

Remember Nasreddin story :

"Why are you salting the sidewalk, Hodja?" — he demanded.
"To keep tigers away." — responded Nasreddin Hodja.
"Are you kidding, Hodja? Nobody has seen a tiger in these parts on anyone's memory."
"See, Madjid" — answered Hodja, raising his finger — "salt works!"

 

[spartaman64]

I dont think this was ever responded to (but its a long thread) but same point made here. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ocal-clear-review-headphone.18585/post-607901

Its a fair point. There is an inconsistency in the OP/ review around the 11.3k filter. However, only the individual user can answer whether they prefer an increase at 11.3k or a decrease of that magnitude. I would love to see a blind test done on those that claimed to be able to discern a bump, dip or none in a filter of that order. Especially if they didnt know they were being tested.

i received my focal clear today. i couldnt tell the difference between having the 11,3k increase filter on or off so i just left it on.

some other details is i preferred not to have the 1.1k decrease filter and for bass light songs i like having the 75hz increase filter but for bass heavy songs its too much for me.
i like the 40hz increase filter

 

[roskodan]

The lack of energy at 4.5kHz can make the 1.1kHz attenuation sound too much recessed. Try adding some dB at 4.5kHz like I did above. Only issue could be the peaks above 5kHz becoming more evident. It didn't bother me, but an additional filter to tame the 6kHz peak could be added to address that if needed.

 

[spartaman64]

also i tested for the clipping issue. i turned the volume up to the edge of unbearable for me and listen to the two tracks that amir recommended and didnt experience any clipping issues. I then tried the yunomi track and sound cloud was at a higher volume level than youtube so i got completely blasted and i yanked the headphones off. it also scared my poor cat who jumped off my bed and ran out of my room. i skipped to the end and sure enough i can see the driver clipping. but this is at a level that i cant even put the headphones on without experiencing pain so i turned the volume down to a more manageable level but still louder than id like and played it again and found no issues.

i do recall reading somewhere that focal improved this issue with their later batches of these headphones so probably thats the explaination.

 

[spartaman64]

The lack of energy at 4.5kHz can make the 1.1kHz attenuation sound too much recessed. Try adding some dB at 4.5kHz like I did above. Only issue could be the peaks above 5kHz becoming more evident. It didn't bother me, but an additional filter to tame the 6kHz peak could be added to address that if needed.

ty, yep it make it sound too thin to me but adding 2.5 db to 4.5khz solved the issue

 

[roskodan]

The new Clear Mg clips same as the og Clear. Seems more likely that the onset of clipping is random, a sample to sample variation. Never had any issue with mine, early 2017 s/n. Blastin' edm, rap and movies with amirm's 40 and 75 Hz low shelfs at +12 and +8 dB respectively, never clipped.

 

[Nabooh]

BTW, is there any other target curve used than the Harman one for EQ? I saw something called the "Usound" target.

 

[Savi]

ty, yep it make it sound too thin to me but adding 2.5 db to 4.5khz solved the issue

As curiosity, did you try an abx test to identify you capability to heard this 2.5db bump ? No offense, I just want to know if my hearing is definitevely inferior ? If I can improve it ? Or if it is not that easy for others to identify it.

 

[roskodan]

Depends on the Q factor / bandwidth of the filter, and content being played, as well as your ears / fit. You can always bump the level to fit your preference, content, since how much obvious it is depends on how much information is in that region in the content being played. I put +4dB, Q2 at 4.5kHz, and it is just on the border between being pleasantly noticeable and too much / harsh.

Under "test conditions", I was able to pass the 0.5dB difference in level perception.

 

[roskodan]

BTW, is there any other target curve used than the Harman one for EQ? I saw something called the "Usound" target.

Check here (don't look at the pictures as it's the compensation, not the target, curves ). You can google the names for more info. Diffuse Field is what you can see as target in Crinacle fr graphs, afaik.

 

[spartaman64]

As curiosity, did you try an abx test to identify you capability to heard this 2.5db bump ? No offense, I just want to know if my hearing is definitevely inferior ? If I can improve it ? Or if it is not that easy for others to identify it.

nope i just did a sighted ab test by switch it off and on in equalized apo. i dont have the help to do a blind ab test.
i found that 4db was too shouty for me so i turned it down to 3db which was still too much so i turned it down to 2db which felt a bit too little so i increased it to 2.5

 

[roskodan]

You can do blind test like amirm does. I do it too in EQ APO PEACE, right mouse click, on filter type icon, turns filters on / off, just spam it, with your eyes closed, till you don't know if it's on or off anymore.

 

[Nabooh]

Check here (don't look at the pictures as it's the compensation, not the target, curves ). You can google the names for more info. Diffuse Field is what you can see as target in Crinacle fr graphs, afaik.

Thanks a lot!