Hi!
I would like some discussion on the following two points. Maybe someone can clear up my mind. Please read to the end.
1. Here are two measurement reports from the same site:
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalClearsnA1BRQE000007.pdf
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf
These, as far as I can tell, suggest that Focal Clear's FR is less flat than HD650's from 100Hz and up. Also, they suggest that Clear has higher distortion at 100dB, while distortion at 90dB is generally lower with Clear.
Okay, bear with me, please. Here are measurements of the same headphones by a different party:
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/fr-hd650.png?w=800 (hd650)
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/fr-clear.png?w=800 (clear)
Now, these seem to suggest the opposite -- here Clear is flatter than 650. Also, here are some distortion graphs:
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/dist-l-percent.png?w=800 (hd650)
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/dist-clear-l-percent.png?w=800 (clear)
These, again, suggest that Clear has the same or maybe slightly less distortion.
Please note that in these graphs, one channel of the Clear is kind of "bad".
2. Okay, this point will be controversial. I completely and fully understand that my ears are NOT measuring devices, please believe me that I'm not a "subjectivist" when it comes to sound, but actually consider myself somewhat of an "objectivist". But today I journeyed to a place where I could demo the Clears, and took my HD650 with me to compare. Now, I was quite surprised when they asked me which Focal Clear I wanted to demo. Turns out, there are two versions -- Focal Clear, and Focal Clear Professional. "Of course," I thought, "the difference must be only in color and included accessories". But, funny thing. I didn't like the "normal" clears almost immediately after donning them. While the "pro" ones sounded better to me in terms of everything below 200Hz than my HD650. Unconvinced, I just bought a pair of new earpads for my well-worn HD650 and went home.
Now, I might have a little bit of a conspiracy theory here, but the only sane explanation to today's experience that I could come up with, is that maybe, somehow, "normal" clears have a quality control issue where some or all of them have one or both "bad" drivers, while the "pro" version is better controlled. I don't know, really.
So that's why I decided to post here to get some input from this fine community
I would like some discussion on the following two points. Maybe someone can clear up my mind. Please read to the end.
1. Here are two measurement reports from the same site:
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalClearsnA1BRQE000007.pdf
https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SennheiserHD650.pdf
These, as far as I can tell, suggest that Focal Clear's FR is less flat than HD650's from 100Hz and up. Also, they suggest that Clear has higher distortion at 100dB, while distortion at 90dB is generally lower with Clear.
Okay, bear with me, please. Here are measurements of the same headphones by a different party:
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/fr-hd650.png?w=800 (hd650)
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/fr-clear.png?w=800 (clear)
Now, these seem to suggest the opposite -- here Clear is flatter than 650. Also, here are some distortion graphs:
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/dist-l-percent.png?w=800 (hd650)
https://diyaudioheaven.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/dist-clear-l-percent.png?w=800 (clear)
These, again, suggest that Clear has the same or maybe slightly less distortion.
Please note that in these graphs, one channel of the Clear is kind of "bad".
2. Okay, this point will be controversial. I completely and fully understand that my ears are NOT measuring devices, please believe me that I'm not a "subjectivist" when it comes to sound, but actually consider myself somewhat of an "objectivist". But today I journeyed to a place where I could demo the Clears, and took my HD650 with me to compare. Now, I was quite surprised when they asked me which Focal Clear I wanted to demo. Turns out, there are two versions -- Focal Clear, and Focal Clear Professional. "Of course," I thought, "the difference must be only in color and included accessories". But, funny thing. I didn't like the "normal" clears almost immediately after donning them. While the "pro" ones sounded better to me in terms of everything below 200Hz than my HD650. Unconvinced, I just bought a pair of new earpads for my well-worn HD650 and went home.
Now, I might have a little bit of a conspiracy theory here, but the only sane explanation to today's experience that I could come up with, is that maybe, somehow, "normal" clears have a quality control issue where some or all of them have one or both "bad" drivers, while the "pro" version is better controlled. I don't know, really.
So that's why I decided to post here to get some input from this fine community