The Clear is STILL the best Focal Headphone! Focal Clear Review!
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
- Thanks Headphones.com! Pick the clear up here - headphones.com/products/focal...
Also mentioned
WA-7 - headphones.com/products/woo-a...
Clear MG - headphones.com/products/focal...
109 Pro - headphones.com/products/meze-...
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Focal Clear MG review - • OUTSTANDING VOCALS! - ...
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#Focal #Clear #Headphones 
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Josh moved in Gotham or something... Cool
The OLED creates the perfect illusion
@kaizoor waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawaawawaaaaawaawwawaaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaaaaaawaaaaaaaa
Housing price is crazy low there can you blame him? 😂
@@_baniraaisu6711 lol good one
LOVE the "Normie Take" section its such a great addition to the discussion. Josh with the articulate pre-scripted sentences and then courtney with the unscripted "that looks cool as shit" moments are such a unique value that brings a little humor to the clean-cut reviews and visuals that josh is known for.
Nah, you just like seeing a girl bro. “Normie” Is effectively useless information in a review vid if we’re being honest
@@mopnem her gender is of no importance to me, and the info isn't useless if it provides entertainment. Which for me, it does. But you can believe whatever you want, you party pooper.
@@mopnem nah normie takes are important to help filter out the audiophile placebo
@@DMurdock Audiophile is def a hobby that is subjective but arguably the biggest issue is opinions given by people without experience, so I disagree. Fun to get a “normies” perspective? ..perhaps, but needed? I’d def say no, sure she drove some clicks tho.
@@mopnem there's definitely some cult-like chicanery in the audiophile space. People hear quality because they were told that they were supposed to. Some real emperor's new clothes stuff. High end speaker cables used to be a thing until it was discovered that audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between a high end speaker cable and a common coat hanger.
Courtney's description of the bass being independent of volume level really tells me alot about the Clear. I honestly think it's one of the best descriptions I've ever heard someone make about a headphone's characteristics lol.
Simp
Is she his sister?
probably the highest production quality audio gear video i've seen on yt - great job and great balancing ;)
I spent the last few days trying to figure out what pair of headphones I wanted to buy this time. I ended up on the Focal Clear, with some slight hesitation with the Meze 109 Pro. I was about to order right now. And then this one more review drops! Perfect timing, and it convinced me even more to get the Clear OG. Well done!
Wow, really like your backgraoud, dreamy clean and calm , like a game scenario(of cause, the content is as great as usual)
man that background is really unique and amazing, reminds me of cyberpunk and anime with rain scenes. keep this background. Also the camera quality is top notch as always, when I get the notification of your vid, everytime I got the feeling that ah something new in that sexy 4k with awesome quality
The local store started selling the B stock so took a gamble and bought the OGs. Paired it up with a Vali++2 and just love the sound. Bought a ZMF Cresent Snap headband cover as the headband hurts my head after a while. Not looked back, now sounds great and feels great.
Yup. If I didn't pick up a Utopia OG refurbished for 1/2 the price this would have been my first choice. I liked both a lot . The sound is 95% of the Utopia for a much better price. The Clear has better bass while the Utopia and better midrange. In my opinion the Clear should be a little more expensive and the Utopia should be half the price. That Firefly amp is pretty great looking and I am sure it is a great Combo. It was fun seeing Courtney react to the unboxing. Keep up the quick little informative vids . I loved the lighting contrasting between your scenes, Courtney shots bright and airy while your shots Dark and stormy (literally) giving a heroine versus villain vibe.
I bought them 4 years ago too! I couldn’t agree more, the Clears are absolute legends now. The sound is as perfect as my 59 year ears will ever need.
I love the Focal Clear MG I have paired with a Rupert Neve Fidelice headphone amp. They are incredibly accurate without being fatiguing, or so detailed that it sounds flat and boring (which is where I find the HD 650s to be). Yes slightly less revealing, but honestly these just make all music sound good and that's exactly what I want.
Bought one on your recommendation and these are my all time fav headphones now for everything.
the visuals in all your videos are incredible, but this one just one ups them all
Thank you for this video which I found really very pleasant to look at.
A little Proust's Madeleine for me: a few years ago, I was looking for good headphones and I didn't like all the studio references of the time. Until by chance I tried the focal clear, without knowing the price, which turned out to be a revelation. I had finally found THE headphones, but I had not planned such a budget.
I bought it used and a second new one a few years later (at a good discount).
It is with these headphones that the music transmits the most emotions to me, followed by the HD650.
And it suits Courtney perfectly 😉
holy shit, we need a video on your studio setup! That looks sick
Love Courtney's take on everything hi-fi! Please more of this double-take review structure!
Is she his sister?
@@technologicalsingularity1788I am also wondering if they are related
One of the best video production of YT, kudos to this channel so underrated in the business.
I have owned one for 3 years and have not found any can that makes me feel better when listening to them. The Clear rules for the price especially. They have nothing super sounding that sticks out but that is what makes them great. I doubt anyone can find anything better for this price range. Go Focal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought my Clears partly because of your old video. And I want to say 'thank you for that opinion' once more.
Interesting video. I bought the 'Clear' about 3 years ago after I 'researched' headphones being a clueless noob, and - BOOM - I hit the jackpot. I've listened to a number of headphone since and I have not found one so far that I'd like better. I got a better cable (Silver Dragon) and a JDS Labs DAC plugged into an Apple Studio computer and that's where it stays. The clarity and overall balance is striking and provides a beautiful listening experience. Thanks for bringing this up.
Are they running still fine without clipping or driver failure? I heard multiple news regarding these issues
It's a good idea to have someone who isn't an experienced audiophile like us step back and offer their opinion. So having Courtney experience them as well gives some good insight into what others without experience might think.
All things aside my preference is the Elex over the Clear. Don't get me wrong the Clear is amazing. I love the impact of the Elex though, which it has slightly more of than the Clear. Sadly the only reason the Elex loses out hard to the Clear is the fact that the voice coil (presumed) seems to break often on them and I've yet to discover why that is.
Although my absolute two most favorites are the DCA Stealth and Expanse just because of how neutral they are and their pads.
Love the moody aesthetic in cinematic lighting used in this video. Creating the fake rain and dirty background is on point ;-)
Wow I can't help but be blown away by the quality of not only your sound recording (as expected since you concentrate on audio review) but also by your cinematography! Would you mind telling me what camera gear and lenses you use? I know this is not the subject of this channel but Im completely blown away.
Hope to see more episodes as I just subscibed!
i love your friend reviewing stuff
I loved the Ghost in the Shell shot! (0:11) well done Sr.
Very good review!!! Liked the second reviewer. Her feedback is was nice to see a normal listener reaction. Have done the same with friends and got the same results. I chased the dragon to find the ultimate HP. After many HP's I finally took the plunge on the Clears (ouch$$). From the second I started my HP demo playlist I was hooked. While the name is accurate I think I would name them "Balance instead. It is so balanced in all ranges and you don't want more anywhere. It's been about 2yrs now and still happy with my purchase. It also helped me actually catch the Dragon and haven't bought another HP. Ended my very expensive journey which I enjoyed.
Oh I loved my Clears when I bought them but I wanted more :) back then I would say its impossible to beat them with closed back...yet here we are I still own Clears and can say that one need to have headphones around twice their price to beat them. Thou their impact and punch of bass is one of a kind, that make Focal headphones unique
I think you would like the new Utopia. The tuning is similar to the clear, but the treble isn’t peaky. If I had to choose a model of clear, I prefer the MG because of that harshness, but the Utopia has beautifully treble.
Great video.. I am about to pull the trigger on these and wanted some ideas of a great amp/dac to pair with it besides the one in this video which is currently sold out... lol
Courtney's review is amazing & honest. Great to hear more from her. Oh and Josh to.
Agree, picked these up a year ago and they are so lovely to listen to music with.
Only real issue for me is the wear on the pads as they are a sweat magnet, and I can't seem to find replacement pads for sale in the UK.
Can't you get third party ones from Dekoni?. I got the sheepskin ones from them few years back and they have held up well.
@@Lynxiro they alter the sound. It would ruin these headphones because they’re already so perfectly tuned
Same. Bought a new pair of pads in july last year and the new ones has since gone from light grey to very dark grey. New pair of pads, 200 euros here in EU.
@@FremmyI'm going to Paris next week, was wondering if they'd likely have them in a French Hi-Fi shop
@@TheMstwntdLMSV123 Ruin is a bit of a stretch. I dig out my stock pads to compare. There's definitely a difference. Stock pads do sound more open and are less heavy on the low end.
Also stock pads are a bit more comfortable.
It's going to end up being a cost to performance evaluation.
The clear MG I got about a month ago and it’s the perfect all rounding headphone. It’s nice to not have to complain about the treble being too fatiguing my ears are happy 😃
Agreed 100%, I can't tolerate the old focal clear as the highs are loke a crazy banshee screaming in my ears, but the MG version is very gentle to my ears
I 've been using Clear MG almost 2 years, it's much more neutrual than the old one with even better resolving capability. And compare to Utopia it has a reletively reasonable price. The MG is in my opinion the overall BEST DD headphone.
I enjoy my MG more than my OG as well, mostly for the improved midrange though but the less peaky treble I definitely like as well
Does anyone know what the "MG" represents?
@@TheVeganVicar yes. It stands for magnesium. Because the new driver is a magnesium driver. (Made of magnesium lol)
Great video. Where'd you get that raining background?
a cool idea would be to do price range shootouts with Courtney where you have her try 4 or 5 headphones in a given price bracket. for example, you can do a sub-$200 shootout with K361/K371, DT 770, HE-400 SE, HD 560 S, etc.
Josh, would you please let us know what wallpaper it is on Wallpaper Engine that you're showing off in the background in this video on the OLED? It gives cozy vibes
thanks for bringing her back :D
Is that a real background? Where the F are you? Wow!
And happy to have a Clear re-review.
Can't be a coincidence that I have a pair arriving today!
I love the Clear MG Professional version, it's just a clear but with everything is just better quality in sound up a notch.
OG clears are one of my favorite headphones in my stable... It pairs well with an r2r dac and a decent SS amp.
oh it pairs well with otl tube amp's and ss dac's, simply said with everything
The background looks super cool - is it real? I'm wondering how that was done, could be a TV screen or something?
I almost purchased the Clear's but I found I preferred the improved bass, and I really like the mid range clarity of the MG's. I do agree that the high's on the MG's could be a little brighter. So how do you fix that? Very simple, I got the treble control on my preamp and boosted the treble to 2 db. Problem Solved. Now they are perfect for me
I got mine 3 years ago. I'm pretty sure that I saw your review before I made my purchase. Along with everyone else. For me, they are the perfect head clamp force, I can wear them for 8 hours, go have a snack and wear them for another few hours without getting tired. I bought them because they were open back, and I wanted to be able to hear my dog or my wife sneak up on me while I'm listening. However, I moved to a busy street in Philadelphia and it's challenging to have my listening sessions with background noise coming in from the street. I still love them. They are a perfect pairing with my ADI-2 DAC FS. I am constantly in awe at the detail and dynamic range of these headphones.
So you havent had the issue with the headband breaking?
@@AnDr3w066 ...and yes, I do baby them. Every time I pick them up, i handle them as if they were $1500. They have a place to hang and if they ever travel anywhere further than my desk, they go back into the box.
Hi Josh, I have a pair of clears and am using magni modi stack. How much an upgrade improve the sound?
I've had the OG Clears for multiple years now. I have some small gripes but that mostly applies to Focal as a whole. If you want the same pads as the stock ones get ready to pay an arm and a leg for them, The headband construction is kinda wonky (They seem to fail somewhat easily) ,and sourcing replacement parts etc is a pain.
I agree, the headband gives me anxiety because it feels like it could snap with minimum force. Compared to Beyerdynamics solid construction of their headphones in the $400+ price range it is pretty unimpressive. Sound wise, they are great!
@@KingdomKey57 no way.. ive had my hands on them and they feel solid as f no kap. how mych force are you putting on then bands lol
@@x3LightNinG They make creaking noises every time I handle them gently. It isn't super loud but for the price it is unacceptable. I have also confirmed it is not just my pair, I have tried them at an audio store nearby and my Elegia does the same thing. The build quality is bad compared to my T1 Gen2.
@@KingdomKey57 beyer build are definitely simplistic and solid tho ngl. dirt cheap in price too its almost a steal
@@x3LightNinG Funny enough I have had problems with Beyer's lower end models. My experience is not most peoples though haha. My DT770's 250oh wire became loose after very little use. Their higher end headphones have been amazing for me though (T1 Gen2 and DT1990). Beyer definitive doesn't have the elegant look of Focal. I am not a fan boy of any company haha. Love the AKG K712 sound as well but that thing feels cheap af haha
hello which headphones would you choose in the range of 1000-2000 usd? and which dac/amp would you use on that pair.
Josh, one question: I have a Focal Elex that I like a lot. What do you gain/lose with the Focal Clear? Are they redundant?
The lighting in this video is excellent.
10:15 Playing God by Polyphia. Solid choice Josh!
What are the background tracks you have playing? Especially at 10:30.
Beautiful video by the way!
Veri Peri by Molife
yup got my Clear OG 2 weeks ago and I'm done with buying headphones. btw, Joshua, I don't know if the cityscape background is real or not but man, it looks amazing.
sub par response in the bass and treble extension ;bloat in 100 to 500 hz and that 1.5k region.
I have had the privilege of owning both the OG and MG versions of the clear, and for me, I really do love both but I am on team MG. The MG is more “specific” where the OG is a better all rounder, but for me I really love what the MG does better over the OG. The OG has a warm shift to the vocalist, where the MG has a much more correct sounding vocalist to my ear. It’s still a tad warm like the OG, but it also has upper midrange ontop of the warmth that makes the vocalist just sound huge and massive compared to the OG. The vocalist is more of a priority and a focus of the MG to my ear. The MG is also a little bit darker which some will not like, but I do like it since the OG has some treble peaks that irritated me time to time at around 6k and 8k. I will say though, the bass on the OG hits much harder than on the MG and the OG bass has much more character to it. That’s how I justify keeping both around for now anyways. But basically I think vocals specifically are a huge improvement in every way on the MG, even though the OG is a better all rounder headphone. OG is a true jack of all trades but master of mine.
For those that want more detail on how I hear the differences in the midrange between the two, here is my attempt at an in-depth explanation. The vocalist on the OG is warm, and I hear the vocalist to the sides of me, not inside my head, and more coming from “below” my ears somewhat because the vocalist is emphasized in the lower frequencies. The MG is different because vocalists seem to not only come from outside my head, but also inside my head, meaning the vocalist sounds huge and massive in comparison to the OG. Since there is also proper upper midrange on the MG, the vocalist comes from “below” my ears from the warmth, as well as “above” my ears from the proper upper frequencies of the vocalist.
Hopefully that made sense, let me know what you guys think!!
just based on your experience, i think i am ordering a clear og, huge fan of hd650 and having a hard time to find an upgrade with similar sound signature. if it doesn’t have a similar sound signature, based on the look itself i can use it as a gift to a family member
@@qupeter1224 that would be quite the gift I must say. If a headphone like the OG clear was given to me that would be my new favorite person lol.
I’m sure you will love the clear coming from the 650. You will notice a huge improvement in the low end with way more lunch and real bass extension which the 650 struggles with. You will also notice a warm shift to the vocals and a less shorty upper midrange. Soundstage will be wider as well and the detail/resolution will be much better. You’ll love it I’m sure but make sure ti let me know what you think once you get it
I had both in comparision and I really want to like the MG, because the headphone looks so much better, but I ended to buy the OG. For me the OG is much crisper. The MG has more bass, but is more muffled to my ears. Especially female vocals sound much better.
@@pythagoras6938 interesting, I found the OG to have more bass. They have similar sub bass, but in the mid bass and upper bass the OG is far more present to my ear. Much more slam and punch with the OG in my experience. Hopefully it’s not unit variation going on there.
@@camoturtle18 i have bunch of headphones in the similar price range, hd800s, he6, he6 v2 , arya, akg k812 i hope focal clear is the one i am searching for. if not it is kinda wasted owning so many headphones as a college student. plan to convince someone in my family join the hobby using focal clear
You forgot to mention that the focal clears can be found for a pretty good price on the used market.
I got a pair for $500 on reverb in near mint condition, though it took pretty long to ship from canada, the wait was well worth it.
Josh what do you think of the clear vs lcd-x 2021? I know you love the lcd-x 2021 as well and they are in a similar price range with a sound signature that is in the same ball park
Absolutely. The best investment I've ever made. Soo good dynamics.
yea they are most dynamic out of all dynamics I have :D, maybe not perfect in technical aspects of sound but that kick and punch, they are energy cannon due to drivers soft suspension
Clear was always interested in! But I already own the Arya stealth, HE 1000 stealth and Audeze MM 500’s I think I’m good on headphones for now haha
Vs Elex? I was going to pick one of these up and cannot decide.
Yay Courtney is back!
Have you tried the Elex pads that are black and a fraction of the price?
So curious to know if you think the Clear would pair well with the Topping DX3 Pro+.
I found the pads to be too shallow. Any recommendations for deeper pads because I really like the sound
Bro your background is lit. How?
Courtney's thoughts are sooo good!!! Tells me alot about the Clear. This is really what we need. More of a Normal Take on things
go to your local market and ask they also dont have a clue about their products xD
I liked the Clear MG more than the OG, both sound and colours matching. But I'm happy with my end game headphone setup, and now I'm just waiting for my end game IEM.
How does the WA7 stacks up against Xduoo TA-22?
I was struggling between the OG and MG clear like over a year ago, but a lot of people said the clear OG sounds better + it's almost half the price and I don't think it's 50% of the performance lol. So I ended up getting the clear. A good decision on my end I guess since it's still a lot of money and I've spent way too much on KEF LS50 meta with amp and speakers. My only gripe with the OG is, the MG grill looks better lol.
I have these headphones and they are AMAZING. I like them WAY better than the Audeze LCD-X I had before.
they have so pleasant punch, midrange energy with decent clarity make them pure joy
weirdly when I was using headphones all the time and got the clear I wasn't super impressed I liked the radiance a lot more.
however after rarely using headphones for a couple weeks and mostly using speakers I ended up bringing them back out and finding the clear to trade blows with the radiance
The Clear demolish the Radiance. They are even better than the Stellia imo (I have both)
Hey Joshua, how did you make that background? Is it a real window? A projection? Or monitors/screens?
Great video, very informative. Thanks. Was trying to decide between the Clear or an open box LCD-X about the same price. Any ideas?
Honestly I prefer the lcd-x because the sub-bass reaches epic proportions, the clear has huge problems with driver rattling and I wish more headphone reviewers would dare call this out.
After much deliberation I bought the clears as my first and only high end headphone (so far lol) and I have no regrets. I couldn’t decide what to buy and at the end of the day I picked them because they look the best and match my desk setup. I agree with Courtney 10/10
what music do you listen to
I like the Elix just a bit more for a richer presentation. Something about the cellulose drivers I believe. Very close.
josh , how do you compare this clear vs stax electrostatic headphone like the SR007 or the hifiman jade ?
aren't those the mg pro's? curious on your thoughts between the suite of the clear line up the clears, clear mg, and the clear mg pro
How to protect the paint on the earcups?
Any inputs regarding HD 800S + WA7 fireflies (gen 2)?
Just got a deal, so waiting to get mine NIB
After watching about 3000 headphone reviews, I found a pair of these for 600€ used. They’re every bit as good as you say they are. Thank you.
I have just realised that your videos look a lot like the A90 sounds!
These against the Aryas? sure more expensive but..?
Singxer sa1 and a good natural sounding dac with some body like topping e50 or better, huge stage and very natural warmish, anything under that they tend to sound harsh, bass light, and metallic
@Joshua Valour Hi Josh, what after market cables are you using with the Focal Clear? Thanks.
is it realy raining behind you ? thats the most awasome background ever :D
First time I have seen Courtney- big thumbs up 👍🏽
Bought these last month based on the recommendations of you, DMS, and crinnacle! Any recommendations for a similar (but cheaper) amp that will compliment the clears?
Monolith Liquid Plat/Schiit Vali. The impedance of the Clear is too low for OTL tube amps but a hybrid tube amp is a decent pairing since it helps smooth out the highs a bit.
need some help with some good amp/dac pairings, what is everyone using?
I love my OG clears (except the absolutely daft choice of colour) ... i still end up picking up my HD650 more often ... the clears can get overwhelming even if they dont quite reach fatigue
nothing punch like Clear, the amount of energy they are pushing into midrange is outstanding, Clear is like 650 after strong coffee 😆 at least mine on tubes ofc
how you manage to keep your clears that clean? mine are very dirty 😢 do you clean them? how?
Had a question my guy. I was able to grab the utopias for 1800 brand new. I mainly game with it and watch movies. New to all this, should I keep it or try and make a profit and get a cheaper better headphone specific to my needs?
Is Focal's Radiance similar to these? I'd like to have a closed ear headphones with good neutral midrange. Im coming from the Bayerdynamic T5p 2nd generation which are closed ear headphones. I've tried their third gen for the T5p's but it wasn't similar to the 2nd gen in the midrange and had too much bass for the genres of music I listen to. Would love to have a good replacement soon.
Yay ! Cortney 🎉
Are you going to revisit the whole holy trinity? Clear OG first, Arya and HD800S next?
Could you please review SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 4 SIR😊 ❤
Do you add some background effect to your videos, or are you living inside cyberpunk?
got one for 700eur brand new a few months ago. Sold a cable for some cashback. Crazy value
IS your raining city window background from wallpaper engine? If so, id love to know what it is!
Still the best 3 months later? Huge sale on them for me atm at the same price as the HIFIMAN Edition XS. Can't decide. This is kinda leaning me towards the Clear as I have had great experiences with (albeit in monitors) Focal in the past.
We need to see her try the abyss headphones 😅
I've had a Sennheiser HD800 pair since 2010 and I can't say I have ever desired another headphone since. I couldn't be happier and I'm so glad this is the case. Mind you, I play with amplifiers, cables, DACs and other that other stuff. But headphones themselves....anything in the top price range is probably going to be just fine for any audiophiles. For some reason, when it comes to full range speakers I can't say the same. I swap them out every few months and even build them now. I find MUCH more power and emotions from the large towers than the headphones.
As the car guys say there's no replacement for displacement.
How would you compare this to clear mg??
I hope you can review the hifiman ananda stealth magnet edition