2 years here. The first set doesn't look pretty anymore but is sonically sound. Foam is still good, red cloth is a little frayed and discolored after a few washes. Spare pair is still slumbering peacefully in the box.

Clear definitely has a little bit more "bite" in the high end than my DT-880 with the Oratory EQ. I quite like it and deliberately left it untouched. Why do some people hear it and others not? Simple: Our ears have different frequency responses. Send 2 people to get a bode plot of their...

Even with daily showering, the fabric doesn't stand a chance, if you wear the Clear for any extended periods on a daily basis. It may look super cool when new but frankly spoken: the material isn't up to the job. The foam inside the pads is great. Even after multiple washes and 2 years it shows...

It is quite normal, especially at extreme frequencies like 15Hz. Yes, Hans Zimmer's music can contain a crapton of subbass and little else, tempting one to crank it till there's no tomorrow. (talking to you, Bladerunner 2049 OST!) Usually the driver only reaches Xmax at ... well, lets call it...

This. I can clearly (no pun intended) hear it when my Clear's cable hits some object or when I touch it. I also have that problem with my DT-880s replacement cable but never had it with the original one. A bit lame for a product of this price but thankfully, once in operation, the transmitted...

That's because there is no such thing as "upgrade a cable" in terms of sound. However, the stock cable is fairly stiff and annoyingly microphonic to boot (at least the short one from my Pro). These are definitely qualities you can improve upon.

Late reply but: Online? Freely accessible? Probably nowhere. Even on Tidal you do not have any guarantee that you aren't listening to "upscaled" .mp3. >.< Though I wouldn't fret too much, modern Codecs are pretty good and you need pretty freaky samples / volumes to reliably tell them apart...

These are some scary looking sound systems. :D Keep in mind, that you are listening to a lossy codec (Opus) at a merely 152Kbits. Depending on whether your ears are trained or not, you might hear the compression artifacts. Cool recordings though.

I know the feeling and share the sentiment. Focal's Aria speakers did the same for me in the speaker domain. At this point, unless something breaks, my audiophile journey is completed and I turn my attention towards the content and finding time to actually use the gear I have.

Yes, that's why engineers measure and design speakers and electronic components according to the science behind it and the results that their measurements gave them. I know people love to mystify all things audio but barring transducer designs, it is a completely solved problem in the...

a) My Clear clips upwards of 110dB, way to loud for comfort. So there is plenty of headroom. Hitting Xmax has nothing to do with a drivers "speed" a.k.a. conformity to a rectangular signal unless the driver is absurdly underdamped and overshoots / rings like crazy. b) the Utopia has the same...

Well lets be fair: we would need to compare one metal against another metal. So the inherent differences would be much smaller to begin with. As you said in your next paragraph, they have a lot of tools to tune the headphone's signature, dome material is just one of them. I'd argue that the...

I've read and seen measurements that the pads actually alter the frequency response of the Focals quite a bit. I researched that topic because I was contemplating to snag a Utopia leather pad set for my Clear but people in this forum advised against it. So in all honesty: that's not a fair...

Well it's understandable. a) they invest a lot in the hobby. And I mean A LOT. Not just money but also time. b) they actually hear differences. That is the crux of the whole issue. If you let me test 2 amplifiers sighted, even when I know their measurements are identical I will be able to hear...

Probably referring to this topic: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/audio-blind-testing-you-are-doing-it-wrong-video.26809/