I have the Focal Clear and LCD2C with me for more than a week now, driven through my RME ADI-2 Pro DAC/Amp.
It was an initial tough choice between these two headphones (with LCD2C so easy to listen to for long hours and the Focal Clear so technically competent but mildly tiring for prolonged listening). However, things started to change after a week and the choice becomes easier:
- Initially, if I could only own one of them, I would pick LCD2C over the Focal Clear. Why? Because while the Focal Clear would kick the ass out of the LCD2C, I could not get past 10-15 mins without slight listening fatigue. There is simply too much of a good thing.
- Switching from the Focal Clear to the LCD2C felt like a drop in a grade or two in the sound quality but I could listen to it for long hours.
- I was on the verge of sending of the Focal Clear back because it didn't make sense to own something that I can't really 'use'.
- I stuck on with them for a week and after 100+ hours of burn-in, things started to change - Focal Clear becomes easier to listen to (the top end has smoothened out quite a bit). Skeptics might argue that its brain burn-in but, whatever, you get my point.
- Now, I would find myself always reaching for the Focal Clear for any music I listen to. I could not move past the fact on how the LCD2C sounded so restrained dynamically beside the Focal Clear, not to mention its inability to portray the same level of details and realism as the Focal Clear.
Below are my personal impressions of the headphones:
LCD2C
Strength:
- Sumptuous bass
- Easy listening for long hours
- Comfortable to wear
- Cheap at US$599 - I am talking about relative sense here for a headphone that used to cost close to a grand and in a world with many headphones costing over a grand.
Weakness:
- Sorely lacking in dynamics making music sounded boring/unexciting. Yes, I could listen to it for long hours, but I really get bored by it that I do not want to listen to it that long.
- It cannot handle complex passages well (instruments/vocals get drown/muddied out)
- Rolled off treble makes it harder to perceive details in the top end
- Shines only when listening to at loud volume, which is not good for the ears
Focal Clear
Strength:
- Extremely balanced sounding and excellent tonality across the board. Usually a balanced sound signature means the jack of all trade and the master of none. But the Focal Clear is the master of many because everything sounded so good from it
- Extremely dynamic sounding
- Extremely technically competent
- Comfortable to wear
Weakness:
- Those looking for coloured sounding headphones have to look elsewhere (e.g. the Audeze warm house sound, the Audio Technica unmatched reproduction of female vocals)
- Not for those looking for a warmer sounding headphones
- Bass not as thunderous as LCD2C (we are talking about one of the best headphone in bass reproduction here). It is very impactful nevertheless.
- Light grey/silver colour - some people (like me) would have preferred an all-black headphone. But it is rather beautiful to behold still.
- Not the most pocket friendly headphone at US$1,499
Afternote: The headphone I enjoyed the most till date is still a well-driven HE1000. But I am unwilling to spend that much money to get a TOTL tube amp. The Focal Clear gives me a different kind of sound, but its something that I could live with
