[Hooster]

less fatiguing, but not better sound right? Pretty sure the Clears will be more accurate.

"Better" is subjective. Is better something that is very detailed and in your face, or is better something that is fun and comfortable to listen to for many hours? It is really up to you. I am not using my headphones to mix and edit music so I will take the pair that is entertaining and comfortable over the superficially hyper detailed pair. To me that is better.

Also, are you sure the Clears are more "accurate"? Is it possible that this perceived accuracy is just an artefact of problems with the driver that will become fatiguing/annoying in the long run?

It is your money and your ears, so pick your choice...

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/focal-clear-review-headphone.18585/

"Misses are the overshoot between 600 and 1.6 Hz. The lower range of this from my speaker testing usually hides some detail in the music. There is a flat area as indicated by the arrow. Clearly, pun intended, the driver is doing something strange there. Group delay shows similar problem:"

"There was some detail lacking and some brightness that was bothersome. It created fair amount of "lispiness" with female vocals for example."

"Conclusions
The Focal Clear "out of box" (no EQ) response is closer to what we like to see so tonality is not too bad as is. Equalization can take its performance significantly higher but due to poorly designed drivers with too little headroom, this is not a practical path unless you keep volumes low. Without EQ is less of a problem but you would face some brightness and some lack of clarity. At these prices we better not have such compromises."

 

[KPzypher]

Seems like a lot of the initial posters hyping no longer have these listed in their signature on here. Seems like a lot of the initial posters hyping no longer have these listed in their signature on here. Wondering if these are still regarded so well over other options.

that sounds like every HP "impressions/review" thread on headfi.....

Overhype from early adopters & sponsored reviewers > regular bashers start to rear its head > things start to even out > eventually turns into a cable thread > time to move on

Rinse, repeat.....

I wouldn't worry too much about what others have to say. There's no "general consensus" in this hobby.

 

[cactus_farmer]

Do Audio Technica even make official R70x replacement pads, or do you have to go 3rd party? Is there something out there that doesn't change the sound signature at all?

 

[Giru]

But how is the R70x better if it's only $350 vs $1500 of the Clears?

Couldn't answer that even if I tried. I like what @Hooster said tho.

less fatiguing, but not better sound right? Pretty sure the Clears will be more accurate.

They are.

I wouldn't worry too much about what others have to say. There's no "general consensus" in this hobby.

Amen.

 

[frozenOx]

Alright I'm gonna admit I was wrong and say these are definitely better with a high powered amp. Both bass and treble are apparently highly impedance dependant.

I went high gain on the JDS Atom, and the Marantz receiver and suddenly the Sennheiser comparisons really made much more sense. Then i realized i had the settings on the cranborne wrong.

These sound fine on lower powered sources, but with decent amplification they sound top class, especially the treble.

 

[frozenOx]

This. I have a portable DAC/AMP where the amp is only outputs 28mW at 300Ohms but gets the R70x to VERY LOUD levels on high gain. The highs mids and lows all sound great and it's amazing with classical (although DSD files sound quiet but that's the nature of DSD). For 470-900Ohms these are surprisingly easy to drive, probably due to the 99dB/mW sensitivity.

so you're saying the R70x is better in some regards than the Clears? That's good to know since the Clears were my upgrade path. S I should just skip to the Utopias.

But how is the R70x better if it's only $350 vs $1500 of the Clears?

They're not too difficult to drive, but the are certain frequencies with extremely high impedance. There's a graph floating around in this thread of it. And I thought the same initially, but these definitely sound better with a high powered amp. They go from very good, to better sounding HD650 with a good amp

 

[Hooster]

Good amp = full saturated sound
Mediocre amp = Sound a but thin/watered down

 

[Flognuts]

The R70x absolutley require a good neutral source and powerful amp to sound their best....ie Corda daccord/Corda Classic is a dream match.
Off my Mojo which is no slouch they sound underpowered in comparison.

I'll be keeping the R70x until they break...they are keepers and an absolute steal....but they do need juice so factor in a good amp, they are the most power hungry cans I've ever owned.

The biggest advantage with the Focal clears is they sounded amazing off the portable so they are more versatile

 

[frozenOx]

I'll be keeping the R70x until they break...they are keepers and an absolute steal....

I think if you can get these for 300 USD or less, there is absolutely nothing even close to as good. Senns for me clamp too much no matter how long they broke in. Hifiman, not even gonna go there. That company and it's joke build and driver issues will never get another dime from me ever again.

For me at least, they're a million times more comfortable than Sennheisers too. I can hear the slightly better resolution on the Senns, but it is not the huge difference in resolving that some reviewers are making it out to be. I bet if you damped the bass on the R70X to match the HD650 its mids would be more resolving. And vice versa, if the 650 had better bass extension its mids would have more distortion. I'll gladly take the R70X over it anyday.

I had the 6XX and it just felt like a one trick pony. I only really liked it for certain types of music. If I wanted to listen to anything fast or heavy, they were getting put away that's how little I cared for them for certain types of music. HD600 seems like a much more closer comparison, so just go with whichever is more comfortable for you.

 

[Tofub00b]

Funny because R70x cables are normal 3,5mm to two 2,5mm cables.
What does balance do? Does it improve the sound or is it just audiofool placebo? My DAC has a mini-XLR balanced out so I have to get a 3.5mm to mini-XLR adabter if I get balanced cables.

Some DACs or amps are designed around having more power through the balanced output compared to SE. Aside from that, never really felt a noticable difference between volume matched SE and balanced 4.4 through the Zen DAC and Zen CAN.

 

[frozenOx]

Liking the brainwavz XL micro suede pads a lot

 

[V10V10]

Hey just dropping by as fellow R70x user, I love them and use for general music listening and mixing my band's stuff. They just rock through A20, usual volume setting is at 10 o'clock and past that is way too loud for me.

 

[Deolum]

Anyone compared the R70x with the ADX5000?

 

[Kammerat Rebekka]

^Yes.
It’s basically the same difference you encounter between HD600 and HD800S. The R70X though has way better bass extension than the old 600 just like the ADX5000 has ..as well as having more ‘meat on it’s bones’ in the low mids vs the 800.
..but still..a fairly logical comparison methinks. The R70X sounds natural - like in genuinely natural whereas the ADX5000 sounds more like something that is trying to impress you with tons of ‘detail’..which in reality merely is a bright and unruly treble performance, at least to my ears.
Said another way: if you dig the classic HD600/650/580 you’re going to love the R70X

 

[kman1211]

^Yes.
It’s basically the same difference you encounter between HD600 and HD800S. The R70X though has way better bass extension than the old 600 just like the ADX5000 has ..as well as having more ‘meat on it’s bones’ in the low mids vs the 800.
..but still..a fairly logical comparison methinks. The R70X sounds natural - like in genuinely natural whereas the ADX5000 sounds more like something that is trying to impress you with tons of ‘detail’..which in reality merely is a bright and unruly treble performance, at least to my ears.
Said another way: if you dig the classic HD600/650/580 you’re going to love the R70X

I've personally liked the R70X more than the HD 600/650, I just prefer how the R70X presents sound and I also find it much more addicting and beautiful sounding in the midrange and vocals to my ears; but I generally like how AT's present midrange in general but then combine that with a very smooth treble response without a sense of it being unruly like many other AT's can be plus also good bass extension for an open dynamic and you have a great headphone. I've given up on the HD 6xx series for a variety of reasons (they're just not for me) and decided to go for the R70X to be my neutral headphone. I have a pair of R70X's on the way and excited to have them again.