I was wiggling it for an hour and only managed to get one clip off, is removing the paper ring actually made a worthwhile difference?It took quite a bit off wiggling to get the pads out but I don't think there was any particular trick to it. I broke one clip which was actually a good thing because pads still sealed well and taking the pads of became easier.
I think those six rectangular holes are for pad clips so maybe knowing where they are is helpfull.
If anyone in UK is interested hifiheadphones has -50% sale on these. https://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/products/cleer-next-open-back-headphones-with-detachable-cable
I'm allmost tempted to repurchase Cleer's but added VAT and shipping fees are holding me back. It's a good headphone. Weird it never got any traction. Metallic timbre and those treble peaks are real issues but I don't know If there is anything that is obviously better in it's price range. Elex lacks soundstage (and working drivers), LCD2c needs eq for most people, Ananda has limp dynamics. IMO problems with cleer are not any worse than that.
Cleer Next: A Review of Untapped Potential
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Does anyone know what a good balanced cable would be for these headphones? Or the pinout/lemo connector specs for a custom solution?
@Roderick thank you so much for the reference, I managed to take the earpads very easy using a letter opener after learning the location of the clips.It took quite a bit off wiggling to get the pads out but I don't think there was any particular trick to it. I broke one clip which was actually a good thing because pads still sealed well and taking the pads of became easier.
I think those six rectangular holes are for pad clips so maybe knowing where they are is helpfull.
If anyone in UK is interested hifiheadphones has -50% sale on these. https://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/products/cleer-next-open-back-headphones-with-detachable-cable
I'm allmost tempted to repurchase Cleer's but added VAT and shipping fees are holding me back. It's a good headphone. Weird it never got any traction. Metallic timbre and those treble peaks are real issues but I don't know If there is anything that is obviously better in it's price range. Elex lacks soundstage (and working drivers), LCD2c needs eq for most people, Ananda has limp dynamics. IMO problems with cleer are not any worse than that.
The rest of the unscrewing was pretty straight forward, the paper between the grills came out and everything is back together again.
I found the sound improved dramatically and I no longer wanted to upgrade to Focal Clears.
Any other mods that you have tried that made a substantial difference?
Currently running Modius>>Asgard3>Cleer Next
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I found the cable to be very microphonic as well, so a different cable would be welcome.
I tried bunch of stuff but nothing really fixed the 4khz peak. I thought it would be easy fix with some absorbing materials around the driver. It's quite similar to hd800 so I tried anax mod type of approach but maybe I had wrong materials. I propably gave out too quickly because Cleer's were not getting much use as I had just bought other more expensive headphones.
As for cable I think only way to replace it would be making one yourself or have someone make it for you. There should be type number on the connector? I'm not sure though. Somehow I was able to find out which sort of LEMO it is.
Im custom ordering one now with XINHS on aliexpress. We will see if it works and how to comes out.
By the way, what exactly is the paper and where is it that is removed to improve the sound, and how does it improve the sound? Surely there must be a reason for the paper!
Also where is the location of the clips?
Is it m7 2pin?
I got very excited getting to the last piece and I forgot to take a pic. The screws I circled in red will detach the grills and in between the 2 grill pieces there is a paper cutout.
It changes the sound significantly as to why the original post explains it much better.
Also look through all the pics in the thread you will see clearly the location of the 6 clips.
Let us know about the cable when you get it
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What material did you use for the mod (the Creatology foam pads?)
I don't feel the 4khz peak that badly but it maybe the Asgard 3 that manages to curve it a bit (Similar to Anandas)
I have a bottlehead crack that I wanted to plug them into, even though they are low impedance but also insensitive.
I haven't really tried anything past Anandas price point and I feel that the Next, if you take the the best attributes of headphones like Ananda, Elex, HD800 (soundstage)
it does all of those combined as a jack of all trades but maybe at 85-90% .
Where would you put them in the SQ mix and what would you say would be a significant enough upgrade for them and not just a side step. Can they hold their own with likes of Aryas, Clears, HD800S?
@Gvladi
I used some random porous foam, dense polyurethane foam and some felts. I think I tried some sort of polyfill inside the cups too. I wanted to try some rugliner but newer got around doing so. It's always a hit and miss with this stuff and targeting very specific frequency is difficult.
I think Crack has high output impedance so you will propably get some bassboost with that amp. Not necessarely a bad thing.
Next really is kind of a combination between Elex, Ananda, hd800 etc like you said. It's always a trade off and up to preferences what one is willing to sacrifice. I think Cleer is closest to one can get to Focal sound but with larger soundstage. Or classic Beyerdynamic sound without that nasty treble.
I would take Arya, Clear or HD800 over next but they're not a huge improvement overall. Any one of those can be be upgrade to Cleer if they match your preferences. Even compared to those more expensive headphones I think Cleer is the best allrounder (for me). Arya is very good, spacious and even more detailed than Cleer. It's also quite boring, not as bad as Ananda but similar regarding dynamics. Clear is my favorite in the price range but that soundstage is a problem. I've only heard og Hd800 and I like it too. But I would take Cleer's metallic tone over hd800's unnatural treble any day. Cleer of course has way better bass extension too.
If possible audition Audio-Technica adx5000 and HEDD HEDDphones. I think those two are first major technical improvements over next. Of course I've not heard every headphone out there. Unfortunaly both have some tuning issues IMO so blind purchase can end up in disappointment. HEDDphone can also be very uncomfortable.
And if you just want to skip whole "trying out stuff" phase get used utopia for ~$2500 that still has warranty. Utopia is not perfect either but it's closest to better version of Next I've heard. Next has bigger soundstage than utopia and more subbass but I would not consider it a tradeoff anymore because Utopias presentation is more 3d than Cleer's. Bass quality and slam is also better on utopia so I don't even miss that last 30hz presence Cleer has over utopia.
I used some random porous foam, dense polyurethane foam and some felts. I think I tried some sort of polyfill inside the cups too. I wanted to try some rugliner but newer got around doing so. It's always a hit and miss with this stuff and targeting very specific frequency is difficult.
I think Crack has high output impedance so you will propably get some bassboost with that amp. Not necessarely a bad thing.
Next really is kind of a combination between Elex, Ananda, hd800 etc like you said. It's always a trade off and up to preferences what one is willing to sacrifice. I think Cleer is closest to one can get to Focal sound but with larger soundstage. Or classic Beyerdynamic sound without that nasty treble.
I would take Arya, Clear or HD800 over next but they're not a huge improvement overall. Any one of those can be be upgrade to Cleer if they match your preferences. Even compared to those more expensive headphones I think Cleer is the best allrounder (for me). Arya is very good, spacious and even more detailed than Cleer. It's also quite boring, not as bad as Ananda but similar regarding dynamics. Clear is my favorite in the price range but that soundstage is a problem. I've only heard og Hd800 and I like it too. But I would take Cleer's metallic tone over hd800's unnatural treble any day. Cleer of course has way better bass extension too.
If possible audition Audio-Technica adx5000 and HEDD HEDDphones. I think those two are first major technical improvements over next. Of course I've not heard every headphone out there. Unfortunaly both have some tuning issues IMO so blind purchase can end up in disappointment. HEDDphone can also be very uncomfortable.
And if you just want to skip whole "trying out stuff" phase get used utopia for ~$2500 that still has warranty. Utopia is not perfect either but it's closest to better version of Next I've heard. Next has bigger soundstage than utopia and more subbass but I would not consider it a tradeoff anymore because Utopias presentation is more 3d than Cleer's. Bass quality and slam is also better on utopia so I don't even miss that last 30hz presence Cleer has over utopia.
Thanks for the detailed response. I have pulled the trigger on Burson Soloist 3xp from a local dealer for a price I couldn't resist so I waiting for it to arrive and see how it affects sound. I'm usually not one to change headphones often so will probably at some point try to skip the 1500-2000 tier altogether and get a flagship one.
During black Friday I actually saw a deal on a 2020 utopia b stock for 2500CAD from a dealer almost pulled the trigger but curious to see the newer ones LCD5 and Meze Elite.
Also I feel like my Modius can handle the Cleers but will need to be upgraded for a flagship (curious about the Holos Spring3/May)
Engagement for me and Dynamics are most important thats why I didn't go for the Ananda in the first place. Then comes soundstage and imaging.
I just got my Cleer's in the mail from someone in the UK! Had my eye on these for awhile, luckily a good deal came up around my birthday.
So far I'm very impressed with the layering of the sound and the way each part of the instrumentation is separated, clear, and emphasized. These are headphones that seem to like loud listening volumes. The bass isn't quite as textured or deep as my Pioneer SE-Monitor5's, and the vocal timbre cannot match my JVC HA-SW01's, but the way each part of the music has its place and is reproduced with exquisite detail is amazing. While I can also hear why some claim a metallic timbre, I think this is largely overblown and I feel that while it does not benefit some male vocalists, it dramatically benefits the instrumentals and makes this headphone unique, at least in my collection. I think my Oppo's and Pioneers handle busier tracks a bit better, but on slightly less busy tracks with more dynamic range this matches or bests them for separation because of the tonal quality and holographic stage. Speaking of which, it's maybe not quite as wide? But it feels very three dimensional and lively, there's a good contrast between lean clarity and weighty tones. Microdetails pop too. The other thing that's amazing is that while clearly some upper mids and highs are emphasizes leading to the at times skewed tonality, there is no emphasis on sibilant frequencies, and they're extremely comfortable to listen to while still having a highly revealing signature.
Also this build quality is insane! Good job BMW Designworks on the material specs and details... Is it true you can't replace the pads, or is there a workaround for that, or a replacement able to be had from Cleer? I think they'll last a long time, I'd just like to know. I see nice screws for the headband, so perhaps that can be replaced as well?
Currently I'm ordering a custom balanced cable from a reputable seller on Aliexpress. While this cable is nice and heavy duty, it's a bit of a pain with its stiffness and memory, digging into my neck a bit. I also have an amp that sounds better balanced (not just because the headphones are balanced but also because of the internals/power from the amp, so it's a double whammy with my setup). That being said this already sounds amazing single ended.... I'm hoping the cable will give the bass more power and take some edge off of the upper mids if possible. I'm using a lot of gold and copper in a custom 6 core braid. 2 solid 24k gold plated in silver, 2 basic 7N copper, and 2 7N OCC Furukawa copper. And yes, the cables do make a difference. I got a graphene cable once for my Pioneers and it made it sound flat and dead with a bit more bass emphasis. Switched to a copper blend and got back the punch and thickness to the sound. It's not an exact science but the conductivity of the metals affect the sound, and it's fun to match the cables to the headphones.
The mods everyone is doing looks awesome, but I'm a bit of a stickler for factory sound outside of cables, amps, dacs, and earpads... no eq either. Not sure if I trust myself opening up this beautiful headphone either....
So far I'm very impressed with the layering of the sound and the way each part of the instrumentation is separated, clear, and emphasized. These are headphones that seem to like loud listening volumes. The bass isn't quite as textured or deep as my Pioneer SE-Monitor5's, and the vocal timbre cannot match my JVC HA-SW01's, but the way each part of the music has its place and is reproduced with exquisite detail is amazing. While I can also hear why some claim a metallic timbre, I think this is largely overblown and I feel that while it does not benefit some male vocalists, it dramatically benefits the instrumentals and makes this headphone unique, at least in my collection. I think my Oppo's and Pioneers handle busier tracks a bit better, but on slightly less busy tracks with more dynamic range this matches or bests them for separation because of the tonal quality and holographic stage. Speaking of which, it's maybe not quite as wide? But it feels very three dimensional and lively, there's a good contrast between lean clarity and weighty tones. Microdetails pop too. The other thing that's amazing is that while clearly some upper mids and highs are emphasizes leading to the at times skewed tonality, there is no emphasis on sibilant frequencies, and they're extremely comfortable to listen to while still having a highly revealing signature.
Also this build quality is insane! Good job BMW Designworks on the material specs and details... Is it true you can't replace the pads, or is there a workaround for that, or a replacement able to be had from Cleer? I think they'll last a long time, I'd just like to know. I see nice screws for the headband, so perhaps that can be replaced as well?
Currently I'm ordering a custom balanced cable from a reputable seller on Aliexpress. While this cable is nice and heavy duty, it's a bit of a pain with its stiffness and memory, digging into my neck a bit. I also have an amp that sounds better balanced (not just because the headphones are balanced but also because of the internals/power from the amp, so it's a double whammy with my setup). That being said this already sounds amazing single ended.... I'm hoping the cable will give the bass more power and take some edge off of the upper mids if possible. I'm using a lot of gold and copper in a custom 6 core braid. 2 solid 24k gold plated in silver, 2 basic 7N copper, and 2 7N OCC Furukawa copper. And yes, the cables do make a difference. I got a graphene cable once for my Pioneers and it made it sound flat and dead with a bit more bass emphasis. Switched to a copper blend and got back the punch and thickness to the sound. It's not an exact science but the conductivity of the metals affect the sound, and it's fun to match the cables to the headphones.
The mods everyone is doing looks awesome, but I'm a bit of a stickler for factory sound outside of cables, amps, dacs, and earpads... no eq either. Not sure if I trust myself opening up this beautiful headphone either....
Would love to hear how those cable turned out.
Another question for you I see you have a tube amp in your chain, have you run it with the Cleer's?
I'm having something weird happening or just a dumb moment here.
I use my Cleers in my office building LGv30(usb)-Schiit Modius (DC power)-Asgard3-Cleer Next and no issues.
I recently got my hands on an older AudioMirror Tubadour 2 tube DAC which replaced the Modius in the same chain.
Now immediately when I listen to the Cleer's I get an in-ear pressure buildup and popping, I wonder if its the headphones combination with tubes or maybe their sensitivity to AC interference (DAC)
The cable turned out great! The connectors are aftermarket LEMO and not true LEMO so they run a bit loose which means some noise if you move the wires constantly, but most times it's pretty silent. Sound wise the wire I got is fantastic. I can post some pictures soon, but it's a solid gold (gold conductor, silver plated outside), furukawa occ copper, and regular ofc copper 6 core braid with 2 cores each. The Cleer's don't respond dramatically from what I can tell to the material changes, but I do feel the gold is removing some of the metallic edge male vocals had, and it now just retains the clarity and dryness with a more balanced if not warmer sound. The ergonomics of this cable is worth the price alone. This isn't surprising, but the stock cable was borderline unusable for me. High quality, but an absolute pain with its bulk and insane memory messing with things on my desk. Its only superior aspect was the real LEMO connectors. Now as for BALANCED- a massive upgrade as expected. Not the hugest difference from what I've heard before, but it definitely improved soundstage and separation, and the details are just that much better. It's been a clear upgrade on any headphone I've owned except for my Etymotic ER4XR's, but on this headphone it doesn't change the signature so much as it just improves upon what I said earlier. I am sure some other small changes occur, but I think most signature changes are because of the gold conductors not the fact that it is balanced. It is not like my JVC HA-SW01 where it makes things punchier and less resonant and improves everything dramatically, balanced on the Cleer's improves everything noticeably but only affects stage, separation, and detail in a more major way, which is still huge.
I have tried the tube and I am listening between it and my Aune now! I will say after reading your post I popped my ears, but I think that's more because you got it in my head. It's probably pretty natural to want to pop your ears with a pressure build up after awhile, especially since the Cleer's are "open back" but really feel nothing like it and are not very open at all. I do not however have a differing experience between tubes and solid state with this effect- in fact I just switched to my solid state and popped my ears again.
I will say that the Cleer's are a bit more subtle about how they deal with my tube amp relative to my other headphones. Because they are so crisp and precise and their noise sensitivity feels much lower than my other headphones (I hear no hum and use a higher volume) I tend to get an equally if not smoother sound out of my solid state Aune S6 Pro. I feel that the tubes actually give the Cleer's a much punchier sound with more body, but that does not come with any bloat or smoothness. Instead of superior dynamic range, smoothness, precision, and detail, the tubes give you the same amount of detail and sharpness to the sound but with much greater power, slightly rolled sub-bass, more weight, more decay, and an equally good separation to the sound. It feels like being at the concert vs listening to the recording in the studio in this regard. Not technically perfect but in no ways inaccurate or compromised, just a more emotionally resonant and powerful way to listen to the music. Overall I find myself gravitating towards the tubes for the Cleer's, but not at all being disappointed in the performance it gives on my solid state Aune. In fact it's rather damn amazing on the Aune. This is in contrast to my Oppo's which vastly improve on the tubes, and my JVC's which may lose a bit of clarity and sizzle but make up for it with a dramatic and heart melting performance. My Pioneers actually sound worse on the tubes, preferring the range and precision of the Aune, and my Audioquest NightOwl's can do both, though I think those also prefer tubes, but similarly to the Cleer's, it is by no means worse on the Aune, just different. My Crosszones are definitely best on the tubes because they need power, though if you want a uniquely scooped mid-range and incredibly non-fatiguing (unless its too loud) and smooth, disjointed sound, you can use them on the Aune. They're weird either way, but begin to sound more normal frequency response wise on tubes.
As for my specific Muzishare, this is my first tube amp, but it is amazing. Amazing value, quality, versatility, simplicity, and sound quality. Everything you need and nothing you don't. Balanced power for a reasonable price too! And it looks sick! It's only limitation is that it uses more affordable but limited in swapability Russian tubes. However, the good Russian version of these tubes apparently sound great so I'll be trying them out soon to see if they cause any favorable changes. Excellent company. I'd buy from them again for sure!!!
How are you enjoying your tubes now?
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