[uelover]

Although I keep trying to convince myself its brain burn, it isn’t, its a mix of both with a bigger role on headphone burn, in my believing . Namely the smoothness on top end was very noticeable for me, as you referred. There is a caveat however, I was simultaneously “burning” the Clear and the desktop AMP so this sums 3 burnings ... LOL. I don’t really think the AMP add much to the equation so I give all the credit to Clear - It was great from day 1 and stunning after some workout

Personally through my experience on head fi so far, I believe in headphone burn in. However, I do not want to start any senseless debate with anyone that might derail this thread, and I have reached a point where I don't really care what is going on because I am satisfied with the sound, so whatever works, works.

 

[uelover]

One thing I needed to add about the Focal Clear:

Driven balanced out on my RME ADI-2 Pro, when listening to live music performance, the soundstage is bigger and deeper, and the peripheral sounds (e.g. drums, electric and acoustic guitars) are more clearly defined.​

A side note on my RME ADI-2 Pro: It uses a single DAC when driven SE and uses two DACs when driven balanced. There is another discussion altogether on whether balanced sounds better than single-ended, and whether the Focal Clear even requires to be driven balanced. I think it depends on a variety of factors, including the design and topology of your DAC and headamp. Good thing is that Focal has included both cables for us, and for my case, driven balanced just sounded better.

 

[qrtas]

As many have mentioned here, I would have preferred the Clear in black, but I am actually becoming fond of the silver color, and it matchches my amp. Not really important, but looks good.

By the way, running the Clear in balanced mode is heaven @eulover

 

[qrtas]

As many have mentioned here, I would have preferred the Clear in black, but I am actually becoming fond of the silver color, and it matchches my amp. Not really important, but looks good.

By the way, running the Clear in balanced mode is heaven @eulover

 

[Slim1970]

How does the Clears sound on the Pro iCan?

 

[qrtas]

How does the Clears sound on the Pro iCan?

I got the iCan pro for my previous hard to drive headphones, the lcd3. When I got the clear with its lower impedance, I thought the iCan was going to be overkill. It is true, in terms of just volume, you can drive the clear with a phone. But let me tell you the clear do scale with better gear.

They sound clear, resolving, meaty, spacious, with the iCan in both solid state and tube mode.

I thought I was never going to say this and I’ve been in this hobby for 15 years. And I’ve been through many headphones and amps.

ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Slim1970]

I got the iCan pro for my previous hard to drive headphones, the lcd3. When I got the clear with its lower impedance, I thought the iCan was going to be overkill. It is true, in terms of just volume, you can drive the clear with a phone. But let me tell you the clear do scale with better gear.

They sound clear, resolving, meaty, spacious, with the iCan in both solid state and tube mode.

I thought I was never going to say this and I’ve been in this hobby for 15 years.

ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, that's quite a bold statement. I'm glad you've found your audio nirvana! The Pro iCan is a beast of an amp. I absolutely love mine.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I have posted my comparison between the LCD2C and the Focal Clear a moment ago on the LCD2C thread: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/aud...ressions-thread.862174/page-108#post-13973528

Extract:

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

Although I keep trying to convince myself its brain burn, it isn’t, its a mix of both with a bigger role on headphone burn, in my believing . Namely the smoothness on top end was very noticeable for me, as you referred. There is a caveat however, I was simultaneously “burning” the Clear and the desktop AMP so this sums 3 burnings ... LOL. I don’t really think the AMP add much to the equation so I give all the credit to Clear - It was great from day 1 and stunning after some workout

There are several reports of the treble smoothing out a bit after burn in, myself included.

Wanted to post a note on scaling, I finally broke down and pulled my Herron 5 out of my main System and brought it downstairs. This rig now is BlueSound Node 2>Vinshine Audio R2R>Herron 5>Focal Clear; or Node 2>Mojo> Clear. While the playback via the Mojo is sublime, putting the Vinshine and Herron in the System is spectacular. Listening to Kieth Jarrett’s Köln Concert, the macro and micro dynamics are spectacular, exploding from the Clear, while retaining excellent tone and body.

Yes my LCD-3f and several other headphones are collecting dust, here’s hoping the Utopia II is waiting in the wings, and will be priced under $3k!

 

[qrtas]

There are several reports of the treble smoothing out a bit after burn in, myself included.

Wanted to post a note on scaling, I finally broke down and pulled my Herron 5 out of my main System and brought it downstairs. This rig now is BlueSound Node 2>Vinshine Audio R2R>Herron 5>Focal Clear; or Node 2>Mojo> Clear. While the playback via the Mojo is sublime, putting the Vinshine and Herron in the System is spectacular. Listening to Kieth Jarrett’s Köln Concert, the macro and micro dynamics are spectacular, exploding from the Clear, while retaining excellent tone and body.

Yes my LCD-3f and several other headphones are collecting dust, here’s hoping the Utopia II is waiting in the wings, and will be priced under $3k!

Don’t let them collect dust. I am pretty sure many people will interested in buying them from you

 

[Paulo Abreu]

Wow, It sounds fantastic just for the look !
Thanks for sharing

Curious to know, for Clear, SS or tubes?

 

[qrtas]

Wow, It sounds fantastic just for the look !
Thanks for sharing

Curious to know, for Clear, SS or tubes?

Thanks!

Honestly, I don’t have a preference between SS vs Tubes with the clear. With SS it sounds I bit faster and precised. With tubes, I feel the sound stage is a bit wider, still detailed but the sound is rounder and beefier. I don’t think one is better than the other. Some times I am in the SS mood, some times tubes mood. I think that is one of the things that makes the clear so special. It always sounds good.

 

[donlin]

Thanks!

Honestly, I don’t have a preference between SS vs Tubes with the clear. With SS it sounds I bit faster and precised. With tubes, I feel the sound stage is a bit wider, still detailed but the sound is rounder and beefier. I don’t think one is better than the other. Some times I am in the SS mood, some times tubes mood. I think that is one of the things that makes the clear so special. It always sounds good.

I had the ican pro for a short time (not with Clear) and I could never decide between tubes or solid state either.

 

[qrtas]

There are several reports of the treble smoothing out a bit after burn in, myself included.

Wanted to post a note on scaling, I finally broke down and pulled my Herron 5 out of my main System and brought it downstairs. This rig now is BlueSound Node 2>Vinshine Audio R2R>Herron 5>Focal Clear; or Node 2>Mojo> Clear. While the playback via the Mojo is sublime, putting the Vinshine and Herron in the System is spectacular. Listening to Kieth Jarrett’s Köln Concert, the macro and micro dynamics are spectacular, exploding from the Clear, while retaining excellent tone and body.

Yes my LCD-3f and several other headphones are collecting dust, here’s hoping the Utopia II is waiting in the wings, and will be priced under $3k!

About a week ago, when I got my Clear, I put a foam pad from my hd600 covering the drivers of the clears to lessen some harshness I found on the treble area.

I don’t know if it is my brain getting used to the sound or headphone burn in. Whatever it is, my perception now is that the treble is smoother. I removed those pieces of foam. I don’t need them anymore.

 

[Slim1970]

I had the ican pro for a short time (not with Clear) and I could never decide between tubes or solid state either.

I think that is what makes the Pro iCan so unique. You have both on board to choose from. Back on topic, I want to get a set of Focal headphones but I'm undecided between the Utopia's or the Clear's. The Clear's seem to be gaining fandom but other's still think the Utopia are the better headphone. Has there been talks of a Utopia II? As of right now I really don't see a need to get the current Utopia? The Clear's have better accessories and a sound signature very comparable to the Utopia with better bass.

 

[Sweetmeat]

Yes my LCD-3f and several other headphones are collecting dust, here’s hoping the Utopia II is waiting in the wings, and will be priced under $3k!

So you like the Clear more than the LCD-3. Don't you miss the bass?