[TheGovernment]

It just always seems funny that "burn in" always results in a positive result. Its like people cant understand that their hearing is always changing (weather, mood etc) and what seems more logical, a tiny driver with a ultra compliant suspension that literally has minimal suspension movement to change its response (always for the better) or that maybe, just maybe, they are hearing it differently, since audio memory is the worst actual memory we can recall with accuracy and our perception of sound is vastly dependent on mood and outside factors....

 

[Tekunda]

If you want a more "fashionable" protection for your headband, you can't get one for around $10 on Ebay.

 

[TSAVAlan]

I wonder if I dyed my hair silver, would that leak into the headband and ear pads on the clear to make them cleaner. Or just make me look like a Targaryen without a dragon.

 

[Paulo Abreu]

I wonder if I dyed my hair silver, would that leak into the headband and ear pads on the clear to make them cleaner. Or just make me look like a Targaryen without a dragon.

Headphone efficiency is optimized for a head without hair.
Ear pads and headband last longer and cleaner.

 

[TSAVAlan]

I need to go bald for my headphones. They must not be stained with my hair!

 

[Xinlisupreme]

Finally Yesterday i bought my Focal Clear after A-B comparison with Hifiman Ananda.

 

[omegaorgun]

This needed to be said!

 

[MLGrado]

The bolded seems contradictory. You listened to the headphones, took some time away from them, and they sounded better when you returned to them. That's strong evidence that your ears/brain changed rather than the headphones physically burning in.

Over the first weeks of ownership, I perceived a sound change. I did not like them at first, but as time went by, I perceived a change for the better, with no other changes in signal chain. Some would call that the burn-in effect; others would say my ears/brain only became accustomed to the sound.

Aural memory is very, very short. After any reviewer goes through X amount of DACS, phones, whatever, and is asked to compare what he/she most recently listened to compared to X kit from months ago, really has no way to do so other than perhaps some general impressions. Direct A/B testing is the only way to really say anything 'definitive' and even that is difficult.

After being away from my system for several weeks, I would think any gradual adjustments my brain made about the sound of the Clear that made me enjoy it more in week 3 rather than at first listen, would not be in play. It would be like starting fresh again. Obviously I still had some general impressions and expectations, so it would not be the same as a first ever listen, but it would be something like a first ever listen.

I was making an observation, which indeed may be incorrect and I am not suggesting any scientific value to it as a valid experiment, that with what would have been a significant loss of aural memory, would also mean any brain 'adjustments' from daily usage may also be reset, or somewhat reset. If that were the case, my reaction to hearing them again would be more like my first ever listen. But that wasn't the case. They sounded wonderful. Nothing like my first listen. I was NOT saying they sounded 'better' when I returned. I was saying that they sounded excellent, as opposed to my first listening response.

I admit the whole though process could be flawed, especially since the fact is the second time my mind would still be 'contaminated' with thoughts of how great they sounded after several weeks of break-in before I left for a long period without them. And yes, as you said, maybe our brains own perception can be different at any given time. Our interpretation of the reality around us could be constantly changing.

But, the basic premise of my thought is centered around how short and how poor aural memory is. Therefore any 'brain conditioning' or getting used to the sound should have been forgotten. That was the assumption that followed. Perhaps it is a very bad assumption.

But I thought it was some interesting subjective observation about the value of break-in.

 

[Andrew DiMarcangelo]

Good stuff, MLGrado, I think more than anything...our ears/brain break in to a new sound that we need to get used to.

 

[Ifalna]

If you want a more "fashionable" protection for your headband, you can't get one for around $10 on Ebay.

Or do what I did and DIY a Headband cover.

Only nitpick I have is that the headband creaks a bit when I handle the cans. Not much of an issue once they are in position on my head though, since I don't move around much when I wear them anyway.

 

[Phronesis]

Over the first weeks of ownership, I perceived a sound change. I did not like them at first, but as time went by, I perceived a change for the better, with no other changes in signal chain. Some would call that the burn-in effect; others would say my ears/brain only became accustomed to the sound.

Aural memory is very, very short. After any reviewer goes through X amount of DACS, phones, whatever, and is asked to compare what he/she most recently listened to compared to X kit from months ago, really has no way to do so other than perhaps some general impressions. Direct A/B testing is the only way to really say anything 'definitive' and even that is difficult.

After being away from my system for several weeks, I would think any gradual adjustments my brain made about the sound of the Clear that made me enjoy it more in week 3 rather than at first listen, would not be in play. It would be like starting fresh again. Obviously I still had some general impressions and expectations, so it would not be the same as a first ever listen, but it would be something like a first ever listen.

I was making an observation, which indeed may be incorrect and I am not suggesting any scientific value to it as a valid experiment, that with what would have been a significant loss of aural memory, would also mean any brain 'adjustments' from daily usage may also be reset, or somewhat reset. If that were the case, my reaction to hearing them again would be more like my first ever listen. But that wasn't the case. They sounded wonderful. Nothing like my first listen. I was NOT saying they sounded 'better' when I returned. I was saying that they sounded excellent, as opposed to my first listening response.

I admit the whole though process could be flawed, especially since the fact is the second time my mind would still be 'contaminated' with thoughts of how great they sounded after several weeks of break-in before I left for a long period without them. And yes, as you said, maybe our brains own perception can be different at any given time. Our interpretation of the reality around us could be constantly changing.

But, the basic premise of my thought is centered around how short and how poor aural memory is. Therefore any 'brain conditioning' or getting used to the sound should have been forgotten. That was the assumption that followed. Perhaps it is a very bad assumption.

But I thought it was some interesting subjective observation about the value of break-in.

I wouldn't expect a 'reset' effect after not listening to a headphone for a while. The process of perceiving sound produced by a headphone involves 'learning', and that learning can be very long lasting or permanent. The learning can also continue after you stop listening to a headphone, as the brain continues to try to 'make sense' of what was perceived, not unlike how a solution to a problem may pop into your head after you sleep on the problem.

I have several headphones and rotate among them, sometimes not listening to each of them for quite a while. I often find that the headphones sound different to me than when I last listened to them.

 

[up late]

please take this "burn in" discussion to the sound science forum where it belongs

 

[audiobean]

Just thought I’d show off and mention my thoughts on pairing the Clears with the Cayin iHA 6. It has been fantastic. Very enjoyable, detailed, imaging is awesome when the track’s nuances kick in. The instrument separation is as good as it gets. Guitars have a certain crunch to them which gives certain tracks bite and the bass response is detailed, might not reach the deepest levels nor have that resonance of the deeper 808s but it is tight and can at times feel the bass presence which has been real fun on tracks that call for it. The treble is where it needs to be for me...isn’t without flaws but resolves well and brings balance to the various frequencies.
Not that it is better but I’ve been tuning into it more than my stax set up lately...however, I get stuck with my stax hands down but still the Clear (amped well) is an “up there” kind of sound. I am enjoying music I couldn’t bear to listen to with my hd800s or even with my previous amps.
I’m a fan unless the hifiman Arya is better...curious on how they compare.

Just a caveat, I’m using this as my all rounder and sounds great but if you want the large headspace sound it will sound great with those kinds of tracks but you won’t get what you’re “looking” for...intimate soundstage but can be airy sounding and pinpoint ymmv.

 

[SilverEars]

Just thought I’d show off and mention my thoughts on pairing the Clears with the Cayin iHA 6. It has been fantastic. Very enjoyable, detailed, imaging is awesome when the track’s nuances kick in. The instrument separation is as good as it gets. Guitars have a certain crunch to them which gives certain tracks bite and the bass response is detailed, might not reach the deepest levels nor have that resonance of the deeper 808s but it is tight and can at times feel the bass presence which has been real fun on tracks that call for it. The treble is where it needs to be for me...isn’t without flaws but resolves well and brings balance to the various frequencies.
Not that it is better but I’ve been tuning into it more than my stax set up lately...however, I get stuck with my stax hands down but still the Clear (amped well) is an “up there” kind of sound. I am enjoying music I couldn’t bear to listen to with my hd800s or even with my previous amps.
I’m a fan unless the hifiman Arya is better...curious on how they compare.

Just a caveat, I’m using this as my all rounder and sounds great but if you want the large headspace sound it will sound great with those kinds of tracks but you won’t get what you’re “looking” for...intimate soundstage but can be airy sounding and pinpoint ymmv.

I could see Clear shining with solid-state amps. It has a signature and it seems to be consistant.

 

[pataburd]

I could see Clear shining with solid-state amps. It has a signature and it seems to be consistant.

Roger that.
The Focal sound effortlessly musical, detailed and nuanced with the ecp DSHA-3F Ravenswood solid state amp [optimized for the Focal low impedance line].
Wow! just about sums it up for me.