[phthora]

So my Clears arrived today. Initial impression (with maybe 20 minutes of play) is very positive. Take the below with a grain of salt given my limited time, but: The overall sound profile is much in line with the Focal sound. Very neutral with impressive clarity and resolution. Going from memory, similar clarity to the Stellia, not quite as forward in the mids, not as smoothed in the treble region, but similar levels of bass. The Clear soundstage also feels a little more spacious and, well, open.

Not as much slam as the Elear /Elex and no mid bass emphasis but deeper, cleaner and less intrusion into the mids. Detail and clarity are well ahead of the Elex / Elears. And there seems to be less of a hole in the lower treble region. Soundstage also feels more open here too.

Compared to my MrSpeakers AFC, the Clear sound is noticeably less colored. The AFCs are warmer but a little metallic when compared to the Clear. The Clear has a more realistic rendering of mids and lower treble, if a touch dry. The Clears slam a little harder and reach a little deeper but the difference isn’t huge. The MrSpeakers bass is a little cleaner, and faster and the overall sound is a little more romantic, but not as true to the recording. Both the Clear and MrSpeakers are very detailed and resolving. Soundstage of the Clear is better. The AFC is more comfortable, though neither headphone is uncomfortable. I suspect the Clears will get more comfortable over time as the pads soften and clamping force loosens up.

Well, your initial impressions match my 9 month impressions, so I'm not sure any salt is needed. You've listened to and described the sound very well, if you ask me. Nicely done.

As far the clamping is concerned, I haven't noticed mine lessening at all, but I have managed to wear them in such a way that particular problem was alleviated. I found them clamping quite a bit harder on the bottom of the cup than the top, but positioning the headband back farther on my head helped a lot.

 

[441879]

Well, your initial impressions match my 9 month impressions, so I'm not sure any salt is needed. You've listened to and described the sound very well, if you ask me. Nicely done.

As far the clamping is concerned, I haven't noticed mine lessening at all, but I have managed to wear them in such a way that particular problem was alleviated. I found them clamping quite a bit harder on the bottom of the cup than the top, but positioning the headband back farther on my head helped a lot.

Thanks for the feedback! Question for you: how do the Clears compare to the Auteur? That’s a pair of headphones I’ve had my on for a while, but no chance to listen to them unless I go to a Can-Jam someday.

 

[phthora]

Thanks for the feedback! Question for you: how do the Clears compare to the Auteur? That’s a pair of headphones I’ve had my on for a while, but no chance to listen to them unless I go to a Can-Jam someday.

When I had my Audio-gd, I would have said that the Clear wins on technical prowess alone. On that unit, the Clear driver is noticeably faster and more resolving, with better separation of instruments and imaging. With my Benchmark stack, that gap has lessened considerably, to the point where an obvious winner in those areas is impossible (for me, at least). Out of all the headphones I own, the Auteur scaled up the most with the HPA4, to a truly remarkable degree. I used to hear it as slow-ish and relaxed, now I am shocked at how much more precise and impactful the sound is. While the Clear probably still wins in overall technical ability, the substantive difference now is the sound signature.

The Auteur is more focused on mids and mid-bass than the Clear, and easily beats the Clear when it comes to vocals. It that regard, it shares (and very much exceeds) the magic mids of the HD650 and has become my absolute favorite for vocals. Just perfect. The Clear still wins on treble detail and clarity, but at the cost of sounder thinner overall and having mids that feel just bit withdrawn in comparison. That is despite having better bass extension and therefore more weight added by the sub-bass. For bass, neither is a slouch, but I would give the edge to the Clears for its cleaner presentation and better dynamic impact.

Besides vocals, the other real advantage (or maybe disadvantage, who knows) of the Auteur is how much it can change with an amp. I've heard it now on a Liquid Platinum, Massdrop tube hybrid, the 789, my HPA4, the Audio-gd 28.38, the Black Label, and my Violectric, and those headphones didn't sound quite the same on any two of those. Pretty wide spectrum of results too. In fact, I thought the Auteur sounded pretty mediocre on my beloved Black Label. Maybe it's the high impedance, I'm not sure, but amp pairing is important with the Auteur.

 

[LCMusicLover]

...Besides vocals, the other real advantage (or maybe disadvantage, who knows) of the Auteur is how much it can change with an amp. I've heard it now on a Liquid Platinum, Massdrop tube hybrid, the 789, my HPA4, the Audio-gd 28.38, the Black Label, and my Violectric, and those headphones didn't sound quite the same on any two of those. Pretty wide spectrum of results too. In fact, I thought the Auteur sounded pretty mediocre on my beloved Black Label. Maybe it's the high impedance, I'm not sure, but amp pairing is important with the Auteur.

Sorry to get all Auteur-ish in the Clear thread, but...

I absolutely agree that Auteur can be a chameleon with different amps, and even different pads, tubes and cables. There’s also a fair amount of discussion surrounding the impact of different woods. I know I hear a very different sound from my Blackwood Auteur compared to impressions others have posted regarding Teak Auteur.

I will say that I’ve never heard Auteur from Black Label, and I’ve never heard it sound ‘mediocre ‘.

 

[phthora]

I will say that I’ve never heard Auteur from Black Label, and I’ve never heard it sound ‘mediocre ‘.

Well, 'mediocre' here compared to how good the Auteur can sound. Perhaps it would be better to say the Auteur sounded scaled down or held back by the Black Label. IIRC, it came out relatively congested and shouty, with a lack of control in the low-end. Not bad, by any means, but not as satisfying as normal.

In comparison, the Clear sounds quite nice with the Black Label, still suffering from those same losses in sound quality, but the Clear handles it better. There the Black Label takes a small bite out of the areas where the Clear already excels. For casual listening, the two pair very nicely.

Oh, and you're right about those woods. I didn't believe it could be so pronounced until I heard the Manchurian Ash Atticus (comparing to my Camphor one). It makes ordering sort of intimidating!

 

[Tekunda]

Sorry to get all Auteur-ish in the Clear thread, but...

I absolutely agree that Auteur can be a chameleon with different amps, and even different pads, tubes and cables. There’s also a fair amount of discussion surrounding the impact of different woods. I know I hear a very different sound from my Blackwood Auteur compared to impressions others have posted regarding Teak Auteur.

I will say that I’ve never heard Auteur from Black Label, and I’ve never heard it sound ‘mediocre ‘.

When I had my Audio-gd, I would have said that the Clear wins on technical prowess alone. On that unit, the Clear driver is noticeably faster and more resolving, with better separation of instruments and imaging. With my Benchmark stack, that gap has lessened considerably, to the point where an obvious winner in those areas is impossible (for me, at least). Out of all the headphones I own, the Auteur scaled up the most with the HPA4, to a truly remarkable degree. I used to hear it as slow-ish and relaxed, now I am shocked at how much more precise and impactful the sound is. While the Clear probably still wins in overall technical ability, the substantive difference now is the sound signature.

The Auteur is more focused on mids and mid-bass than the Clear, and easily beats the Clear when it comes to vocals. It that regard, it shares (and very much exceeds) the magic mids of the HD650 and has become my absolute favorite for vocals. Just perfect. The Clear still wins on treble detail and clarity, but at the cost of sounder thinner overall and having mids that feel just bit withdrawn in comparison. That is despite having better bass extension and therefore more weight added by the sub-bass. For bass, neither is a slouch, but I would give the edge to the Clears for its cleaner presentation and better dynamic impact.

Besides vocals, the other real advantage (or maybe disadvantage, who knows) of the Auteur is how much it can change with an amp. I've heard it now on a Liquid Platinum, Massdrop tube hybrid, the 789, my HPA4, the Audio-gd 28.38, the Black Label, and my Violectric, and those headphones didn't sound quite the same on any two of those. Pretty wide spectrum of results too. In fact, I thought the Auteur sounded pretty mediocre on my beloved Black Label. Maybe it's the high impedance, I'm not sure, but amp pairing is important with the Auteur.

I don't know what you guys think of equalizers in general, but since I stream Qobuz with the help of USB Audio Player Pro, which comes with a 6 band parametric equalizer add-on, I was able to greatly improve the sound of my Clear.
The bass is almost down to a level where I think I could feel it in my stomach, the midrange has a sweet musicality and if the treble was ever a bit sharp at times, now it's full of energy without any sibbilance whatsoever. E.g. the female singer Sia has a song called Chandelier, her voice gives me goose bumps now.
In my humble opinion, I was able to transform my Clear, through using the above mentioned parametric equalizer, into the - for me - perfect multi-genre headphone, enabling me to listen to ultra hard hitting bass, like in Dubstep or Goa trance, as well as classical music of all types and also to vocal music like Sia and Van Morrison.
Since instrument separation and location is top notch with the Clear, I enjoy listening to classical Chamber music as well as to full symphonic orchestras performing a Beethoven symphonie.

 

[phthora]

I don't know what you guys think of equalizers in general, but since I stream Qobuz with the help of USB Audio Player Pro, which comes with a 6 band parametric equalizer add-on, I was able to greatly improve the sound of my Clear.
The bass is almost down to a level where I think I could feel it in my stomach, the midrange has a sweet musicality and if the treble was ever a bit sharp at times, now it's full of energy without any sibbilance whatsoever. E.g. the female singer Sia has a song called Chandelier, her voice gives me goose bumps now.
In my humble opinion, I was able to transform my Clear, through using the above mentioned parametric equalizer, into the - for me - perfect multi-genre headphone, enabling me to listen to ultra hard hitting bass, like in Dubstep or Goa trance, as well as classical music of all types and also to vocal music like Sia and Van Morrison.
Since instrument separation and location is top notch with the Clear, I enjoy listening to classical Chamber music as well as to full symphonic orchestras performing a Beethoven symphonie.

In general, I like to let headphones be themselves, so I tend to avoid EQ unless there is a glaring fault in the FR that I cannot ignore. Even then, not always. If I find, for example, that my 400i lacks enough bass extension to be truly enjoyable, I opt for a more hardware solution and pad swap or mod to improve the situation. The minor things like my LCD-X's dip in the upper mids or occasionally sharp treble in the HE560, well, those just give personality to the headphone and can often reveal things that other headphones don't.

 

[441879]

So after a little more time with the Focal Clears I continue to be impressed.

The near perfect tonal balance combined with well defined spacial location and clarity of presentation imparts a sense of hyper realism I don’t get from any of my other headphones. They also draw out the most amazing performance I’ve heard from my Lyr 3 with a euphonic midrange that just makes you want to listen for hours. Even better, they sound amazing at moderate volume- no need to damage my hearing. These are by far the best “reference” headphones I have ever heard and will be the standard by which I compare other phones in the future. While I’m glad I got them for $999, they’re totally worth the the full retail price IMHO. I’m seriously thinking of selling off all my other phones. An absolute home run for Focal.

One other nice quality- they seem very tolerant of less than perfect recordings, pulling an amazing amount of detail where other headphones sound muddy.

 

[adeadcrab]

Question for the thread- has anyone put Dekoni pads on these, and what happened?

Will

Not with the clear but the elex, which is apparently not too different sounding from the clear. I have the dekoni fenestrated sheepskin, out of the box it reflects a ton of the sound back into the earcups, resulting in very mid-bassy sound, sparkly highs and congested soundstage. I had to ream the fenestrations with a torx screwdriver to dial the sound back. Now they are not too different from the stock pads (which like the clear, I believe, are microfibre) but with a stronger and fuller bass and slightly more present midrange region. Highs are a little bit dialled back.

Other dekoni pads would veer away from the house sound and be different shades of warm / dark.

 

[adydula]

Congrats on your purchase!

Great deal on a great set of headphones!
Alex

 

[parimento1]

So after a little more time with the Focal Clears I continue to be impressed.

The near perfect tonal balance combined with well defined spacial location and clarity of presentation imparts a sense of hyper realism I don’t get from any of my other headphones. They also draw out the most amazing performance I’ve heard from my Lyr 3 with a euphonic midrange that just makes you want to listen for hours. Even better, they sound amazing at moderate volume- no need to damage my hearing. These are by far the best “reference” headphones I have ever heard and will be the standard by which I compare other phones in the future. While I’m glad I got them for $999, they’re totally worth the the full retail price IMHO. I’m seriously thinking of selling off all my other phones. An absolute home run for Focal.

One other nice quality- they seem very tolerant of less than perfect recordings, pulling an amazing amount of detail where other headphones sound muddy.

I could not agree with you more! These are the best $900 I've ever spent. Ive had these for 6 months and the sounds still leaves me in awe. I bought a Benchmark HPA 4 and it is even more amazing. I cannot say enough about these headphones. They are BY FAR the best headphones I have ever listened to. They are better than the Utopia, even. The tonal balance is remarkable, and I now see why they offer these in a professional model, because the tonal balance is so neutral it would make a great studio monitor headphone.

 

[phthora]

I could not agree with you more! These are the best $900 I've ever spent. Ive had these for 6 months and the sounds still leaves me in awe. I bought a Benchmark HPA 4 and it is even more amazing. I cannot say enough about these headphones. They are BY FAR the best headphones I have ever listened to. They are better than the Utopia, even. The tonal balance is remarkable, and I now see why they offer these in a professional model, because the tonal balance is so neutral it would make a great studio monitor headphone.

I totally agree. In fact, I'll go even farther... best $1300 I've ever spent!

Have you heard the Utopia on the HPA4? That amp tends to make everything sound its best, so I've started to wonder if I would continue to prefer the Clear after hearing the Utopia on my Benchmark stack.

 

[parimento1]

I totally agree. In fact, I'll go even farther... best $1300 I've ever spent!

Have you heard the Utopia on the HPA4? That amp tends to make everything sound its best, so I've started to wonder if I would continue to prefer the Clear after hearing the Utopia on my Benchmark stack.

I did at CanJam and the Utopia sounded too bright, still

 

[phthora]

I did at CanJam and the Utopia sounded too bright, still

Aw... that's disappointing. More or less what I thought about it on the couple of rigs I heard it through. I still preferred the Utopia to the HD800, but I'd take the Clear over either.

 

[Mani ATH 87]

The near perfect tonal balance

This is easily the Clears best attribute, tonal balance. I've heard a lot of high end headphones and I've yet to come across a headphone with better tonal balance then the Clear. The headphones have such an even and balanced sounding presentation across the whole frequency range. The Utopia has unmatched detail and resolution, but it's too bright for me personally. The Elear has great bass but it's a bit too mid bass strong and is a bit uneven in the treble. The Clear strikes a perfectly balanced chord.

I've still been considering the HD800S lately though. I've heard it and really for me it doesn't best the Clear anywhere except sound stage and resolution. Something about it is tempting to me though, I'm not even sure what it is. Sometimes I just hate this hobby, it's so hard to just be satisfied.