[NCPat]

These are more links an old lamp cord.

Good deal. Lucky you just bought the MG. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I'll stick with the stock cables. Thanks!

 

[Cuthbert 80]

Now that both the Clear and Clear Professional are out and about for a few years: how do they hold up over time?
Due to the light colour of the clear we have seen some discolouration, but how about the professional?

Ok, so let me first state that I absolutely LOVE my Clear Pros that Ive had for 8 months but I will not NOT defend Focal in any way when it comes to pad colour, durability and price. Yes....the pads are comfortable but I'm sorry but everything else mentioned is complete garbage if I'm being honest.

I won't even attempt to post pics of how my pads physically look now cause they're not exactly pretty, however, I will post a few pics of them from about 3 months ago which show how flimsly they are considering the price. As you can see below in the first pic, on one of the pads, the alcantara ripped out of the stitching by accident while I was trying to carefully remove the pads to clean them. Because of this, I had to put small bits of duct tape around the edges to hold it together. The other pad was totally fine when I attempted to remove it.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some smart a$$ tell me that I "should've been more careful" while trying to remove the pad but I am pretty careful with my gear...especially £1100 headphones....and I've seen plenty of other people online including 'oluv's gadgets'(on youtube) who accidently made the same mistake:





As mentioned above, I adore this headphone.

For the price, this headphone is pretty astonishing when it comes to performance.

I want to support Focal but I'm sorry but for £200 per pair for these pads....this is totally unacceptable.

Yes, I have to take accountability because this was ultimately my fault but I'm sure Focal Utopia owners wouldn't have this issue cause leather appears to be much more stronger/durable than the microfibre/alcantara used on these pads.

I kinda dread the future with Focal considering some of the horror stories I've heard of their after sales customer support. Now that the MG is out....no doubt Focal will stop selling OG Clear/Clear Pro pads....regardless of them being morbidly overpriced.

It's nice that I have an extra pair of brand new pads(that come with Clear Pros) but one does wonder how things will pan out in the future with Focal cause it appears to be a gamble when you invest in their products

 

[loopfreak]

At first, just looking at the pictures I thought, oh a damping mode nice....
Focal is playing with us with whole pads spiel and cashing money along the way.

 

[bcaulf17]

I finally had the chance to do side by side comparisons between the Clear, HD6XX, and Sundara. Below are my findings. I’m glad to finally be able to share some more detailed impressions.

I started with “So Far Away” by Dire Straits. I started with the Clear, and as expected it sounded great. I then tried the HD6XX and for the first minute I started wondering if I should’ve bought the Clear...this track sounded great on the HD6XX as well! But then I started focusing more on the details in the treble and this is where I could tell the Clear was simply better. There are these bells (?) at the top of the image that sounded more clear and defined on the Clear, and they were more noticeable. The Sundara was my least favorite with this track as the snare sounded a little too thin, although in terms of treble detail it was close to the Clear.

I tried a couple more tracks with the HD6XX and ended up eliminating it early on. I really love that headphone, but when it comes to technical performance, extension, depth and soundstage, I felt it didn’t really hold a candle to the other headphones. I think the track I most noticed this was “Redbone” by Childish Gambino. I felt really immersed by the Clear in this track.

The last track I tried with all three was “Everybody Dance” by Chic. The Sundara actually might’ve been my favorite here, just because the bass texture seemed slightly better than the Clear and I also felt a little better air quality.

Moving on is where I started feeling like the Clear and Sundara were honestly rather close to each other in performance, with the Clear only really barely winning out. Next was “The Hollow” by A Perfect Circle, early 2000’s metal and is a little compressed sounding. At first I thought I preferred the Sundara, but after comparing the two during the bridge, the Clear came out much better. The Sundara, while nice and crisp, sounded a bit like it was falling apart in the treble and a little too bright, while the Clear handled it much better, not as bright but more nuanced and detailed. Throughout the track as a whole, the Clear sounded more natural.

Next was “Champion” by Kanye West. I love the layers of synths that play during each chorus. This one I had a difficult time telling which one was better. The Sundara sounded a little more open, but also more sibilant. The Clear was less sibilant. Both had great dynamic punch.

Finally, I tried “So What” by Miles Davis. This is a great sounding track in general and there are a lot of elements that are pretty easy to pick out. Piano tone and bass were conveyed nicely between both headphones. About two minutes in there’s a large cymbal crash that kind of fizzles out and the trumpet solo starts. I was listening to the way the cymbal fizzles away, and here, I think the air of the Sundara came to its benefit. The Clear had the detail there, but I didn’t sound as airy or bright. However, the following cymbal taps sounded more realistic on the Clear; they sounded like the way I would expect those cymbal notes would be hear naturally, while the Sundara is nice and crisp but a little less correct.

I think, in some of these cases the Sundara might seem more detailed at first, but through listening I began to realize that it’s from a more emphasized treble. The Sundara sounds bright, and it’s fun, but it sometimes gets a little too bright. The detail is there on the Clear but it sounds more natural.

I will say, I think also because of that treble emphasis, they sound a little more open and airy than the Clear. I do somehow find that to be one quality where I think the Sundara wins out, and this contributes to stage as well. I think the width is very close between the two, but the added air quality of the Sundara makes it sound a little more open. The Clear also has a little more weight in the low mids, which is a plus in my opinion, but I do believe that leads to it feeling a little less open.

I might try some more comparisons soon, but my takeaway is that the Clear sounds the most natural and correct to me. The HD6XX sounds natural but the technical qualities aren’t as good. The Sundara sounds a little more plasticky although it has nice bass texture and extension, arguably better than the Clear, but not by much, and with that the Sundara comes off sounding a little more artificial and “hyped”.

This goes to show, the Sundara is a fantastic value. In the end though, the Clear is the better headphone. It sounds more natural and realistic, I think detail as a whole is a little better than the Sundara as it sounds more effortless. I will say performance wise the Sundara gets close but isn’t quite there, and in some cases the Sundara might seem more detailed but that has to do with the treble sounding a little aggressive, and I prefer the treble tonality of the Clear as it’s less thin and sounds more true to life. Bass between the two is very similar to the point I can’t really tell, both in texture and extension. Mids are better on the Clear as well.

I know it sounds like I talked about treble a lot lol, but that’s where I felt like the differences were easiest to distinguish, and where the Clear most drastically wins.

 

[jonathan c]

I finally had the chance to do side by side comparisons between the Clear, HD6XX, and Sundara. Below are my findings. I’m glad to finally be able to share some more detailed impressions.

I started with “So Far Away” by Dire Straits. I started with the Clear, and as expected it sounded great. I then tried the HD6XX and for the first minute I started wondering if I should’ve bought the Clear...this track sounded great on the HD6XX as well! But then I started focusing more on the details in the treble and this is where I could tell the Clear was simply better. There are these bells (?) at the top of the image that sounded more clear and defined on the Clear, and they were more noticeable. The Sundara was my least favorite with this track as the snare sounded a little too thin, although in terms of treble detail it was close to the Clear.

I tried a couple more tracks with the HD6XX and ended up eliminating it early on. I really love that headphone, but when it comes to technical performance, extension, depth and soundstage, I felt it didn’t really hold a candle to the other headphones. I think the track I most noticed this was “Redbone” by Childish Gambino. I felt really immersed by the Clear in this track.

The last track I tried with all three was “Everybody Dance” by Chic. The Sundara actually might’ve been my favorite here, just because the bass texture seemed slightly better than the Clear and I also felt a little better air quality.

Moving on is where I started feeling like the Clear and Sundara were honestly rather close to each other in performance, with the Clear only really barely winning out. Next was “The Hollow” by A Perfect Circle, early 2000’s metal and is a little compressed sounding. At first I thought I preferred the Sundara, but after comparing the two during the bridge, the Clear came out much better. The Sundara, while nice and crisp, sounded a bit like it was falling apart in the treble and a little too bright, while the Clear handled it much better, not as bright but more nuanced and detailed. Throughout the track as a whole, the Clear sounded more natural.

Next was “Champion” by Kanye West. I love the layers of synths that play during each chorus. This one I had a difficult time telling which one was better. The Sundara sounded a little more open, but also more sibilant. The Clear was less sibilant. Both had great dynamic punch.

Finally, I tried “So What” by Miles Davis. This is a great sounding track in general and there are a lot of elements that are pretty easy to pick out. Piano tone and bass were conveyed nicely between both headphones. About two minutes in there’s a large cymbal crash that kind of fizzles out and the trumpet solo starts. I was listening to the way the cymbal fizzles away, and here, I think the air of the Sundara came to its benefit. The Clear had the detail there, but I didn’t sound as airy or bright. However, the following cymbal taps sounded more realistic on the Clear; they sounded like the way I would expect those cymbal notes would be hear naturally, while the Sundara is nice and crisp but a little less correct.

I think, in some of these cases the Sundara might seem more detailed at first, but through listening I began to realize that it’s from a more emphasized treble. The Sundara sounds bright, and it’s fun, but it sometimes gets a little too bright. The detail is there on the Clear but it sounds more natural.

I will say, I think also because of that treble emphasis, they sound a little more open and airy than the Clear. I do somehow find that to be one quality where I think the Sundara wins out, and this contributes to stage as well. I think the width is very close between the two, but the added air quality of the Sundara makes it sound a little more open. The Clear also has a little more weight in the low mids, which is a plus in my opinion, but I do believe that leads to it feeling a little less open.

I might try some more comparisons soon, but my takeaway is that the Clear sounds the most natural and correct to me. The HD6XX sounds natural but the technical qualities aren’t as good. The Sundara sounds a little more plasticky although it has nice bass texture and extension, arguably better than the Clear, but not by much, and with that the Sundara comes off sounding a little more artificial and “hyped”.

This goes to show, the Sundara is a fantastic value. In the end though, the Clear is the better headphone. It sounds more natural and realistic, I think detail as a whole is a little better than the Sundara as it sounds more effortless. I will say performance wise the Sundara gets close but isn’t quite there, and in some cases the Sundara might seem more detailed but that has to do with the treble sounding a little aggressive, and I prefer the treble tonality of the Clear as it’s less thin and sounds more true to life. Bass between the two is very similar to the point I can’t really tell, both in texture and extension. Mids are better on the Clear as well.

I know it sounds like I talked about treble a lot lol, but that’s where I felt like the differences were easiest to distinguish, and where the Clear most drastically wins.

Which headphone amplifier(s) did you use? I have found that the Clear (original) matches very well with the Violectric V280, Liquid Platinum (cap mod + external power supply + Amperex PQ 7308), and Woo Audio WA6 (CBS/Hytron 5692)....Soon to come: Moljnir II with capacitor modifications.

 

[bcaulf17]

Which headphone amplifier(s) did you use? I have found that the Clear (original) matches very well with the Violectric V280, Liquid Platinum (cap mod + external power supply + Amperex PQ 7308), and Woo Audio WA6 (CBS/Hytron 5692).

Just a simple THX 789 and Topping E30 setup.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Which headphone amplifier(s) did you use? I have found that the Clear (original) matches very well with the Violectric V280, Liquid Platinum (cap mod + external power supply + Amperex PQ 7308), and Woo Audio WA6 (CBS/Hytron 5692)....Soon to come: Moljnir II with capacitor modifications.

I've been waiting for Keith to finish his before I post my thoughts on MJ2 thread. It's a pretty significant change man. For the good of course lol.

 

[roskodan]

Who's Keith, and what Mjolnir mod? Link?

 

[Guidostrunk]

Who's Keith, and what Mjolnir mod? Link?

Upgrading all the capacitors on the board. Keith is @ksorota . No links yet as this is a new mod journey. We did the Liquid Platinum last year with a few getting new Alps pots.

 

[sebek]

I finally had the chance to do side by side comparisons between the Clear, HD6XX, and Sundara. Below are my findings. I’m glad to finally be able to share some more detailed impressions.

I started with “So Far Away” by Dire Straits. I started with the Clear, and as expected it sounded great. I then tried the HD6XX and for the first minute I started wondering if I should’ve bought the Clear...this track sounded great on the HD6XX as well! But then I started focusing more on the details in the treble and this is where I could tell the Clear was simply better. There are these bells (?) at the top of the image that sounded more clear and defined on the Clear, and they were more noticeable. The Sundara was my least favorite with this track as the snare sounded a little too thin, although in terms of treble detail it was close to the Clear.

I tried a couple more tracks with the HD6XX and ended up eliminating it early on. I really love that headphone, but when it comes to technical performance, extension, depth and soundstage, I felt it didn’t really hold a candle to the other headphones. I think the track I most noticed this was “Redbone” by Childish Gambino. I felt really immersed by the Clear in this track.

The last track I tried with all three was “Everybody Dance” by Chic. The Sundara actually might’ve been my favorite here, just because the bass texture seemed slightly better than the Clear and I also felt a little better air quality.

Moving on is where I started feeling like the Clear and Sundara were honestly rather close to each other in performance, with the Clear only really barely winning out. Next was “The Hollow” by A Perfect Circle, early 2000’s metal and is a little compressed sounding. At first I thought I preferred the Sundara, but after comparing the two during the bridge, the Clear came out much better. The Sundara, while nice and crisp, sounded a bit like it was falling apart in the treble and a little too bright, while the Clear handled it much better, not as bright but more nuanced and detailed. Throughout the track as a whole, the Clear sounded more natural.

Next was “Champion” by Kanye West. I love the layers of synths that play during each chorus. This one I had a difficult time telling which one was better. The Sundara sounded a little more open, but also more sibilant. The Clear was less sibilant. Both had great dynamic punch.

Finally, I tried “So What” by Miles Davis. This is a great sounding track in general and there are a lot of elements that are pretty easy to pick out. Piano tone and bass were conveyed nicely between both headphones. About two minutes in there’s a large cymbal crash that kind of fizzles out and the trumpet solo starts. I was listening to the way the cymbal fizzles away, and here, I think the air of the Sundara came to its benefit. The Clear had the detail there, but I didn’t sound as airy or bright. However, the following cymbal taps sounded more realistic on the Clear; they sounded like the way I would expect those cymbal notes would be hear naturally, while the Sundara is nice and crisp but a little less correct.

I think, in some of these cases the Sundara might seem more detailed at first, but through listening I began to realize that it’s from a more emphasized treble. The Sundara sounds bright, and it’s fun, but it sometimes gets a little too bright. The detail is there on the Clear but it sounds more natural.

I will say, I think also because of that treble emphasis, they sound a little more open and airy than the Clear. I do somehow find that to be one quality where I think the Sundara wins out, and this contributes to stage as well. I think the width is very close between the two, but the added air quality of the Sundara makes it sound a little more open. The Clear also has a little more weight in the low mids, which is a plus in my opinion, but I do believe that leads to it feeling a little less open.

I might try some more comparisons soon, but my takeaway is that the Clear sounds the most natural and correct to me. The HD6XX sounds natural but the technical qualities aren’t as good. The Sundara sounds a little more plasticky although it has nice bass texture and extension, arguably better than the Clear, but not by much, and with that the Sundara comes off sounding a little more artificial and “hyped”.

This goes to show, the Sundara is a fantastic value. In the end though, the Clear is the better headphone. It sounds more natural and realistic, I think detail as a whole is a little better than the Sundara as it sounds more effortless. I will say performance wise the Sundara gets close but isn’t quite there, and in some cases the Sundara might seem more detailed but that has to do with the treble sounding a little aggressive, and I prefer the treble tonality of the Clear as it’s less thin and sounds more true to life. Bass between the two is very similar to the point I can’t really tell, both in texture and extension. Mids are better on the Clear as well.

I know it sounds like I talked about treble a lot lol, but that’s where I felt like the differences were easiest to distinguish, and where the Clear most drastically wins.

So the Sundaras in the end compare very well with the Clear, at four times less cost.

I have the Ananda which should be a Sundara upgrade, maybe between these two it will be more a matter of different signatures than anything else.

 

[bcaulf17]

So the Sundaras in the end compare very well with the Clear, at four times less cost.

I have the Ananda which should be a Sundara upgrade, maybe between these two it will be more a matter of different signatures than anything else.

Yes. Keep in mind, a lot of people say diminishing returns kick in pretty early in this hobby. You’re paying for that last bit of refinement. In my opinion, I think it’s worth it. It just sounds more smooth, liquid and effortless. Little details still get hazed out on the Sundara due to the brightness, while I feel this doesn’t happen with the Clear. And yeah on top of that I like the tuning of the Clear more. Actually one of the best things about it is how it gives me the best qualities of both headphones and kind of morphs them; the tuning and full bodied tone of the HD6 series, with the great midrange, and the performing capabilities of the Sundara (although the Clear beats it in just about every area. I don’t think the soundstage is better on the Sundara, I think it’s just two different presentations. As I said, width is pretty much the same, but the Sundara sounds airier, probably because it’s brighter). Also to note, I got my Clear for $1000, not $1500. I can’t safely say, in my opinion, that these are worth $1500 personally. $1000 is much better.

Lastly, the Clear has better build and thats worth it to me as well.

Ananda is a great headphone. It sits in that weird spot of not being a $1k+ flagship but it’s also certainly not mid-fi. I haven’t heard it but I do see it compared frequently to some of these $1000 models, even the Arya.

 

[Golyatx]

I cant expres by words how much I love Clears...

 

[AudioDuck]

So the Sundaras in the end compare very well with the Clear, at four times less cost.

I have the Ananda which should be a Sundara upgrade, maybe between these two it will be more a matter of different signatures than anything else.

While the Focal Elears are no longer produced, they and their Elex siblings may be a more fair Sundara comparison with regards to pricing (still recognizing that Sundara is a bit less expensive, even at used Elear prices)?

Just a thought for anyone who would consider or prefer the Clear, but doesn’t have the budget (yes, that would include me ).

 

[adydula]

I cant expres by words how much I love Clears...

Congratulations on your Clears!!
Enjoy the music!

Alex
:>)

 

[hewlett168]

I have now had the Focal Clear for 2 weeks and it has not impressed me. Next to the Clear I own the HD800 and the Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 and it just falls between those two headphones in every category: detail (HD800), soundstage (HD800), timbre (RAD-0) and so forth. I can see that it is a great headphone, comfortable and good dynamics, but it just does not have the wow-factor. Might be very specific to my situation.