[snafu1]

Yes i was about to say the same thing.

Focal uses there accessories to gain a little bit of extra revenue. The production costs are nowhere near the asking price.

Plus Dekoni is a well known pad manufacturer.

I just want to know what the possible sound change would be from swapping.
i already trust the quality.

Yeah. My only experience with different pads was with a pair of HiFiman 400S where I changed out their velour pads for Brainwavz leather pads. This made an improvement with the bass (which was a little weak with the HiFiman standard pads). I imagine the Dekoni Sheepskin pads would do the same.

Myself, I'm not looking to make a big change in the sound of the Clear's. If I can find something as good as the factory pads, I would like to remove Focal pads and put them aside. That way in case I ever want to sell the Clear's I can have a pristine set of factory pads to put back on them.

 

[NickedWicked]

In case of the Clear I wouldn't try different pads, even the ones from the Elear and Utopia are quite different. They are specifically tailored for the Clear, a different kind of pad will most likely degrade sound quality and not to mention contain more heat.

 

[happy hopping]

1 of you were saying the Beryllium is harmful to your health in this thread, it seems there has been discussion on this topic:

http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=89942.0

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/no-response-from-focal-re-toxic-beryllium.866911/

 

[herrsmith]

Much ado about nothing. Of course it's safe in the final form (same with asbestos, actually), but the real issue and - of course - cost is in transforming it from the raw material to its final form. There are significant precautions necessary to machine beryllium safely, and that's a significant contributor to the cost of anything containing beryllium. It really is a wonder material, but it's not the answer to all problems.

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

In case of the Clear I wouldn't try different pads, even the ones from the Elear and Utopia are quite different. They are specifically tailored for the Clear, a different kind of pad will most likely degrade sound quality and not to mention contain more heat.

hmmm not necessarily. I think if they got a perforated pad replacement that would be comparable to perforated Clear pad.

@nlwouter if you wanted more bass OOMPH then I would go for a protein pad of some sort that doesn't let the sound out like a perforated pad. But like @NickedWicked is saying (and correct me if I am wrong), doing so will alter the sound and possibly make it less desirable even if you get the added bass.

 

[kino lau]

I started my comparisons between the stock coiled cable and the Solvine that I picked up from Trevor at Norne Audio. The most obvious improvement over the stock cable is that the low end doesn't break up as soon while increasing the volume. This was one of my chief disappointments when the Clear Pro's arrived. I thought that I was going to have to settle for whatever volume I could get I while still maintaining clean, coherent bass. I've commented in more recent posts about the Clears that I'm getting all the bass I could ask for. These comments are coming from listening with the Solvine cable that I purchased. Overall there is more body and definition to the bass, while the stock coiled cable is less pronounced and breaks up at a lower volume. The thought that immediately came to mind when the Solvine cable first arrived, was that the stock cable seemed constricted. But I need to listen more. The low end is really obvious to my ears. I'm focused more on the sound of different cymbals at the moment. The stock coiled cable provides unrestrained realism and airiness to bell and edge hits on the ride cymbals in Jack White's "Ice Station Zebra"

 

[Wildcatsare1]

I absolutely love Norne Audio (Trevor’s) Cables, I’ve had them on almost every headphone I’ve owned. Not just “bang for the buck” good, but go head to head with any cable made good.

 

[kino lau]

Off topic, but more things I get myself into. These arrived in the mail today...

 

[Whitigir]

Eating it means nothing. I would put it in the ears canals to clean up waxes in order to hear better . Now that is a challenge

 

[kino lau]

Eating it means nothing. I would put it in the ears canals to clean up waxes in order to hear better . Now that is a challenge

I have fresh Reapers and Scorpion peppers for that. Why did you think I bought the Clear Pros with the red ear pads? Just need to be sure to get all of the seeds out if I'm using IEM's, so they don't clog a nozzle...lol

 

[paul2qute]

Still waiting for my heimdall 2 cable it's been 4 weeks now,what a joke

 

[soundlogic]

Sub’d

 

[Zouka]

So I had the chance to try the following headphones at a local shop:

Audeze LCD 2
Audeze LCD 2 classic
Audeze LCD 3
Audeze LCD X
Focal Utopia
Focal Clear
HiFiMan HE1000
Oppo PM1

I actually liked the LCD3 the most out of them but I didn't find to be very comfortable so I decided to go with the Focal Clear at the end.

I currently have this https://www.jdslabs.com/products/48/objective2-odac-combo-revb/ as my AMP/DAC. I was told by the sales rep that the clear don't require that much of a power to drive but maybe I could make use of a better DAC?

 

[hbmorrison]

So I had the chance to try the following headphones at a local shop:

Audeze LCD 2
Audeze LCD 2 classic
Audeze LCD 3
Audeze LCD X
Focal Utopia
Focal Clear
HiFiMan HE1000
Oppo PM1

I actually liked the LCD3 the most out of them but I didn't find to be very comfortable so I decided to go with the Focal Clear at the end.

I currently have this https://www.jdslabs.com/products/48/objective2-odac-combo-revb/ as my AMP/DAC. I was told by the sales rep that the clear don't require that much of a power to drive but maybe I could make use of a better DAC?

What were your impressions of the Clear in comparison with the LCD3s? I have a pair of LCD3s in the house, which I love dearly, but I am thinking of going for something with a bit more detail and clarity and I have been thinking that the Clears would be a nice compromise in that area without going down the HD800* route.

 

[kino lau]

I currently have this https://www.jdslabs.com/products/48/objective2-odac-combo-revb/ as my AMP/DAC. I was told by the sales rep that the clear don't require that much of a power to drive but maybe I could make use of a better DAC?

I spent days of nonstop researching when considering a new DAC/AMP. I wasn't sure if I wanted a tabletop or portable but had no visions of actually taking my Clears on the road (though the option would be nice). Take a serious look at the iFi iDSD Black Label at $549 and read what reviews you can find compared to what everybody else is going to recommend. My intended purpose is to leave it next to my laptop...but being "transportable" is a definite plus.



LATE EDIT: I meant to suggest the iFi micro iDSD Black Label. Not to be confused with the nano iDSD which I have no experience with.