[phthora]

Well done review. Audeze bass sure is something. I may end up getting both sets of cans as well (over time, as I can afford it), as the type of music played may be the determining factor as to which sounds better for a given situation. I hadn't been made aware of the Creator Package (unit doesn't ship with a case, at a lower cost) or I would have shown more interest in the -X. I had listened to the LCD-MX4 instead the day I got the Clears, but had many of the same observations that you had with the -X.

I have never, out of all the equipment I've heard in my life, encountered a mid range (esp. upper), and treble as detailed as the Clears have, even after comparing against 'phones that retail for over $1500. I am discovering new details in recordings I have listened to hundreds of times over the years (but, notably, on near high end speakers and not headphones). Most recently, it was supporting instruments recorded at a low volume that fade into the background with lesser equipment. A prime example the group Boston's music: they have few quiet songs, and there's a large number of tracks in most of them. In particular, they liked to overdub many guitars together. In this case, there were one or two more present, than I thought, in certain songs.

I'll give you that. While all three are great across the spectrum, I tend to think of the Clear as the king of treble, the Auteur as the king of mids, and the LCD-X as the king of bass (with an honorable mention to TH900). That's a wild simplification, but that's something to justify keeping them all when the wife asks. LOL

 

[mixman]

Anyone else purchased a pair of Focal Clear for 799 during this weekend’s promotion?

Would have like to have participated in that deal but wasn't told till the last minute it was ending......

 

[Vampa]

You guys from the States are super lucky to get it for 799 usd. That's an amaxing price for the Clears. Here in the EU we have it for 1300€ when they are on sale!!

What's the reason for such a price difference when Focal is a French company?

 

[nlwouter]

You guys from the States are super lucky to get it for 799 usd. That's an amaxing price for the Clears. Here in the EU we have it for 1300€ when they are on sale!!

What's the reason for such a price difference when Focal is a French company?

Yes, same. And this is especially true for the Utopia.

 

[Earbones]

Picked up the Clear the day before yesterday. Been listening pretty much non-stop, ha ha.

Here are some early impressions:

I don’t find these bright or cold. I find them exceedingly neutral. That said, no can is absolutely neutral... So while I wouldn’t call the Clear a warm headphone, if it leans slightly to one side or the other, it would be the warm side.

Treble pushes things almost too far, but rounds off before we enter hot territory. Excellent detail here. The “graininess” I’ve heard people speak about with some of the Focal models is absent, ditto any “metallic” tonality. I’d describe the treble as crystalline, but without the harsh properties that descriptor implies. Excellent treble overall.

Upper Mids are slightly forward, and on some tracks, flirt with the shoutiness I’ve read some complaints about. Personally, I certainly wouldn’t say they are shouty, for what it’s worth... I think you’d have to be coming directly from another can with a very relaxed sound signature indeed to come away with that impression. Detail here is excellent as well.

Mids are decidedly forward, and very transparent. They remind me of the HD6XX series in their forwardness, but obviously this is not a dark headphone. The party trick of the Clear seems to be the amount of airiness and transparency with which they are capable of producing the mids, despite what may be going on in the upper and lower registers.

Lower Mids/Upper Bass blend smoothly, without sacrificing detail, nor introducing muddiness. Something I feel the Clear does better than a lot of other headphones with powerful bass.

Bass is, as I say above, powerful. It’s not Audeze LCD series powerful, but it’s more detailed in my opinion. I’m a big fan of the LCD series bass, it’s thick and rich and creamy and punchy, like being hit with a boxing glove made out of the head off a pint of Guinness. But it has never been, at least in my opinion, excessively detailed. I’ve owned or listened to many of the LCD series over the years, and the best of the bunch is the 4 and the X in my opinion, as far as detail goes... But neither can reproduce bass detail like a true detail monster such as the HD800/800S. The trade off with the 800/800S, of course, is that while what bass there is may be impeccably detailed, there just isn’t much of it. The Clear kind of splits the difference, in my opinion. It has more than enough bass for anybody but dedicated bass-heads, while offering bass detail close to the same league as the HD800/800S.

Sub Bass is a pleasant surprise. It’s exactly how it should present in a world-class headphone... Absolutely there when called for, but otherwise absent. Too many headphones will flaunt the fact that they are capable of producing sub bass like the Clear’s. They will remind you that they can easily reproduce Dusky’s Expectations, even when you’re listening to Kris Kristofferson and an acoustic guitar cover Dylan’s Quinn the Eskimo. The Clear doesn’t pull that move... Sub-bass is mannered at all times. It’s there when it’s on the track, it ain’t when it ain’t.

Soundstage is decent on the Clear. It’s not the best I’ve heard, but far from the worst. A medium-sized room with good placement. The astonishing clarity of the headphone goes a long way in helping to promote this. I can’t imagine anyone calling the Clear an intimate headphone, but I believe the clarity gives the impression of a much larger soundstage than it actually has.

Overall, I give the Clear a solid A. I don’t write many reviews, but when I do, I try to call things like I see them, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m well aware these early-listening impressions may read like the ravings of a slobbering fanboy with a new toy, but the Clear is truly a spectacular can. Again, early days, but this may be the best headphone I’ve ever heard, as far as my personal tastes go.

 

[zzub]

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but i've scoured the internet and couldn't find anything. Please direct me to the correct thread if this isn't the right place.
I purchased the Focal Clear in March 2018 and the ear housings seem to have some sort of pitting along the outer edges of the cup housing.
I'm perplexed, as i treat my headphones very well (displayed on a stand; use only after bath etc..). I'm not too sure what the housing material is, but i think its some sort of aluminium alloy.
At first i thought they were scratches, but the more i investigate, the more convinced i am that they are some sort of pitting.
The evidence is that the "scratches / pitting" also appear in the inner area of the housing where it would be impossible to scratch or even have my fingers placed over that particular area.

Anybody have any similar experience? Any advice?

I would like to post photos, but i dont see any options allowing me to. Anybody can help me out here?

 

[phthora]

Bass is, as I say above, powerful. It’s not Audeze LCD series powerful, but it’s more detailed in my opinion. I’m a big fan of the LCD series bass, it’s thick and rich and creamy and punchy, like being hit with a boxing glove made out of the head off a pint of Guinness. But it has never been, at least in my opinion, excessively detailed. I’ve owned or listened to many of the LCD series over the years, and the best of the bunch is the 4 and the X in my opinion, as far as detail goes... But neither can reproduce bass detail like a true detail monster such as the HD800/800S. The trade off with the 800/800S, of course, is that while what bass there is may be impeccably detailed, there just isn’t much of it. The Clear kind of splits the difference, in my opinion. It has more than enough bass for anybody but dedicated bass-heads, while offering bass detail close to the same league as the HD800/800S.

Hmm... this is not my experience at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wonder if you were properly amping those LCDs; they really do require a fairly strong amp. On my 28.38, the X and by a lesser margin the 2F easily have better bass definition and detail than the Clear. The X has the best separation of notes, differentiation between notes, control, texture, detail, extension, and naturalness of the three (and honestly of almost any I've heard).

 

[Earbones]

Hmm... this is not my experience at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wonder if you were properly amping those LCDs; they really do require a fairly strong amp. On my 28.38, the X and by a lesser margin the 2F easily have better bass definition and detail than the Clear. The X has the best separation of notes, differentiation between notes, control, texture, detail, extension, and naturalness of the three (and honestly of almost any I've heard).

My LCDs (and the LCDs I’ve borrowed to listen to) were amped with a Burson Conductor, a Woo WA3, and then with either the iFi Micro iDSD or The Resonessence Labs Concero HP... I found each of those four could handle the LCD series, with the output from most to least going as I listed them. I found the Conductor and the iDSD to offer the best bass detail with the LCDs... You are certainly right, all of the LCD series need loads of clean power in order to get the best bass detail out of them.

Re-reading my above first impressions post, I want to clarify that it is not my intention to state that the LCD series, particulalry the 4 and X, have un-detailed bass. They have excellent, highly detailed bass, that for me represents absolutely world-class depth, extension, and punch... But does not hang with the bass detail of world-class “detail-monster” cans such as the HD800/800S. Honestly, this has never been a sticking point for me with the LCD series, and has never been something I’ve much appreciated with the HD800/800S... Simply because overly-detailed bass can sometimes sound odd to me. My audiophile side may tell me it’s a “technically superior” aspect of a can, but the side of me who just likes to listen to music doesn’t care. I don’t need John Paul Jone’s dense, powerful playing to sound like something Les Claypool might lay down. For me, the LCD 4 and X strike a great balance between detail and the intended texture of the bass. The HD800/800S, at least in my opinion, can offer too much of a good thing at times. In my estimation, the Clear strikes a really nice balance here. I find it to be nearly as detailed as the HD800/800S, but it stops short of over-detail. It leaves out just enough to make room for the emotion, if that makes sense.

I think I may have an explanation as to why your Clear is not giving you the best bass detail. Several reviewers have stated that due to the Focal line’s sensitivity, it is easily possible to over-amp them, leading to boosted bass and loss of detail. So far, I have indeed found the Clear to be a very sensitive headphone, even for a 55 Ohm can. Even more sensitive than the 35 Ohm Elegia, in my experience. In Tyll Herstens’ review of the Clear, he states that using the can with high-output, in particular, tube amps, resulted in “indistinct and wooly bass”. Since the Clear is a newer headphone, I wonder if you had the X and other LCD models prior? And if your power sources were chosen to best match those power-hungry planar magnetics? In that case, you’d most likely run into the same issue Tyll did with the Clear..?

 

[phthora]

My LCDs (and the LCDs I’ve borrowed to listen to) were amped with a Burson Conductor, a Woo WA3, and then with either the iFi Micro iDSD or The Resonessence Labs Concero HP... I found each of those four could handle the LCD series, with the output from most to least going as I listed them. I found the Conductor and the iDSD to offer the best bass detail with the LCDs... You are certainly right, all of the LCD series need loads of clean power in order to get the best bass detail out of them.

Re-reading my above first impressions post, I want to clarify that it is not my intention to state that the LCD series, particulalry the 4 and X, have un-detailed bass. They have excellent, highly detailed bass, that for me represents absolutely world-class depth, extension, and punch... But does not hang with the bass detail of world-class “detail-monster” cans such as the HD800/800S. Honestly, this has never been a sticking point for me with the LCD series, and has never been something I’ve much appreciated with the HD800/800S... Simply because overly-detailed bass can sometimes sound odd to me. My audiophile side may tell me it’s a “technically superior” aspect of a can, but the side of me who just likes to listen to music doesn’t care. I don’t need John Paul Jone’s dense, powerful playing to sound like something Les Claypool might lay down. For me, the LCD 4 and X strike a great balance between detail and the intended texture of the bass. The HD800/800S, at least in my opinion, can offer too much of a good thing at times. In my estimation, the Clear strikes a really nice balance here. I find it to be nearly as detailed as the HD800/800S, but it stops short of over-detail. It leaves just enough out to make room for the emotion, if that makes sense.

I think I may have an explanation as to why your Clear is not giving you the best bass detail. Several reviewers have stated that due to the Focal line’s sensitivity, it is easily possible to over-amp them, leading to boosted bass and loss of detail. So far, I have indeed found the Clear to be a very sensitive headphone, even for a 55 Ohm can. Even more sensitive than the 35 Ohm Elegia, in my experience. In Tyll Herstens’ review of the Clear, he states that using the can with high-output, in particular, tube amps, resulted in “indistinct and wooly bass”. Since the Clear is a newer headphone, I wonder if you had the X and other LCD models prior? And if your power sources were chosen to best match those power-hungry planar magnetics? In that case, you’d most likely run into the same issue Tyll did with the Clear..?

To be... erm, clear, the Clear doesn't sound muffled or over-driven on the Audio-gd, nor the bass woolly. We seem to be hearing the same thing, just in different terms. I still have the X and the 2F, BTW. Since I received the Clear earlier this week, I've been doing tons of A/Bing. After reading your new description and seeing that we share some common gear (the Black Label), I think we simply differ in how we are applying the term detailed and our subjective reaction to different bass. Largely, I agree with how you are characterizing the sound, minus that one term.

Thanks for clarifying your original post.

 

[Emmanuel Palmer]

I am thinking of buying burson conductor v2+ for my Clears. Will it be an over kill for the clears because of the extremely powerful amp?

 

[Earbones]

To be... erm, clear, the Clear doesn't sound muffled or over-driven on the Audio-gd, nor the bass woolly. We seem to be hearing the same thing, just in different terms. I still have the X and the 2F, BTW. Since I received the Clear earlier this week, I've been doing tons of A/Bing. After reading your new description and seeing that we share some common gear (the Black Label), I think we simply differ in how we are applying the term detailed and our subjective reaction to different bass. Largely, I agree with how you are characterizing the sound, minus that one term.

Thanks for clarifying your original post.

That’s good to hear that you aren’t experiencing poor bass with the Clear! I agree, it seems to be a case of different ears. Also, in the interest of transparency, my Micro iDSD was the standard version, not the Black Label. I considered the BL, and may own one at some point in the future, though... Did you get a chance to do a proper AB with the standard version?

I am thinking of buying burson conductor v2+ for my Clears. Will it be an over kill for the clears because of the extremely powerful amp?

I have not yet used the Clear with anything that would be considered over-kill... The highest output device used has been the Chord Mojo, which is certainly a powerful little sucker for a mobile device, but definitely not a true high-output desktop solution like the Conductor. So I’m only making an educated guess here, based on my listening experience with both the Clear and Conductor in separate capacities, and also what I’ve read.

The Conductor has a ton of power, but it was not the bass-weightiest amp out there... Rather it produced a rather lean, powerful sound. That said, I think anything with that much power may be more than what the Clear needs to sound it’s best. So while I wouldn’t suggest you get something as powerful as the Conductor for use specifically with the Clear, I imagine if you were forced to use a high-output amp, the Conductor might be better than other fuller sounding high-output amps. Again, I am speaking from the perspective of having listened to the previous Conductor. I haven’t heard the v2+... This iteration may feature a fuller signature, in which case it would be an even more inappropriate paring.

Long story short, no, I wouldn’t get the Conductor for the Clear. It’s more juice than you need, it’s more money than you need to pay, and in all likelihood, the pairing will produce less than ideal performance. Just to hammer home how sensitive the Clear is, I’d predict no power problems even if I “downgraded” to a much less powerful unit than the Mojo.

I’d suggest you focus on finding a mobile unit with decent power, but more importantly, one that produces a sound signature you really like with the Clear. I can vouch for the Mojo. Although if I hadn’t already owned it prior to purchasing the Clear, I most likely would be looking at iFi’s Nano iDSD Black Label. Plenty of power for the Clear without going overboard, and I could see myself preferring the iFi sound signature when paired specifically with the Clear. Also... $199. Noice. I’m actually thinking of picking one up to AB against the Mojo with the Clear.

 

[pbarach]

We sell the Clear and Clear Pro. I’ve listened to all 3 of the cans many hours. The one I’m not mentioning in this post was totally unimpressive in my opinion

Is The Source AV an authorized Focal Dealer? You don't show up on the Focal website dealer locator.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Is The Source AV an authorized Focal Dealer? You don't show up on the Focal website dealer locator.

Sure they do. The search function doesn't work correctly. But if you just enter the country, and then zoom in on the LA area, TSAV shows right up.

Icons indicate that they are authorized for Home Theater, In-wall and In-ceiling speakers and ... Headphones!

 

[Earbones]

Yeah, The Source AV is an authorized dealer. Although for the deal I got on my Clear, I could have cared less, ha ha. Excellent customer service from those guys. Friendly and knowledgeable.

 

[TSAVAlan]

https://store.focal.com/en/store-lo...035 Kashiwa St, torrance CA 910803&store=4749

Boom! We show up. Their map things is little weird.