[roskodan]

Also, kind of agree with some other comments here, that the issue is being generalized, if someone reads that review, it's easy to take for granted that is the norm with the Clear. When we really don't know any detail about that specific setting, the track used, the volume level, the SPL, etc. However, I do think some samples must be really out of specs, since mine doesn't clip, regardless of EQ and high SPL (beyond listenable).

HDavidson said: I have Focal Clear and I don't hear any distortion. It's strange.

Spoiler: bla bla

The reason is very simple.
One point Amir makes is valid. The darn drivers clip and they clip hard above a certain point. You need to boost subbass a lot for this to happen.
The resonance point of these drivers is really low, much lower than most others.
Suppose we listen to music and not a sine at 20 Hz. Then bass notes and kick drums are about the lowest frequencies around. Let's forget church organs or the damping mechanism thud of a grand piano for instance.
Here's the spectrum of a kick drum:

Below the spectrum of the lowest note in a country song:

One thing is clear.. below the lowest note (around 35Hz) the energy drops really fast. Those levels are easily -30dB down. And that's where the driver gets in trouble. We can measure it and say how bad it is (look at Amirs klippels and see most speakers do a similar thing) but he reality is there is little to no energy there in music.

Spoiler: bla bla bla

Now have a look at the distortion plot of the Clear at 94dB SPL

The distortion starts to rise below 40Hz. In music, however there isn't 94dB SPL there at all so that's why you don't hear it.. because in reality (music) the frequencies aren't there. We can measure it and even at unrealistic levels and show the results but that doesn't mean it is audible.

Enjoy your Clear.. it is an excellent headphone. Clear drivers don't break easily (the older 80 Ohm drivers, ELear, Elex etc. do) but use sensible levels and you're fine with detailed and distortion free music reproduction. Just don't try to use a tone generator to hear 20Hz at 110dB SPL. (80 Phon)

Spoiler: bla bla bla bla

Note the 10kHz distortion spike is a measurement artifact of the used HATS due to the massive dip it has at that frequency and the % conversion.
There is no dip at 10kHz The peak around 15kHz is real though.

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Check out this review of the Focal Clear by a professional engineer that use to be VP of Digital Media at Microsoft.

I quote
"First and second tracks sounded good and then BAM! The headphone jumped its gap resulting in nasty static/crackling sound. The kind of sound that stops your heart beating for a few seconds! Basically the driver is running out of travel and going outside of the magnetic field and then jumping back suddenly. I hear this routinely in cheap bookshelf speakers when driven by high amplification and deep bass. I could get this to happen even in instrumental/female vocal tracks!

Granted, we boosted the EQ but I have boosted EQ much more in other headphones and they can handle with ease. Not so with Focal Clear. Still, I turned off the EQ and turned up the volume and there it was again: nasty clicks. Granted the level was pretty loud now but not outside of what would be listenable.

Searching online, I see references to Clear "clipping." I suspect this is what they are talking about. If so, it is real flaw in this headphone

The Focal Clear "out of box" (no EQ) response is closer to what we like to see so tonality is not too bad as is. Equalization can take its performance significantly higher but due to poorly designed drivers with too little headroom, this is not a practical path unless you keep volumes low. Without EQ is less of a problem but you would face some brightness and some lack of clarity. At these prices we better not have such compromises.

I can't recommend the Focal Clear with or without Equalization. I expect more from a company like Focal with incredible vertical integration to build drivers and such."

Fan boys BTFO.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/focal-clear-review-headphone.18585/

I'd take his reviews with a huge grain of salt.

He recently started measuring headphones. He heavily biases his recommendations based on his personal preference. He purposely jacked up the bass of the clears and played them quite loud to get them to clip. He quotes scientific methodology and "pure objectivism", but his reviews are quite the contrary. I'd think of him more as an engineer with time and money putting headphones on a GRAS rig and seeing what happens.

You'll find his site has little to no regard on Head fi.

 

[dontfeedphils]

I'd take his reviews with a huge grain of salt.

He recently started measuring headphones. He heavily biases his recommendations based on his personal preference. He purposely jacked up the bass of the clears and played them quite loud to get them to clip. He quotes scientific methodology and "pure objectivism", but his reviews are quite the contrary. I'd think of him more as an engineer with time and money putting headphones on a GRAS rig and seeing what happens.

You'll find his site has little to no regard on Head fi.

+1

 

[Barnstormer13]

miss posted

 

[pbarach]

A lot of folks posting here about clipping are indicating that they have heard it begin at a specific decibel level. How are they measuring that level? Do they have a GRAS or some other rig that simulates what happens when the Clears are sealed to the side of a head? Are they holding an SPL meter inside the earpad and measuring? Are they guessing how many dB their music has when they hear clipping? It seems to be that clipping that occurs with a GRAS device and NO EQ would be persuasive, but the other ways of guesstimating dB levels are of doubtful accuracy.

 

[roskodan]

Yeah, that particular review uses a GRAS system, but the reviewer conveniently failed to disclose under what settings was the clipping produced. So, nothing to see there really. As the other member pointed out, it must have been more of a laboratory setting, far from any real life practical use scenario. Or a defective unit. But we will never know because of the reviewer's "fake news" style of reporting "issues".

 

[Warrenk]

OK mine clip but it's beyond my listening level that I would listen to. So I think its well above 80db.

If I listened to them at the clipping volume then I would become deaf.

As I continue to use them I will see if my everyday volume and a little more introduces clipping, if it does then its under warranty, but I'm not going to replace them as I think they sound fantastic.

It's a low impedance do it is easy to drive, compared to my 880 pro's.

I listen to trance music so it is bass heavy, I've only.seen clipping on that blade runner soundtrack, but that is one he'll of a sub track, my subpac shakes on this song.

 

[roskodan]

What track exactly?

 

[Warrenk]

The first one 2059

 

[roskodan]

What amplifier and how much EQ boost?

 

[Warrenk]

Rme babyface fs same amp as their adi-2 pro.

No eq boost

 

[Forsaked]

The first one 2059

This is just a fanmade track.
The real one is this:

 

[Warrenk]

Ah I see lol I'll check tomorrow when I'm home then.

 

[RobinTim]

After seemingly falling out of love with high-end(ish) audio for a while, I bought myself a Hugo TT2 today to see if it can recandle things. It replaced my trusted Hugo 2. And so far, I absolutely love it.

At first, I tried it with the Utopias. I find it a much better pairing than the Hugo 2. The latter combination always felt a bit cold and too analytical for my taste. But now its not as harsh and it feels like you can touch the textures of the instruments.

Then I switched to the Clears. A littel less detailed and first I found it a bit dull sounding, somehow. But I think it was the songs selection. After listening to "When we dance" by Sting with Royal Philharmonical Concert Orchestra I was very happy. Its so musical. I am really impressed what the Focals are capable of.

 

[roskodan]

Too bad Chord doesn't make a standalone dedicated headphone amp for their Hugo dacs (or any other source). Could use my Hugo 1 as a dac / pre amp. With the Hugo TT 2, one is forced to use the Hugo 2 inside it for dac. Kind of a waste of a great sounding, high power, output stage. Hugo 1 and Hugo 2, as amps, are missing a few Watts to make totl headphones justice.