[PointyFox]

zinginess might be a better word to describe what I hear.

"Zinginess" means exciting/lively. I think it would depend heavily on what you're listening to and what makes you feel excited.

 

[jonathan c]

"Zinginess" means exciting/lively. I think it would depend heavily on what you're listening to and what makes you feel excited.

…as in“zing went the strings of my heart”

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

"Zinginess" means exciting/lively. I think it would depend heavily on what you're listening to and what makes you feel excited.

Not in the case of describing a "metallic" sound. It is a bit unnatural and unusual for a dynamic driver headphone. A person may prefer it, but I don't. To me, the gold standard for dynamic driver timbre is the HD800S. To my ear, the HD800S has natural timbre. The Utopia has more metallic sound relative to it. And, in this case, metallic is not a good thing. As I said, this goes away when I pair these headphones with a better amp.

 

[Ifalna]

Clear definitely has a little bit more "bite" in the high end than my DT-880 with the Oratory EQ.
I quite like it and deliberately left it untouched.

Why do some people hear it and others not?
Simple: Our ears have different frequency responses. Send 2 people to get a bode plot of their hearing and you will get two distinct plots.
That's what EQ is for, after all. Fine tuning to personal taste and ears.

 

[TWerk]

I've been using my Clear Pro's for over a year now and will be cremated with these clamped to my head. I do like to try out other headphones, nothing expensive because I'm retired. I bought a pair of Avantone Planar headphones and they're a fun listen. Yesterday FedEx dropped off a new pair of Sennheiser HD600's and holy cow, these things sound amazing. Much better than the 650's that I had.
My Clear's will never go anywhere but it's fun to listen to other headphones.

Yes, I'll always be in the 600 camp rather than the 650.

600 is deff a fantastic bang for the buck headphone - they get so much right for $200 - they will always be a wonderful choice.

 

[adeadcrab]

As a drummer who is used to hearing the timbre of cymbals in real life, I think the Clear is quite accurate.
Of course what else would you expect from an aluminium-magnesium driver when it is replicating the signal of a recorded cymbal? It would probably share many tonal characteristics. Both the driver and cymbal are metallic in nature, after all..

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Yes, I'll always be in the 600 camp rather than the 650.

600 is deff a fantastic bang for the buck headphone - they get so much right for $200 - they will always be a wonderful choice.

I'm not sure if I had owned the 600's instead of the 650's that I would have bought the Clear Pro's. I probably would have and the Clear Pro's are definitely in a league of their own and the best sounding headphones I've ever had. I'll never part with tbem.

 

[PointyFox]

I'm not sure if I had owned the 600's instead of the 650's that I would have bought the Clear Pro's. I probably would have and the Clear Pro's are definitely in a league of their own and the best sounding headphones I've ever had. I'll never part with tbem.

Except maybe when the earpads and headband get gross and the headband starts creaking

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Except maybe when the earpads and headband get gross and the headband starts creaking

Uh ho, the Pro's came with the extra pads which haven't been used and the headband is protected. I didn't buy them for the looks anyway and I'm the only person who sees them. I'm no spring chicken so I have some wear and tear on me

 

[TWerk]

I'm not sure if I had owned the 600's instead of the 650's that I would have bought the Clear Pro's. I probably would have and the Clear Pro's are definitely in a league of their own and the best sounding headphones I've ever had. I'll never part with tbem.

There's better than the 600's. My point is at $200, they are one quarter the price of a clear and they are amazing at that cost.

 

[jonathan c]

Except maybe when the earpads and headband get gross and the headband starts creaking

That is why one can do this as a preventive measure AND IMPROVE SOUND…

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

There's better than the 600's. My point is at $200, they are one quarter the price of a clear and they are amazing at that cost.

Yes, they are an amazing headphone for their cost. I think that they perform well above their price.

 

[adeadcrab]

I have to humbly walk back my previous comments regarding the 789...
After going back and forth yesterday, comparing the single ended and balanced outputs I noticed a marked improvement in soundstage width, control of the drivers and imaging. The 789 has moved from 'serviceable' to downright 'enjoyable' using the balanced output with the Focal Clear Professional.
This would not be the case without the Gustard P26 softening up the signal *ever so slightly* thanks to the inclusion of the Burson Classic opamps in the signal chain.

The 789 is now noticeable wider in stage, and as such the instrument images are wider and have more room to breathe, so to speak. IMO this lets microdetails of instruments come through more and increases the overall resolution. I can wait more patiently for the Burson Soloist 3XP thanks to this revelation. All I had to do was remove the SE adaptor of my Periapt balanced headphone cable!

The transient speed with this setup is simply unparalleled. Microdynamics and instrument textures are remarkable. The highs are still present, dialled back 5% or so if I had to guess.

@jonathan c , I've tried many replacement earpads but sadly I don't find they retain the clarity and tonal properties of the stock earpads. I have the Utopia earpads, Elex replacement pads from Drop.com, and also the Dekoni Fenestrated earpads. The Utopia and Elex pads are shallower and throw a small stage around the head.
I've just purchased some 'Armour All Carpet and Upholstery' foaming spray to keep the stock earpads in good condition for as long as possible. Thankfully the Clear Pro comes with two pairs of earpads. I can only hope the Clear Mg earpads are of the same quality when the time comes...
At least the wool headband can be thrown in the wash... always have a replacement on hand when the time comes!

 

[inseconds99]

Just placed an order for a Utopia 2020 after a failed attempt at the Clear OG. Left side driver clipped at a moderate volume level. I know these drives are designed to clip at a certain point but this was a regular pop song at a moderate volume level that clipped bass notes hard.

Let’s hope I don’t have the same issue with Utopia !!

Side note, has anyone heard about focal packaging new cables with their Utopias made this year? If so, does anyone know the difference? Any pictures or comparisons?

 

[adeadcrab]

Just placed an order for a Utopia 2020 after a failed attempt at the Clear OG. Left side driver clipped at a moderate volume level. I know these drives are designed to clip at a certain point but this was a regular pop song at a moderate volume level that clipped bass notes hard.

Let’s hope I don’t have the same issue with Utopia !!

Side note, has anyone heard about focal packaging new cables with their Utopias made this year? If so, does anyone know the difference? Any pictures or comparisons?

Sorry to hear that. You didn't have any EQ or bass boost on at all, did you?