[Shane D]

So I went in another radical direction and ended up ordering the Radiance. I figured out what I really craved more of in the Utopia was that deep rumbly bass that unfortunately is prone to crackling at loud volumes. This will give me the more fun, warmer side of the house sound for Pop/EDM and from what I’ve read doesn’t suffer these same driver “issues” present in the higher-tier Focals.

I really like the Radiance headphones. I don't find they have deep, rumbly bass though. I just find a pretty balanced headphone with very good bass. I do have to compare them to the Clears eventually.

 

[Luckyleo]

I am getting used to a newly purchased Meze Audio 109 pro. I realized that its tonality very much aligns with the Clear OG (which I also own). To me the sound signature is essentially close to the clear, but exhibits a wider soundstage, better instrument separation, and much better bass and sub-bass. The OG is now selling for essentially the same price as the 109.

I hate to say it, but my beloved Clear OG won't be getting as much head time as they have previously..

YMMV!

Leo

 

[Zeppmeister]

I am getting used to a newly purchased Meze Audio 109 pro. I realized that its tonality very much aligns with the Clear OG (which I also own). To me the sound signature is essentially close to the clear, but exhibits a wider soundstage, better instrument separation, and much better bass and sub-bass. The OG is now selling for essentially the same price as the 109.

I hate to say it, but my beloved Clear OG won't be getting as much head time as they have previously..

YMMV!

Leo

Keep hearing a lot of good things about the 109. My Clear OG were $790 (yes, new).

 

[solid12345]

ahhh as I've been reading the last couple of days, deep bass crackling in Focals at higher than average problems is not a defect in that it's just how they are. I did not get two defective pairs because it's just part of the design.

basically if you like deep bass and listen at over 50% volume, the higher end focals are not gonna work without crackling

That’s why I put “feature” in quotes it’s controversial and don’t want to relitigate it, but I’ve also heard stories of people getting random models without crackling at all. But little interesting tidbit, when my utopia left driver went out after the first 3 weeks (I bought open-box), I RMAed it back to Focal and when I got it back it crackles ALOT less now even in the right driver. Now I’d basically have to jack the bass EQ up really high to get it to do it so essentially I don’t get it at all anymore on even moderately high volume with a flattened/slightly elevated bass EQ when before it gave me a sour impression on the HP listening to deep bass music like Blade Runner 2049 on what I believed was not decibel piercing volume. So even if it was intended I think because so many people complained they might tweak it to shut you up if you ever service it (I had mentioned this issue in my email when I didn’t know about this quirk and got the whole lecture from their service dept. about not playing my music too loud and how dynamics are prioritized by focal yadayada….there is no way I listened too loud on my Sony Tazzy amp with its slightly underpowered capability but I digress…). Still a great headphone and no regrets, I just wished I could really make that bass growl like my HEKse or LCD-X because I feel the power is there if they ever wanted to unleash it even without planar tech. Hoping the radiance will soothe that inner bass-head side of me.

 

[PixelSquish]

That’s why I put “feature” in quotes it’s controversial and don’t want to relitigate it, but I’ve also heard stories of people getting random models without crackling at all. But little interesting tidbit, when my utopia left driver went out after the first 3 weeks (I bought open-box), I RMAed it back to Focal and when I got it back it crackles ALOT less now even in the right driver. Now I’d basically have to jack the bass EQ up really high to get it to do it so essentially I don’t get it at all anymore on even moderately high volume with a flattened/slightly elevated bass EQ when before it gave me a sour impression on the HP listening to deep bass music like Blade Runner 2049 on what I believed was not decibel piercing volume. So even if it was intended I think because so many people complained they might tweak it to shut you up if you ever service it (I had mentioned this issue in my email when I didn’t know about this quirk and got the whole lecture from their service dept. about not playing my music too loud and how dynamics are prioritized by focal yadayada….there is no way I listened too loud on my Sony Tazzy amp with its slightly underpowered capability but I digress…). Still a great headphone and no regrets, I just wished I could really make that bass growl like my HEKse or LCD-X because I feel the power is there if they ever wanted to unleash it even without planar tech. Hoping the radiance will soothe that inner bass-head side of me.

Even after I returned two pairs of Clear MG to B&H and left with the LCD-X instead, I still kept researching because I really want to experience the Focal sound, but I need them to be able to handle bass when needed at the levels I'm used to my cans handling. That's where I started reading even more about this bass rattling, and some people just advising that is the way they are, and Focal has their own thing going, and they don't mind.

 

[Shane D]

Even after I returned two pairs of Clear MG to B&H and left with the LCD-X instead, I still kept researching because I really want to experience the Focal sound, but I need them to be able to handle bass when needed at the levels I'm used to my cans handling. That's where I started reading even more about this bass rattling, and some people just advising that is the way they are, and Focal has their own thing going, and they don't mind.

Focal has made clear that their headphones are not for people that listen very loud.

I never go above 75 DB's and have never had a problem with several pairs.

If you are head banging at 80+ decibels, these are definitely not the right headphones for you.

 

[PixelSquish]

Focal has made clear that their headphones are not for people that listen very loud.

I never go above 75 DB's and have never had a problem with several pairs.

If you are head banging at 80+ decibels, these are definitely not the right headphones for you.

Yeah unfortunately in my research which a lot was in this thread, that was never really mentioned and in many reviews too. So I found out the inconvenience way.

I'd like to get a pair of the focal clear down the road but I'm not ready to spend close to a grand on a pair of headphones that are only good for about 60% of my listening right now. It's a financial thing. But I would love to
audition the Clears and own a set of Focals one day.

I thought it was a defect because every other headphone I own or have owned they didn't have that issue with my music listening habits.

 

[ferzoli]

Clear pads from AliExpress is received.
I'll make a review of it later. There's something i like and I don't like here.

But for the price, it's okay ^^

Can you share some details? How close are these pads to the original?

 

[Nada]

I need them to be able to handle bass when needed at the levels I'm used to

I hope you won't be deaf in twenty years. That's the ultimate music lover bummer.

 

[PixelSquish]

I hope you won't be deaf in twenty years. That's the ultimate music lover bummer.

Well I'm just about to turn 48 and doing just fine with my same music listening habits for the last 30 something years.

I don't have any crazy speaker systems in my car, I don't blast music for the sake of it either , but the focals I tried just had no ability to handle Any real deep bass at anything but very medium volumes. Also the B&H associate that helped me try my second pair of the clear MG listen to what I was saying as well and he definitely didn't say they were too loud.

Like I said in over 15 years getting into higher end audio I've never encountered this issue with headphones before. I have all the cans in my signature and have had other ones as well from cheap ones to some other cans that would be considered low end audiophile.

 

[Luckyleo]

I hope you won't be deaf in twenty years. That's the ultimate music lover bummer.

Tell me about it!

Leo

 

[solid12345]

Yeah unfortunately in my research which a lot was in this thread, that was never really mentioned and in many reviews too. So I found out the inconvenience way.

I'd like to get a pair of the focal clear down the road but I'm not ready to spend close to a grand on a pair of headphones that are only good for about 60% of my listening right now. It's a financial thing. But I would love to
audition the Clears and own a set of Focals one day.

I thought it was a defect because every other headphone I own or have owned they didn't have that issue with my music listening habits.

So I got my radiance, can report I can turn the volume up higher with no bass crackling. But it really became magical when I threw the Stellia pads I bought for my Utopia on them. It really brought the thump level up a notch and even the mids sound clearer. If you want the Focal house sound with the extra fun factor this might be a pair to look into.

 

[bcaulf17]

Focal has made clear that their headphones are not for people that listen very loud.

I never go above 75 DB's and have never had a problem with several pairs.

If you are head banging at 80+ decibels, these are definitely not the right headphones for you.

Only time ever gotten them to physically clip/distort was a hip hop track with a lot of bass pushed way beyond safe listening levels (I had to turn the volume back down after 10 seconds).

I do wonder how many pairs start clipping at different levels.

 

[roskodan]

The real question is... how many of those RMA units were just put back for sale as B stock or open box, without being fixed... my guess... all of them.

 

[Tada]

Visiting this thread for the first time after selling my Clear OG a couple of months ago in favor of the 109 Pro and Radiance with Stellia pads. I just found it amusing that both were brought up in this latest page.