[dududuckling]

If I'm reading it correctly the Filo specs show slightly more power available when using the balanced output (220mW versus 560mW) so you might hear a difference. However you might also want to try the balanced output using one of these balanced adaptor before you buy a rather expensive cable.

As for using a desktop DAC/amp, that would depend on which DAC/amp and what source you are using. The good thing about the Focal Clear MG is that the better the source, DAC and amp the better the headphones will sound.

Thanks for the link - The source will be iPhone 11 Max Pro / iPad Pro (sitting on the desk using USB-C output), the DAC/AMP is currently Fiio Q5s TC at high gain / 40% volume / 3.5mm LO.

I am looking to upgrade in the future to the Fiio M17 or the iFi Audio xDSD or desktop Topping D90/A90 / SMSL / Schiit Gungnir/Ragnarok / Schiit Bifrost/Jotunheim / Matrix Audio/Technics SU-R1000 - too many choices.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Hi, any suggestion for volume and playlist when burning them in? I was thinking of running Tidal radio continuously at 30-40% volume?

I went with 85db levels. Approximately 10 o'clock on my particular amp. Rule of thumb is a little bit past your listening level.

 

[dududuckling]

I went with 85db levels. Approximately 10 o'clock on my particular amp. Rule of thumb is a little bit past your listening level.

Thank you!

 

[Saturday]

Hi, any suggestion for volume and playlist when burning them in? I was thinking of running Tidal radio continuously at 30-40% volume?

Lorde - Royals (maximum slam)
Coldplay - Magic (maximum punch)
Muse- Madness
Duke Dumont - The Fear
Duke Dumont - Nightcrawler
The Weeknd; Chromatics - Blinding Lights (Chromatics Remix)
Sean Paul - Temperature
Pendulum - Slam
Kygo - Serious
Future - Mask Off
Fisher - Losing It
Far East Movement - Like a G6
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Black Eyed Peas - Fashion Beats
Archive - Bullets

I went with jam out volume plus one for 24 hours. As long as nothing is clipping, you should be good.

 

[dududuckling]

Lorde - Royals (maximum slam)
Coldplay - Magic (maximum punch)
Muse- Madness
Duke Dumont - The Fear
Duke Dumont - Nightcrawler
The Weeknd; Chromatics - Blinding Lights (Chromatics Remix)
Sean Paul - Temperature
Pendulum - Slam
Kygo - Serious
Future - Mask Off
Fisher - Losing It
Far East Movement - Like a G6
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Black Eyed Peas - Fashion Beats
Archive - Bullets
Future - Mask Off

I went with jam out volume plus one for 24 hours. As long as nothing is clipping, you should be good.

Just created the playlist. Thank you once again, much appreciated.

 

[dan3952]

Okay SO. It's been a busy week trying to figure out what the heck happened. I wanted to post here because many of you tried to help and it's useful for everyone to know what I learned. My journey with the Clear MGs seems mostly concluded with some remaining questions along with a bittersweet ending which was me returning them to the vendor.

However I returned them not because of the original problem I posted here about. The source of that problem was that the headphones sounded absolutely grating because they were not burned-in enough. I'm fairly certain that every review I've seen so far that complained the headphones seriously attack the ears is likely because they were brand new when reviewed and/or burn in was not done properly. Actually the thing that tipped me off to idea of incomplete burn-in was the first several pages of this very thread and particularly Nomax's video of the driver visibly moving with the volume. I realized that my driver at the time did not stretch out nearly that much under bass.

In the Focal manual that comes with the Clear MGs, it clearly states to burn these in for 48 hours before use. I did this, however I realized that I did not do this loud enough. I totally underestimated the amount of volume and bass that these drivers need to break in which is to say, louder than I would ever listen to music and scary with the reputation of the fragility of the previous Clears' drivers.

After I burned them in properly this time, it totally transformed the sound. Then I encountered a new problem- it was no longer the headphone I thought I was buying and has a particular vocal warmness and centeredness? that just doesn't work with my ears. It wasn't grating anymore but hilariously, it lost detail that it had before the break in. Particularly, the newfound punchy and slammy bass was masking that detail just a bit too much for me. Also it had a vocals/mids-straight-down-the-ear-canal that is uncomfortable for me as warm as they may be. This may be because I already fried my ears testing and troubleshooting this while it was grating in various ways over the past week but regardless I gave up. I also still can't rule out that some of the things that still felt off to me afterwards were because of my particular unit. I concluded after hundreds of miles of driving to different audio places and way too many different amps and dacs that I need to look elsewhere despite the fact this headphone is amazing in other respects. Alas, I'm washing my hands of it.

When someone else in the future comes in here and complains about how unpleasant and fatiguing this headphone is- definitely tell them to burn it all the way in.

Anyway, I'm glad this headphone works for other people and I respect the sound it makes. It's beautiful in its own way but unfortunately I have to continue my search.
Maybe I'll look at the Aryas again.
Or straight to Utopia?

I had gone from the OG Clears to the HiFiMan Aryas, to the Audeze LCD-3s, to IEMs, and I had decided not to get the Clear Mgs after having read your post, because it sounds like the fatiguing quality of aluminum drivers, is still there, though probably lessened. I had found the OG Clears to be, "lively", and "technical", headphones: that is to say, the resolution was very good, but the music was not always presented in an enjoyable way. The dark LCD-3s, were the most "musical" of the three. Percussion, and loud female voices, in particular, could sound grating, and I had been turning them down, and then back up again, a lot. I won't be looking at the Utopias, either (another technical headphone), especially when we look at all the new products that have come out recently at that price point from Audeze, Dan Clark Audio, and Meze.

I would say it's a great time for you to be looking at the Aryas, as they had just been redone with Stealth magnets. I don't want to go into detail comparing two old models, but I had found the Aryas to sound slightly warm and less fatiguing overall. They have a "diffused field" soundstage: the information isn't as compacted as in the Clears or the LCD-3s, but rather spread over a larger space. I could even hear sounds behind me. HiFiMan had taken action to make it wider and not quite so tall. I had sold them because the timbre had sounded plasticky and hollow with female vocals, in particular. Mind you, there was still a lot of music they did work well with, just not anything that had a kick drum. When it comes to dynamics, any Audeze headphone wins out due to the size of their magnets; the Aryas, were the thinnest sounding of the three.

 

[Saturday]

I had gone from the OG Clears to the HiFiMan Aryas, to the Audeze LCD-3s, to IEMs, and I had decided not to get the Clear Mgs after having read your post, because it sounds like the fatiguing quality of aluminum drivers, is still there, though probably lessened. I had found the OG Clears to be, "lively", and "technical", headphones: that is to say, the resolution was very good, but the music was not always presented in an enjoyable way. The dark LCD-3s, were the most "musical" of the three. Percussion, and loud female voices, in particular, could sound grating, and I had been turning them down, and then back up again, a lot. I won't be looking at the Utopias, either (another technical headphone), especially when we look at all the new products that have come out recently at that price point from Audeze, Dan Clark Audio, and Meze.

I would say it's a great time for you to be looking at the Aryas, as they had just been redone with Stealth magnets. I don't want to go into detail comparing two old models, but I had found the Aryas to sound slightly warm and less fatiguing overall. They have a "diffused field" soundstage: the information isn't as compacted as in the Clears or the LCD-3s, but rather spread over a larger space. I could even hear sounds behind me. HiFiMan had taken action to make it wider and not quite so tall. I had sold them because the timbre had sounded plasticky and hollow with female vocals, in particular. Mind you, there was still a lot of music they did work well with, just not anything that had a kick drum. When it comes to dynamics, any Audeze headphone wins out due to the size of their magnets; the Aryas, were the thinnest sounding of the three.

Yeah I had demoed the Aryas the day I bought the Clear MGs. I agree with your assessment about their diffuse soundstage. I actually am a fan of a tighter soundstage with more precise imaging, which is what Focal seems to focus on. I actually ended up buying the Utopias after demoing those against the Clear MGs. From my auditions, the Utopias sound stage is almost between the Clear MG and the Arya but with much better imaging than the Arya and not as diffuse.

The Utopias also felt smoother and less fatiguing despite being just as detailed, and the mids way more natural than the Clear MGs which had a major warm tilt to them.

The majority or perhaps the entirety of the Clear MG fatigue i experienced was from the lack of break-in. That feeling pretty much entirely went away after playing bassy music through them for 24 hours. I say “pretty much” because my ears were so shot from that torture that if the fatigue totally went away, I don’t think I’d have been able to detect it. I couldn’t hear totally right for a few days after I returned them and it kind of scared me.

Sorry the MGs didn’t work out. I do respect the Clears. Amazing headphone and I’m glad a lot of people are happy with them. Just not for me.

Moral of the story is *burn your Focals in* for the love of god.

 

[DivineCurrent]

I think some people are missing out on both the OG Clear and Clear MG true potential if you are not using EQ. Both are extremely capable headphones that have two very minor narrow elevations in the treble, 5.5kHz and 10.5 kHz (to my ears) that are the main cause of this metallic grating sound. If you use EQ to tone down those peaks, there is an immediate difference that makes them sound smoother. I know a lot of the Head-Fi community is either against or ignorant of EQ for one reason or another, but it is an invaluable tool that brings out the technical strengths in headphones that otherwise may have some minor flaws in the frequency response. But for the MG specifically, I much prefer it to the OG Clear simply because it is warmer and it has reduced those peaks to the degree that I don’t even need EQ anymore.

 

[Guidostrunk]

I think some people are missing out on both the OG Clear and Clear MG true potential if you are not using EQ. Both are extremely capable headphones that have two very minor narrow elevations in the treble, 5.5kHz and 10.5 kHz (to my ears) that are the main cause of this metallic grating sound. If you use EQ to tone down those peaks, there is an immediate difference that makes them sound smoother. I know a lot of the Head-Fi community is either against or ignorant of EQ for one reason or another, but it is an invaluable tool that brings out the technical strengths in headphones that otherwise may have some minor flaws in the frequency response. But for the MG specifically, I much prefer it to the OG Clear simply because it is warmer and it has reduced those peaks to the degree that I don’t even need EQ anymore.

I'm hearing both exactly how you are. No eq needed for myself either.

 

[Soundizer]

Can anyone recommend a 3meter headphone 3.5mm extension cable available in uk? To extend the 1.2meter Focal Cable.

 

[PeteJ]

Can anyone recommend a 3meter headphone 3.5mm extension cable available in uk? To extend the 1.2meter Focal Cable.

For a decent cable check the Custom Cans website here: https://jfunk.org/wpc/product/balanced-unbalanced-adapter/

You can choose termination and color you want.

Worth checking their site for completely new cable as well, depends on your budget and use case. Rather then running the extensions, custom cable is really much nicer, soft and flexible.
Hope this helps.

 

[KaOs492]

Hear me now (club edit) - Alok : A great song to feel the punch ability of the MG

Get Ready (Tasker & Leaderboy remix) - Allison Wonderland

Lose Your Love - Joe Goddard

I'm Still Fly - Page ft. Drake

 

[mainguy]

Been looking at reviews of these compared to the Mg, pretty crazy how divided reviewers are. Some think this has better detail retrieval, others the opposite, it makes me think the Mg is one of the most controversial focal headphones. I've not tried it, only the OG. Hopefully one day I will, I was considering buying one (ex demo for £850) but seeing the controversy makes me hesitate.

 

[Guidostrunk]

I was hesitant myself getting the MG when I owned the OG. Bought the MG with the intent of sending them back for a refund. After spending 1 week with both after the MG were burnt in. I sold my OG.

For me and my preferences, I felt the MG was the better can. Detail retrieval, imaging, dynamics, soundstage, bass response... etc. All better on the MG. The speed of the MG is evident immediately especially in attack and decay. The OG would get overwhelmed in comparison with complex passages, in turn collapsing the dimensional space between notes.

The MG is the warmer can, but far from a warm can. I think the midrange and treble presence in the MG is more proper in the FR. The OG had peaks that would take over the FR , that is gone in the MG making the MG better balanced.

With that said. Just my opinion on how im hearing it and have heard it. I know the MG gets trashed on sbaf for whatever reason but that's their opinion and they're entitled to it. Lol.

 

[mainguy]

I was hesitant myself getting the MG when I owned the OG. Bought the MG with the intent of sending them back for a refund. After spending 1 week with both after the MG were burnt in. I sold my OG.

For me and my preferences, I felt the MG was the better can. Detail retrieval, imaging, dynamics, soundstage, bass response... etc. All better on the MG. The speed of the MG is evident immediately especially in attack and decay. The OG would get overwhelmed in comparison with complex passages, in turn collapsing the dimensional space between notes.

The MG is the warmer can, but far from a warm can. I think the midrange and treble presence in the MG is more proper in the FR. The OG had peaks that would take over the FR , that is gone in the MG making the MG better balanced.

With that said. Just my opinion on how im hearing it and have heard it. I know the MG gets trashed on sbaf for whatever reason but that's their opinion and they're entitled to it. Lol.

Interesting.

You know one reason I thought the Mg might get trashed is because a lot of people are very used to the OG, or in love with it. It's very easy when one is accustomed to a certain signature, that when presented with that same signature slightly modified, to call it wrong, or off. I think this is much more likely to occur between similar headphones than dramatically different ones. It seemed odd to me that focal would produce an inferior revision, to be honest, I don't believe it. They make such superb products it would at least be a sidegrade.