[Ichos]

That last sentence is very true and they should have solved quality control problems once and for all.

 

[luishi5000]

Speaking of QA issues... just got an MG and the last few weeks with it I felt like the stage was slightly shifted to the right. It bothered me so much that I ordered a measurement rig to find out for sure. Just measured today and sure enough....

I love these headphones enough that I'll play the quality lottery as long as it takes to get a good pair because they're fantastic. That said, Focal needs to step up their QA game.

 

[Qupie]

I think as long as both pads are equal, the differences are not that big a deal honestly. Just very small differences that people find when AB the headphones. I bet you can find these kind of differences with every brand if you AB 2 of the same headphones.

 

[Mad Max]

yeah, manufacturing tolerances aren't super tight with any brand, and a bit more loose with a few brands

normal wear on earpads and cables can also cause channel imbalance a bit, or dirt getting into a connector socket and more

 

[twinprime]

What part specifically are you having trouble with the chimes? In the first video the chimes are present but in the back of the mix especially at the 2 minute mark.
In the secon video I hear the chimes quite a bit more forward than in the first video.
Are you trying to make the chimes more present or are worried because they are less present than your other headphones?
I have a clear pro mg also.

Hi,

It could be my ears since I have tinnitus, however the sound of chimes is very obvious with my other headphones/earphones while with my MG Pro it is inaudible at similar volume. I am referring to the 2 minute mark you mentioned above when the video is just showing the chimes.



I got someone to check using my MG pro and he can hear it although its soft. I guess MG Pro is much darker than my other headphones and my hearing impairment blocked the sound of the chimes.

I tried adding some boost to the treble but I have to go as high as 8db increase in the 3k to 10k range in order to make the sound of the chimes easily audible and I don't like the resulting overall sound.

I guess I will just enjoy the music and don't worry about hearing all the details.

Thanks.

 

[MayaTlab]

Speaking of QA issues... just got an MG and the last few weeks with it I felt like the stage was slightly shifted to the right. It bothered me so much that I ordered a measurement rig to find out for sure. Just measured today and sure enough....


I love these headphones enough that I'll play the quality lottery as long as it takes to get a good pair because they're fantastic. That said, Focal needs to step up their QA game.

Which rig is it ? What is the scale in dB (1 or 2dB per line ?) ?

 

[MayaTlab]

I don't know if there are such variations on pad construction in order for two pairs to sound different.
Like for example in the above mentioned review of Clear vs Clear Pro.

Interesting article on pads : https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/earpads/
I'm not surprised to see some audible variation even if the pads thickness varies by only a few mm.

 

[Ichos]

Very interesting and cohesive study.
Most of the stuff was already known to experienced users but here everything is summed up.

Now in the Clear case we have to clarify if the two headphones where indeed sounding different and if that can be attributed to pads variations in construction or thickness.

 

[MayaTlab]

According to Focal's white paper for the Utopia and Elear, the manufacturing processes of the drivers ensure that they all fit within a 0.5dB range, and then that they're matched in pairs : https://www.focal.com/sites/www.focal.fr/files/shared/catalog/document/whitepaper_headphones.pdf

But indeed there are a lot of additional processes afterwards that could throw these efforts off and result in larger differences.
To be honest I have no idea why the hell headphones manufacturers aren't anywhere near as anal as they should about pads manufacturing consistency given how significant their impact is on SQ.
Some people complained about the AirPods Max' pads price, but I have to say that they're among the most tightly manufactured pads I've ever seen and IMO a much better value than Focal's .

 

[Qupie]

The pads are extremely comfortable though. The CQ is pretty bad, but I think that is a newer thing for focal isn't it? Maybe a supply chain problem during Covid?

Anyone any succes straitening the cable?

 

[Pictograms]

Hi,

It could be my ears since I have tinnitus, however the sound of chimes is very obvious with my other headphones/earphones while with my MG Pro it is inaudible at similar volume. I am referring to the 2 minute mark you mentioned above when the video is just showing the chimes.



I got someone to check using my MG pro and he can hear it although its soft. I guess MG Pro is much darker than my other headphones and my hearing impairment blocked the sound of the chimes.

I tried adding some boost to the treble but I have to go as high as 8db increase in the 3k to 10k range in order to make the sound of the chimes easily audible and I don't like the resulting overall sound.

I guess I will just enjoy the music and don't worry about hearing all the details.

Thanks.

I thought the chimes were maxing out at about 4K, have you tried boosting 1-4K instead of 3-10k?

 

[nickyhkg]

Hi All,

Another proud new owner of the Focal Clear MG. Loving it a lot. I am new to over ears headphone and has this new desktop setup.
Any suggestions on cable upgrade? Not a fan of the stock cable and am using a 10 wires silver and gold braided cable from my IEM. (Using one of those mmcx to 3.5mm adaptor)

Current setup MBP + Roon --> RME ADI-2 FS DAC AMP --> 10 wires silver and gold braided cable --> Clear MG.

I like the sound of it! wider soundstage + more refined treble + mids this is a interim setup and I am still looking for a decent quality cable on the market but don't seem to find a lot of choices. Any suggestions?

Cheers,
Nic

 

[luishi5000]

Which rig is it ? What is the scale in dB (1 or 2dB per line ?) ?

EARS rig, 1db per line - I measured my 6xx and MA900s and got much closer readings by comparison (only showing 20-200hz because it got cut off):

The 2db difference in the 2-2.5k range in my measurement of the Clears is the most noticeable part. Shifts the stage to the right.

 

[Qupie]

Have you swapped the pads and measured again? Curious where the problem lies

 

[luishi5000]

I've swapped the pads several times now, measuring each time. In the swapped configuration the 1db difference narrows in the low end. However, in all of the tests I've run in different positions and different pad configurations - the right channel is always 2db higher at 2k, 3.5k, and 4.5k. As shown here:

I've noticed the highs were elevated on the right channel since I got them, this proves it. I'm assuming it's a driver mismatch since this is true independent of pad swapping.