[flohmann]

Thanks for the Forza Noir Hybrid cable recommendation. I got a second hand pair at a decent price and am quite happy with them. Exactly as @Delta9K said, they provide a bit more extension in both directions and generally open up the sound a bit. And a huge improvement from an ergonomic perspective. I was surprised how light and flexible they are, as they look pretty chunky in the photos.

 

[Alexzander]

I’ve got a custom made occ copper / silver-plated copper cable when I bought Radiance and recently receive a sort-of inexpensive silver cable from AliExpress - to my surprise it outperformed the custom one in my opinion: this provides the crispiest and punchiest sound retaining the sub bass / bass, but adding more clarity, separation and sparkle.

I’m going to demo another custom high-grade purity silver / monocrystal silver cable next which costs around 400$ - curious if there would be a big improvement or not.

 

[arielext]

While I was digging through my pile 'o pads I found the Stellia limited pads from Dekoni which are no longer that limited.
Stiffer foam and thus a bit thicker on the ears. Not bad at all. Compared to the cheap ali pads these are less fluffy and provide a bit more bass.

End of the day I am still just so impressed with the Radiance. Best Focal I ever had (which is all except for the Utopia).

Back to the Ali pads. End of the day those are just a bit more comfortable compared to the stiffer Dekoni pads.
As for closed-back dynamic headphones I haven't seen anything better than the Radiance yet.

 

[yrstruly]

These are some of the best cans out there for rock, metal, punk, hardcore, and heavy music generally. They get the balance just right in terms of being dynamic enough for those genres but also somewhat forgiving so you can “rock out” so to speak without too much ear fatigue (whereas the Stellia tuning arguably doesn’t work so well for some heavy stuff). I sort of see them as an audiophile version of the V Moda M100 lol.

Still stressing out about how long the pads will last, mind…

 

[Smirk 24]

I had similar correspondence with a Focal-Naim rep out of the US/Canada. What seems to be the re-occurring theme is that nobody ever actually has any pads for the Radiance "Now". It was suggested that the Clear-MG pads would work sonically. I did not order either...

Thank you for contacting Focal support.
I will be more than pleased to help you with your request!

We are currently out of RADIANCE pads. I may place a back order for you however you will have to expect A 3 month wait before the arrival of this stock.
We also have the CLEAR MG pads that will fit on the radiance without altering the sonic quality however the colour of these pads is brown.
Would you like for us to place an order for the original pads or for the brown pads?

Is the Focal rep suggesting that the Clear MG pads can serve as a Radiance stock pad replacement? If so, this can be a viable solution for the time being. Bummer that the pads are brown though as the overall look of the Radiance is something I enjoy about it.

I hope the rep is correct. I don't want to find out that they were wrong after dropping $200 on Clear MG pads.

 

[arielext]

Keep in mind that the mg pads are not designed to block sound, in and out so you might end up with less isolation while leaking more sound to the outside world.
Other options, cheaper options, are Dekoni (stellia) and the Chifi offerings.

 

[Smirk 24]

Keep in mind that the mg pads are not designed to block sound, in and out so you might end up with less isolation while leaking more sound to the outside world.
Other options, cheaper options, are Dekoni (stellia) and the Chifi offerings.

I was also looking at the Dekoni Stellia pads. Is the resulting sound of these pads on the Radiance similar to the stock Radiance pads? I couldn’t find much online.

 

[arielext]

I was also looking at the Dekoni Stellia pads. Is the resulting sound of these pads on the Radiance similar to the stock Radiance pads? I couldn’t find much online.

They work quite well but are a bit stiffer resulting in less comfort. I personally prefer the €30 AliExpress offerings cause they don't give in on comfort. Soundwise they all keep the baseline of these headphones but perhaps the aftermarket pads give a bit more midbass while also reducing the treble a bit resulting in a darker sound sig.

 

[Smirk 24]

They work quite well but are a bit stiffer resulting in less comfort. I personally prefer the €30 AliExpress offerings cause they don't give in on comfort. Soundwise they all keep the baseline of these headphones but perhaps the aftermarket pads give a bit more midbass while also reducing the treble a bit resulting in a darker sound sig.

Would you happen to have a link to the exact AliExpress pads you’re talking about? Thanks in advance.

 

[arielext]

Would you happen to have a link to the exact AliExpress pads you’re talking about? Thanks in advance.

Here you go

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EvgJabN

Choose the black pads, not the perforated.

 

[Smirk 24]

Here you go

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EvgJabN

Choose the black pads, not the perforated.

I placed an order for one, thank you. Looking forward to trying them out. Even if it doesn’t change the sound sig to my liking, at least it’s inexpensive so it wouldn’t be too big a loss.

 

[Delta9K]

Is the Focal rep suggesting that the Clear MG pads can serve as a Radiance stock pad replacement? If so, this can be a viable solution for the time being. Bummer that the pads are brown though as the overall look of the Radiance is something I enjoy about it.

I hope the rep is correct. I don't want to find out that they were wrong after dropping $200 on Clear MG pads.

I got that impression and why I discounted their input almost immediately as just trying to make a sale. It was a very disappointing conversation.

No, the clear pads are not a replacement for the Radiance pads, different materials and design. Sure they'll fit the headphone but that's as far as it would go. I would not waste my money on that route, I'd try Focal Stellia pads or something from dekoni first.

 

[Smirk 24]

I got that impression and why I discounted their input almost immediately as just trying to make a sale. It was a very disappointing conversation.

No, the clear pads are not a replacement for the Radiance pads, different materials and design. Sure they'll fit the headphone but that's as far as it would go. I would not waste my money on that route, I'd try Focal Stellia pads or something from dekoni first.

Very disappointing. I'll try the Stellia pads or the Dekoni Custom pads. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Hifiaddict]

Does anyone know if Focal sell original earpads for the Radiance or is there only 3 party earpads available?

 

[HardstyleLoco96]

Hello guys. I have been interested in the Radiance for a very long while. And I think now is the time I may grab myself one. I've owned the OG Clear and have heard the Clear MG. Some reviewers say the Radiance has technical qualities similar to the Clear, that detail, speed is on par. Some others have said not so. Some say due to the warmer tuning, it's more relaxed but detail is still there, just not as in your face like the Clears. I've had the Elegia and loved them, but did let them go. I am also a person that believes EQ can really make a headphone shine. I'll most likely be using Oratorys EQ for the Radiance but with a lil less low end. Has anyone tried his EQ, and do you feel it helps improve the Radiance? And is there any spare earpads you guys would rec? Dekoni sheepskin? Or best to stick with stock pads and condition them here and there? Thanks for the help. Oh, and is there a nice 2.5 cable that I could grab for cheap? Maybe a copper cable to match the look