[Beagle]

That comment about the 109 making the Clears sound very warm and a bit dark... I just don't know. To buy and try or not

Yeah, if it makes the Clear sound warm and dark...must be definitely on the bright side of neutral.

 

[PopZeus]

It's funny, I guess you can call these a neutral-bright headphone, but that's a very slight brightness when taking into account the mid bass lift. And as soon as I tweak the EQ by a few dB at key bands, the 109 Pro tilts warm very quickly.

 

[Ichos]

Yeah, if it makes the Clear sound warm and dark...must be definitely on the bright side of neutral.

I tend to disagree.

 

[Ichos]

Just finished this with the Violectric V380²

I really can't detect any brightness at all.
Flute, oboe, trumpet, cymbals bells and everything else high pitched sounded with the correct tonality.
Overall frequency response is very cohesive and even.
Timbre is natural and realistic.

 

[Cuthbert 80]

It's funny, I guess you can call these a neutral-bright headphone, but that's a very slight brightness when taking into account the mid bass lift. And as soon as I tweak the EQ by a few dB at key bands, the 109 Pro tilts warm very quickly.

You are 100% correct. It's not so much a case of the 109 Pro being so bright. For me, it's the Focal Clear that sounds very warm/a bit dark because there is a recession in the 4-5khz range. Couple this with the mild lower mid bass boost/bloat which slightly intrudes on higher frequencies...this is why it sounds very warm.

The reason why the Clear is known for being, ermmmm....clear is because it's highly resolving for it's price. It's still a great headphone but at least for now....I prefer the 109 Pro.

 

[Beagle]

For me, it's the Focal Clear that sounds very warm/a bit dark because there is a recession in the 4-5khz range. Couple this with the mild lower mid bass boost/bloat which slightly intrudes on higher frequencies...this is why it sounds very warm.

OK gotcha. I wasn’t considering the 4-5kHz recession, which I’ve noticed on the four Focal headphones I’ve owned. I was thinking in terms of the Focals somewhat grainy and bright mid treble.

I understand completely what you were saying.

 

[Ichos]

OK gotcha. I wasn’t considering the 4-5kHz recession, which I’ve noticed on the four Focal headphones I’ve owned. I was thinking in terms of the Focals somewhat grainy and bright mid treble.

I understand completely what you were saying.

On first A/B on the fly, I do indeed find the Clear Mg more shouty in the mid treble than the 109 PRO but not sure before I do some proper comparison.

 

[Mhog55]

Man, this is getting confusing lol.

 

[pk4425]

Man, this is getting confusing lol.

Yep! I think we still need a few weeks for the recency bias toward the 109 Pro to evaporate.

To be fair, every new, solid can -- and I have no doubt the 109 Pro is a good headphone -- is coated in the "new toy" sheen for four to six weeks before the truest picture emerges. Meze gets even more of that gloss because its products are musical and beautiful with great build quality, and people in the industry and audio media all say Antonio Meze is a fantastic guy.

Another barometer: How many used 109 Pros will you see in the Head-Fi, HifiGuides and USAudioMart classifieds and Reddit A/VExchange between Thanksgiving and Christmas? If few, then you know it's good.

No fingers pointed, either. I'm as guilty as anyone of buying a new can and thinking it's the greatest thing since push tabs on beer cans for the first few weeks of ownership and then realizing there is something about it that I don't like, eventually selling or trading it. My list of cans in this situation is pretty long: Audio-Technica ATH-M40x, Meze 99 Classics, Sennheiser HD 560s, Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed Noire, Focal Elegia, Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless, Master & Dynamic MH40 Wireless.

 

[Mhog55]

Yep! I think we still need a few weeks for the recency bias toward the 109 Pro to evaporate.

To be fair, every new, solid can -- and I have no doubt the 109 Pro is a good headphone -- is coated in the "new toy" sheen for four to six weeks before the truest picture emerges. Meze gets even more of that gloss because its products are musical and beautiful with great build quality, and people in the industry and audio media all say Antonio Meze is a fantastic guy.

Another barometer: How many used 109 Pros will you see in the Head-Fi, HifiGuides and USAudioMart classifieds and Reddit A/VExchange between Thanksgiving and Christmas? If few, then you know it's good.

No fingers pointed, either. I'm as guilty as anyone of buying a new can and thinking it's the greatest thing since push tabs on beer cans for the first few weeks of ownership and then realizing there is something about it that I don't like, eventually selling or trading it. My list of cans in this situation is pretty long: Audio-Technica ATH-M40x, Meze 99 Classics, Sennheiser HD 560s, Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed Noire, Focal Elegia, Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless, Master & Dynamic MH40 Wireless.

I think I have you beat in the buy and try category lol. I'm mostly referring to the comments regarding the treble range, and the comparisons with other headphones. Impossible to gauge without hearing, as everyone different tolerances.

 

[Skeza]

Aaaand mind are gone, It was a pleasure but they just weren't my taste. The sibilance on the 109's reminded me of the first time I put on a pair of DT1990's, and the soundstage is quite intimate.

Just a heads up to anyone thinking about pad rolling. The earpad stitching seems to be quite weak, this happened from the first removal. Such a bitter ending to a beautiful build.

Onto the next one, I've managed to get a Arya SE for about $700 USD.

 

[daivatam]

Aaaand mind are gone, It was a pleasure but they just weren't my taste. The sibilance on the 109's reminded me of the first time I put on a pair of DT1990's, and the soundstage is quite intimate.

Just a heads up to anyone thinking about pad rolling. The earpad stitching seems to be quite weak, this happened from the first removal. Such a bitter ending to a beautiful build.

Onto the next one, I've managed to get a Arya SE for about $700 USD.

Yep the pads are very fragile and hard to put on.

 

[Mhog55]

Probably just me, but I really wish Meze would have stuck closer to the timbre and tonality of the 99s, and just significantly improved upon everything else. The 99s were the 1st headphones I knew were definite keepers. After several closed back attempts, I can't find the mature, adult version. Why does it seem that all of the newer headphones being released are tuned with this bright upper frequencies.

 

[PopZeus]

Probably just me, but I really wish Meze would have stuck closer to the timbre and tonality of the 99s, and just significantly improved upon everything else. The 99s were the 1st headphones I knew were definite keepers. After several closed back attempts, I can't find the mature, adult version. Why does it seem that all of the newer headphones being released are tuned with this bright upper frequencies.

Maybe there will be a 109 Classic? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ one can hope

 

[pk4425]

Why does it seem that all of the newer headphones being released are tuned with this bright upper frequencies.

Maybe because it seems a recent trend in headphones is to add brightness to a tuning and call it "clarity."