Introducing the Focal Clear Mg, a brand new update on Focal’s original Clear. Coming in at $1490, the Clear Mg replaces the original Clear as the definitive Clear from Focal.
From Focal:
"The Clear Mg high-fidelity open-back headphones incorporate the new technology of a speaker driver with an ‘M’-shaped Magnesium dome. Magnesium is light and boasts a significant damping factor, offering great dynamics and detail across the full sound spectrum while preserving a neutral and balanced signature. "
I’ve had the Clear MG Pro for a couple of weeks now and I think it’s a solid update. A smoother, slightly warmer, and more resolving Clear. It’s still neutral-bright imo, but with less of a peaky nature.
The timbre also seems better to me, never exhibiting the metallic zing that the older Clear would often display.
I’ve spent the last 24 hours trying to convince myself I don’t need these. My only Focals are the Elegia, and I’ve been wanting a Focal open back for a while now. Of course, I am also trying to convince myself I don’t need the Celestee too.
Imagine how good those two will look next to each other on the shelf??
With all the optical fascination, I hope that this time they:
1.) Noticeably improved comfort for people with larger heads and ears.
2.) The audio clipping with higher power supply or higher volume levels have gotten to grips with.
3.) The very energetic but “cold, dry and mechanical industrial sound” was made a little more natural and a little warmer to allow long-term suitability for these headphones.
All factors, which in my opinion completely missed the previous model.
I really had to fight the inner urge to not order the Clear MG last night. I own the Elex, have directly AB’d with the OG Clear and have heard the Utopia; so I feel that I have a good grasp on the Focal house sound. Still, I want to see measurements and read/see the reviews of the few people I trust. Even then, I’ll still probably struggle deciding between these and the ZMF Auteur. Heh, these are good problems to have
The ear pads are shallower, so they have have less room for larger ears. It’s my one criticism. My ears touch the grill and after a couple of hours can be fatiguing.
Google at your own risk!
