We also have to factor in wether the measurements were done properly or not. So many variables.
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I just got my clear mg pro’s in the other day, first time listening to them on the burson soloist 3xp/composer 3xp, and just wondering since I’m new to this, if there is any recommended parametric eq settings for these yet?
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@Resolve or @Chrono will be your best bet for EQ profiles @Jay I use Tubes to EQ 
Welcome to the community too!!!
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I have the Schiit Modius+Magnius stack for desktop. I figure I can add a Valhalla/Lyr at some point because I eventually really want to get a ZMF. That way, they’ll still look like a clean, well-coordinated stack that’ll be like a baseline - especially for the tubes where there’s alot more variability to compare against.
I also have a Chord Mojo for portable.
Do you think those will work ok?
Right now, my thinking is to have a functional dac/amp stack and then focus more on playing around with different headphones. I believe @Resolve mentioned something similar in one of his videos so that’s quite validating to me. 
I hope I’m not too far off in that approach. 
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I love the Chord Mojo paired with the Clear MG. It’s a great combo, imo. 
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Very happy to hear. Even more excited for my order to arrive now!
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Thanks man, glad to be here!
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Yup, the Clear MG are very easy to drive and that should be a enjoyable listen until you upgrade!
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EQ depends on the user. Each person has different listening preferences. Is there a specific thing you think is missing in the Clear MG that you need to eq to correct?
I have the Burson combo too, but the Clear OG. How’s the synergy?
No. Every time I watch or read a resolve or other review like chrono, the post their recommended, or sometimes preferred, Eq settings. Figured these clear mg pros must have some too
I honestly wouldn’t know yet. First stack, first set of good cans, and I have only had them both for a day thus far…
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I agree that sometimes a headphone can be a bit off tonally or too bright/dark and a little eq could help.
But what would be the point of eq’ing to someone else’s preferences?
You have to distinguish between correcting for a (perceived) shortcoming and correcting for personal preference.
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I hear you. I like to see what other folks prefer in headphones I like. It’s how I’ve learned what certain preferences actually sound like, versus described like.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I tend to prefer a slight v-shape in my eq’s, and came to that conclusion by applying different eq’s folk’s prefer for different reasons.
Nothing crazy or scientific going on here, just curious what guys that review cans for a living prefer in cans I own, to see if I would too. If not, perhaps a slight modification of their preferences.
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Cool - Makes total sense. You have a head start on a lot of people. Finding out what your preferences are is the first step to being able to make decisions on keeping or changing gear.
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I just switched back and forth between the original and MG clears the other day for an hour with a simple AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt I brought along to Sweetwater. They’re both fantastic headphones. At first I prefered the sound of the original after playing a few different genres of rock and I couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but as I threw in some blues and jazz and switched back and forth getting more accustomed, I prefered the MG. I’m going to sound vague here, but the low end and especially the mids had more impact and presence, and the treble (along with the whole frequency response really) just seemed more detailed to my ears with the MG. To finish off my session I listened to Art Blakey’s Moanin’ and Are You Real and the tonality and impact of the instruments and the soundstage and imaging just reeally pleased me with the MG. I’d have been happy with either, but I placed an order for the MG. I have a Arcam irDAC ii paired with a Yamaha A-S2000 at home that I’m thinking of downsizing to a simple Magnius/Modius stack. Am hoping to hear more thoughts on that pairing with the MG.
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This is a excellent observation.
I think often times people mistake elevated treble (usually in the 4-6k region) for a headphones ability in detail retrieval.
The Magnesium driver is very fast and dynamic, and to my ears, more detailed. I’m pleasantly surprised that Focal didn’t elevate the treble to enhance the perception of detail. They applied restraint in the tuning which resulted in a very linear and neutral sound.
Congratulations, and welcome to the forum.
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In back-to-back testing of the OG Clear versus the Utopia, I found that the OG Clear has a lot of treble grain. This doesn’t sound bad at all if you start listening cold, but it is distracting and ‘muffled’ when switching directly from the Utopia. The grain can sound like air or room noise. MG vs. OG differences could follow from driver materials with a slightly different hardness or flex, and therefore different dampening characteristics.
Considering the delicacy and nuance of higher-end headphones, I’m surprised there’s not more unit-to-unit variation than usually observed.
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Any specific tracks you use to test for grain?
I can imagine what it would sound like and I’ve probably heard it but I don’t think I’ve actually identified whether something sounds grainy or not…
Please see my test track list – most back-to-back comparisons used a subset of these songs. The grain jumped out with the mild songs early on the list, and continued until my ears habituated to the Clear after an hour or more. I stopped noticing the grain a few days after sending the loaner Utopia away.
I heard stark differences in the “air puffs” of the thump thumps in this heavily distorted White Stripes song. It is song 40 on my list. But, I used the uncompressed version from Amazon HD. The OG Clear was akin to the chest-thumping feel one gets at a live concert, but not so apparent with anything else.
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