Focal Clear Mg - Open-Back Dynamic Driver Headphones - Official Thread

Haha glad you noticed. I guess I just have a preference for ‘extra regular’ aesthetics, and in high end headphones it seems like that’s a rarity. It’s like, some people are allllll about the RGB and flashy lights aesthetics for their computer equipment, and I’m the complete opposite. I want simple, clean, sleek and professional. Whatever the opposite of ‘gaudy’ is.

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No I’m with you in the case of the Clears…I prefer the OG color way because it matches the name “Clear” more. I personally think the color way of the MG Clear would be perfect for the Stellia instead. Plus, there aren’t any “white” headphones I can think of which makes it a bit unique.

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Understated…

Just got these this morning (thx, headphones.com) and my scientific, highly analytical first impression is a big WOW! Tons of fine detail; strong but not overpowering bass; broader soundstage than the closed Focal Celestees. A really compelling listening experience.

IMG_1643.HEIC

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Or minimal.

I typically prefer clean and minimal, but even I’ll admit the Clear MG is very aesthetically pleasing; a conversation starter for sure.

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Hey @Resolve, please bump put that bump mic bump on an bump arm :smiley:

Nice review, btw, really enjoyed it.

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Any word from Focal on the proper Arche setting for the Clear Mg? I’m assuming since they are the same impedance as the OG Clear that the Clear setting still applies. But it’s always nice to get confirmation.

I can’t decide if it’s brown or greenish. It looks different on every picture. Mocca or khaki… Maybe I can it kaka😂.

I love colors and I really like the Stellia color scheme. Here I am just not sure.

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Thanks for the comprehensive comparison of Elear, Clear and Clear MG @Resolve!

Loved it. :+1::blush:

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This is primarily because the individuals photographing the product are either using creative color grading or they don’t know how to properly set their white balance @Tom_Ato I am looking forward to seeing them in person too. However, I feel pretty confident knowing how dead inside @Resolve is, (Joke from his review for those that haven’t watched it yet) that he nailed the white balance on what they look like in real life. That’s a compliment to the analytical/critical nature of Andrew. What a time to be in the market for a Clear with both the crazy good price of the OG Clear or the new design of the MG.

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Any reviews vs Utopia? I wonder how close the resolution gets to Utopia.

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It’s not close, the Utopia is king.

The Utopia is worlds ahead in technical performance still. The Utopia and Stellia are better headphone’s I think. I have both right here, they are faster, more detailed, better imaging, they are both just more resolving headphones. You are talking $1500 vs 3K and 4K $$$.

Tonal balance, the clear might be better than the Utopia, someone with better ears might be able to help more. I enjoy listening to them all, but I can’t jump from the Utopia or Stellia to the Clear in the same session, but I can jump from the clear to the Utopia or Stellia, if that makes sense.

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I don’t have the MG clear yet but the OG clear tonally was more enjoyable to me than the Utopia. However you are correct the Utopia on detail, imaging, stage, or basically technical performance to my ears was far better! There was a bit of a peek in the upper midrange or lower treble region that could bother me at times with the Utopia especially with some vocals as well that wasn’t present with the clear. I believe I mentioned it in both my YouTube reviews of the Clear Pro and the Utopia. However maybe this could have been remedied some with a better amp/Dac pairing. @jfx

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@crinacle’s take comparing the Clear Mg to the original Clear

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“That is to say, the Clear Mg sounds noticeably mushier and “slower” than the original Clear, and a tad bit less resolving too.”

That was very far off compared to my experience as an owner of the Clear MG Professional for a couple of weeks now. I just don’t see how that’s what he heard (not regarding his preferences, but his observations on technicalities).

It actually was one of the things that inspired me to create this post:

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Everyone has their personal preferences and, most important, a unique set of ears.

If you hear something different and you like it, great. Enjoy your new headphones!:+1::tada:

Also: Professional reviewers will give an opinion, just like the rest of us. They might have heard a lot more gear and can compare. Still, it’s just an opinion.

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The video was done very very well indeed. I don’t doubt the colors were correct. Maybe it’s just me, but I still am not content with that color.

Good thing is : everyone had different tastes! :blush:

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Did you make it to the end of his review? Crinacle adds this important point (emphasis added):

Are the pads different from the original Clear? Whose Clear Mgs are representative, mine or the others who received sets that measured almost exactly like the originals without a pads swap? Did I just get a dud set? If so, is there a chance that you , the buyer, would also get a set like this?

Edit: additionally, it’s not entirely clear from his impressions what’s going on with the pads. It seems as though he’s assuming that the Clear and the Clear Mg have the same pads, and based on your observations @ValentineLuke, the Clear Mg pads are of a different shape and size.

Then there’s the question of variation among pads. This is a potentially worrisome issue, if true. Focal seems to have form here: note the controversy on Drop about the Elex pad variations (the following comes from a Drop representative responding to complaints):

We understand how frustrating the situation with the Focal Elex replacement pads has been. We share in those frustrations and have been trying to come up with a satisfactory resolution for months.Our internal testing has confirmed that the latest batch of pads varies in weight from the “stock” pads by as much as 15%. Although we have reported these concerns to Focal, they have not offered us a substantive resolution at this time, and we’re continuing to try to work with them on a solution.

We also have the example of potentially different dimensions to the original Clear pads, as noted on our forum. And, as with Crinacle, the issue here may have to do with the aging of the pads and how that affects the pads’ size as well as the headphones’ sound. So the jury’s still out, I suppose.

I’ve ordered a new replacement pair of original Clear pads and will see how they compare to the original pads.

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All good observations - the plot thickens.

I find it interesting that Crin’s pair of MGs measured noticeably worse than Resolve’s or Jude’s; they then measured a little better after putting the OG Clear pads on. As we all know, pads can drastically change the sound, so something is definitely amiss here.

All of this confusion has honestly prevented me from ordering a pair of Clear MGs. What a shame…

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In having owned or demoed the Clear, Utopia, Elex, Elear, and Elegia – they all have the Focal house sound. I’m not ordering a pair because it seems the MG mostly updated the driver manufacturing process and style. It makes me wonder whether the new driver is ‘better’ than the old one, or just more suitable for manufacturing in some way.

And everyone hates the old cables…

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