That latter example looks like they dragged the earpads on 80 grit sandpaper!! OMG!! Terrible looking.
Easy does it guys!!!
lol
Alex
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Be very careful using rubbing alcohol on the pads. Although the pads will clean up, the alcohol if overused will melt the plastic back of the pad.
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Great review @Zed_Bopp, youāve helped me understand better what it is about the Clear that I like.
Your last thoughts Iām reminded of an idea I had a while ago - that the Clear are in many ways a safe headphone choice, when it comes to them doing so much right sonically. I think youād be hard pressed to find people who donāt like the Clear - they might prefer other headphones, or prioritize different sound signatures, but thereās very little to complain about with the Clear vs so many other headphones. I think thatās what Tyll Hertsens meant about the Clear being the first $1,000 headphone he could feel comfortable recommending to everyone. For me, theyāre the perfect all-rounders.
And great photographs! Theyāre beautiful shots.
(oh, and, yes, the cables are stiff enough to be able to go pole vaulting)
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Tyll said these were the first headhones that āHEā would pony up to buy a pairā¦and if you have tracked Tyll on his retirement journeys he is seen wearing Focal Clearsā¦he put his words into action!!
:>)
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I thought his plan was to send everything out and ride off into the sunset with just a bose noise cancelling headphone!
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Nice review @Zed_Bopp. The Focal Clears are a really good set of headphones and are my current favourites for overear listening.
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I just tried out your EQ profile for the Clear. I have to say itās quite good. Do you EQ all by ear? I wasnāt very satisfied with my own previous attempts.
My strategy has been making adjustments based on measurements. And then adjusting by ear afterwards. The problem with that method is you need decent measurements to start off with.
If you want to challenge you EQāing abilities, I suggest trying the Sendy Aiva. Iām curious what youād come up with that
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Thanks for checking out the EQ profile, I always appreciate the feedback on it! Also, Iāve made an updated version, which is as follows:
Low Shelf at 100hz, +3dB Q of 0.7
Peak at 1200hz, -3dB Q of 1.41
Peak at 3500hz, -3dB Q of 2
Peak at 6000hz, -6dB Q of 3
Peak at 9500hz, -4dB Q of 2
Also, as for how I come up with them I usually listen to the headphone and see if I think it has any strangeness going on in the FR and come up with a preliminary EQ. Afterwards I compare what I heard with graphs and try to fine-tune it a little more.
Let me know if you like this newer version of the EQ profile more!
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Those arenāt small EQ adjustments, to what is a pretty neutral headphone. Very interesting. Iāll have to try it out when I get home!!!
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Yeah originally the changes werenāt this big hahaha I would really appreciate the feedback on it. Itās mostly there to balance out the treble a bit, adds a bit of warmth. As always, my EQ is only a sort of baseline that worked for me; so play around with it, adjust it to taste, and let me know how it goes! 
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First advice I got after buying my Clears was to cover the headbandā¦
Thanks @MartinTransporter
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After several months with the Clears and many amps, I found no real need for any eq with my stuff hereā¦the original design is close to tonally perfect to my earsā¦
With a great amp and great material is 10/10 or really close to itā¦
Listening mostly now with 2 ampsā¦Schitt Lyr 3 with a nice 1958 NOS tube and Hagermans TUBA, EL 84 OTL designā¦very much like a good SS ampā¦absolutley superb hereā¦
Alex
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Yes, itās very natural. Just use a (very slightly) warm tube or tube hybrid amp, or a gentler-than-THX solid state source for āforget about the signal chainā quality.
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I pulled the trigger. I saw an open box deal and sprung for it. Hopefully theyāll be here soon. Honest to god, I was a few glasses in on some cheap wine and Iām pretty sure that removed any inhibitions on buying them.
Iām really excited. Iāve been rocking Argons, LCD2Cs, and HD6XX so Iām looking forward to the ānext levelā.
Iāve got a Chord Mojo, Schiit Hel, Schiit Jot MB, magni, and a SMSL SP200. What amp would pair well?
For DACs I have a SMSL SU8 and a Modi. What DAC would pair well?
I appreciate the reviews from Chrono and Resolve too. This price point is super competitive and it was very difficult to choose.
I really hope they fit my head well. I know @Chrono had issues and I think my heads on the big side.
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Congrats!!
I hope you like themā¦they are one of the best all around dynamic headphones periodā¦(IMO) of course!
They are really easy to driveā¦most any decent amp will work.
My preferred setup is with a Schiit Bifrost 2 and a Lyr 3. But I use other amps like the Jot with a B2 on low gain and its pretty good, but my ear prefers the Lyr 3.
Magni 3 or 3+ or Herseyā¦as most any decent SS amp. Not good with a BH Crack or any OTL tube ampā¦stay awayā¦
All the best
Alex
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@lost33 just beat me to it, but, yes, the Clear are easy to drive. Itās mainly a matter finding a good synergy, one that suits your preferences.
That said, Iād suggest first trying the Jot with the multibit DAC. The Mojo would also be well worth trying. I suggest these two because the Clear are wonderfully fast, transparent, and highly resolving. Go with the DAC/amp pairing that will bring out these qualities best.
For reference, I pair mine with a neutral amp and a dark DAC (hence the suggestion about the Mojo). And I intend to follow Alexās good advice and get a Lyr 3.
Congrats and enjoy!
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I think I talked to you once about IEMS. Still want to buy some but kinda had my eye on the focals. So it goesā¦
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Yes, I believe I recommended IEMs as a transportable option for you, and theyāre great if you need isolation. If open backs are suitable for your purposes, the Clear could be perfect, given that theyāre pretty easy to drive. If I had to choose, and portability wasnāt the deciding factor, Iād go for the Focals first.
Weāve talked about the LCD2-C before. Iām finding my Andromeda 2020 to be slightly dark. In this they remind me of the LCD2-C, and they have superior timbre and texture while being much better balanced and more coherent. The LCD2-C win out on slam and bass response, of course. But soundstage is an apples to oranges comparison, given the fundamentally different presentations, and yet I donāt find the Andros to be congested in the least, they sound lovely and spacious. All this is to say two things: first, that I think my Andromeda 2020 might supplant (or make redundant) my LCD2-C, although Iāll need more time to tell for sure, and, second, the Andromeda 2020 are a nice complement to the Clear.
They are fast and highly resolving, like the Clear, and they likewise have great clarity. The treble is a bit less smooth on the Clear, but it has nice sparkle and extends further and is more prominent, while the Andro 2020 have a smooth, coherent treble and are not in the least bit fatiguing. In other words, they both do some of the fundamental things the same, right way (to my ears) while providing enough of a difference to make them complementary.
You mentioned, if I recall correctly, a preference for hearing the little details in your music. The Clear excel at this. So too do the Andromeda 2020. The LCD2-C, not so muchā¦
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I was listening to Run The Jewels today and legit heard a bass hit Iād never heard before. Hadnāt heard on my klipsch 12ā woofer downstairs. So yeah, they slam hard.
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I look forward to reading your comparison with the Clear. I think I prefer the Clear for bass response and slam but I could be convinced otherwise!
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