I did. I see the Clears as my desktop setup and … something else… as my mobile setup. TBD. I could go hog wild and just get it all now but 1) that’d be irresponsible and 2) I want to get time with one phone at a time. Really learn it’s character.
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I hear you, I picked up the Clear just 3 months after the LCD2-C. After a slow start with the Audeze - poor amp pairings, for instance - I don’t think I’d had time to get used to them before I started listening to the Clear. And they probably got an unfair shake as a result. So I’m going to mellow out and give them all more time.
With some headphones I can tell immediately they’re not for me - with others, it really takes a long time to settle into them. I was like that with my HD 6XX. But, having said that, and to tie all this back to this thread, the Clear were love at first listen.
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No promises that my comparison will be good. I’m not a musician and I’m only just starting to really listen to music analytically. Regardless, I’ll let you know what I think 
Hd6xx were that. Love at first listen. I credit them for getting me into this.
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I’m listening to Kid A on them right now actually. hD6XX. Another thread really. But you know. I bought the Focals because someone said they were a better HD6xx.
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I wish I could double-like your post - Radiohead’s a favorite band of mine. Everything in its Right Place is always one of the first songs I play with new headphones, not because of its sound quality of anything like that but just because it’s so familiar and such a great beginning to an album. I loved it with my Clears. I can get a quick frame of reference for a headphone’s sound with this track - and, for that matter, with the whole album.
Don’t worry about any comparison being good. I’m still finding my feet in this hobby and am reluctant to put some of my thoughts down in writing. I have yet to write my Clear impressions yet, much less a review of them, so I get it. But this is a friendly place and I tell myself it’s valuable having diverse points of view.
(I’m no musician, either - much as I’d love to be one. It’s for this exact reason that I’m so fond of headphones.)
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Yeah, I’ve heard this a lot - or at least that the Clear offer a natural upgrade path. You have to get an excellent amp to get the most out of the HD 6XX since they scale so dramatically* whereas the Clear are easy to drive. I use they MCTH, all of a whopping $175 these days, and they pair nicely with the Clear.
*disclaimer: I’ve not heard the HD 6XX with a totl amp; I’m repeating what others have said. But I’ve found the HD 6XX do improve considerably when upgrading to the ZDT Jr.
I think you’ll dig 'em. I upgraded from the HD6XX myself. When I A/B’d the two I felt that they were similar in a lot of ways, but the 6XX simply lacked any impact in comparison. I really enjoyed the 6XX earlier, but lost all interest in them once I got the Clear.
I’ve used my Clear’s on a range of my gear too. Like the 6XX again, they’re simply tuned to be enjoyable and it shows. They sound varying levels of nice on a range of amps/sources.
I can’t say they’re my daily driver anymore, as that’s my LCD-MX4, but the Clears are just so easy and no fuss, they’re easy to grab if I’m not at my computer (where the LCD’s live).
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I enjoy my Clears as well. Mine actually reside at my computer setup! 
I was wondering about the MX4’s. I was wondering if you’ve heard the LCD-X and how the two compare.
Thanks!
That’s awesome! I hope you’ll really enjoy them.
PS. Let me know if you try them out with the EQ 
So neat to see most of you enjoying your Clears…at first listen I knew they were a “keeper”…sold my LCD2 R2 a long time ago. The Clears are so easy to pair with most good amps…ss or tube (non-OTL)…they are relatively easy to drive…
There is one amp that was specifically designed just for the Clears, the SS 3F amp, by Doug D. friend of Tom Blanchard at Beezar Audio, “ECP Audio”…and Tom makes a similar TOTL amp called the T4. Excellent amps both of them…the T4 is a parafeed tube amp…works with a wide range of cans.
Accurate tonality and articulation are the sonic strong points of the Clears for sure…I feel the same way about the new HEDD headphone which also has very strong articulation and imaging and a very natural musical sound presentation…like being there stuff.
Good Morning!
Alex
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I’ve always wanted to see what the hype about the Focal Clear is about and finally decided to go for it. I’ve had these headphones for almost a week now and it’s been quite the experience.
I currently have the LCD-GX and 6XX, both of which I’m very familiar with so I’ll be making comparisons with them. Again, I’m fairly new to reviewing things so I apologize if it gets a little wordy or all over the place… or perhaps missing things a veteran reviewer would have. I’d also be using more layman terms because I’m not the best at dissecting frequencies etc…
Source gear: Asgard 3 + Modius
Man… the unboxing was a treat. @TylersEclectic gave me a heads up a few hours before they arrived at my door to get ready for the unboxing… it was definitely a great experience. The unboxing experience is something that many people tend to overlook. I appreciate that extra mile some companies do to make the whole experience great and leaves a good impression from the start.
Build Quality & Comfort
The build is solid and very nice. The all Aluminum-Magnesium chassis feels and looks premium.
As for comfort… after using the LCD-GX for a good bit of time the Focal Clears feel very light on my head. They are really comfortable and am able to wear them for many hours without any problems.
The cables… they are STIFF. I thought it was a bit exaggerated that the cables were bad until I finally had them in my hands. I will definitely make a cable for them soon. Love the housing of the connectors though.
The pads are nice and plush, very comfortable. However, I’m concerned about the discoloration issue that seems to be really common.
If you’re planning on getting the Clears I’d highly recommend getting the scarf you might have seen almost every owner puts on them, it was the very first thing I did before putting them on.
Anyways…
These headphones really live up to their name -“Clear”. They sound the most true-to-life than any headphones I’ve personally tried yet. Strings and percussion actually sound right.
They are one of the most punchy, very fast headphones I’ve heard which might take some getting used to for some otherwise you might get fatigued pretty quick. They SLAM.
Some areas I want to focus on:
Treble
I was worried that the Clears were going to be too bright for my taste as I’ve always leaned towards warm sound signatures. Having heard that they have a “metallic” timbre also worried me. However, I don’t hear the metallic timbre at all. They have the right amount of zing without being too much.
The resolution is great. I was able to hear details I haven’t noticed before in some songs and it made me want to go through my library.
Clear > LCD-GX > 6XX
Bass
Focal Clear: Very punchy midbass. I was worried the bass might be lacking, but it’s there and in your face if the song calls for it. It hits fast without bleeding into the rest of the frequency range.
LCD-GX: No surprise that the LCD extends further down better. I also felt that the LCD has more body and texture in the lower bass region. Something about how clean planar bass is very addicting to me.
6XX: They have good midbass… but subbass forget about it.
I really like my bass extension so I’m going to put more weight into it:
LCD-GX > Clear > 6XX
Soundstage
Soundstage sits in the middle between the 6XX and LCD-GX. It’s a bit bigger than the 6XX, but definitely smaller than the LCD-GX.
At first I was a bit disappointed with the soundstage after being used to the LCD-GX’s more spacious one. However, as I kept listening to them I quickly found that to be a non-issue because that’s what makes them sound so intimate, just like the 6XX.
The imaging was on point. I was able to pinpoint things easily and didn’t feel like I was missing anything unlike with the 6XX’s “3 blob” soundstage.
LCD-GX > Clear > 6XX
Due to the soundstage and forward midrange, the presentation is “in your face” in a good way. This makes everything very engaging and fun to listen to. I’ve noticed that there were a lot of times where I just stop doing whatever I’m working on and get drawn into the music.
When I listened to my first busy song on the Clears it was a bit too much for me in the highs, especially coming from the 6XX and LCD-GX which are more laidback.
The song was "Giorgio by Moroder " Daft Punk. It starts off fairly slow and ramps up throughout the whole track. 6 minutes in and then at 7:55 onwards it became unbearable once the “pewpewpew” started coming in fast. I also found myself lowering the volume pretty often when some songs became too much.
Another song in the album that became problematic was “Contact”. It also starts off slow but ramps up. Starting around 3:18 and as it kept ramping up became really fatiguing to me.
However, as I spent more time with them I got adjusted to the sound signature and now I’m more tolerable to the high end.
Also vocals… I’ve stated a few times that I haven’t found a headphone that does vocals as well as the 6XX. Well, I can certainly say that is no longer the case with these headphones.
In Summary
These are great as an all-around headphone. I thought the 6XX was a great reference headphone and it sure is since many people have experience with it and can use it as a baseline reference to other headphones… but in terms of referencing “real life” sounds the Focal Clears take that spot. It’s as if you took the 6XX, removed the “veil” and improved on the technical abilities you get the Focal Clears. The Clears are able to accurately deliver what the artists intended. If there are any flaws in the recording the Clears will reveal it.
The aesthetics, build and sound all add up to a solid package. I feel good about putting them on because I have nothing to worry about (aside from pad discoloration). I’ve noticed that there are some headphones that put more value into sound over build or aesthetics… which is a sacrifice that is perfectly fine for some… I think Focal really nailed the whole package and makes the entire experience worth the money.
If there was anything that I’d want is more a bit more bass extension… until then… the Focal Clear definitely lives up to the hype. I have still yet to try a ZMF which is something I’m really hoping to do one day.
If you’re looking to upgrade from the 6XX and really enjoy the intimate vocals with better technicalities and extension… the Focal Clears are worth looking into. However, if you’re hoping to upgrade while keeping that laidback sound signature, you won’t find that here. As I’ve said before it’s as if you lifted the “veil” off the 6XX, which of course makes them sound laidback.
I think the ZMF Aeolus might be that upgrade, however, I have not tried it yet so I can’t say for sure… but from what others have told me, it seems to be a great option.
TL;DR - It looks good. Sounds good. Feels good. Worthy of endgame for many if you want a good reference headphone.
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Excellent review. 
The Clears are definitely a good “reference” headphone, imo. Their transparency makes for an excellent tool to hear what your source equipment is doing in my experience. Definitely a headphone I’ll be holding onto long term.
Cheers!
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Awesome review @PForPho!
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Great review! I really want the Clears and this didn’t change that 
Link to the famous scarf?
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Here ya go! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G4TWZC6/
It’s crazy how well it matches the Clears… as if it was made for it 
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Nice job on the review.
I have the same headband cover. Black for my Elegias, and grey for the Clears.
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Great review. Spot on.
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