What great looking headphones the Clears are. As an owner of the OG Clears this new colour makes it even more appealing on the eye.
4 Likes
I do already own the Clear Proā¦ but if they improved the frequency response even more, then I am very interested.
1 Like
Forget about the Drop 8xx in Nov. This Focal is here and now, and I guess it is a better HP
7 Likes
Yeah, I saw the ship date and closed the tab immediately. lol
6 Likes
Why? You order your dinner now (and you pay for it) and you will get it before Xmas! Itās a good deal 
2 Likes
Iām more than happy with my Clear Pros and will hang on to those.
2 Likes
After having a day of listening to the new Focal Clear MG Professional hereās my initial impressions:
The gist is that theyāre a warmer, smoother iteration of the original.
Comfort and build are on par with the original Clear, with an added strip of memory foam underneath the headband. They look really good, imo.
They have elevated and extended bass with a smoother tonality. Meaning I detect less peaks, especially in the treble region. They still have sufficient treble response, theyāre just less peaky.
Their detail retrieval is better (from memory), and they seem āquickerā. Theyāre still punchy, but itās not as noticeable because of the smoother FR, imo.
Timbre is very good and doesnāt display any metallic nature that I heard from time to time with the previous version.
The soundstage is larger, while still maintaining a more intimate presentation. They image very well, they seem very precise in that regard.
They leak less sound (probably due to the new dust filter), but are more open sounding.
Overall Iām very happy with them. They have a very even, articulate sound thatās transparent to the signal being fed. They extend well in both directions of the frequency range, and maintain a smooth, even nature.
Focal seems to have addressed any issues I had with the original Clear (that I parted with a few months ago), and Iām very happy with them.
Source chain: Mac Mini (2020-i7), Matrix Audio X-SPDIF 2, Chord Mojo, Airist R2-R DAC, Schiit Saga+, Rupert Neve Designs RNHP, Shiit Vali 2, and an Inverting O2.
22 Likes
Thanks for reporting back!
Do you know if theyāve also addressed the issues with the drivers bottoming out as widely reported?
Hmm, the clipping thing?
Mine never clipped through regular listening. I just donāt listen too loud, but I havenāt encountered that with these. They get plenty loud off any source Iāve used.
1 Like
Great impressions, thank you @ValentineLuke. I have the same reservations as you about the original version, and itās great to hear that the new Clear resolves them. It sounds ideal!
1 Like
Thank you.
They are quite warmer, but thatās where my preferences lay so itās a win for me. Focal seems to really be stepping up their game with their recent releases.
Iām really curious about what theyāll do with the Utopia. If they go in the same direction as they did with the Clear, then I think thatād be a very good thing.
4 Likes
That was the story for the Elear and Elex, but I never personally heard of it or experienced it with the Clear. My Elex required hunting down specific tracks to make it happen.
3 Likes
Itās cool to see Focalās strategy gradually unfold over time for its high-end headphones. I find it fascinating to see the sequence of their releases. Itās as though there was a grand strategy from the outset but that the company also made some quick adjustments, as when it moved on from less successful experiments with the Elegia and Elear. It seems as though the core design of the Utopia and the Elear, i.e. with the same styling and similar components, m-shaped dome drivers, but different driver materials, worked out very well.
It also seems as though weāre now in a new stage with Focal releases - the Radiance and Celestee being updated versions of the Elegia, and now the Clear MG tweaking the original with a new driver material and the new dust cover you mentioned.
I donāt know if itās possible for the Utopia to retain its sound signature with the treble having been tamed somewhat, as seems to be the case with the new Clear, but if that were to happen, I could see there being a lot of excitement.
And, you know, while thereās plenty of reason for us to be frustrated with the price of pads and replacement parts for Focal headphones, all the excitement for their new releases this year stands in marked contrast to Sennheiserās product development.
@deafenears and @generic - Iāve not had the drivers bottom out on my Clear, either. And, I hate to admit it, I donāt always listen as quietly as I should.
4 Likes
Nice impressions!
Iām curious what your reasons were to go with these over the regular clear mg (which hasnāt been released yet)?
1 Like
Yeah, the mechanical clipping.
Reports are also of the Utopia, in addition to the Clear. Either way, I hope itās been addressed and fixed in the Clear MGs.
1 Like
I really like the Black and Red color way. I saw the Chestnut after I ordered mine, itās not really towards my preferences. Iād prefer a saddle brown for a headphone (if I were going with brown). Stellia is the closest to that color and even then Iām not to keen on it.
Iām assuming itāll be the same driver/sound as the previous Clear. Iām also looking forward to otherās impressions. Should be interesting to hear peopleās takes on them.
7 Likes
I could never could figure why Focal used such a light colored earpad on the basic Clear. The red pad is sharp on the PRO.
2 Likes
Yeah, I never ran into that in āreal worldā use.
I was able to induce the clipping with a variable output from a NAD DAC/amp to a headphone amp. If I ran the output too high, the headphone amp would cause the headphones to clip. Iām guessing it was too much gain/current.
Through regular use it never happened for me.
1 Like
I wouldnāt worry about the clipping issue unless you listen at 114 dB 
Iāve turned it up way above comfortable listening levels a few times and havenāt experienced the issue.
7 Likes
Just wanted add a few more thoughts.
Iāve been intentionally reserved with my impressions. I didnāt want to color my impressions too much with my excitement, Iāve just wanted to relay what Iām hearing.
That being said, I really am impressed with the Clear MG.
The thing that is really impressing me is the level of detail these extract from the recording, and their ability to reproduce harmonics. Every pluck, every drum strike, and every cymbal crash present themselves in full sonic detail. From the initial strike, to the notes decay is being represented. Iām honestly somewhat in awe of this. The details arenāt forced by boosting any frequencies, theyāre just there.
Just wow. 
And Iām not saying theyāre perfect. I prefer slightly more present vocals, and Iād maybe tone down the lower-mids (voices seem a little too weighted at times), but damn are they impressive headphones.
Listening to this album just now inspired me to share my current thoughts.
12 Likes