Focal Clear Open-back Headphones - Official Thread

Headphones Official Headphone Model Discussion
882

Your use is “light” relative to many headphone owners. In my experience they’d likely last for several to many years with only a few hours of use per week. With heavy use (several hours per DAY), the pads may last 6 to 12 months. However, wear literally depends on how tightly they fit your particular head.

Driver durability: In my experience most dynamic drivers last a long time. Tweeters/high range are prone to blowing out from too much current but even they can last for decades. The Clear has a pretty good reputation for reliability.

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883

Thank you! Haha ya it is light… I use noise cancelling for a lot of my daily listening.

I’m coming from the LCD-X, have you ever compared the two? What things do you notice?

884

I have no experience with the LCD-X, but I hated the weight and pressure of the LCD-2 Classic. I sold it because it was uncomfortable. It also required an EQ boost in the mids and a cut in the high frequencies. I’m happier with the Clear.

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885

Stock Focal Clear Pads wear ok. They get dirty though. Suggest you also invest in a headband cover. About twelve bucks on amazon.com.

I put Dekonis Perforateds on my Clears and am happy with the fit, comfort and sound. I actually used them yesterday for several hours with my DAP.

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886

Same story here. The LCD-X sounded great but were heavy and uncomfortable. Clear is definitely a better choice in the same price bracket AFAIC.

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887

Just purchased a set of OG Clear’s on open box from Headphones.com so am going to be new to the party, even if it’s an old party. Heard a friend’s pair, and loved them more than other $1000-ish cans I’ve heard enough to bring them into my home. Up till now I’ve been a HD6xx/HE5xx guy so this’ll be new. Will probably always wonder if I shoulda oughta got the Mg’s or Mg Pro’s, but I’ve seen so many opinions one way or the other, and I didn’t have the energy to seek out the newer models so I decided to go with what I liked a lot. Addition of the balanced cable in the bag helps a lot, though I love me my Hart cables (run my office rig with Gungnir Multibit and Mjolnir 2, and must admit I’m sorely tempted by Folkvangr).

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888

Congratulations! Clear is one of those purchases you can’t really go wrong with.

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889

Ah gosh it sure is good… Listening to Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams, Zepp 2, Abbado’s Mahler 7th, it’s all so good. I’m sure I’ll get more critical over time and hear some of the things that others don’t adore - but for now it’s just so durn immediate.

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890

Looks like ZMF recently launched pads for the Focal headphones. Has anyone tried them on the Focal Clear OG?

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891

When I get a Clear again, I need to try these pads. I did not realize these got launched until checking up on this thread.

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892

can anyone suggest me best amp-dac for focal clear OG around 200 to 250 usd. Any help is appreciated

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893

Going to give the suede a go… and then maybe the lambskin.
The thing is none of these aftermarket pads add the Focal diffusion fabric… one exception being the Dekoni Stellia earpad… which helps keep up with the speed of the Focal drivers - but the thick lambskin of the Dekoni Stellia earpad offsets that speed with a big bass bump.

Unless the ZMF suede material acts as a breathable macro-level diffusion fabric, I am hesitant to think it will keep up with and fully express the driver’s technicalities the way that the stock pads do.

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894

Welcome.

In that price range I’d pick the iFi ZenDAC V2. It has a warmish DAC and an integrated balanced amp. The warmth offsets the Clear’s brightness and sharp edges. The ZenDAC also has a bass boost feature if you find the Clear is still too bright or want more bass.

Please say more about your favored tone: bright, neutral, or warm.

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895

If you’re willing to go used, you can probably get a Chord Mojo (original - not 2) for around that on the used market. Incredible DAC/amp.

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896

To be honest this is my first open back hifi headphones. I mostly had the Bluetooth headphones like momentum 3, b&w px, v modas. I saw the clear was on sale and ordered it( will soon be delivered). I returned the px8 and will mostly return the focal bathys. I mostly prefer the slight warm sound I guess since I am used to that in my momentum 3. I have came across topping dx 3 +, schiit stack and some of the others. Thank you for suggesting the zen dac

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897

Go you think it will go best along with focal clear OGs

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898

Never heard the OG mojo (I have the mojo2) but had the OG clear for some time and I really enjoyed it. I think it’ll work pretty well. The mojo leans warmer and the Clear should do well with it.

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899

I have one more concern. I ordered zen dac V2 and it has 4.4 mm balanced. Does focal clear comes with such a cable or is it 3.5mm and I need to get an adopter for it?.

900

The Clear is very easy to drive, so a balanced setup is nice but not essential IMO. The Headphones.com page indicates the Clear continues to ship with an XLR-4 connector, not a 4.4mm connector:

So yes, you’ll need an adapter or a different cable.

We often recommend the Hart modular cable system. It’s shorter than the factory cable (great for travel or office desk use), and has interchangeable connectors:

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901

This is always a matter of personal taste, but I used the old Mojo with the Focal Utopia (the Clear’s big brother, but very similar in sound signature) and thought it was a fantastic pairing. As a matter of fact, I still have that Mojo and use it every once in a while.

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