The problem with Clear is Elear, a headphone half the price and 2 times the performance. In terms of frequency response, then, the Clear Professionals are probably as neutral as any pair of moving‑coil headphones you can buy, but that doesn’t translate to a listening experience that is boring or flat. The design is bold, and the large, industrial looking cans are unapologetic about the fact that they’re not portable headphones. Reviewed back in SOS January 2014, the Spirit Professionals boast a clean, crisp sound, are easy to drive from low‑powered sources, and offer outstanding isolation. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publishers. In headphone manufacturer speak, this often translates as an admission that the mid‑range is recessed, but when you pay this much for a pair of headphones, you expect them to perform well across the entire frequency range! Despite its … Happily, that is definitely the case here, and although I wouldn’t describe the Clears as mid‑forward, neither are they obviously or heavily ‘scooped’. With a nominal impedance of 55Ω and sensitivity quoted as 104dB SPL for 1mW at 1kHz, the Clears should present no great challenge for headphone amps, and I had no problem driving them loud from generic audio‑interface headphone sockets. Every model is tested by at least a few individuals. vs. Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro. vs. Audeze LCD-4. If you’re considering this sort of investment in a pair of headphones, I’d strongly suggest auditioning both, along with flagship models from the likes of Sennheiser and Stax. Youtube. At nearly a pound (15.8 ounces), the Clear is in the same weight class as the Elegia, but far heavier than most noise-cancelling headphones. Clear Professional open back circumaural headphones. Both the Professionals and the standard Clears come with a lightweight moulded carrying case. The microfiber makes Clear’s earpads even more comfy than those found on the Utopia, because microfiber is more breathable and doesn’t get sweaty after some time. What's your secret sauce for drones, pads, and pedal to... One Synth Challenge V - The Filter Strikes Back! Even after listening to them for 5 hours non-stop no hot-spots became apparent. It is said to contain space to store an iLok key, which would be a nice touch, except that I couldn’t find any such compartment. Youtube. The bad news… they’re less accurate sounding that Focal Elear or the crowd favorite HD650. They are packaged with a copper voice coil, and together, these two elements work together to control the dynamics and the bass. You may login with either your assigned username or your e-mail address. Focal Clear er kanskje den mest vellykkede hodetelefonmodellen til den franske produsenten. Win! These open back circum-aural headphones incorporate a remarkable evolution of the speaker and an extremely open design aiming to make the headphones disappear, for the benefit of … Will that change the way you make music? This will make working with most instruments and voices harder. Individual calibration delivers perfect channel balance. At this price, Focal’s new flagship phones are up against some very well-regarded rivals, but they certainly have what it takes to compete on quality. vs. Sennheiser HD 650. vs. Stax SR-009. The Clears are very comfortable and lightweight, with a more effortless high‑frequency extension and sparkle; but the LCD‑Xs’ presentation of musical dynamics is hard to beat, as is their ability to pick apart the most congested mid‑range in forensic detail. Buy used: $849.00. The only fly in the ointment is that the left and right markings on the earcups themselves are very unclear, while those on the cables are invisible once attached. Focal Elear. Rated conservatively at 9/10 due to slight wear on pads. How much do they differ pair to pair in terms of frequency response? Probably have about 150 hours on these. Both of the new models have counterparts in Focal’s consumer range. High score means that you won’t find more neutral sounding alternatives for the price. Overall comfort is very good, but falls short of the class leader Sennheiser HD800S mostly due to the significant weight. Comfort – shows if headphones can be used for long listening sessions comfortably. I can get the Focal Clear for 750€ and wonder if I should pull the trigger. They feel secure yet feather‑light on the head, and I was surprised to discover that, at 450g, they actually weigh twice as much as rivals such as AKG’s K702 and Audio‑Technica’s ATH‑R70x, because they seem almost to disappear once you’ve put them on. The frequency response is quoted as 5Hz to 28kHz, though no tolerances are given. Therefore this review should work for Clear Professional as well. Clear comes with an extra balanced 4-pin XLR cable, whilst the Clear Pro is bundled with an extra set of ear pads, which will be much more useful for most people. Best Microphone to Record Sounds in Adjacent Room. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. 1. has stereo speakers. Clear Professional is sold with a 5m coiled cable, a 1.2m cable, a 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter and a pair of additional cushions. vs. Quad ERA-1. Up for discussion here are the new Clear Professional open-back, full-sized headphones aimed at mastering and recording engineers. In conclusion, it’s a decent headphone, but if you enjoy its sound, better look for the more reasonably priced Elear. Product Store Price; Focal Clear Over-Ear High-Resolution Aud... Focal Clear Over-Ear High-Resolution Audiophile Headphones (Gray) Sonarworks Reference Individual calibration, Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pro Studio Headphone Review. The focal clear pro are literally the most amazing headphones I have ever heard and they just keep getting better as they break in. Youtube. It seems like some of Elear’s owners are flocking to the seemingly improved Clear therefore I’ve seen good condition 2nd hand Elears being available for less than 500$. Their published specifications are identical, and both are moving‑coil designs that use an “M‑profile aluminium/magnesium dome”, which is said to provide “total dynamic respect over the entire audio spectrum”. vs. Beyerdynamic T1. Stax SR-009. Indeed, only the finishes Black and Red Vs Grey) and the accessories supplied are different. We’ve measured both and indeed they both showed the same numbers. Whether the effect quite supports Focal’s claim of “A listening experience very close to a pair of monitor speakers” is debatable, but it certainly gives said listening experience a natural quality that makes long sessions more enjoyable and less isolating. In other words, they still have a lot to recommend them as general‑purpose studio headphones, and they’ve now been joined in the ‘Pro’ category of Focal’s product range by two more products. FOCAL CLEAR PRO HEAD­PHONES - Streaky Review. But, as I said, they need one to respect their rules. Both of the new models have counterparts in Focal’s consumer range. If Clear was supposed to be an improvement on the Elear, then Focal needs to go back to the drawing board. Our top-of-the-range open back Clear headphones offer listening pleasure worthy of the best speakers. Observations on how headphones perform after applying. On its own the Clear and Clear Professional are very decent headphones. Best regards, Marine, Community Manager Focal"" Channel balance – the closer to identical the frequency response of both channels, the higher the score. (24/48 FLAC files, some are 16/44.1 WAV files) I also wonder if they are a good match fo When evaluating the frequency response score with the Average calibration profile, the pair to pair consistency of the given model is taken into account – if we have measured a considerable frequency response inconsistency among multiple pairs of the given model, the score drops, as the profile loses accuracy. Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS. Overall, there are a lot of similarities between the Focal Stellia and Focal Clear. Very nice! Only cosmetics and bundled accessories differ. Focal : Clear Professional Headphones Reviewed by Tom Fine France-based Focal is best known for pro and consumer audio speakers, but the company has, in recent years, moved into all aspects of the headphone market. As well as the case and a spare pair of ear cushions, two Y‑shaped cables are supplied: a straight one 1.2m long and a curly one of 5m. Like many other headphones, the region around 3kHz is scooped which makes the listening experience smoother. On the headphone side all cables are terminated with 3.5 mm TS jacks, so repairing cables shouldn’t be too hard. I only use my hd6xx when I need some soothing and relaxing moment. Hard to tell. Until recently, however, Focal only made one pair of headphones targeted at studio use. Focal call this “rigid”, but although it’ll protect your Clears against everyday knocks, it wouldn’t stand much chance against an airline baggage handler in vengeance mode. As has been the case with all Focal headphones I’ve handled lately, the build quality is positively stellar. Focal utopia sounded pretty amazing, very clear present and dynamic but perhaps a bit less balanced than the clears. 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