Focal Clear

Discussion in 'Headphones' started by The Alchemist, Nov 15, 2017.

  1. adeadcrab

    adeadcrab Acquaintance

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    More boomy bass and mids than stock, you can ream the fenestrations with a torx screwdriver to bring the sound back closer to stock pads --edit-- but with more filled-out midrange.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2019
  2. gixxerwimp

    gixxerwimp Professional tricycle rider

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    It's in this or the other Clear thread. Bedtime here so can't look it up right now, but the material is a bit rougher, depth a bit thinner, and I found they helped take some of the edge off the brightness. They don't get dirty, but show ear crud more easily so you know when you should clean them. Search a bit and you'll find the posts.
     
  3. Sonorus

    Sonorus Facebook Friend

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    Search for @Torq measurements , the Clears with Elex pads don't sound the same.
     
  4. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    I guess the massdrop representative I referred to earlier either lied or did not know whereof he spoke. No skin off my nose.
     
  5. crenca

    crenca Friend

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    I have been enjoying the Dekoni pads lately. They warm the FR up, though yes with a small touch of "boom". Those who like a darker sound than the Clear/Focal provide might try these
     
  6. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    Thanks for the heads up guys, searching through the thread and around the web was very informative. Here's some of what I found in case it helps new/future users or anyone else who are curious about elex/clear pad differences:

    From @brencho (page 1, elex/eclair thread, combining two posts):
    I also found these measurements from @Torq on headphones.com comparing all the different focal pads on all the focals. While the clear/elex pads seem to be different in material, if you look at the these two pad measurements for the clear (images copied below, red line = Elex pads, black line = Clear pads), you'll notice they measure remarkably similarly (maybe a slightly higher spike in treble with elex pads between 4-5k?). This might explain why some users may have mentioned the two pads sounding identical/nearly identical, notably @vtory in the elex/eclair thread. But despite similar FR, the different material/foam density could affect sound in other ways, transients, for example.

    [​IMG]

    (with more vertical spread)
    [​IMG]

    (Again, these are both @Torq's measurements, all credit go to him, just wanted to copy here for ease/completeness.)

    TL;DR:
    - Thanks @gixxerwimp and @Sonorus for encouraging me to search for myself, I'm grateful for that.
    - As noted by @brencho and others, there's definitely a difference in texture/foam density between the pads.
    - @Torq measured all the pads, and it appears there's only minor differences between the clear/elex pads at least FR-wise, but that doesn't mean they sound the same.
     
  7. oldschool

    oldschool Acquaintance

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    Thanks for the above, quite informative!

    As the Elex pads are now sold out on Drop - how much were they? The Clears being sold for $200 is quite a ridiculous move by Focal..
     
  8. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    Yeah for sure. The Elex pads were $60, so way way cheaper than the $200 quoted by Focal. So even though it features lesser quality materials, it's still the way better deal here, especially if sounds pretty close to the original clear pads.

    I'm interested if that slight 4-5k peak that in torq's graphs for the clear with elex pads has bothered anyone/is perceptually noticeable. From searching, it doesn't seem like anyone has mentioned it as a glaring issue. I guess I'll find out eventually in April 2020 when they arrive...

    (To Focal's credit, the clear pads seem to be very well-matched and remarkably open, and probably contribute not insignificantly to the clear's laser-like imaging and sense of openness... they're good pads, although still too expensive as pads go)
     
  9. Sonorus

    Sonorus Facebook Friend

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    The colour and price of Clear pads was the reason that I opted for the pro version.
    I like the black better , you loose the balanced cable but you get two pairs of pads instead that I find to be more useful on the long run.
    Plus that there was an offer running here in EU with the pros being sold under 1K so I couldn't resist myself and ordered one.
     
  10. TristanL

    TristanL New

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    Was? has it expired? That's a great deal to be had
     
  11. Sonorus

    Sonorus Facebook Friend

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    It was supposed to last till end of October.
    "Bring us one used headphone no matter the value and get Clear pro for 995€"
     
  12. oldschool

    oldschool Acquaintance

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    Elex pads are again available on Drop.
     
  13. Roman

    Roman Facebook Friend

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    I hear weird clicks when testing wiring in Focal Clear with center and twisted samples from here https://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php (under Wiring section). I don't hear anything like that with another headphones. I assume it is driver clipping but apparently it doesn't depend on the volume level and there are clicks even at low volume.
    Does your Focal Clear do the same?
     
  14. TristanL

    TristanL New

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    Just tried it and my pair of headphones doesn't click
     
  15. Roman

    Roman Facebook Friend

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    Did you use center and twisted samples and not left/right channel test just by chance?

    Update: I did the same test using my iPhone and I don't hear those clicks under regular volume, only start hearing something under high volume. But I do hear them from my Bifrost 2 + DSHA-3F. Probably the amplifier is more punchy and pushes more energy to the headphones? I'm not sure what I should do.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2019
  16. TristanL

    TristanL New

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    ah, possibly, I'll do those tests with my Bifrost 2 - Asgard 3 combo and let you know,

    I used an ODAC+O2 combo while I did those tests.

    *Update*
    No clicking from my Bifrost 2 - Asgard 3 combo either
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2019
  17. will_f

    will_f Friend

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    My Clear does not. I played it at probably around 50- 60 dB. I would suspect your upstream equipment, especially if you are going from a PC or laptop via USB to a DAC.

    EDIT: Equipment used was IPhone 8 to Bifrost 2 to Lyr 3 to Focal Clear
     
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  18. Sonorus

    Sonorus Facebook Friend

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    @Roman
    I have listened to all the tests available at the above mentioned page
    and everything sounds good.
    PC/MX - DAC/V280
     
  19. Roman

    Roman Facebook Friend

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    I managed to do some more experiments and was surprised with the outcome. I tried the same setup (MacBook Pro -> Bifrost 2 -> DSHA-3F) with another headphones - Hifiman Arya, and they did same weird clicks! But if I use the setup MacBook Pro -> iFi micro iDSD BL there are no weird clicks.

    I also tested the same combinations but with iPhone as a source and observed the same picture. I'm now completely stuck since headphones are definitely not a source of those clicks, it is rather DAC or AMP. I don't have another amplifier to test unfortunately.
     
  20. Ksaurav402

    Ksaurav402 Friend

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    I remember playing the file you mentioned thru my headphone, Verite Closed with same amp.as yours but I didn't hear any click. However my DAC is Onyx and headphone is high impedance one so not the same test condition
     

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