Good news: the Clear don’t just sound good, they sound distinctive. It has an identical weight to the Elear (just under a pound), and the clamping pressure feels perfectly engineered – something to do, no doubt, with those spring-loaded hinges. Perhaps the only thing to consider is how heavy the headphones are. These may be bulky over ear headphones, but when you’re wearing them, they certainly don’t feel like it. Purchased these headphones from Audio Advice via Amazon. It has a great sense of realism across multiple categories. It shies away from the standard black-box-with-foam-inserts as seen with the Elear and the Utopia, going for more of a flower-like design that opens out into multiple sections. We tested these on a variety of amplifiers, ranging from a $99 Schiit Fulla (full review here) to a $10,000 Goldmund Telos 2, and they always performed at the top of their game. We saw a similar setup with the PSB M4U-8 (full review here), and we rather liked it - it got the job done, without being overly flashy, or getting in the way. There are three cables in the box, including a one-meter cable with a 1/8-inch connector, a three-meter cable with a 1/4-inch connector, and a three-meter cable with an XLR connector. They are packaged with a copper voice coil, and together, these two elements work together to control the dynamics and the bass. Sorry – we know that probably isn't very helpful advice. Remember the very first iPod from seventeen years ago? We think they achieved that goal, but if you disagree, here are some viable alternatives. To us, it seemed as if Focal were muddying the waters a little bit, succumbing to the iPhone malady of releasing incremental upgrades. It makes things confusing, and difficult to tell the headphones apart. Priced at $1499, the Clear is intended to be the best option Focal offers for under $1500. The Clear also offers a slightly wider frequency range, peaking at 28kHz to the Elear’s 23kHz. More importantly, we spend an awful lot of time thinking about how to improve it. IT shouldn’t be glossed over how basically all of Focal’s headphones have incredibly comfy, circumaural fits. Jun 21, 2019. The other main accessory is a terrific carry-case, with a hard, textured surface and a substantial zip running around it, as well as a useful carry handle. They offer a much wider range of accessories, all of which feel worth owning. They’re the elder statesman of the headphone world, with a classic sound that many still claim has yet to be bettered. If the Elear didn’t exist, these would be revolutionary. The Clear ups the ante, sharpening everything we liked about the sound while adding its own special flavour. ​These headphones may be a little too expensive for some - even with a discount, they’re around $1,300 at the time of writing. It must be said that if you already own the Elear, you’re not going to get an absolutely enormous upgrade by buying these, and while there are definitely differences, they do share the same sound signature – as you might expect. Honestly? As you might expect, Focal has hit a home run with the Focal Clear headphones. Here are some of the best ones of this year. The Focal Clear headphones, as mentioned, are built with plenty of padding and quality leather, and as such they’re pretty comfortable for long periods of listening. Despite the high price tag, the Focal Clear headphones have a ton going for them — and that’s why we’ve awarded them the Headphone Review Gold Medal. See the Focal Clear See the Best High-End Headphones. The catch is that it’s sometimes 2 times … At 450 grams, or around 1 pound, the headphones aren’t necessarily light — but considering the padding and nice-feeling materials, we neve… And nothing would have torpedoed the Focal Clear headphones faster than having an identical sound signature to their younger brother - the identically-designed Elear. The Clear is made in France and is intended to be used Review written by @Chrono Review unit provided on loan by headphones.com Introduction The Clear is an open-back dynamic headphone designed by Focal that retails for $1,499, and it utilizes Focal’s full-range speaker driver with an ‘M’-shape Aluminum/Magnesium dome. The biggest difference here is the color; while the Elear came in black, the Clear comes in a tasteful shade of grey, with silver metallic accents. Everything you need to know about headphone specs. We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases. And by the way, if everything we just wrote is complete gobbledygook, we’ve got a full explainer article that breaks down all the common headphone specs we’ve just mentioned, and more. if it doesn’t involve any of the following, you probably don’t need to worry about it. The Sennheiser HD800 is really the classic option here. For the record, we still prefer the Focal Utopia, but we would never say no to a listening session with these. The Elear is 80Ω, while the Clear presents at 55Ω (Meaning it’s easier to drive, and requires slightly less power). It was clear from the very start that these sounded like a different, newer pair of headphones, thanks no doubt to the tuning work that Focal’s engineers have put in. He graduated college with a Bachelor of Science in Music Technology, and has been producing music, writing about tech, and trying out new headphones ever since. They are higher quality than the Clear, and a good alternative if you have cash to burn. It’s just the truth. In this review, we break down the Clear’s sound, design, comfort and fit, packaging and accessories, specs and more. Compared to models like the aforementioned Elear and the Sennheiser HD800s, these more than hold their own. In a really good way. Overall, the Focal Clear Professional is a great option for a myriad of folks looking for headphones in this range. As with all Focal products, it feels well built and substantial, but we just can’t help thinking that the design is perhaps a little bit lazy. They don’t just look sort of the same; outside of a different colour scheme, they look exactly the same. Focal Clear is more balanced in bass, mids and treble. I had an opportunity to take these home and demo them for several days. They are just different. Type: DynamicImpedance: 55ΩSensitivity: 104dBWhat We Like: Refined and classy sound, great build and accessories.What We Don't: Very similar to other Focal models, quite expensive.See the Focal Clear. His ZMF series, which at the time of writing is about to get a new open-back planar model, is stellar. Comparing these to the Elear, the audio specs don’t show a huge amount of difference. The headphones feature a nice fabric covering for the headband and ear cups, ensuring that the headphones remain comfortable. So don’t read too much into it: this is still an exceptionally well-designed pair of headphones. One of the things that really set the Utopia apart from the competition was just how comfortable it was to wear for long periods. As mentioned in our Focal Elear review, the French audio company has been innovating in headphone driver tech for some while now. They are surprisingly light, and although they require a fair amount of power to drive properly, they will reward you with clear and elegant sound that takes full advantage of the open back design. Thankfully, the Focal Clear headphones sound absolutely incredible. Like its older brother, Clear uses a 40mm aluminium-magnesium m-shaped dome driver. Its extremely well-balanced performance would provide long-term satisfaction for an overwhelming majority of listeners. To more established headphone companies like Sennheiser and AUDEZE, it must have felt like getting hit with a freight train. French audio brand Focal has leveraged tech from its best headphones to create a striking new model in the Clear. Their open design makes them a poor choice for any other use cases as they don’t block any ambient noise and don't have a microphone or wireless technology. We disagree - they’re good, but advancements have been made since then, and they can sound just a touch thin now. At 450 grams, or around 1 pound, the headphones aren’t necessarily light — but considering the padding and nice-feeling materials, we never felt like the headphones were getting too heavy. Sensitivity is identical, at 104dB, although the Clear has slightly lower Total Harmonic Distortion (at 0.25%/1kHz to the Elear’s 0.3%/1kHz). As with almost all their other models, the Clear feels terrific to wear. Rudi in Headphone reviews. Mid range is nicely tuned too. Weirdly, the hinges are actually spring-loaded, meaning the cups drop back into a resting position after you push on them. Fortunately, we're here to help, with our full guide to this audio topic. There are changes to the surround and motor system aiming to optimise dynamics and detail reso… Obviously, having decent amplification always helped, but even when we listened to them off  simple smartphone, they performed well. If you like your headphones to have a little bit more of a human touch, if you prefer wood to metal, then give Zach Mehrbach's cans a go. We very happily wore these for hours at a time – the soft earcups never felt like they were going to cause us any discomfort, and the space in the middle is wide enough to accommodate all but the largest of ears. Since the release of the Clear, they have come out with multiple headphone models at a variety of prices. But just because the Focal Clear headphones cost half as much as the Focal Utopia headphones, that certainly doesn’t make them cheap. The Focal Elear are good open-back critical listening headphones. In fact, at $1,500, these headphones most certainly aren’t cheap. Or do they sacrifice too many features? And this trick, of releasing a slightly more expensive reskinned version, is something that plenty other manufacturers have tried before – to highlight just one example, when Mr Speakers released the very good Ether Flow headphones to replace the original Ether, the design remained largely unchanged. Focal clear comfort and fit 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. There’s a level of detail that isn’t present in the cheaper (by about $500) Elears, and a certain class and clarity to the low end that we found refreshing. Focal Clear Review. For $500 more? Of all the hundreds of headphone models available today, these are the best. For the first time I'm not annoyed at the price of a $1000+ headphones. No? These headphones perform exactly as several reviewers have described: clear, detailed, with no detectable distortion or brightness in the upper range (even for my 70-year old ears! Everything that comes in the box with the Focal Clear headphones In the box you’ll get a nice hardshell carrying case, with the headphones tucked away nicely inside. What they had to prove to us was that they represented enough of a leap forward to justify the extra five hundred bucks. Focal , while relatively new to the headphone scene, is quickly becoming one of the leaders when it comes to design, style, innovation and quality. That’s to say, while they have a number of different design elements than other Focal headphones, including color offerings, they carry that classic Focal headphones look, the beautiful mesh grills on each ear cup, and so on. The Elear already sounded spectacular. Like the Elear, the drivers are 40mm aluminum-magnesium, and are designed in an M shape. But: when it comes down to it, we think the Focal Clear sound more refined and slightly more elegant than their younger sibling, with quantifiable evidence that work has been done to improve the overall experience. Admittedly, it’s a design that works incredibly well, and is distinctive enough to spot from a distance. The cavity in the middle is also perfect for storing the three cables that it comes with, two of which are 10-feet long. The headphones are largely built from metal, and that makes for a very premium look. Focal absolutely had to pull out all the stops here, or the entire exercise would have been written off as nothing more than naked profiteering. It was clear from the very start that these sounded like a different, newer pair of headphones, thanks no doubt to the tuning work that Focal’s engineers have put in. The Radiance and Clear, along with most other Focal headphones, feature an M-shaped dome for their drivers. We haven’t had a close look at the Clear’s drivers – although we have with the ones in the Utopia (full review here), which were heavy enough to kill if you threw one of them with the right amount of force – but what we can say is that they do one hell of a job with your audio. Similar they may be, but there are definite differences. High mids are still more than present enough for those that like vocals to nicely cut through a mix. Conclusion. The packaging for the Clear is good, if unspectacular. We’ll admit: when we first saw the Focal Clear, we were sceptical. Since then, they have gotten their fingers in a number of different pies including studio monitors and car audio. Sometimes, you just need to break the bank. It’s a beauty to behold, although I can’t say I preferred the brighter look of Clear over the darker Elear, they’re both stunningly modern designs. Focal Elear Studio Headphone Review. Bass response on the headphones is tight and precise, and not by any means over the top. How do headphones work? It’s one of the better carry cases we’ve seen, and is easy-to-use, flipping open in a clamshell design. The latter is very much a high-end model that is second only to the groundbreaking Utopia: a closed-back, leather-wrapped, $2,999 monster but makes mincemeat of any song you put through it. The headphones are beautifully designed, very comfortable, and offer a sound quality that’s perfect for the audiophile looking for something a little more fun. Essentially, these are the closed-back version of the Utopias. Coupled with the fact that these headphones feature a nice fabric covering, braided nylon cables, and so on, and you have a pair of headphones that not only looks great, but is clearly nice and strong too. The biggest question we have to answer when reviewing these is: are they worth the extra money when something like the Elear exists? Headphone Impedance And Sensitivity Explained, WAV vs. FLAC vs. MP3: Audio File Formats Explained, breaks down all the common headphone specs we’ve just mentioned. Christian has always been fascinated with both music and technology. They’ve hung in there, easily competing with headphones twice their price. Yes, it works, and works well – and if we’re going to stick with an earlier metaphor, it’s not like the iPhone changed substantially between iterations. The Clear delivers refined and classy sound that stands with the best high-end headphones available. They are very well-built and very comfortable for long listening sessions thanks to well-padded ear cups and headband. The Focal Clear headphones are unmistakably Focal. Sometimes, you need to take a step back, look at how you’re listening to music, and improve it. While it is slightly strange that the leather headband has the same padding underneath as the material on the cups, it still looks and feels very good indeed. Upon opening, Focal's slick packaging is a delight. Damn, we're old. In our Focal Clear headphones review, we explain how the headphones … Not with quite as much volume, to be sure, but still solid. ​The Clear comes with substantial accessories, and one of the better carry-cases we’ve encountered. All these headphone designs are circumaural open back designs. For $1,200, you can buy yourself a ZMF Aeolus (full review here), an exquisite pair of open headphones that more than compete with the $1,499 Clear. As it is, they are merely very, very good. Perhaps the only thing to consider is how heavy the headphones are. Focal Clear has a touch better detail retrieval and is more dynamic. But having spent a few weeks listening to these, we’re satisfied that this is a significant enough upgrade to get it out of iPhone 5CXS+ territory. One of the greatest pleasures we know is blocking out the world's distractions with good pair of headphones. You get not one but three different detachable cables, all of which a sheath in a vaguely chequerboard black-and-white pattern, and all of which come with solid metal connectors. A reskinned version of the Elear? High frequencies are super detailed, and instruments are clearly separated in the mix, making for a listening experience in which you’ll discover something new every time you listen. But on a technical level, much has been re-engineered to account for the different configuration. But Focal does have some headphones that cost less than $3,000. If you don't want to spend what you would for the Clear, these are well worth looking at, and remain an excellent pair of headphones. To see how it stacks up, see our list of the best high-end headphones. We don’t think they are quite as good as things like the Eikon, but they still do a very solid job, especially for the money you pay. Before you ask, no, they’re not quite on the same level as the Focal Utopia headphones — but they come pretty close, and at half the price. The two most stand out in our minds are the closed-back Elegia and Stellia. Price-wise, it’s actually in the middle of the Focal open back lineup, between the more expensive Focal Utopia and the lower priced Focal Elear. The headphones offer plenty of bass response, though thankfully Focal has chosen not to boost bass too much like some of its competitors. In fact, it has a few pairs of headphones that cost around half that — like the Focal Clear open-back headphones. Read more about us. While we did occasionally wish that the mids were just a touch warmer and more forward, the clarity these presented was unmatched in this particular price range. If anything, there’s an embarrassment of riches here. Both the Radiance and the Clear are lightweight, durable and among some of the comfiest headphones, you can buy. Certainly enough to satisfy us. When French speaker manufacturer Focal made the decision to push deep into the headphone market, few would have predicted that they’d have this level of success. OPEN CIRCUMAURAL HIGH-FIDELITY HEADPHONES. You'll get your money's worth with the Focal Clear. Design. Sign Up For Our Weekly Newsletter! When we first wrote this review, his lineup consisted of exclusively closed-back models, but that's changed. The low-end isn’t as weighty as other models, but it feels tight and controlled, with enough thump to satisfy most people. It changed the way we listen to music forever - and today, Apple is no longer the market leader. At the end of the month, French speaker manufacturer Focal will launch an impressive new line of headphones, and according to the company, the three new models – Utopia, Elear and Listen – will carry the full weight of its 35-years of experience in high-end audio. The frequency tweaks are subtle enough to make for a very natural listening experience. Focal Clear ($1499) The Focal Clear is an over-ear, open acoustic, dynamic driver headphone. It took me a few seconds to adjust. The Focal Clear headphones are a benchmark design that is one of the top performing headsets I’ve experienced. It’s not shilling. A simple DAC upgrade can do wonders for your audio playback, as for example, a 4K-capable TV might change your movie viewing experience. We would say that there’s a slight emphasis on the low mids, but it’s so slight that the result is simply a warmer sound. It must be said: Focal definitely don’t skimp on the accessories. The headphones feature a nice fabric covering for the headband and ear cups, ensuring that the headphones remain comfortable. While we do think that they don’t sound quite as assured as the Clear, they make up for it by having some of the best soundstage we’ve ever come across. Other high-end models, like the AUDEZE LCD-4, can be difficult to wear after a couple of hours, on account of the fact that eventually the muscles in your neck stop being able to hold them up. ). So why not take the jump? The Focal Clear headphones are aimed at offering some of what’s special about the $3,000 Focal Utopia headphones while combining it with the much more fun-sounding Focal Elear headphones, and they do that pretty well. They have virtually identical design, similar specs, and at the base of it, a similar sound signature. The Focal Clear is an exquisite-looking and brilliantly executed pair of headphones. The subject of this review, however, is the “ Focal Clear ” ($1,499) - an open-backed/open-acoustic, circumaural, dynamic-driver headphone, and the third model to enter Focal’s range. Rather than a compiled retrospective review, I decided to present stream of consciousness impressions. Are they worth the cash? While the Stellia’s 40mm Beryllium dome drive unit is heavily based on that used by the older model, the closed design means that Focal’s engineers have had to rework it considerably. You wouldn't expect headphones to need any special equipment to work. Demand is low for COVID-19 antibody drugs but shortages loom. Because, again, they are incredibly similar. Across the entire spectrum, things feel refined and clear – more so than in their predecessor, which was already pretty good. And if you take away one thing from this, it's that Focal put out a huge range of headphones, and the one you go for is very much dependent on the size of your wallet, and the way you like your music. And really…that’s kind of it. We got into a lot more detail about how these headphones differ to the Clear in the review above, but we can say that as the price continues to drop, they will continue to be one of the best pairs of headphones currently available. Of course, the one question that's probably on a lot of minds is whether or not Focal's Utopia headphone is a definitive winner over the Clear. The soundstage is nice and wide, making for a natural-sounding listening experience with plenty of space to breathe. While we did occasionally wish that the mids were just a touch warmer and more forward, the clarity these presented was unmatched in this particular price range. Review: Focal Clear Headphones Offer Enrtry Point to Audio Luxury John Scott Lewinski 11/20/2020. Everything we do is geared towards creating bigger, better sound. Until now, Focal’s flagship over-the-ear headphones—including the $1,499 Clear I reviewed for TechHive last year—have all been open-back models. End of discussion. They are just about as simple as audio equipment gets. Utopia sits at the top of Focal’s new line and will carry an MSRP of $4,000. With Elegia, Focal has … Focal Clear headphones review Focal’s Clear headphones don't just live up to their name, they define it By Ryan Waniata October 6, 2017 Previous Next 1 of 11. Consider this the ultimate explainer. The Focal Utopia are the best headphones on the planet. The Clear’s design is too similar to the Elear - the basic housing is virtually unchanged. These are open-back headphones, with a mesh grille on the outside of the housing, protecting the driver. Clear are our brand new open-back high-fidelity headphones made in France by Focal. FLAC, WAV, AIFF, DSD… There’s no denying that picking the right type of audio to listen to can be crazy confusing. It’s a consistent surprise just how well the HiFiMAN HE1000 V2 headphones have endured over the years. Focal are nothing if not prolific. These don’t just feel like a simple reskinning of a core concept; rather, they offer definite improvements, and they act as a very effective bridge between the sub—$1,000 Elear and the $3,995 Utopia. Continuing in the spirit of Utopia and Elear and using the best of Focal technologies, Clear offer the sensation of listening to your favourite music in a space that no longer has limits. Focal’s premium headphones aren’t necessarily cheap, but after reviewing the Focal Utopia and Focal Stellia headphones, it’s easy to say that they’re worth the money for the right buyer. But if you’re going to make something look identical to its predecessor, and not even change the name beyond a single letter, it doesn’t really add to the illusion that you’ve put a lot of thought into it. The bites of electric guitars and the crisp hit of snare drums really came through, and the headphones showed off some superb dynamics. By Home Theater Review on July 04, 2018 70 . Obviously, it shares a good deal of the technology developed for the Focal Utopia, which I reviewed in Issue 270, but its drivers are made of aluminum/magnesium rather than of the beryllium used for the Utopia. Take a step back, look at how you ’ re wearing them, they exactly! And brilliantly executed focal clear headphones review of headphones already pretty good the time of writing is about to get a new high-fidelity! 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