Summary – Focal Clear Review
The Focal Clear Over-ear audiophile headphones are audiophile-grade headphones made in France for high-end listening. These are circum-aural open-back headphones that provide crystal clear sound performance and have a wide sensitivity of 104dB SPL/1mW at 1kHz. They also have an incredibly wide frequency range from 5 Hz to 28 kHz, and use a full-range speaker driver with an “M” shape aluminium dome for crystal clear sound reproduction. The Focal headphones have a natural sound signature and wide soundstage that allows you to appreciate the finer details in the music.
If you are looking for high-fidelity audiophile grade headphones, be sure to read our article here on choosing high-end headphones.
Sound Performance
The sound performance from the Focal Clear headphones is extremely clear, detailed with no distortion or brightness in the upper frequency ranges. The bass is present and does not feel distorted or “boomy”. These headphones have a wide soundstage and excellent midrange performance. The sound signature is well-balanced and detailed; there is a dynamism in the audio quality that’s rarely heard in a pair of audiophile headphones. You’ll never get bored of listening to these headphones because you can pick up new details in the sound every time you try these headphones on.
Design & Comfort
The Focal Clear headphones have a newly developed copper 25.5mm x 5.5mm high unsupported coil to achieve an extremely high magnetic field inside the coil, which provides for dynamic audio response. This allows you to hear the tinniest details in audio recordings with clarity. The “M” shaped aluminium dome complements the copper voice coil, providing really good dynamics over the entire audio spectrum. This allows you to hear controlled bass and crisp high-end frequencies even at high volume levels.
We also liked the fact that the Focal Clear headphones are very comfortable to wear. They are equipped with micro-perforated ear cushions and the shape of the headband makes them light and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. These headphones also come with included XLR cable, 1.2m cable and RCA stereo jack adapter for vinyl players with auxiliary outputs.
The Verdict?
The Focal Clear headphones provide some of the best soundstage and audio clarity that we’ve heard in a long time. These headphones are capable of reproducing the highs, lows and mid-range sounds with fine nuances that you’ll normally hear in very high-end headphones. They also have a tonne of volume output with virtually no distortion, and they give you a sense of openness and spaciousness in the music. Compared with the Sennheiser HD800s, the Focal Clears sound brighter with plenty of dynamism rather than just a plain neutral sound signature.
If you enjoy re-listening to music soundtracks and picking up details that you’ve never heard before, we highly recommend trying out the Focal Clear headphones.