I first listened to Focal Clears auditioning them next to HD800S and Hifiman Arya Stealths.

They did not stand out to me for any particular aspect whilst the HD800S had that grand soundstage and the Aryas were great in their all round technicalities.

Unfortunately the HD800S were not suited to my music choices and I experienced sibilance with the Aryas and ended up not buying any of them.

I then realised that whilst the Clears didn’t “stand out” there wasn’t anything wrong with them. Technically great, with an enjoyable sound signature (for me) and available at a discounted price (in Australia) I bought them on a whim thinking I was “settling”.

Now after several months of living with them, I’ve become very appreciative of them. With great dynamics, a fun tuning and good levels of comfort without being too picky with sources they truly a jack of all trades, master of none.

In my mind they’re basically a direct upgrade to my HD6XXs and I don’t find the compulsion to buy anything else dynamic driver based. I have become cautious about the headband but no issues have developed with my manhandling and was a bit peeved about the cost of the pads (ZMF to the rescue) but am definitely a fan of Focal now and would look towards a newer Clear Mg or perhaps a Utopia if I decided to full send.

I love them and don’t feel like I’m missing out on much (except for maybe having a planar for the sake of having a planar)

Is there a headphone that doesn't get hate? Utopias are among my favorite all-rounder headphones, though their QC rep scares me a bit and replacement pads are as extortionately priced as the headphones. Their stock cables are also pretty shit, so if you're the kind of person to buy expensive cables, that's something else to budget for. I think these are headphones on the HD600 upgrade track, if that makes any sense. If you don't dig those, you won't dig these, and vice versa.

The open backs (Clear, Utopia) are very well tuned with particularly good dynamics and impact. Soundstage is smaller than something like a HD800S or Arya but sometimes you want that. The HD800S soundstage can be big to the point where it feels unnatural and lacks impact, the Clear feels more natural and has much better punch.

Soundstage while smaller than headphones with the very largest soundstage is still larger than the Sennheiser HD6X0 series. The OG Clear as /u/lh-95 says is a direct upgrade to the HD6XX, it's a very similar sound signature, but more technical, more detailed, more "clear", like the veil has been lifted. So if you like the HD6XX, you'd probably like the OG Clear.

Build quality is poor (the headband is a particular point of failure and is creaky even if it hasn't failed) and failure rates (both headband and driver) on certain models are very high. Replacement parts are ridiculously expensive, this includes the pads which are $200 MSRP. If you are in the US though there are some places selling Focal pads at lower prices, around $100. Third party pads are available but sound different.

It depends I think as well what you can pick them up for. The A$999 Addicted to Audio (Australia) price on the OG Clear is equivalent to US$600 ex-tax which is an insanely low price for the OG Clear.

Many prefer the OG Clear to the Clear MG, which seems overly dark. I haven't heard the latter, but I suspect I'd prefer the OG Clear which is a great headphone, if not perfect (but nothing is).

I was at an audio store one time, where I got to listen to things like the Campfire Audio Andromeda, Audeze MM-500 and LCD-5, Sennheiser HD 800S, Dan Clark Audio Stealth, Meze Elite and lots of other headphones. Among them, the Focal Clear Mg and the Utopia 2022. These two beat everything else in that store for sound quality. For my preferences of course. I liked the Clear Mg more than everything up to the Utopia itself. It‘s been too long to remember specifics, but the sound of the Clear Mg was pure bliss. The Utopia stepped the entire experience up to 11. It‘s just the best headphone I ever heard. Not as wide as an HD 800, sure, but my god is it good. This is of course highly subjective

Only have experience with the Clear MG, its a awesome allrounder.

My clear og hasn't broken yet. It's my favorite and most expensive.

I own the Clear Mg, Radiance, and Bathys. I’m a fan.

I am a fan due to comfort and tonality. For my use case and musical taste, Focal is hard to beat. Probably in the minority here, but the comfort, punchiness, and overall sound of my Elear (with Utopia pads) sound better than the Sundara and HD6XX. The only issue I have is the creaky headband.

I have a clear from focal and I think it's safe to say that they're the best headphones I own. My other two favorites are my beyerdynamic t1 3rd and my sennheiser hd660s, so that's what I have to compare my clear to. The hd660s tend to prefer music with more emphasis on vocals while the t1 3rd do better with bass and synth heavy stuff. The clear is the perfect bridge between the two and is able to handle the full scope of my music without issue. While I may prefer my t1, I use the clear more often. They really are the jack of all trades and master of none.

Haven’t heard many dynamic driver headphones in upper price ranges, but I can say that I dislike Sennheiser, while I love some Focals. Utopia only has weaknesses in rock/metal and classical music in my opinion, which I don’t listen to all that much. Stellia is a great closed option and a bit better at rock/metal, while not as good as the punchy planars. I’m not that interested in dynamic drivers overall, but Focal knows what they’re doing.

Focals do tend to be a bit more polarizing it seems. People either love the Clear or dislike them. But those that dislike them still recognize that they are good headphones.

They are good headphones, they’re just not for everyone. Just like every headphone this hobby has seen pretty much. I have the Clear and I am a fan, fwiw.

If you have a big head, I'd be somewhat hesitant. Having torn down the Elegia and seeing no evidence that they've changed their construction method for the headband on other headphones, a big head will probably put some stress on weak points. On the bright side, they're easy to take apart and mod with a different headband. You'll likely get many years out of the headphones before they break and it's an easy, albeit unfortunate, fix if they do.

As for sound, I have no comments. I only have experience with the Elegia and that's limited (still working on the mod).

I have a pair of Focal Clear OG. To me, they sound great. I use them at home powered off Topping E70/L70 AMP/DAC stack. At work, I use a Topping DX3 Pro+. They are comfortable, sound fantastic, and can be picked up for a decent price.

I also have a pair of Hifiman Edition XS. While the Hifiman sounds good, I prefer the Focal Clear sound to the XS. They seem to be more versatile when it comes to genres.

I would love to try them out, but I require the cable to only attach on one side, which means most of them wouldn't work for my primary setup.

I live in France, have easy access to Focal headphones. But I would buy none of them. I took the time to listen to all of them, except the Elex, which may be the best suited one for me (because it is relatively cheap). As the Audeze headphones, I find them boring, way overpriced and pretentious. I find the build and comfort meh, feels fragile. Only the Celestee and Radiance look almost appealing to me. And regarding sound, none of them was brows raising. One exception : the (sick poo colored) Stellia, which sounded nice to me the first time, and meh the second time in comparison to other headphones at the shop.

>I see people hate and others love them so idk anymore.

It is pretty much every products in the world, isn't it? It's like people are entitled to their opinions or something.

As a new headphone hunter, they seem like a good company (priced a bit on the higher side). I’ve heard great things about them and they look cool 😅 If I were to ever go for one, it would be the elex

I have a focal elex and honestly am not to impressed by it. Heard from others it is a super 6xx with better dynamics and while it has slightly better dynamics I still prefer the 6xx and greatly prefer my edition xs

I have the Focal Elegias and really like them (especially for the current price) I know some folks complain about the headband but mine has not given me any issues.

my favourite response to these kinds of questions is:

you looking for purchase advice or purchase validation?

I have a pair of Focal Clear MG next to my hd600 and for hip hop EDM It's my favorite headphone. Quality does seem okay on the Focal. People having problems with the headbands. I'm scared so i baby it a lot.

Very heavy...very

Admittedly I don't own any, but I think the general concensus is that they're very good... When they're not breaking. QC lottery and total lack of replacement parts combined with the price has always put me off buying clears, if I'm spending that amount of money I'd like to at least know that if a part fails, it can be replaced.

Boring and low build quality (lots of driver failures.)