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Focal Clear Professional Open Headphones $899 + free s/h
$899.00
$1,499.00
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| Rating: | (5 out of 5 stars) |
| Reviews: | 2 Adorama Reviews |
| Product Name: | Focal Clear Professional Open-Back Studio Monitor Headphones |
| Product Description: | Clear professional headphones represent the essential tool for the most demanding professionals. The only objective: to be the ultimate tool for high quality playback. These open circum-aural headphones incorporate a remarkable evolution of the driver and an extremely open design aiming to make the headphones disappear, for the benefit of the sound. Clear Professional headphones are so comfortable that you forget you are wearing them and the listening experience feels like studio monitors. Its M-profile Aluminum/Magnesium dome has a new copper coil which provides total dynamic respect over the entire audio spectrum, with an extremely well defined and always controlled bass. At the same time, the very low-mass speaker moving parts mean that these headphones reproduce the finest details in the higher frequencies. Turning to the headband and yokes, their design ensures that the headphones are in full contact with the head, for optimal comfort. The new generation of perforated microfiber ear cushions provides an extremely open design. Unveiled secrets Precision in the Detail Clear Professional uses a new generation of Focal 40 mm full-range speaker. A 25mm diameter, 5.5mm long unsupported copper coil has been developed. The material chosen, copper, has the effect of achieving an extremely high magnetic field in the coil. With this, the moving parts are always under control, even at maximum capacity, providing bass definition worthy of the best subwoofer's. Its 55Ohms impedance makes Clear Professional easy to drive, even in a mobile configuration, directly connected to the headphones output of a laptop. It contributes to an exceptional impulse response with a break-up raised to 24kHz. Thus, high frequencies are extremely linear and transients totally respected. Clear Professional is capable of precisely revealing the finest details of the recording, proving extremely precise control. In the service of the acoustic absolute 35 Years' Know-how What makes headphones significantly different from a pair of monitor speakers is the wave-form generated by the loudspeaker and the listening distance. In order to achieve a plane wave in a very close nearfield, the shaping of the dome had to be rethought carefully because of the few centimeters of distance inside it. M-profiled Dome The French manufacturer's 35 years of experience have resulted in a new generation of domes, launched on Elear and Utopia headphones: the M-profile dome. Formed from an Aluminum/Magnesium alloy, it offers an ideal ratio, combining low mass, high rigidity and excellent damping. The depth of the sound and the dynamics won't disappoint you. Music Revealed Making the Headphones Disappear The design of Clear Professional solves the sensation of space reduction, thanks to their new microfiber ear cushions. Their one-millimeter diameter micro-perforations on the outside edge give a level of openness that is unbeatable at this price range. The listening experience in the room, rather than headphones, is intensified. The second benefit to this design is its extreme tolerance to ear cushion positioning, regardless of head profile and size. This degree of openness also provides the benefit of excellent definition of upper bass and low mid-range registers, typically where headphones usually struggle in comparison with monitors. Provided Accessories Rigid carrying case. Thermoformed shell in the shape of the headphones. Can store one cable and an iLok key (not provided), all within its compact dimensions. Two OFC copper 24AWG cables with a very low resistance. A 5m spiral for domestic use A 1.2m cable fitted with a 3.5mm stereo jack connector 3.5mm and 6.35mm jack adapter |
| Model Number: | VIP360 |
| Product SKU: | foproclepro |
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I went to CES multiple times, tried on headphones that were worth thousands of dollars, and spent my time trying to figure out any difference I possibly could. I messed around with headphone amps, I dialed in and tried open air, covered, electrostatic, you name it.
I COULDN'T TELL ANY DAMN DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Given I am in my 30's now, and I likely have some age related hearing loss. But that just doesn't cut it as an excuse for not being able to tell the difference.
Anyhow, just wondering how others actually feel about these kinds of things (And I say this as I look back at my headphone collection, from $10 USD headphones to around $250USD - after around that point, it really becomes completely subjective and just plain irrationally crazy).
Also, for a $1000 headphone they squeak and rattle like an old NYC bus. Remember those old buses you had to pull the cord? Lol, sometime they remind me of them.
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I went to CES multiple times, tried on headphones that were worth thousands of dollars, and spent my time trying to figure out any difference I possibly could. I messed around with headphone amps, I dialed in and tried open air, covered, electrostatic, you name it.
I COULDN'T TELL ANY DAMN DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Given I am in my 30's now, and I likely have some age related hearing loss. But that just doesn't cut it as an excuse for not being able to tell the difference.
Anyhow, just wondering how others actually feel about these kinds of things (And I say this as I look back at my headphone collection, from $10 USD headphones to around $250USD - after around that point, it really becomes completely subjective and just plain irrationally crazy).
After you get past the ~$300-400 price point, you get diminishing returns based on value. But for some people, being an audiophile is their hobby, so to each their own. I mean, I spend an unreasonable amount of money on building custom mechanical keyboards so I totally understand
I went to CES multiple times, tried on headphones that were worth thousands of dollars, and spent my time trying to figure out any difference I possibly could. I messed around with headphone amps, I dialed in and tried open air, covered, electrostatic, you name it.
I COULDN'T TELL ANY DAMN DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Given I am in my 30's now, and I likely have some age related hearing loss. But that just doesn't cut it as an excuse for not being able to tell the difference.
Anyhow, just wondering how others actually feel about these kinds of things (And I say this as I look back at my headphone collection, from $10 USD headphones to around $250USD - after around that point, it really becomes completely subjective and just plain irrationally crazy).
A lot is to be said for having something in front of you to test at your leisure and test again lower end headphones on the same setup. Source quality and even known content also matters. It's hard to control what they are playing at conventions if you're unfamiliar with a song or it is not a favored genre or perhaps a genre that doesn't work well with the headphone (and yes that very much is a thing on the high end headphones)
One would think drop 1-4 grand on a headphone means it's the final stop in audio purchasing since it can play everything perfectly. Definitely not true. Each maker has nuances and even tech difference that play better with some genres and not others. It's why people who are serious about headphone hobby have a few in their collection.
Regarding the age factor. I wouldn't argue that can make a difference, depending on how much ear damage you have had throughout life. However, older age alone does not dictate if you can hear the differences to make a 1 grand headphone worth it or not. I am in my mid 40's and I can hear the differences easily between a top tier headphone and a 1-200 buck headphone (or overly V shaped tuned headphone, like a beats, etc etc. V shape is typically what the masses call "great sounding" which is why they tune for V shape. People want loud bass and punched up highs, neutrality is not popular).
This leads to the last problem. People coming from standard consumer grade headphone their whole life are expecting just more and bigger badder V shape. Then they hit the 1-4k headphone and get something more neutralized in comparison. Bass that doesn't rumble into muddy sounding chatter, but rather sharp all the way down outside your hearing range. It's not uncommon people who go directly from a beats to something like a HD800S and have nothing but hate for it. There are so many stories like this on audio forums from first time buyers who go all in one their first headphone.
Ultimately you have to go through an "retaining" process. You have to get your brain used to not wanting to only hear V shape sound signature. After that your brain can start finding other things to appreciate. You will start listening to extreme details in the mids or highs and picking up on things that you just simply can't hear on lesser headphones (like people talking in the hallway outside of the vocal booth of a recording you heard your whole life but never could hear that until that moment). To be honest most people don't want to do this and never will. I get it. However, if you did take the time you would see the differences.
Also, while some audio purist revile at the idea of using an EQ to change the sound of the headphone. I have always been of the mindset that it's your ears and your property so enjoy it how you see fit. Great headphones can be EQ'd to be that V shape if that's what your after. I also encourage people to retrain their way of listening to appreciate what they have first and they tweak the EQ later to match their sound signature preferences.
Having said all this. Before you ever dare drop 1-4 grand on a headphone. My advice is, first learn what sound signature you prefer. Using that Sennheiser HD800S example is a perfect demonstration of this. A person who loves heavy bass buys this and while the bass is good, it's not a bass heavy can and never will be. It's better for mids and highs (which puts it in a category of being better for jazz and classical and some classic rock)
You need to figure out 1st if you are you a bass head? Do you love rock (mids and highs)? Love classical (very much highs)? Do you wanna hear all those amazing vocal mids? Some people have hearing issues where highs give them migraines or lows make their ear drums hurt. All stuff you need to know!
You can learn this by doing your homework and testing the waters by buying proper 200-500 buck headphone first (people call this stuff mid-fi, but really it serves as end game too for many) and getting a affordable but decent amp/dac setup. There are a lot of hifi headphone communities out there that can help you find proper "mid-fi" cans with different sound signatures. A solid old stand by is the Sennheiser HD600 or HD650 (or the massdrop variant). These are more "mid" centric sound signatures though (not heavy on bass or high, but amazing mids) These are GREAT for training your brain how to appreciate something other than V shape. There are a lot of options in the middle though that are a huge step up from common consumer stuff and are very much "hifi" worthy and can teach you a lot about this hobby first.
Once you learn what sound signatures you love and you decide what you can afford and are interesting in going further... then do it... at least now you can make a smarter purchase with less regret. Buying headphones this expensive without testing them first or even knowing what to expect is a very bad mistake. It's like buying cologne you never smelled, but having the cologne cost 1 grand lol. I am sure you wouldn't do that in a million years either. Consider stuff like this the same.
Learn what you like, then do homework on sound signatures and if you can't test the headphone in person at least you can buy a sound signature that matches your preference.
Going back to the posted headphones though Focal Utopia (their flagship) and Focal Clear do get a lot of love in hifi community. It's not unanimous love, but what in life is. Unlike most headphones these higher end focal headphones tend to do better on a wider range of genres which is a real bonus if you're only buying one high end can. Some people tend to complain about a mid-high distortion that happens on these while others don't notice anything. Just be aware I have seen it come up enough times now in discussions I am convinced it's a thing. Also if you are a fan of sound stage Focals do not have that epic mega sound stage of something like a Senn HD800 so just be aware that they are much closer in. The Utopia tends to be better in this regard while the clears are closer in on the sound stage. It's not deal breaking though unless if you want it. In both cases it's preferences. There are tons of proper reviews out there on Focal clear so just hit up google and be sure to look for pros and cons.
I went to CES multiple times, tried on headphones that were worth thousands of dollars, and spent my time trying to figure out any difference I possibly could. I messed around with headphone amps, I dialed in and tried open air, covered, electrostatic, you name it.
I COULDN'T TELL ANY DAMN DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Given I am in my 30's now, and I likely have some age related hearing loss. But that just doesn't cut it as an excuse for not being able to tell the difference.
Anyhow, just wondering how others actually feel about these kinds of things (And I say this as I look back at my headphone collection, from $10 USD headphones to around $250USD - after around that point, it really becomes completely subjective and just plain irrationally crazy).
I just ordered 2 pairs ...
Sundara. I came to that conclusion after a long research spre.
I went to CES multiple times, tried on headphones that were worth thousands of dollars, and spent my time trying to figure out any difference I possibly could. I messed around with headphone amps, I dialed in and tried open air, covered, electrostatic, you name it.
I COULDN'T TELL ANY DAMN DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Given I am in my 30's now, and I likely have some age related hearing loss. But that just doesn't cut it as an excuse for not being able to tell the difference.
Anyhow, just wondering how others actually feel about these kinds of things (And I say this as I look back at my headphone collection, from $10 USD headphones to around $250USD - after around that point, it really becomes completely subjective and just plain irrationally crazy).
Honestly this is the weirdest and most bizzare post I can never seem to figure out in my 15 years of history browsing Slickdeals. Who in their goddamn right mind is going to spend $40,000 on a car?
I went to car dealerships multiple times, test drove cars that cost upwards of $100,000 dollars, and spent my time trying to figure out any difference I possibly could. I messed around with inline, V, rotary, you name it.
I COULDN'T TELL ANY DAMN DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Given I am in my 30's now, and I likely have some age related mental capacity loss. But that just doesn't cut it as an excuse for not being able to tell the difference.
Anyhow, just wondering how others actually feel about these kinds of things (And I say this as I look back at my cars, from $1,000 USD first used car to around $18,000 new car - after around that point, it really becomes completely subjective and just plain irrationally crazy).
Do you see how stupid this post reads? It's just as stupid as your actual post.
Just because you see no benefit doesn't mean there isn't a benefit for others. $900 to some people is a joke.