So I have been MIA from here for a few months because 1) Iāve been happy with what I have and 2) I wanted to save some money lol
Buuuuut, I really love my Focal Elegias that I bring to work every day, so I am more curious than ever about the Focal Clears for my desktop everyday useā¦ What is a good price point to try and acquire these at? Because tbh, at 1.5k, that is a bit too much tbh.
If you keep an eye out they have been seen as low as $900 used in top shape. I have seen a well worn pair go for less but keep in mind replacement pads for these are usually $200 for originalsā¦Good luck and hope you find a set.
I got mine open box from an outlet on eBay, they took my offer of $800 when listed at $900. Iāve heard adorama* sometimes marks them down to $999 sometimes as well.
Thereās been some rumours floating around about a new Clear. Not sure how accurate they are. Might be worth checking out.
New Clear Mg, that would use a pure magnesium driver. Still a lot in rumor territory though, but something new from Focal is definitively coming soon.
Thanks for the replies everyone! I appreciate it
Remarkably, not only do we have the leaked Adorama product page (thanks to BurgerFlipperās post above) and so know its $1490US price point. But Focal itself has left at least a beta version of the official product sheet quietly accessible on itās web site. Given the teaser image in the Celestee promo video, the presumed Adorama mistake and now the Focal product sheet, Focal seems to want us to unofficially know more than a little about this productās existence. Very different from the carefully orchestrated Celestee release drama.
Some take aways: Remarkably, no direct mention of the importance of an all-magnesium transducer membrane. The grille protecting the driver on the ear pad side is concave to match the M-dome of the driver. This accounts for an āeven more precise high frequency reproductionā. The headphone in general has a āremarkable tonal balance across the full spectrumā and ābass articulation down to the lowest frequenciesā. Whether due to the new honeycomb outer grill or the magnesium driver is unspecified in the product sheet.
[[Ignore. Based on mistaken assumption: Since there was no evidence of a parallel grey-coloured non-pro version of the Mg Pro on Adorama, apparently there will only be the black+red pro Clear model at this higher price point, rather than both grey and black+red. Weāre also left to assume that the higher price is a consequence of the all-magnesium driver construction, just as the high price of beryllium supposedly justifies the lofty price of the Utopia. ]]
We see Focal addressing market feedback to the original Al+Mg Clear in a variety of ways:
[[Ignore. Based on mistaken assumption: The light grey, non-replaceable headband and replaceable but expensive ear cups showed hair/skin oil discolouration and are now replaced by the somewhat darker red materials together with a spare pair of ear pads. Presumably, the black+red colour model sold acceptably well in the non-pro portion of the market. I donāt expect to see a light coloured headphone again from Focal anytime soon.]]
Sub-bass roll-off has been reduced or eliminated, presumably without extending the bass elevation further into the mid range.
The irregularities in the treble, including especially the 4 to 5 and 6 to 9 kHz dips, have been reduced or eliminated. (But the dip in the 9 to 10 kHz region almost certainly will remain, since this is thought to be necessary for spatialization cues.)
The smallish sound stage has been enlarged by virtue of a larger diameter ear cup opening. (Note that this almost certainly involves an impact on the frequency response that needed to be addressed elsewhere in the acoustic design.)
The much loathed and cadaver-stiff checkerboard cables are replaced with the new, more supple black rubber style.
Although understandably not mentioned in the product sheet, somewhere I picked up the impression that the driver break-up resonance point has been moved out of the audible range.
Hopefully, we can assume this model retains the signature dynamics/slam of previous M-dome Focal models, plus the above-average detail reproduction of the Al+Mg Clear. Given that, we have what must surely be Focalās swift riposte to Sennheiserās HD 560S and that headphoneās hype as a studio reference product. The Clear Mg is Focal saying simply: āthis is what a reference headphone has to be like.ā
Iām looking to see whether the Clear Mg Pro matches Focalās own hyperbole, in turn. And since there canāt be a Maynard post with out an FR graph, lol, hereās my take on what the new frequency response might look like based on the product sheet claims, using the Oratory1990 current Al+Mg Clearās measurements as a starting point:
Edit 3 hours later to bracket out mistaken conjectures. Thanks to AECH!]
Is it a higher price? The adorama page is down but you stated it had a 1490 price point, wouldnāt that make it the same at the current clears msrp? Even though itās often sold for less than msrp.
Iām kinda bummed by the new color scheme honestly. I though the lighter color looked nicer imo, minus the dirty pad issue. I wouldāve liked if they couldāve down a similar color scheme to the original with maybe slightly darker pads. Or maybe even done a space grey kinda thing. The black just looks more bland. And I personally dislike the red pad pro even more.
Yeah I like the grill okay but not the color scheme. Red is just not my thing.
This suggests you can expect it around March 19th.
Thanks for the correction re price and the new info re launch date! I donāt normally deal with US prices, so mistook something I read in another post to mean that $1490 was higher than the current modelās MSRP. That itās in fact the same price certainly puts a new slant on it.
Sounds like youāre attracted by the new tuning and/or the wider sound stage but donāt want the new colour scheme. Again, not seeing any evidence the non-Pro Clear model will be updated ā at least at this time. I suspect many non-pro users will still prefer the less pronounced treble of the current Al+Mg models.
How about an all-black version, grin? Iād think it would be possible to dye the red cloth portions to black.
I think Iād be okay with it if the pads and band are at least black. But I though the color scheme of the original looked really good (again minus the issue with pads getting dirty.
I think that a gunmetal or space grey would look really nice.
Or even the black and silver chassis of the pro and just make the red portions a dark grey or something. Itās just the red I donāt like. But Iām interested in reviews for sure.
If the reviews look promising I may go for a pair. Or if a comparison dictates Iād like the original clear more, I may just try to snag them a clearance discount price, like the elegias I grabbed for 500.
I could maybe see the originals selling for like 900-1100 once the new ones come.
Gunmetal with black accents would look fabulous for my tastes.
Iām sure thatās possible. OTOH, the possible added treble, even though that would be just a normal amount in most cases, might be too much for many when combined with the signature Focal punchiness. If so, the original Clear sound signature might continue to sell at current levels. In fact, Iām beginning to wonder if Focal isnāt going to go low key on the Clear Mgās launch and mainly target the pro audience.
Speculating on sound based on a companyās product brochure? Iām sure itāll be a good can based on Focalās capabilities but perhaps letās wait until the thing is in peopleās hands?
Awwww . . . . . . . .
āRemarkable tonal balance across the full spectrumā and āmore precise high frequency reproductionā are like dangling catnip to a feline in my case. Still, most any other company Iād agree. But Focal has earned a bit more cred from me.
Well yeah based on how they describe it, it sounds perfect 
But Iāll wait and see 
Yeah I def wonāt judge anything based on the brochure, except that I hate the black on red lol. But Iām very interested in seeing a comparison because cleats are definitely on my radar. So comparisons will help me decide on either a current clear or the clear mg.
Provided they add at least a black pad option lol. The red is almost enough to nudge me in the old clear direction hahaha. Red on black is too ābeatsā fir me.
In all honestly, if they happen to be preferable sound wise Iāll deal with the red lol. But I wont like it!
lol. yah. dont.
but realy, its hard. you cant get them we at all. you can pick up debris with a link roller but im not realy sure how you would go further than that
mine were perfect working order but pads and headband discolored (not worn though) and I got them for 725, but thats pretty low tbh. Sub 900 and you are doing great.
lol. im with you. im like a damn addict waiting for/tring to find more info
