I mean, the elex does get quite close to the clear without being so pickyā¦ so I would agree in this case. Granted the presentation of sound is differentā¦ to my ear atleast elex is a bit more aggressive in its signature
How about realistic DACs, though, not the most extreme example possible?
D50 = 100
D90 = <50
Modi = 75
Modius = 75
Bifrost = 75
Gungnir = 75
Yggdrasil = 75
Mojo = 75
Hugo 2 = 0.025
Hugo TT 2 = 0.042
DAVE = 0.055+short protection
This. This right here is your problem. Theoretically they are easy to drive to high volumes off your phone. But volume =/= quality of sound produced.
Good headphones are not gonna miraculously make the shitty signal coming out of shitty source gear sound amazing. Vice versa, shitty headphones / IEMs wonāt make the sound coming from amazing source gear sound amazing. If you canāt accept that, then I donāt know what to tell you. You need a good signal for good cans to sound good, period end of story.
Of course, certain cans are much more forgiving of bad source (whether it be the music recording quality, dac, amp, etcā¦) than others (again, the clears are decidedly not forgiving), but once you get over $1k you really really need to invest the bare minimum in source gear for your investment to have any payoff.
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Sure it will. Iāll just get something with a tuning I like more, thatās not as amp picky, since Iām not interested or wanting to upgrade source stuff right now. Clear was definitely a bad apple for me, for all the phones Iāve tried so far. Iām not under the belief that a headphoneās cost relates to how costly the source equipment āneedsā to be for it to sound good or great. But for any phones in general to sound best, yeah, you need the best source.
I am unconvinced about what is supposedly so ābadā about the ATOM amp, other than potentially needing more power in the future. Feel free, anyone. I have tried Vali 2, Starlight 3, NF11, iFi Black Label, Jot, demoād Bifrost, and I like the ATOM sound most still.
What are some other headphones you like a lot, if Clear has a sound you love?
Anyone here have an ATOM amp to sound test with Clear against your prefered amp for them, for some actual test results so we can end the speculation and save people money they might not need to spend? Can you hear any differenceā¦?
I apologize if this comes off offensively but Iām really kind of perplexed by what youāre saying. You got a $1500 retail headphone (maybe $1000 on sale since theyāre discontinued? If so great!) that is notoriously picky about having good source gear, ran it off a phone, and were surprised that it didnāt really sound that great.
When some of the more experienced users on this forum informed you that the Clear are very source-dependent and need to be driven properly, you doubled down that it doesnāt really matter, and now youāre calling them a ābad appleā lol.
Did I get that right?
Nobody is speculating; youāve already had very helpful forum members tell you they are amp-dependent and the quality of amplification will affect the sound. It sounds to me like you just donāt want to believe them because that will have mean you made a bad purchase without doing proper research. 
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I own the Clear and the Atom. My favorite amp for it is currently the RNHP ($500). In my experience, I find the Clear to have better macro dynamics (basically bass impact/punch) and to sound more natural on the RNHP. Thereās a ton of old posts going into better detail than I can about benefits of upgrading from the Atom to something like an RNHP. If I find one, Iāll link it.
But based on your initial impressions, I donāt think upgrading will change your mind from hating it to loving it. But I could be wrong. If thereās a hifi store near you, you should definitely try out some better amps.
Iāll also note that when I got Clear originally, I wasnāt immediately really impressed with it. Itās excellence is more noticeable to me when I switch back lesser tier headphones. So maybe you also just need more time with it.
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What you are describing is a tonality preference you are getting on the atom. JDS products (the el amp at least) ads a bit more weight to sound and softens the treble. Something you might find pleasing if you originally found the treble to be harsh.
Using something like the RNHP reveals loads more qualities you will not get in the atom. More natural stage, clearer image, greater depth to the sound etc. Pair that with the wrong DAC however, and tonally you might find it sounds thin again.
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Iām going to say I agree on the rnhp hereā¦ it does wonders for the clears and just focal and beyerdynamic in generalā¦
Rnhp + bifrost 2 is friggin legendary with clear imo
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Iāve not tried the BF2 but if it retains the technicalities and give it the added warmth I can see why.
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I havenāt heard the RNHP but the BF2 + Jot2 with the Clear Mg are soooo good.
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I see it the other way around. I disliked how those amps changed the sound coming from my DAC, while I simply hear exactly how the DAC sounds through the ATOM, +volume. I like how the DAC sounds. I like how the amp -doesnāt- sound. =P
Thanks for the reply! 
From what youāre saying there, it doesnāt sound like there is any vast difference/change in how Clear sounds. Merely a good fine-tuning, letās call it, correct?
This is a very different tuning to me, indeedā¦ My first Focal.
Letās seeā¦
Not really. I never used Clear on my phone(yet). I only used it through my amp. But I did have a discussion about how much change more expensive amps have, and pointed out that most everything I own sounds exactly the same solely through my DAC as it does through DAC+amp.
I was not aware they are (supposedly) so source picky. I read a bunch of reviews and watched videos about them, naturally. Maybe I missed a thing or two. But I am not sure how true that is yet, without hearing such gear. Someone who owns an ATOM and a better amp replied, and there doesnāt seem to be any enormous, life-changing differences occurring. So yes, color me relatively unconvinced that it makes a ton of difference from what Iām already hearing through the very well performing D50s+ATOM, and that this tuning is not for me. Trying a headphone that goes against my preferences(intimate stage, peaks, more neutral than not) is always risky, but you never know until you hear it.
Theres just quite alot that gets downgraded from not using the appropriate source gearā¦ from sound one dimensional, bad imaging, veil, hollow, flat, boring or non dynamic, lacking impactfulness, list goes on and on based on the headphoneā¦ were not saying atom cant drive them because it can but your not getting the full sound signature from your setup which makes it a bit unfair to create an assessment of the headphone.
If you donāt wish to upgrade thatās quite alright but be sure to keep an eye out for those that are source pickyā¦ those above $600 get really choosy and theres a plethora of them that are like this, iem included
However if your going to spend so much on headphones and iem I donāt see why you wouldnāt invest in a better sourceā¦
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Well, you just seem to not want to consider it. Can confirm the difference between my Schitt Heresy (a fairly equivalent amp to the atom) and my MLP / RS 08 / Erish was huge with the Clears. Significantly cleaned up and gave life to the sound. I reallllllllly want to hear clears again on my v220, as I never fully gave them the juice they needed.
I would also not really consider the D50s or Atom super well performing. They might be good for low end cans, but you got into a tier of headphones where your stack is really far below the minimum standard of amplification / source. The Clears will reveal all the bad shit about that stack (namely the D50s is overly sterile and lifeless (which doesnāt help the clears, which are already more sterile than average) and the atom is not nearly refined enough as an amp (which will add to lifelessness, lack of drive / impact / fun, and wonāt allow the clears to really demostrate their ridiculous amount of control)). All of your previous statements about the Clears sounding ādimensionally flatā and āoverly softā attest to this, cause they are definitely not that.
You might just not like the signature, but like Falenkor said, you definitely arenāt giving these a fair shake until you provide them proper gear. If you really want, go buy an Arya, HEDDphone, Eikon, or LCD-X and see how well they run off the setup. I guarantee you that they will sound bad / unimpressive to you. Iāll say it again, donāt make a conclusion about the cans until youāve heard them on a better setup.
My guy, then why are you complaining about them. You couldāve literally just started and ended with āthese are not for meā. Weāve told you what the problems are, and you seem to want to keep beating a dead horse until we admit the Clears are bad headphones (which they patently are not in any way shape or form) or that you donāt have to upgrade your source gear (which you definitely have to if you want to seriously go any farther into headphones / IEMs).
And, if you took this big of a risk, then why are you so surprised that a neutral, intimate stage, and not perfectly inoffensive tuning headphone is not for you? If you did so much research, why are you surprised when the headphone sounds bad off of low end gear? Iām trying to help, but am very very confused here. Instructions unclear, dick stuck in zipper, please advise.
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Itās weird but I like the og clear more on the violectric than I do the mgā¦ perhaps the different tuning is throwing me off
Haha no. That oneā¦ good lord extensive eq and picky at that. Just not for me lmfao. Aryas are just as fickle as the clears but they will practically spit at you in terms of bad sound as someone who owns those
Resources are limited, man. The weakest link in the chain is always = phones. Assuming youāre not getting a greedy phone that needs something specific. I canāt afford the best of anything right now, like many canāt.
I hear ya, well theres bound to be plenty out there youāll enjoy outside the clears
Am I not allowed to express what I dislike about how a phone sounds to me, and give my thoughts and opinions, using my specific gear, after spending the money and effort on it? I also donāt understand why you are interpreting my observations as ācomplaintsā. Saying, āthese are not for meā wouldnāt be very telling of the situation, and wouldnāt help anyone else who might come into this situation, would it? I canāt say much positive about this experience(coming from such great reviews), but Iāve certainly heard far worse. It sounds like a Beyer, trying to evolve into not a Beyer.
I wasnāt aware I was surprised about any of this. Just disappointed. People say Clear sounds intimate. People say Clear does not. Well, which is it? Only one way to find out, and thatās how I got here.
Because I donāt consider D50s and ATOM low end, since they measure so well, so thereās that, I guess. I almost never hear any difference in sound with DACs, and Iāve heard the same results from others who have spent moreā¦but I also havenāt yet bought any DACs more expensive than this to test. Amps, though, yes. Just not while I had a fussy Clear around.
And I would love to take on your LCD-X challenge! It was on my list, with Clear. I bet they would do great, knowing that Sundara, HE-500 and HE-400 sounded fine. Ultimately too heavy, though. 