Focal includes the same high-quality carrying case that comes with the Clear headphone. Even with Elear’s overly long, rubberized cable, I’d live the rest of my headphone listening days with Elear as an indoor-only headphone that I plug into a standard quarter-inch headphone jack (with no XLR option) and I’d be a happy with its punchy, detailed sound. The Focal Clear is a new over-ear open-back headphone from Focal made for audiophiles. The very large and narrow 350 Ohm primary driver resonance at 55Hz may cause these cans to take on a marked bass boost on high output impedance amplifiers. Bottom line: Focal Clear is one of the most balanced headphones that I’ve tried (too many to list.) In fact, in 2016, Focal launched an OEM system for the car manufacturer Peugeot. Like its siblings, the Clear is a wonderfully comfortable headphone. This time, Focal included a nicely portable carrying case and a much nicer set of cables. The Focal Clear is an exquisite-looking and brilliantly executed pair of headphones. Cables must be removed for the Clear to fit in the case, but a molded central compartment is available to store a cable or two. Very little usage. Any roll off in the middle high suffered by the Elear seemed patched in the sonic signature of Clear. Headphones Shopping Guide: Which are Right for You? Hard, elegant carrying case with storage for one cable: 3. The Clear bridges the gap perfectly between the Elear and the Utopia, finally giving you an option between their price points. Gone is the mid-range dip and uncomfortable pads. 1. Wayde is a tech-writer and content marketing consultant in Canada s tech hub Waterloo, Ontario and Editorialist for Audioholics.com. This is a beautiful headphone! Without the Elear or Utopia to compare head-to-head it’s difficult to nail down exactly what sets the sonic signature of Clear apart. The Clear uses an aluminum/magnesium-dome full-range driver with a 25.5m x 5.5mm copper voice coil designed specifically for these ’phones. Although Clear portrays a noticeable bump in mid-bass giving rock music a chunky consistency. For long listening sessions, I’m sure the cloth will be more forgiving when it comes to absorbing and dissipating body heat and sweat. Luxuriously adorned and steeped in striking minimalism, the new Focal Clear headphones match stunning good looks with equally stunning sound. It’s a beauty to behold, although I can’t say I preferred the brighter look of Clear over the darker Elear, they’re both stunningly modern designs. All cables are terminated at the earpieces with a 3.5mm mono-plug that has a mechanical mating recess so as to prevent undue strain on the connections. With a solid aluminum earcup, yoke and headband extender, they look and feel incredibly solid and high quality to the touch. Focal, the high-end speaker manufacturer out of Saint-Étienne, France has expanded its high-end headphone line with a new entrant called Clear. The Focal Clear has clipping/pop type issues with its drivers when you try to listen at loud volumes, sometimes it can be present at low volumes. It’s like the Porsche where Arya is a luxury stretched limo. Wayde is also US Army veteran, but his favorite title is just "Dad". The tonal quality of Clear compared to the similarly priced Audeze LCD-3 shows Clear has more of a clinical approach, less of the warmth in the upper-mids that I’ve come to love in Audeze, but there is something about the accuracy and detail of Clear that I found myself really getting used to. Both Elear and Clear bring a healthy dose of emersion and excitement to whatever recording you throw at it. They represent a new evolution of Focal’s now famous completely open-back full-range speaker driver. The Clear has all the strengths of the Elear with none of its faults. 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