Focal Clear MG and Celestee Hands-on Review

Though the Focal Clear MG and Celestee cost only a fraction of their flagship headphones, the French headphone maker did not skimp out on the ... Listings&MoreEditionsFollowUsEditionsTechnologyInternationalBusinessTimesofferslinkstoitemstohelpourreadersfindinterestingproducts.Whenyoubuythroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission.HereareourT&C.Forlicensingpleaseclickhere.Hands-onwiththeFocalClearMGandCelesteeHeadphones(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)Ibelieveeveryone'sfirstexperience,includingmyown,withaFocalHeadphonewouldbeamemorableone.IrememberopeningthepackagingfortheStelliaforthefirsttime,anditfeltlikeunpackingluxuryhandbagswithvelvet-liningasIwentfromboxtobox.However,itissafetosaythatthatistobeexpectedforanalmost$3,000pairofheadphones.What,then,canoneexpectfromFocal'smoreaccessiblemodels,likethenewClearMGandCelestee?Andmoreimportantly,howdoestheirsoundcomparewiththeirmoreexpensivesiblings:theStelliaandUtopia?Let'sdiveintofindout.ThemesmerizingbuildqualityontheFocalCelestee(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)PremiumPackagingandBuildThoughtheFocalClearMGandCelesteecostonlyafractionoftheirflagshipheadphones,theFrenchheadphonemakerdidnotskimpoutonthepackagingwhatsoever.Instead,whatyougetistheidenticalboutique-likeunboxingexperience,includingpremiumboxesandvelvetyinsides.Theheadphonesthemselvesarecontainedinasoftshellcarryingcase,andinthecaseoftheClearMG,thereisanextraboxtohouseitsduo-cables.Themetal/leatherconstructionofbothheadphonesareaspremiumasitgets(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)Thequalityofcoursedoesn'tendwiththepackaging,butthebuildqualityiseverybitreminiscentofFocal'sflagshipheadphones.Ifallfourheadphoneswereplacedsidebyside,onewouldnotbeabletoguesswhichisthemoreexpensiveone.Focalisnotshytousethebestleatherandaluminumconstructionontheirheadphones-atwhateverpricepoint(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)Fromtheplushearcups,precisionmachinedall-metalhardwareandmetalemblem,totheuseofleatherintheheadbandandcup,Focalhavedefinitelymadethebestbuiltheadphonesfortheunder-$2,000range.BoththeClearMGandtheCelesteewouldsitcomfortablynexttoluxuryFrenchhandbagsandclothing.BoththeCelestee(R)andClearMG(L)comewiththeirownpremiumcarryingcase(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)IncludedCarryingCaseandCablesTherigidwovencarryingcasesarejustasluxuriousastheflagshipmodelsare,withnolackingwhatsoeverinthematerialused,norinthecraftsmanship.Theyevensubtlymatchthecolorschemeoftheheadphones,andhaveenoughspacetokeepacabletogetherwiththeheadphone.DualcablecaseintheFocalClearMG(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)Asforthecables,sincetheFocalCelesteeismadeforbeingonthemove,itonlyhasasinglenylonbraidedcablewitha1/8"mini-jackthathasa1/4"audiojackadapter.However,theFocalClearMGismadeforindoorlistening,andcontainstwoextra-longcables,oneat1.2mwitha1/8"mini-jackthathasa1/4"audiojackadapterandtheotherat3mwitha4-pinXLRbalancedjack.Eventhecable'scolorsarecomplimentarytotheheadphones,trulypushingtheenvelopeonhowrefinedheadphonescanlook.TheCelesteeclosed-backdesignallowsforpowerfulbassandsoundisolation(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)TheFocalSoundatanAccessiblePricePointHavingstartedatthetopoftheFocalrangewithStelliaandUtopia,andhavinglistenedtothebestofwhatFocalhastooffer,IwasgenuinelycurioustoseehowtheentrylevelCelesteeandthemid-levelClearMGwouldsoundincomparison.CheckPriceStartingwiththeCelestee,havingaclosed-backdesign,itcanbeseenastheyoungersiblingoftheStellia.However,differentfromStellia,whichsoundedsurprisinglylikeanopen-backheadphone,theCelestee'ssoundwasmorepredictable.Theclosedsealallowedittohaveamore'pressurized'basssound,whichwouldsuitthebassloverswholookforthe'punchiness'atthelowend.Themorefocusedsoundstageisgoodformoreelectronicmusiclikepop,danceandelectronicmusic.What'smore,theclosed-backdesignoftheCelestee,inisolatingthesound,makesthemidealfornoisyenvironments-thebetterchoiceforatravelheadphone.TheClearMGearcupistransparentbothvisuallyandaudibly(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)However,ifyoudohavearelativelyquietenvironmenteitherathomeorintheoffice,theClearMGhasamore'audiophilesound'.Theopen-backdesigncanbemorevisiblyseen-muchliketheFocalflagshipUtopia-anditscupshavesemi-transparentinternals.Theyaremadeforsuperiorstagingandarebettersuitedforacousticmusiclikeunpluggedconcerts,livebands,andorchestralperformances.CheckPriceThepureMagnesiumdome-what'MG'initsnamestandsfor-whencomparedtotheAluminum/MagnesiumdomeontheCelestee,hasamoredetailedsound,especiallywhenitcomestohigherfrequencies.TheStelliareallysurprisedmebecause,whenmatchedwiththeFocalArcheanditsincludedbalancedcable,itproducesthemostrealisticsoundthatIhaveheard.Comparatively,themid-rangeClearMGdidn'thavethesameeffect(AndIdidn'texpectittoatitspricepoint),butthesoundcharacteristicswereverysimilartoStellia.Ihighlyrecommendeditforthosewhoenjoyhearingminutedetails,harmonicsandovertonesintheirmusic.TheFocalClearMGisawardedtheIBTimesRecommendedBadge(Photo:IBTimes/JeffLi)FinalVerdictFocalhasdefinitelycarvedoutitsownpieceoftheaudioworldwithitssuperiorluxuriousbuild,coupledwithclarityandpowerinitssound.WhatIenjoybestfromFocalheadphonesisstillinthedetailofthesounditproduces,andthisremainstrueevenatitsmoreaffordablepricerangeofclosedandopen-backheadphones.Ifyouarelookingforaheadphonethatistastefultotravelwith-inotherwords,madeofbeautifulleatherandsculptedaluminum-thentheCelesteeisthebetterchoice,asitisbuiltjustassophisticatedasanyofitsmoreexpensivesiblings.However,ifyoucanaffordaprivatespacewhereyoucanmakesomenoisewithoutbotheringanyone,likeinahotelorofficespace,then:IhighlyrecommendtheClearMGforitsdetailedandpowerfulsound.It'swhatmademeafanofFocalheadphones,asitofferssuperbqualityatamuchmoreaccessiblepricerange.Forit'samazingbuildquality,impressivesoundthatresemblescloselytoFocalflagshipheadphones,we'reawardingtheFocalClearMGtheIBTimesRecommendedBadge.Davidisatechenthusiast/writerwhoisoftenonthemove,butsincethelock-downisonamissiontoexploregadgetstoimprovehis'homework'.ThisisacontributiontoanongoingIBTimesreviewseriesongadgetsforHomeProductivity. 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