Focal Clear Mg Headphones Review - RTINGS.com

The Focal Clear Mg are very good for neutral sound. They have a smooth and warm sound profile with a flat mid-range, well suited for accurately reproducing ... Reviews BestHeadphones HeadphonesReviews LatestActivity Popularreviews AnkerSoundCoreLifeP3TrulyWireless AnkerSoundcoreLifeQ30Wireless AnkerSoundcoreLifeDot2TrulyWireless AppleAirPodsProTrulyWireless AnkerSoundcoreLifeQ20Wireless SamsungAKGType-C JLabAudioGOAirPOPTrueWireless TOZONC7TrulyWireless TOZOT6TrulyWireless PhilipsSHP9500 HeadphonesRecommendations BestWirelessBluetoothEarbuds BestWirelessBluetoothHeadphones BestNoiseCancellingHeadphones BestWirelessGamingHeadsets BestNoiseCancellingEarbuds BestWirelessEarbudsForAndroid BestHeadsetsForXboxSeriesX/S BestHeadphonesForRunning BestOver-EarHeadphonesForWorkingOut BestBluetoothHeadsetsForCalls BestEarbudsForSmallEars BestHeadphonesForMusic BestHeadphonesForStudio BestAudiophileHeadphones BestBudgetWirelessHeadphones BestOfficeHeadphones BestBeatsHeadphones BestWirelessBluetoothEarbudsForRunning BestOpen-BackHeadphones BestBudgetNoiseCancellingHeadphones BestEarbudsWithAMic BestPodcastHeadphones BestTravelHeadphones BestClosed-BackHeadphones BestBoseHeadphones BestSennheiserHeadphones BestJBLHeadphones BestNeckbandHeadphones BestHeadphonesUnder$200 BestJabraHeadphones BestHyperXHeadphones BestSteelSeriesHeadphones BestAppleHeadphones BestWirelessEarbudsUnder$100 BestHeadphonesUnder$50 BestAnkerHeadphones BestOver-EarHeadphonesUnder$100 BestAudio-TechnicaHeadphones BestAstroHeadphones BestEarbudsAndHeadphonesUnder$20 BestGamingHeadsets BestEarbudsAndIn-Ears BestHeadphones BestOver-EarHeadphones BestHeadsetsForPS5 BestXboxOneHeadsets BestCheapWirelessEarbuds BestPS4Headsets BestWiredHeadphones BestOn-EarHeadphones BestEarbudsForGaming BestTrueWirelessEarbuds BestSamsungHeadphones BestTVHeadphones BestWirelessEarbudsForiPhone BestBassHeadphones BestSoundingWirelessEarbuds BestEarbudsForBass BestCheapEarbuds BestHeadphoneBrands BestWirelessBluetoothEarbudsUnder$50 BestSkullcandyHeadphones BestGamingHeadsetsUnder$100 BestDJHeadphones BestBluetoothHeadsetsForTruckers BestSonyHeadphones BestUSB-CHeadphones BestNoiseCancellingHeadphonesUnder$100 BestEarbudsUnder$50 BestRazerHeadphones BestGamingHeadsetsUnder$50 BestKidsHeadphones BestTurtleBeachHeadphones BestLogitechHeadphones BestAirPodsAlternatives BestOn-EarWirelessHeadphones BestWirelessBluetoothHeadphonesUnder$100 BestNoiseCancellingHeadphonesUnder$200 BestPlantronicsHeadphones BestJaybirdHeadphones Viewallheadphonesrecommendations AllHeadphonesReviews Beats FitProTrueWireless StudioBudsTrueWireless FlexWireless Studio3Wireless Solo32019Wireless SoloProWireless PowerbeatsProTrulyWireless EP BeatsXWireless Powerbeats3Wireless Sony WF-1000XM4TrulyWireless WF-C500TrulyWireless WH-1000XM4Wireless PULSE3DWireless WH-CH710NWireless WF-1000XM3TrulyWireless WH-XB910NWireless WH-CH510Wireless MDR-7506 WI-XB400EXTRABASSWireless Skullcandy GrindFuelTrueWireless SeshEvoTrueWireless IndyEvoTrueWireless DimeTrueWireless JibTrueWireless PushActiveTrueWireless CrusherEvoWireless IndyANCTrueWireless HeshANCWireless Dime2TrueWireless Bose SportEarbudsTrulyWireless QuietComfortEarbudsTrulyWireless QuietComfort45/QC45Wireless 700HeadphonesWireless SportOpenEarbudsTrulyWireless QuietComfort35II/QC35IIWireless2018 SoundSportFreeTrulyWireless SoundSportWireless SoundLink2Wireless QuietComfort20/QC20 JBL Tune225TWSTrueWireless Tune125TWSTrulyWireless Live500BTWireless LIVE300TWSTrulyWireless Live660NCWireless Tune510BTWireless TourOneWireless Tune660NCWireless Live460NCWireless ReflectFlowTrueWireless Jabra Elite85tTrulyWireless Elite75tTrulyWireless EliteActive75tTrulyWireless Elite3TrueWireless Elite7ActiveTrueWireless Elite7ProTrueWireless Elite4ActiveTrueWireless Talk45BluetoothHeadset Elite65tTrulyWireless Elite85hWireless Razer BarracudaXWireless BlackSharkV2ProWireless BlackSharkV2 KrakenX HammerheadTrueWireless2021 NariUltimateWireless KairaProWirelessforXbox KrakenUltimate KrakenV3ProWireless KrakenTournamentEdition Apple AirPodsMaxWireless AirPodsProTrulyWireless AirPods(3rdgeneration)TrulyWireless AirPods(2ndgeneration)TrulyWireless EarPods AirPods(1stgeneration)TrulyWireless Sennheiser Momentum3Wireless MOMENTUMTrueWireless2 CXPlusTrueWireless HD650 CXTrueWireless HD450BTWireless HD280Pro2016 HD660S PXC550-IIWireless HD599 Samsung GalaxyBuds2TrulyWireless GalaxyBudsProTrulyWireless GalaxyBudsLiveTrulyWireless GalaxyBuds+TrulyWireless GalaxyBudsTrulyWireless LevelUProWireless GearIconXTrulyWireless UFlexWireless LevelOverWireless AKGType-C Astro A10 A20Gen2Wireless A50Gen4Wireless2019 A40TRHeadset+MixAmpPro2019 A40TRHeadset+MixAmpPro2017 A20Wireless A50Gen3Wireless2017 Viewall671headphonesreviews LatestHeadphonesActivity BestAnkerHeadphones BestEarbudsWithAMic BestAudio-TechnicaHeadphones BestWirelessBluetoothHeadphones BestWirelessBluetoothEarbuds BestHeadphonesForMusic BestOver-EarHeadphonesForWorkingOut BestAppleHeadphones BestXboxOneHeadsets BestNoiseCancellingHeadphones Viewallheadphonesactivity Tests HowWeTest Wepurchaseourownheadphonesand putthemunderthesametestbench, sothatyoucancomparetheresultseasily. Nocherry-pickedunitssentbybrands. Guide OvervsOnvsIn-Ear SBCvsaptX HowToSpotFakeHeadphones Break-inTest DynamicvsPlanar BluetoothVersionsComparison WiredvsWireless RealvsFakeHeadphones IPRatings OpenvsClosed-Back TestResults&Methodology RawFrequencyResponse Bluetooth SoundOverall Comfort SoundProfile RecordingQuality PassiveSoundstage Breathability Non-BluetoothWireless BassAccuracy BuildQuality NoiseIsolation Viewallheadphonesarticles Tools HeadphonesTools Compareheadphones Havingtroubledecidingbetweentwoheadphones?Thistoolwillclearlyshowyouthedifferences Tabletool Useourdataandtabletofindthebestheadphonesforyourneeds Voteforthenextheadphoneswebuy Wanttoseeusreviewaspecificheadphones?Hereyoucanvoteforournextreview Graphtool Comparegraphsfromourheadphonestestresultsinordertomakeaclearerandmoreinformeddecision Discussions Deals Reviews Tests Tools Discussions Deals Yourbrowserisnotsupportedoroutdatedsosomefeaturesofthesitemightnotbeavailable. Best WirelessEarbuds Gaming WirelessBluetooth EarbudsAndIn-Ears NoiseCancelling Headphones WirelessGaming Over-Ear NoiseCancellingEarbuds PS5 WirelessEarbudsForAndroid XboxOne XboxSeriesX/S CheapWirelessEarbuds Running PS4 Over-EarsForWorkingOut Wired BluetoothHeadsetsForCalls On-Ear SmallEarEarbuds EarbudsForGaming Music TrueWirelessEarbuds Studio Samsung CriticalListening TVHeadphones BudgetWireless WirelessEarbudsForiPhone Office Bass Beats WirelessEarbudsForSound WirelessEarbudsForRunning EarbudsForBass Open-Back CheapEarbuds BudgetNoiseCancelling Brands EarbudsWithAMic WirelessEarbudsUnder$50 Podcast Skullcandy Commuting GamingUnder$100 Closed-Back DJ Bose BluetoothHeadsetsForTruckers Sennheiser Sony JBL USB-C Neckband NoiseCancellingUnder$100 Under$200 EarbudsUnder$50 Jabra Razer HyperX GamingUnder$50 SteelSeries Kids Apple TurtleBeach WirelessEarbudsUnder$100 Logitech Under$50 AirPodsAlternative Anker On-EarWireless Over-EarUnder$100 WirelessUnder$100 Audio-Technica NoiseCancellingUnder$200 Astro Plantronics Under$20 Jaybird 671 Headphonesstore-boughtandtested,supportedbyyouvia insider access,andwhenyoupurchasethroughlinksonoursite,wemayearnanaffiliatecommission. Drivenbydata,runbyapassionateteamofengineers,testers,technicalwriters,developers,andmore.Wearehiring! Home Headphones Reviews Focal ClearMg Review TableofContents Intro OurVerdict TestResults Differences ComparedToOthers Deals Discussions FocalClearMg HeadphonesReview Testedusing Methodologyv1.5 Reviewed Apr21,2021at10:25am ByDagobietMoralesAlfaro,VanessaMcCuaig,JohnPeroramas 8.0 NeutralSound 3.9 Commute/Travel 5.2 Sports/Fitness 4.6 Office 4.6 WirelessGaming 6.6 WiredGaming 1.6 PhoneCalls +Createyourown SEEPRICEAmazon.com overview testresults deals discussions Type Over-ear Enclosure Open-Back Wireless No NoiseCancelling No Mic No Transducer Dynamic TheFocalClearMgareaudiophileheadphoneswithaverypremiumdesignandacomfortablefit.They'rethenextgenerationoftheFocalClear,andunliketheirpredecessor,theirdrivershaveM-shapedinvertedmagnesiumdomes.Theseareadvertisedtoimprovetheirdampingcapacitiesaswellasmakethemlighterandmorerigid.Theyhaveasmoothandwarmsoundprofilethatreproducesclearandaccuratevocalsandleadinstruments.However,theirtreblerangeisabitrecessed,whichveilstheupperharmonicsofvocalswhilesibilantsaredull.Eventhoughtheirsoundstagedoesn'tsoundasspaciousorwideasotheropen-backheadphones,theycanstillofferanimmersiveaudioexperiencesuitableforstudiouse. OurVerdict 8.0 NeutralSound TheFocalClearMgareverygoodforneutralsound.Theyhaveasmoothandwarmsoundprofilewithaflatmid-range,wellsuitedforaccuratelyreproducingvocalsandleadinstruments.However,theylackabitoflow-bass,andtheirunderemphasizedtreblerangeveilsanddarkenssibilants.Whiletheyhaveconsistentbassdelivery,theirtrebledeliverycanvarydependingonfitandseal.Thatsaid,althoughtheirsoundstagedoesn'tsoundaswideorspaciousasotheropen-backheadphones,itstillfeelslikeaudioiscomingfromspeakersplacedaroundyou,ratherthanasifcomingfrominsideyourhead. Pros Comfortablefit. Verywell-built. Greatoverallfrequencyresponseconsistency. Cons Underemphasizedtreblerange. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourNeutralSoundRecommendations 3.9 Commute/Travel TheFocalClearMgarepoorforcommuteandtravel.Theyaren'tdesignedforthispurposeasthey'rebig,bulky,andnotveryportable.Theiropen-backdesignallowsaudiotobleed,soothercommuterscanhearwhateveryou'relisteningto,andtheydon'tblockoutalmostanybackgroundnoise.Ontheupside,they'recomfortableandverywell-built. Pros Comfortablefit. Verywell-built. Cons Don'tblockoutbackgroundnoise. Bulkydesignthatisn'tveryportable. Leaksalotofaudio. Nomusicorcallcontrols. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourCommute/TravelRecommendations 5.2 Sports/Fitness TheFocalClearMgaredisappointingforsportsandfitness.They'renotdesignedforthispurposeasthey'rebulky,notveryportableorstable,andlackanIPratingfordustandwaterresistance,althoughwedon'tcurrentlytestforthis.Theirover-earfitcanalsomakeyourearssweatmore.They'reverycomfortable,though. Pros Comfortablefit. Verywell-built. Cons Don'tblockoutbackgroundnoise. Bulkydesignthatisn'tveryportable. Leaksalotofaudio. Nomusicorcallcontrols. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourSports/FitnessRecommendations 4.6 Office TheFocalClearMgarepoorforofficeuse.Althoughtheyhaveacomfortabledesign,they'reopen-backheadphonesandleakalotofaudio,whichcanannoycoworkersaroundyou,andtheydon'tblockoutalmostanybackgroundnoise.Theyalsodon'thaveanycallormusic-relatedcontrolsandareprettybulky.Ontheupside,theirwireddesignmeansthatyoudon'thavetoworryaboutbatterylife. Pros Comfortablefit. Verywell-built. Cons Don'tblockoutbackgroundnoise. Leaksalotofaudio. Nomusicorcallcontrols. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourOfficeRecommendations 4.6 WirelessGaming TheFocalClearMgarewired-onlyheadphonesandcan'tbeusedwirelessly. SEEPRICEAmazon.com SeeourWirelessGamingRecommendations 6.6 WiredGaming TheFocalClearMgareokayforwiredgaming.Theseheadphoneslackamicrophone,soyoucanonlyreceiveaudioonPCsorconsoles.They'recomfortableenoughforlonggamingmarathons,andtheirwireddesignensuresvirtuallynolatency.Theirwarmsoundprofilecanalsohelpbringoutsoundeffectsingameplay. Pros Comfortablefit. Verywell-built. Cons Don'tblockoutbackgroundnoise. Leaksalotofaudio. SEEPRICEAmazon.com 1.6 PhoneCalls TheFocalClearMgdon'thaveamicrophoneandcan'tbeusedfortakingphonecalls. SEEPRICEAmazon.com 8.0 NeutralSound 3.9 Commute/Travel 5.2 Sports/Fitness 4.6 Office 4.6 WirelessGaming 6.6 WiredGaming 1.6 PhoneCalls +Createyourown UpdatedNov05,2021: ConvertedtoTestBench1.5. UpdatedApr21,2021: Reviewpublished. UpdatedApr16,2021: Earlyaccesspublished. CheckPrice Chestnut ClearMg SEEPRICEAmazon.com SEECURRENTDEALSANDPRICETREND   TestResults SortCategory ─────────── RATINGS NeutralSound Commute/Travel Sports/Fitness Office WirelessGaming WiredGaming PhoneCalls CategoryAll Design Sound Isolation Microphone ActiveFeatures Connectivity Design Design Style TheFocalClearMghaveasomewhatsimilardesigntootherFocalheadphonesliketheFocalStelliaorFocalClear,withthebrand'ssignaturelogooneachearcup.However,theyhaveacontrastingmixed-metalbuildwithsilverhoneycombgrillesonbothearcupsandachestnuttrim.Overall,theylookverysleekandpremium. — 8.0 Design Comfort Weight 1lbs ClampingForce 1lbs TheFocalClearMgareverycomfortable.TheyhaveasimilarfittotheFocalStelliabutwithmicrofiberearcushionsratherthanleather,whichfeelsniceontheskin.Theheadbandiswell-padded,whilethecupsarespaciousanddeep.Onthedownside,thematerialsintheirdesignmakethemfeelquiteheavyandbulky,butyoushouldn'tfeeltoomuchfatiguefromwearingthem. — LEARNABOUTCOMFORT   0 Design Controls OSCompatibility NoControls EaseOfUse NoControls Feedback NoControls Call/MusicControl No VolumeControl No MicrophoneControl No ChannelMixing No NoiseCancellingControl No Talk-Through No AdditionalControls No — LEARNABOUTCONTROLS   6.7 Design Breathability Avg.Temp.Difference 5.1°C TheFocalClearMghavealrightbreathability.LiketheFocalElear,theiropen-backdesignhelpspromoteairflow.They'renotdesignedforsports,butifyou'rewearingthemforthispurpose,theycouldmakeyousweatmorethannormal.However,ifyou'reusingtheminastudio,yourearsshouldn'tgettoowarm. — LEARNABOUTBREATHABILITY   5.2 Design Portability L 7.5"(19.1cm) W 8.5"(21.6cm) H 4.1"(10.4cm) Volume 261.40in³(4,283.56cm³) TransmitterRequired No TheFocalClearMgaren'tveryportable,whichisexpectedfromover-earheadphones.Theydon'tfoldintoamorecompactform,andtheirearcupscan'tswiveltolayflat.Thatsaid,theycomewithahardcasetohelpprotectthemwhenyou'reonthego. — LEARNABOUTPORTABILITY   8.0 Design Case Type Hardcase L 9.0"(22.9cm) W 9.8"(24.9cm) H 4.7"(11.9cm) Volume 415.90in³(6,815.35cm³) Theseheadphonescomewithagreathardcarryingcase.Itssoliddesignhelpsprotecttheheadphonesagainstscratches,drops,andwaterexposure.Theinteriorismoldedtofittheheadphonesandtostoretheaudiocableswhennotinuse.There'salsoacarryinghandleonthetopofthecase. — LEARNABOUTCASE   9.0 Design BuildQuality TheFocalClearMgareoutstandinglywell-built.TheyhaveasimilarbuildtotheFocalStelliawithamostlymetaldesign,andtheheadbandhasgoodleatherpaddingontopwithmicrofiberunderneath.Theearcushionsaremadefrommicrofiber.Thedetachableaudiocablesfeelsturdy,too,andarecoatedinarubbersilicone-likefinish.Likemostaudiophileheadphones,theydon'thaveanIPratingfordustorwaterresistance. — LEARNABOUTBUILDQUALITY   6.0 Design Stability TheFocalClearMghaveacceptablestability.LiketheFocalCelestee,they'renotdesignedforsportsorphysicalactivityandcanfalloffyourheadwithmoderatemovement.However,theyshouldmaintaintheirpositionifyou'rewearingtheminthestudioorduringmorecasualuse. — LEARNABOUTSTABILITY   Design Headshots1 — Design Headshots2 — Design Top — Design InTheBox FocalClearMgheadphones 4ft1/8"TRStoL/R1/8"TRScable 1/4"to1/8"TRSadapter 10ftXLRcable Carryingcase Userguide — Sound Sound SoundProfile BassAmount -1.79dB TrebleAmount -3.41dB TheFocalClearMghaveawarmsoundprofile.Theylackabitoflowbass,whichisexpectedfromopen-backheadphones.Theyalsohavearecessedtreblerange,sovocalsandleadinstrumentsareslightlyveiledwhilesibilantsaredark.Thatsaid,eventhoughtheylacksoundenhancementfeatures,they'restillsuitableforavarietyofaudiocontent. — LEARNABOUTSOUNDPROFILE   8.4 Sound FrequencyResponseConsistency Avg.Std.Deviation 0.31dB TheFocalClearMghavegreatfrequencyresponseconsistency.Theirbassdeliveryisconsistent,evenifyouhavethickhairorglasses.Whiletheirtrebledeliverycanvarydependingonfitandpositioning,aslongasyoutakethetimetoadjustthemtoyourhead,youshouldgetconsistentaudiodelivery. — LEARNABOUTFREQUENCYRESPONSECONSISTENCY   Sound RawFrequencyResponse — LEARNABOUTRAWFREQUENCYRESPONSE   8.5 Sound BassAccuracy Std.Err. 2.03dB Low-FrequencyExtension 35.64Hz Low-Bass -3.52dB Mid-Bass -0.52dB High-Bass 1.91dB Theseheadphoneshaveexcellentbassaccuracy.They'reslightlyunderemphasizedinthelow-bassrange,whichresultsinlessthumpandrumbleinyourmixes.However,therestoftherangeisfairlywell-balanced,andthere'sevenasmallbumpinthehigh-bassrange,whichaddsabitofextraboom. — LEARNABOUTBASSACCURACY   9.1 Sound MidAccuracy Std.Err. 1.19dB Low-Mid 0.8dB Mid-Mid 0.29dB High-Mid 1.44dB TheFocalClearMghaveoutstandingmidaccuracy.Theentirerangeisveryflatandeven,resultinginpresentandclearvocalsandleadinstruments.Whilethesmallpeakinthehigh-midsalsointensifiesthesesounds,itshouldn'tmakethemsoundtoohonkyorharsh. — LEARNABOUTMIDACCURACY   5.9 Sound TrebleAccuracy Std.Err. 5.9dB Mid-Treble -4.53dB Low-Treble -3.05dB High-Treble -7.75dB Theseheadphoneshavesub-partrebleaccuracy.It'sunderemphasizedacrosstherange,sovocalsandleadinstrumentssoundveiledwhilesibilantslikecymbalsaredarkanddull. — LEARNABOUTTREBLEACCURACY   7.3 Sound Peaks/Dips Peaks 1.57dB Dips 1.79dB Thepeaksanddipsperformanceissatisfactory.There'sasmallpeakinthehigh-bassrange,whichaddsboom.Anotherpeakinthehigh-mids,followedbyasmallerpeakinthelow-treblemakesvocalsandleadinstrumentsslightlyhonkyandharsh.Alargedipbetweenthelowtomid-trebleveilsvocals,leadinstruments,andsibilantslikecymbals,whilethesteeppeakinthemid-treblemakesothersibilantspiercing. — LEARNABOUTPEAKS/DIPS   8.4 Sound Imaging WeightedGroupDelay 0.09 WeightedPhaseMismatch 11.22 WeightedAmplitudeMismatch 0.49 WeightedFrequencyMismatch 1.99 TheFocalClearMg'simagingisgreat.Theentiregroupdelayresponseisbelowtheaudibilitythreshold,ensuringtightbassandtransparenttreblereproduction.Also,theL/Rdriversofourunitareverywell-matchedinfrequency,amplitude,andphaseresponse,ensuringaccurateplacementandlocalizationofobjects(voices,instruments,andvideogameeffects)inthestereoimage.However,theseresultsareonlyvalidforourunit,andyoursmayperformdifferently. — LEARNABOUTIMAGING   7.5 Sound PassiveSoundstage PRTFAccuracy(Std.Dev.) 3.35dB PRTFSize(Avg.) 3.03dB PRTFDistance 9.2dB Openness 9.5 AcousticSpaceExcitation 8.5 TheFocalClearMghaveagoodpassivesoundstage.Althoughthesoundstageisn'tperceivedaswideorlarge,itseemsspacious.Soundalsofeelslikeit'scomingfromspeakersplacedaroundyouratherthanasifit'scomingfrominsideyourhead. — LEARNABOUTPASSIVESOUNDSTAGE   0 Sound VirtualSoundstage HeadModeling No SpeakerModeling No RoomAmbience No HeadTracking No VirtualSurround NoApp — LEARNABOUTVIRTUALSOUNDSTAGE   7.7 Sound WeightedHarmonicDistortion WHD@90 0.331 WHD@100 0.111 Theweightedharmonicdistortionperformanceoftheseheadphonesisgood.Thereareacoupleofsmallpeaksinthetreblerangeatnormallisteningvolumes.However,it'sveryminor,anditcanbehardtohearwithreal-lifecontent.Thatsaid,mostfrequenciesfallunderacceptablelimits,whichresultsincleanandpureaudioreproduction. — LEARNABOUTWEIGHTEDHARMONICDISTORTION   Sound TestSettings Firmware NoFirmware Power Passive Connection Wired Codec PCM,24-bit,48kHz EQ NoEQ ANC NoANC Tip/Pad Default Microphone NoMicrophone Thesearethesettingsusedtotesttheseheadphones.Ourresultsareonlyvalidwhenusedinthisconfiguration. — LEARNABOUTTESTSETTINGS   Isolation 1.2 Isolation NoiseIsolation IsolationAudio OverallAttenuation -2.55dB Bass -0.15dB Mid 2.03dB Treble -9.11dB TheFocalClearMghavebadnoiseisolation,whichistobeexpectedfromopen-backheadphones.Theydon'tblockoutanybass-rangenoiselikebusenginesormid-rangesoundslikeambientchatter.Theyalsobarelyreducethehigh-pitchedhumofanACunit. — LEARNABOUTNOISEISOLATION   1.8 Isolation Leakage LeakageAudio OverallLeakage@1ft 62.83dB Theleakageperformanceisbad,whichiscommonforopen-backheadphones.Theyleakalotofaudiobydesign.Thatsaid,ifyou'relisteningtoaudioatahighvolume,peoplearoundyoucaneasilyhearit,eveniftheroomismoderatelynoisy. — LEARNABOUTLEAKAGE   Microphone Microphone MicrophoneStyle Integrated No In-Line No Boom No DetachableBoom No — LEARNABOUTMICROPHONESTYLE   0 Microphone RecordingQuality RecordedSpeech N/A LFE N/A FRStd.Dev. N/A HFE N/A WeightedTHD N/A Gain N/A — LEARNABOUTRECORDINGQUALITY   0 Microphone NoiseHandling SpNR N/A NoiseGate No Speech+PinkNoiseHandling N/A Speech+PinkNoiseAudioSample N/A Speech+SubwayNoiseHandling N/A Speech+SubwayNoiseAudioSample N/A — LEARNABOUTNOISEHANDLING   ActiveFeatures 0 ActiveFeatures Battery BatteryType NoBattery ContinuousBatteryLife N/A AdditionalCharges N/A TotalBatteryLife N/A ChargeTime N/A Power-SavingFeature No AudioWhileCharging No PassivePlayback PassiveHeadphone ChargingPort None — LEARNABOUTBATTERY   0 ActiveFeatures AppSupport AppName NoApp iOS No Android No macOS No Windows No Equalizer No ANCControl No MicControl No RoomEffects No PlaybackControl No ButtonMapping No SurroundSupport No — LEARNABOUTAPPSUPPORT   Connectivity 0 Connectivity Bluetooth BluetoothVersion NoBluetooth Multi-DevicePairing No NFCPairing No LineOfSightRange N/A PCLatency(SBC) N/A PCLatency(aptX) N/A PCLatency(aptXHD) N/A PCLatency(aptX-LL) N/A iOSLatency N/A AndroidLatency N/A — LEARNABOUTBLUETOOTH   0 Connectivity Non-BluetoothWireless Non-BTLineOfSightRange N/A Non-BTLatency N/A — LEARNABOUTNON-BLUETOOTHWIRELESS   9.5 Connectivity Wired AnalogAudio Yes USBAudio No Detachable Yes Length 4.00ft(1.22m) Connection 1/8"TRS Analog/USBAudioLatency 0ms Theseheadphonescomewitha1/8"TRScableaswellasa1/4"adapter.TheyalsocomewithanXLRtoL/R1/8"TRScable,whichmakesthemcompatiblewithdifferentamps,receivers,orotheraudiogear. — LEARNABOUTWIRED   Connectivity PCCompatibility Analog AudioOnly WiredUSB No Non-BTWireless No — Connectivity PlayStationCompatibility PS4Analog AudioOnly PS4WiredUSB No PS4Non-BTWireless No PS5Analog AudioOnly PS5WiredUSB No PS5Non-BTWireless No — LEARNABOUTPLAYSTATIONCOMPATIBILITY   Connectivity XboxCompatibility XboxOneAnalog AudioOnly XboxOneWiredUSB No XboxOneNon-BTWireless No XboxSeriesX|SAnalog AudioOnly XboxSeriesX|SWiredUSB No XboxSeriesX|SNon-BTWireless No WhileyoucanconnecttheseheadphoneswithXboxOneandXboxSeriesXconsolesusingtheir1/8"TRScable,youcanonlyreceiveaudioastheydon'thaveamicrophone. — LEARNABOUTXBOXCOMPATIBILITY   0 Connectivity Base/Dock Type NoBase/Dock USBInput No LineIn No LineOut No OpticalInput No RCAInput No DockCharging No PowerSupply NoBase/Dock — LEARNABOUTBASE/DOCK   DifferencesBetweenSizesAndVariants TheFocalClearMgcomesinonecolorvariant:Chestnut.TheseheadphonesalsocomeinaprofessionalvariantcalledtheFocalClearMgProfessional.TheProfessionalhaveablackdesignandcomewithmoreaudiocables.AstheProfessionalaretunedthesameasourmodel,weexpectbothheadphones toperformsimilarly.  Ifyoucomeacrossanothervariantoftheseheadphones,pleaseletusknowinthediscussions,andwe'llupdateourreview. ComparedToOtherHeadphones TheFocalClearMgarepremiumaudiophileheadphones.They'rethenextgenerationoftheFocalClear,andunlikethemand theFocalStellia,theseheadphonesusemagnesiumdomeswithintheirdrivers,whichisadvertisedtoimprovetheiraudioreproductionandmakethemlighter.Thatsaid,theymaintainanoutstandingbuildqualityandhaveaverycomfortablefit.Althoughtheydon'tsoundasneutralastheSennheiserHD800S,someusersmayprefertheirsmoothandwarmsoundprofile. Checkoutourrecommendationsforthebestaudiophileheadphones,thebeststudioheadphones,andthebestopen-backheadphones. HiFiManArya SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheHiFiManAryaarebetterheadphonesforneutralsoundthantheFocalClearMg.TheHiFiManhaveamoreneutralsoundprofileandawidersoundstage.However,theFocalfeelbetter-built. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   FocalCelestee SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheFocalClearMgareopen-backheadphones,whiletheFocalCelesteehaveaclosed-backdesign.TheClearMgcanreproducebassmoreaccurately,andtheirpassivesoundstageismorespacious,open,andlarge,whichcanhelpimmerseyouinyouraudio.However,theCelesteearebetteratisolatingnoisearoundyouandleaklessaudio. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   FocalStellia SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheFocalClearMgarebetterheadphonesforneutralsoundthantheFocalStellia.TheClearMghaveamoreneutralsoundprofile,moreconsistentaudiodelivery,andamoreimmersivesoundstage.However,theStelliaareclosed-backheadphones,whichsomeusersmayprefersincetheyleaklessaudioandisolateagainst morebackgroundnoise. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SennheiserHD800S SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSennheiserHD800SarebetterheadphonesforneutralsoundthantheFocalClearMg.Whilebothheadphonesareverycomfortable,theSennheiserhaveamoreneutralsoundprofile,andalarger,morespacioussoundstage.However,theFocalhaveabetterbuildquality.  CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   BeatsSoloProWireless SEEPRICEBestBuy.com TheBeatsSoloProWirelessandtheFocalClearMghavedifferentstrengthsand,dependingonyourusage,youmaypreferoneovertheother.TheBeatsaremoresuitableforcasualuseasthey'reclosed-backheadphoneswithanactivenoisecancellingfeature,whichcanreduceagreatamountofnoisearoundyou.Theyalsohaveawirelessdesign, amoreneutralsoundprofilethantheFocal, andanH1chipforseamlesspairingwithAppledevices.However,theycan'tbeusedwired.TheFocal,incomparison,areaudiophileheadphoneswith superiorcomfortandbuildquality.Theyalsohavemoreconsistentaudiodeliveryandtheirpassivesoundstageseemsmorespaciousandimmersive.Thankstotheirwireddesign,theyhavenegligible latency,too. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   SennheiserHD650 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheSennheiserHD650andtheFocalClearMgarebothaudiophileheadphonesbutdependingonyourpreferences,youmaylikeoneovertheother.TheSennheiserhaveamoreneutralsoundprofile.However,theFocalaremorecomfortable,better-built,andhaveamorespacioussoundstage. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   HiFiManSundara2018 SEEPRICEAmazon.com TheHifimanSundara2018arebetterheadphonesforneutralsoundthantheFocalClearMg.TheHiFiManareplanarmagneticheadphoneswith aslightlymoreneutralsoundprofile,eventhoughtheylackabitmorelow-bassthantheFocal.Theyalsoreproduceaudiomoreconsistentlyandtheirsoundstageisperceivedaslargerandmorespacious. However,theFocalaredynamictransducerheadphonesthatare better-builtand comewithacarryingcase. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   MezeEmpyrean UnavailableAmazon.com TheFocalClearMgarebetteraudiophileheadphonesthantheMezeEmpyrean.Whilebothheadphonesareverycomfortableandwell-built,theFocalhaveamoreneutralsoundprofilewithbetterbassaccuracyandhavebetterfrequencyresponseconsistency.However,theMezehavealarger,moreimmersivepassivesoundstage. CompareSide-by-Side SEEOURREVIEW   +Showmore RecommendedArticles BestWirelessBluetoothEarbuds BestGamingHeadsets BestEarbudsAndIn-Ears BestHeadphones BestOver-EarHeadphones BestHeadsetsForPS5 BestXboxOneHeadsets BestCheapWirelessEarbuds BestOver-EarHeadphonesForWorkingOut BestOn-EarHeadphones BestEarbudsForGaming BestTrueWirelessEarbuds BestSamsungHeadphones BestWirelessEarbudsForiPhone BestBeatsHeadphones BestWirelessBluetoothEarbudsForRunning BestOpen-BackHeadphones BestBudgetNoiseCancellingHeadphones BestEarbudsWithAMic BestSkullcandyHeadphones BestClosed-BackHeadphones BestBoseHeadphones BestSonyHeadphones BestUSB-CHeadphones BestNoiseCancellingHeadphonesUnder$100 BestEarbudsUnder$50 BestRazerHeadphones BestGamingHeadsetsUnder$50 BestAppleHeadphones BestWirelessEarbudsUnder$100 BestHeadphonesUnder$50 BestAnkerHeadphones BestOver-EarHeadphonesUnder$100 BestAudio-TechnicaHeadphones BestAstroHeadphones BestEarbudsAndHeadphonesUnder$20 BestWirelessBluetoothHeadphones BestNoiseCancellingHeadphones BestWirelessGamingHeadsets BestNoiseCancellingEarbuds BestWirelessEarbudsForAndroid BestHeadsetsForXboxSeriesX/S BestPS4Headsets BestWiredHeadphones BestEarbudsForSmallEars BestHeadphonesForMusic BestHeadphonesForStudio BestBudgetWirelessHeadphones BestBassHeadphones BestSoundingWirelessEarbuds BestEarbudsForBass BestCheapEarbuds BestHeadphoneBrands BestWirelessBluetoothEarbudsUnder$50 BestGamingHeadsetsUnder$100 BestDJHeadphones BestSennheiserHeadphones BestJBLHeadphones BestNeckbandHeadphones BestHeadphonesUnder$200 BestJabraHeadphones BestHyperXHeadphones BestSteelSeriesHeadphones BestTurtleBeachHeadphones BestLogitechHeadphones BestAirPodsAlternatives BestOn-EarWirelessHeadphones BestWirelessBluetoothHeadphonesUnder$100 BestNoiseCancellingHeadphonesUnder$200 BestPlantronicsHeadphones BestJaybirdHeadphones BestHeadphonesByUsage BestHeadphonesForRunning BestBluetoothHeadsetsForCalls BestAudiophileHeadphones BestTVHeadphones BestOfficeHeadphones BestPodcastHeadphones BestTravelHeadphones BestBluetoothHeadsetsForTruckers BestKidsHeadphones Discussions