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How significant are cables for headphone?


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Hello everyone,

 

I own a pair of the Focal Clears and I've been thoroughly enjoying them. Recently, I have been reading about upgrading the stock cables, as I have heard that they can make a difference, but I'm unsure which ones to go for and whether the investment is truly worth it.

 

Has anyone had experience with this?

 

What headphone cables would you recommend for the Focal Clears? Or what cables do you use for your own pair of headphones?

 

Is there a particular type of cable (e.g., balanced vs. unbalanced) that pairs especially well with the Focal Clears?

 

 

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No, not worth it for a sonic upgrade for a Focal clear.

 

Yes, worth it for a functional and aesthetic upgrade. The stock cable is a janky mess.

 

If you can go balanced, do that. How much it improves depends on what amp it is connected to.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Whilst not tested, I believe going XLR balanced to the Clear could improve the soundstage, opening it up. That was my biggest drawback when I had the Clear - a closed in sound - relative the Senn HD800. 

Make sure you do this with a good headamp

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On 20/08/2024 at 7:00 PM, elmura said:

Whilst not tested, I believe going XLR balanced to the Clear could improve the soundstage, opening it up. That was my biggest drawback when I had the Clear - a closed in sound - relative the Senn HD800. 

Make sure you do this with a good headamp

The clear is below average on the soundstage width. As with all Focal.

 

The HD800 is on the very very top handful with that regards.

 

You can't make any Focal sound big and wide.

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3 hours ago, Bengineer said:

You can't make any Focal sound big and wide.

 

You can if you use spatialising software plug ins / DSP . This is something I've been experimenting with lately and some work very well.

 

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