You can get a good quality headphones in the market for less than $100. Sadly, nothing is compared in front of top-end models that cost more than $500. You can easily make out the difference when you wear them on your head.
Right from the sound quality to the comfort, you can feel that there is something special about the headphone. But are they worth that price? Today’s comparison review will discuss two luxury headphones from the same maker.
Focal is a French electronic manufacturer of loudspeakers and electronic commodities. They have been in the business for several years now. Consumers widely appreciate their products because of their durability and reliability.
We will be seeing about the Focal Clear Mg Professional Circum-aural Open-Back Headphones vs the Focal Clear MG Open-Back High-Fidelity Over-Ear Headphones. The Focal Clear MG Professional headphone is a successor to the Focal Clear Professional.
It is part of the professional series of headphones that were produced for artists, singers, and experienced sound engineers. When you are in search of something that can help you listen to each of those notes or tones, then it has to be this unit.
The Focal Clear Professional is a splendid model and comes with awesome features. You can find amazing fitting and seal on it. The same can be said about the Focal Clear MG Professional.
The designers worked to make a new model with a closely textured grille. It is present on the earcups’ outer side, giving an attractive honeycomb design to the model. There are also some graduated hexagons, making it appear pretty sleek.
It has an outstanding design, remarkable comfort and amazing sound tuning. The Clear MG Professional provides you with a finely resolved, precise, and dynamic overview of the audio material.
The price point of $1500 makes them in direct competition with top-end models. Some of them are from manufacturers including Audeze, Hedd, and Sennheiser that offer more transparency. The Clear MG model also comes with fantastic features that are found in the MG Professional.
Let us read more about these two powerful models from a top-notch French manufacturer. We have also mentioned the winner at the end of the post.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Focal Clear MG Pro | Focal Clear MG |
| PROS | PROS |
| The model is extremely comfortable to wear. The unit can provide you with fine vocals. It is able to offer you with a decent amount of bass. Its details are spell-bounding and are very nice, warm & have a neutral sound. These are also pretty easy to drive on your smartphone if required. | There is exceptional comfort in the headphone. The model has an exquisite build quality that can last several years. It is quite easy to drive and use, even for beginners. It is impressive and entertaining in the presentation. The sound quality offers detail and is dynamic. |
| CONS | CONS |
| It does not come with the kind of soundstage to use as the open back. | The Focal model has a lack of isolation from noise. |
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Design & Comfort
Luxurious models come with an exceptional comfort factor. You could say that is why they are priced so high. The Focal Clear MG Professional headphone is an open-back design offering stunning comfort features.
Users can find the French element of design in the model. Our tester also felt that the construction of the model is second to none found in the market. You can make use of the headphone regularly without hassle or issues.
A notable feature in the model would be the black and red color tones present on it. They are quite eloquent and make them appear premium. It is a stylish feature that is present in the model.
It comes with a leather covering and is quite nicely padded. Besides, the earcups can be replaced if users want. They are nice and comfortable that can be worn for several hours. Consumers will not feel any discomfort at all.
It has a black grille that can be found on the outside of the model, present in an ergonomic shape. Additionally, the users can also note the padding has a huge opening that allows you to place your ears in front of the drivers.
The Clear MG headphone design makes it clear from the beginning that it is a Focal product. The manufacture has done an outstanding job ensuring that the classic appearance of the headphone is retained nicely in this model.
As of now, they are making use of a similar design on their entire headphone portfolio. Most of the materials found on the headphone are produced from leather, aluminum, and microfiber. The model is comfortable because of the weight and the microfiber headband.
Not to mention, the perforated microfiber earpads let you experience proper ventilation. During the summer months, you do not feel the heat enter inside your ears, causing discomfort. Like the MG Professional unit, this model is an open-back design.
It allows the sound to let in and be heard by others. You do not have to be a big fan of open-back models. But they are one of a kind. They may not give you privacy, but they sure do provide you with an awesome sound experience.
The M-shaped dome drivers are extremely stiff but have little light on your ears. It comes with two cables, one that is single, and the other balanced one. It means that you can connect the headphones to the kind of amplifier you want.
It could be a 6.35mm or XLR balanced one. You would be glad to know that the model uses 3.5mm jacks, making it simple to change. You may want to know that they cannot be folded. Not ideal for travel purposes.
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Build Quality
It goes without saying that Focal products are robust in nature. The Focal Clear MG Professional headphone comes with an intense build quality. As we read in the above segment, they are nicely designed with attractive colors.
This is one aspect that we might want to mention in here. Luxury headphones usually do not focus on the design and color tones. The makers concentrate on the model design, texture, and, more importantly, the pattern.
The colors are usually left out. You can find many models from manufacturers like Bowers & Wilkins, Sennheiser, Sony, and others. They do not come normally with attractive colors like red, blue, and so on.
However, the build quality of these headphones is unquestionable. It is the same with MG Professional. You can find the cushions and the cable that comes in a detachable Y‑shape. Consumers can note that the model has a strong semi‑rigid case.
It provides you with a precise high‑frequency reproduction because of the fitting on the model. You can find that the connection cable can be routed on both sides and are replaceable. Users will want to know that the connections found are produced through 3.5 mm jacks.
The Clear MG headphone impresses you immediately. That is because they come in exceptional packaging. It is something that you can expect from the maker, thanks due to the price point of it.
You can feel the product having outstanding features present in it. Additionally, the build quality of the materials is magnificent and produced from leather. They are nicely cushioned and thick on the earcups.
There is a hexagonal metal detailing found on the open-back earcups. It is also on par, giving a durable feel to the entire model. You can find a 40mm magnesium drive unit present on the unit.
The reason for the maker choosing the metal is because it is lightweight and sturdy. You can use the balanced XLR lead, but our tester felt that a longer lead would have been better, having a 3.5mm connector in the box.
However, one can forgive them because most other brands do not have a balanced output. You can get a longer lead from the maker, but it is going to cost you some more money, close to $200.
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Audio Performance
The audio performance is the most crucial aspect for any headphone. These headphones are meant for studio use, and that is why our tester used headphone amplifiers to get the effect. They were the RME ADI-2 Pro FS R and the headphone amplifier of a Euphonix CL2000.
The Focal Clear MG Professional headphone audio performance is best described as powerful and balanced. It also comes with a warm fundamental tone having high detail resolution. The unit is way better than most others because of the fine design that it comes with.
You can instantly feel the power of the headphone when using them for recording sessions. The clarity of the audio is quite audible and powerful in a way. Though it may sound cramped or tight sometimes, the unit sounds alright elsewhere.
Our tester noticed that it could catch those deficiencies early itself. When you assess the depth of the music listening, you can also see that the reverberation is quite obvious in there. The mid-range was fantastic.
The Clear MG headphone does a phenomenal job indeed. You can feel the poly/mojo pairing is quite detailed and opulent instantly. There is a hard and sharp edge when you listen to some of the music in the treble.
Its sound quality is something to be heard to be believed. We felt that it was a notch better than the MG Professional. Of course, it may be a personal preference at the end of the day. But the bass and treble came nicely balanced in this unit than the former.
You can also find ample punch on the headphone when listening to the songs. This would be delightful for those of you wanting to listen to music for hours together. The rhythms are provided to you in a controlled manner and not mildly.
The placement of the stereo is precise and stable. However, you can notice the open-backed design provides the model with a sense of space. This feature is something that all closed-backed models do not have in them.
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Microphone Performance
The Focal Clear MG Professional headphone does not come with a microphone. We were not able to test the speech quality on it. Not to mention, we could not understand more about the recording quality found on it.
The Clear MG headphone does not have a microphone. We were not able to find out more about speech quality. Besides, we were not able to find out more about the recording quality of the headphone.
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Compatibility
The compatibility of the Focal Clear MG Professional headphone is straightforward. You will notice that it has a 1/8″ TRS cable and a 1/4″ adapter. Not to mention, it also comes with the XLR to L/R 1/8″ TRS cable.
These features found on the headphone make them compatible with different amps and receivers. You can also consider having them on the audio equipment of your choice. These are basic studio products.
However, you can use them for your personal use as well. The sound of the notes is simply amazing. You can use the Xbox One and Xbox Series X model with the 1/8″ TRS cable. But you can only hear the audio and not communicate with anybody.
The Clear MG headphone is a premium audiophile headphone. Our tester found the unit elegant with the equipment used. You can use them on a wide range of headphone amps, and low impedance/high efficiency is a good sign.
It only means the iFi hip-DAC did not have any trouble when driving the model to high volumes. These were done in both balanced and unbalanced modes. You can make use of the iFi Zen Amp, the tube WooAudio WA3, and iFi Zen DAC.
Similar to the MG Professional unit, you can find the 1/8″ TRS cable. It also comes with a 1/4″ adapter. Additionally, the model has an XLR to L/R 1/8″ TRS cable. If you like playing on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X, then you would be delighted to know that they work on them.
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Price
The Focal Clear Mg Professional Circum-aural Open-Back Headphones is priced under $1500. The model has magnificent features, including comfort, exceptional dynamics, ergonomics, also precise soundstage.
Users can enjoy the sound quality and listen to music for hours together. It is extremely comfortable to wear without you having to feel any sort of discomfort on your ears. The headband is nicely structured too.
The Focal Clear MG Open-Back High-Fidelity Over-Ear Headphones is priced under $1500. Both the headphones are priced in a similar price range. The unit comes with perforated microfiber earpads that offer you with an extended soundstage.
It also comes with an M-shaped grille that follows the curve of the speaker driver. This ensures better high-frequency reproduction. You can find the model has a solid aluminum yoke that molds with the shape of your face.
Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG: Verdict
We have come to the end of the comparison review between the Focal Clear Mg Professional Circum-aural Open-Back Headphones vs the Focal Clear MG Open-Back High-Fidelity Over-Ear Headphones.
We hope you liked what you read in this review and were able to make your decision. If you haven’t, then we suggest that you read the post again. We understand that choosing between two opulent models can be daunting.
But that is how it stays. The MG Professional is a stunning model that comes with amazing features. The headphone is extremely lightweight and comfortable, ensuring you can put them on for prolonged hours.
This quality is of utmost importance for any unit. It is almost on par with the Sennheiser HD 800 S or even the Hedd Audio Headphone. The MG Professional also provides you with an awesome seal and a good fit.
That is quite necessary for having a correct listening ability. Its audio performance was right on the money. Similarly, the Clear MG headphone is a terrific model providing users with everything that is present on the MG Professional.
The comfort and ergonomics are bang on the target, offering you a warm feeling when listening. You can use them for extended listening sessions. They also have the exceptional build quality and finish, making them right up there.
It has a phenomenal resolution, and the imaging was accurate. However, the soundstage is not the best in the market. The maker has designed a product that can be used effortlessly by professional musicians and the like.
Our winner in this review between the Focal Clear MG Professional vs Clear MG models would be the Clear MG unit. That is purely based on the fact that it is the newer model. Of course, minor features like better comfort, ergonomics, and sound quality also played a part in it.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.