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Two fresh pairs of headphones by Focal. The Clear MG versus the Clear MG Professionals. From the looks, its easy to tell the difference - the Professionals rock black with red cushioning, while the regular MG's don smooth, golden shades all around.
Then we look at the specs. 55 ohm impedance - check. 5-28kHz frequency range - check. The Focal classic 40 mm M shaped magnesium driver - check. So... where does the difference lie?
Well, for starters, the Clear MG comes with a 4-pin XLR. The Professionals come with an extra set of ear cushions. A little give and take between the two. With the same design, its the difference of color that really give them each their own vibe.
LOOKS
CLEAR MG PROFESSIONAL   |
CLEAR MG   |
How do they sound though? Let's jump right in.
SOUNDSTAGE
| CLEAR MG Professional | CLEAR MG |
| Exceptional width, height and clarity | Still exceptional width, not as spread out, in exchange for a tighter sound |
Side by side, after seeing the identical spec sheets, I was relieved to find a difference. The Clear MG Professionals sound completely open, wide enough to fit everything in comfortably, with an added measure of airiness at each end to give the sound real texture and breath. The Clear MG's were not as spread about, but what they lacked spatially they made up for with overall tightness and depth.
Listening for the soundstage alone, I can tell that there are different applications for each of these headphones. Let's compare their sound profiles.
|
|
CLEAR MG Professional
|
CLEAR MG |
|
LOWS
|
Thick, more defined, pumping at times |
Great body, slightly less definition but held the songs tighter together. Comparable spatial placement |
|
MIDS
|
Pinpoint accuracy, everything was identifiable and clear with zero milk. |
The same pinpoint accuracy, with the same clarity, but they blended more with each other thanks to a little extra warmth |
|
HIGHS
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Crisp, airy. Cut through the mix seamlessly without taking on any unwanted brightness. Very accurate sounding. |
A little more relaxed in overall positioning, but with a greater amount of brightness. It made vocals really fun to listen to. Although there was less airiness in comparison, it made up for it with the brightness and punch, which is hard to pull off in a way that remains pleasing to the ears. They pulled it off. |
SIMILARITIES
What Focal delivers equally to these headphones is accuracy and width. Besides slight tonal differences, which I'll get into in a second, both soundstages had precision when representing each frequency range. The space provided by their open-backs was breathtaking. Everything had a place, and it never sounded like I wasn't getting what I needed out of either of these.
DIFFERENCES
The sound profile varied between pairs, though slightly. The Clear MG Professionals are more open, with more air for the highs to breathe. Because of this, acoustic and live performances gave off an insane amount of depth and texture, leading me to think I was in the room watching Eric Clapton's Unplugged Session.
The Clear MG's exchanged some of the airiness for brightness. This gave rap and pop vocals that extra push to the front of the songs, and boy was it nice. Along with that, there was more overall warmth of the music around the mid-lows, giving the songs as a whole a feeling of oneness that kept me coming back for more.
WHAT SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Choosing between these off sight would be difficult. Same price, nearly the same name. I am relieved to say though that depending on what you're trying to get out of the pair you choose, one may be more pleasing than the other.
I'm setting up a list of criteria you may be following on your journey to sonic satisfaction. If it applies, then you may have found which ones are right for you.
| CLEAR MG Professional | CLEAR MG |
|
|
CONCLUSION
If you are looking to fully experience every single aspect of a song, I would recommend the Clear MG Professionals. They are more accurate to the sounds they represent, and that stereo field makes it so you are fully enveloped by the experience. The music is all around you, and you get lost in it. That's what this stuff is all about. The Professionals will keep you on your toes (in a good way), for the space provided by them was an adventure in itself.
The accuracy also makes these ideal for people who work in music or audio, hence the Professional in the name. Not a wave goes unnoticed with these. Not only that, but the clarity was amazing, and I think that mixing with these would prove fruitful.
If you are looking to listen a bit more casually - you would like to experience music in a way that is not so analytical, but more geared towards pure enjoyment - then I would recommend the Clear MG's. The warmth that they provided versus the Professionals, again, gave a sense of oneness that makes them hard to take off. Listening to "Break the Law" by Mac Miller, I was fighting the urge to start moving. They'll get you pumped up thanks to the tightness in the low-mid range.
Key differences:
The Clear MG's were brighter and warmer than their counterpart, made for listeners.
The Clear MG Professionals were more spacious, airy, and clear, made for both listeners and pros alike.
Which one would you go with?
Focal Clear MG on Audio46
Focal Clear MG Professionals on Audio46
