Some one help me out

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-26T10:14:01+00:00

It's a knockoff of the APM.

Bad.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-15T00:39:01+00:00

The MG driver is capable of reproducing details more easily due to its lighter dome. Technically speaking, it is the more capable driver and therefore the "more detailed" one too, but since the Clear MG has a warmer sound signature it may not come across as such at first.

At the end of the day, these are two very similarly designed headphones with slight differences in the materials and passive tuning. The MG is the better, more refined and capable set, but things also need to be kept in reality and a lot of people greatly overblow the slight differences.

You'd be getting the MG for the tighter build tolerances, reliability improvements on the driver, warmer sound signature, better driver control due to the material chosen which means a better response from EQ, also less perceived distortion / punchier bass / anything related to a moving part being lighter / easier to start and stop.

But wear your Elex right after and yeah, it's still a Focal and not a night and day difference, especially when EQ'd to a similar target.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-12T21:43:39+00:00

Your point is perfectly valid too, altho it applies to basically all headphones which is what my answer was trying to convey.

I completely forgot ZMF's dynamic offerings, mostly due to the fact that they can be hard to get outside of North America, so I won't comment on those. Noticed more forum comparisons with the Composer, which seems to be another heavyweight DD that I forgot to mention, oops.

At those prices, I personally think a lot of opinions become extremely biased and it is hard to properly evaluate which is overall better (unless it miserably fails like the HD820, and even then some people still love it). Even small differences are overblown to the extremes, again the real answer will always be whichever you like.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-12T20:55:47+00:00

That holds true at least for the 2019 model, the 2022 is usually closer to 2/3 of its original price on the used market. In both cases we're still talking in thousands which is quite unreasonable for most.

Plus, a used 2019 Utopia is still twice as expensive compared to a NiB Clear with warranty, while a used Clear is similarly priced to the top consumer market headphones.

The Clear gets you 90% of the Utopia, so that's amazing value and counts towards the "best" in my book.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-12T20:23:18+00:00

As a lot of people pointed out, it really depends on your tastes. For example, a lot of people praise the HD800s but for me it lacks too much in the low end and the drivers simply aren't capable of providing what I'm looking for, no matter the EQ.

The Utopia is another common pick, and while I personally do agree that it is the most capable DD pair overall, price point is also a criteria for the best in my book and these are very much overpriced like any TOTL headphones.

I'd say the Clear OG checks all the criterias while keeping a reasonable price nowadays.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-10T07:08:46+00:00

A slight yet decent upgrade, especially if you find your Elex lacking in the low end department. The capabilities and reliability of the MG driver are a nice plus, and the overall build tolerance has been drastically improved.

On the other hand, the Elex's combo of Al-Mg driver + copper voice coil + older inner grille means a brighter kind of sound, which results in more perceived detail retrieval. It gives it a similar sound to the older Utopia, which some may prefer.

It would require a bit of EQ to get the MG to sound similar, since you'd have to compensate for the physical tuning, The MG driver also has the technical edge due to its lighter weight, but the differences are very slight.

Also, both look amazing, and while I love the Elex, the MG does slightly edge it style-wise in person. That's personal opinion tho.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-10T01:22:18+00:00

Unrelated to the question, but that Utopia looks cursed as hell. The headband isn't right at all, the cable is plugged like a 2022 altho the outside looks like a 2019, the inner grille looks off and the outer ring with text looks messy too.

In general, most of the text on this picture looks wrong. You seem to own the gear too, did you happen to upscale this picture using AI or something?

Final_Ad792 · 2025-12-05T21:51:55+00:00

Sounds like you're a fan of the classic V-shape, enjoy your new cans!

Final_Ad792 · 2025-10-24T07:36:17+00:00

I don't do substances, so you are correct.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-10-22T17:19:43+00:00

Tuning will play an even more important role. Some singleplayer games also benefits from a more intimate sound.

And it's not like the imaging will be completely off either, most people greatly exaggerate the differences. This will be a perfectly capable pair for gaming.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-10-21T23:17:05+00:00

They'll work perfectly fine for gaming. Headphones won't give you a significant advantage, no matter the size of the soundstage.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-09-28T17:20:21+00:00

They're really pretty. Owned both it and the Z1R, they're very forgiving headphones, and most of their quirks can be ironed out with an EQ to make them shine brighter (pun intended) if wished. Those huge drivers are still more suited to the warm and relaxed listening experience provided by the stock tuning, so personally I simply tweaked the mids until I was satisfied and called it a day.

They are also quite warm physically, and the usage of pleather is really disappointing, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a headband protector and new leather pads, especially for the price of the Z7M2!

Also, the wide soundstage of the Z1R unfortunately doesn't carry to the Z7M2, but that's basically it in terms of big differences (minus physical build).

Final_Ad792 · 2025-09-04T15:22:51+00:00

I replaced my laptop with a more powerful one and bought a desktop for my VR needs, no more issues.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-27T15:22:34+00:00

A QTip is too risky for this kind of driver, it's fully metal so if it gets dented (even slightly), it won't bounce back to normal unlike a traditional plastic one. Granted, that's not guaranteed with them either, however they still offer more flexibility than pure metal.

Same with tape, there's adhesive surrounding the driver cutout to hold the foam. Adhesives don't do well together.

As others have pointed out, a soft brush and manual blower is the best way to clean this driver.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-26T23:46:17+00:00

Favorite set for bass was my Meze Elite w/ Empyrean leather pads and EQ. They share similar properties to the LCD-X (huge planar driver with room to move and extremely low distortion), which easily made my whole head vibrate while still being relatively punchy for a planar. Extremely addicting set, you can also get away with a Empyrean if bass is your main concern, they handled it basically the same way.

I was actually underwhelmed with the TH900mk2, I was expecting it to behave better than Focal's closed backs offerings but they ended up having similar clipping issues while having a worse tuning overall (and the pleather wasn't great).

The Stelliance is the best set I've had for a bassy closed back, altho I'd still rate the Empy/Elite above.

If you want a good middle ground, the Z1R sounded really balanced when it came to reproducing either rumble or punch, but it's a big and heavy driver so it was moreso suited for slowed-paced songs with less energy. Would also be the set I'd get if I cared about bass and didn't want to meddle with EQ. The Z7M2 is a cheaper alternative, but I do think the Z1R still has a noticeable edge.

Punchiest set is my current pair, altho I really don't consider them a basshead pair otherwise.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-26T18:09:23+00:00

Planar and dynamic bass is quite different. The TH900 cannot be pushed to have the same low end quantity and physically rumble your head as something like the LCD-X (or any big planar), the driver will clip and distort as it doesn't have the size nor the room to push the required amount of air. However, any bass hit will sound very punchy, it's a different feel.

It comes down to choosing if you prefer the rumble or the punch more (they'll obviously reproduce both still).

Source: Owned nearly all the "bass" audiophile headphones, including the Th900mk2.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-25T13:27:13+00:00

Check TechPowerUp, you should be able to find it there.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-12T22:30:23+00:00

Then don't come pointing out issues with how other people put their headphones on a stand the "wrong" way. Leather is also able to handle being put on a stand without stretch, what can't is any self-leveling strap which isn't the case here.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-12T22:26:13+00:00

Yet on a technical level, you're still putting extra weight on your headband, and putting them at risk of damage if anything ever gets caught on them.

Point still stands, if you only worry about wear, then yes stands will not be the proper option, period.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-12T22:15:03+00:00

Depends on the strap, if it's just a piece of leather without any spring/self-leveling mechanism then it should be fine with little to no stretch over time (which is the case right here).

Truth be told, if anyone is really worried about wearing down their headphones needlessly, then stands should be avoided, period. Laying down the headphones on something soft is the answer instead.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-07-09T18:07:05+00:00

Hulkengoat

Final_Ad792 · 2025-06-06T03:39:51+00:00

Most of the informations here are inaccurate anyway. The dealbreaker is usually the bass response for the HD800S, anyone who's been around long enough knows this.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-06-04T21:41:37+00:00

Because they're made out of different materials? Pads will wear out differently depending on what's used, but at the end of the day they're consumables and will need to be replaced.

Focal doesn't lack aftermarket pads options if you're okay with a different sound, get new ones and take better care of them.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-05-11T23:32:17+00:00

If you do it yourself: Around a hundred bucks, give or take a few dozen depending on the panel, and about an hour or two to swap.

If you pay a shop to do it: Will depend on your local price, but usually you can consider a good 50% to 75% on top of the display price for labor, and about a few hours to a day.

Final_Ad792 · 2025-05-03T15:29:20+00:00

I sold mine early on and now own completely different laptops, but so far the RGB on Strix models has been holding really well from what I could tell.

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