Focal - Clear MG

get open ear headphones, you'll stop overheating your ears. i run focal clear mgs and they sound amazing

Koss porta pros better than clear mgs. Saved a ton thanks!!!! 🙏

I listen to dozens of headphones every month & have worked in audio/music for 30 years. Im immediately thinking that the Focal Clear MG (1500 USD), may be absolutely perfect for you. They're technically an open back, but I have headphones that are technically closed back which are more open. I recently sold mine but ONLY because I have a silly amount of headphones & I have individual headphones that can do exactly all the things that the Clear MG can, but better (but none are an all rounder and all are 3000-4000 except my HD800 which I use almost exclusively for gaming. That doenst mean they're a jack of all trades, master or none - they're a bloody good set of headphones and are extremely versatile. The ONLY issue with the MG (and this is more than likely a blessing in disguise) is that they will clip if you try & push them loud - esp with sub bass... but you/I/we shouldn't really be listening to music at that level anyway. They're *ridiculously* easy to drive. You absolutely do not need a dedicated dac/Amp - just plug them into anything with a headphone jack and bam, there you go... this is to point that you can even plug them straight into a Playstation 5 controller, and they sound great - you can't say that about many headphones! Great for gaming, great for music... NOT good for travel as music will leak out given they are open back. If you can stretch to 2500, you can get the Focal Stellia, which are usually 3000, but I know moon audio are selling them for 2500 USD right now. I did keep these... they are fully closed back & they are IMO significantly better. Some people still prefer the Clear MG. Good review of the Stellia from a a reliable source - https://youtu.be/WvewtNDXDaI?si=iHLSbhZU2k906ZOD I've never needed to see a review of the Clear MG, so I don't know of one I'd recommend.

If you’re willing to EQ for impact the Arya is a good bet. Clear MG probably better tuning for you out of the box. Bit of a left field suggestion but check out the ZMF Bokeh Closed. Seems to fit your criteria. Not sure about shipping/pricing to the EU though.

Interesting question because I would consider $1-2k about the same in terms of performance class. Not an exact science, of course, but here’s how I break out price ranges by performance class (and I have stuff at every level): <$300 = budget / economical $300-$500 = entry level $500-$1000 = mid range $1000 - $3000 = premium +$3000 = flagship / exotic So I’m going to answer with respect to upper mid range into premium territory : Meze 109 Pro - excellent “all rounder” for multiple genres and excellent value for money. Easy to drive and versatile. Big stage like listening in IMAX. More artisan than neutral sound - warm and sparkly. Physically unique design (may or may not be your taste). Sennheiser HD660S2 - standout technical performer, also good all rounder, though slightly lean on sub bass and requires some power, as it’s a high impedance headphone. Smaller stage as is typical for Sennheiser, right in your face, but with excellent imaging. Slightly technical sound while still being musical. Sennheiser HD800S - very big and wide stage, excellent for symphonic and natural instrumentation. Excellent imaging. IMO less good as an “all around” headphone. Lacks bass definition and overly analytical for many modern genres. Also requires a bit of power as it’s high impedance. LCD-X - only recommend if you’re willing to EQ. Can be an absolute bass cannon, and responds exceptionally well to EQ, so you can make the frequency response fit your liking. Excellent presentation that is wide and puts you right in the middle of the stage. Focal Clear MG - similar to the Meze but with less brightness, a bit smoother and a bit more of a dynamic thump in the bass. 109 is the better value IMO. ZMF Verite closed - outstanding staging and technical performance for a closed back headphone, rivals some opens. Holographic imaging. Wonderful lush vocals and excellent detail retrieval, very energetic, gorgeous design. Great all around genre performer. Ever so slightly light on bass for some genres but not enough to be a deal breaker, plus can be EQ’d. Needs a bit of power to shine. Tube amp kicks is up a couple notches, near god-tier IMO for a closed. Customizable in terms of pads to tweak the sound to your liking ZMF Atrium - slightly above your range but all of the excellence of the Verite but even better staging and holographic imaging because it is open, darker tune - more bass, more relaxed treble. Slower speed in exchange for lushness and tonal richness. Often considered a direct upgrade from the Sennheiser 6X0 line. Also tweak-able with pads. Absolute God tier on a tube. Artisan design. Sennheiser IE900 IEM - great all around IEM with a very balanced tonal response. Neutral - musical. Everything you’d expect from Sennheiser in terms of technical performance. Most comfortable IEM I’ve ever owned. Single dynamic driver shines and brings a very high quality analog sound. Audeze Euclid IEM - similar to the IE900, in terms of versatility and tonal balance (slightly more neutral) but it is a planar IEM, so a more planar sound - smoother, faster, plus a wider stage. Still excellent Audeze imaging. Great for gaming and movies. Biggest stage I’ve experienced on an IEM except for the Campfire Trifecta (above your price range). Me personally, I’m a collector, currently own 20+ pairs and have owned more. All of the above I have owned personally (most still do). I am an all genre guy, biggest being electric/EDM, R&B, pop, hip-hop, classic rock, alternative, symphonic, jazz - so I like headphones that can serve many purposes. Happy to answer any questions. Good luck!

Clear MG has a weird mid-forward eq, but with Oratory eq applied they sound incredible! Still has all of Focal’s strengths but with a Harman eq

If your preference is V-shaped then the 600 series isnt for you, kind crazy though that you find the 800S "boring". Coming from a mid-range headphone like a 1200€ Clear MG to a mid-range 300€ headphone is obviously going to be disappointing without factoring in the price. Think about it the other way, how close to the Clear MG does the 660S come for a quarter of the price?

The build is weird and changing the pads is\\was impossible. They are heavy and clunky. I didn't mind the way they sounded, but I found the Clear MG to be very similar while being lighter and easier to wear. So I sold my LCD-X and kept the Clear MG. I use ZMF Auteur headphones for mixing and critical listening. They are OK for casual listening, but better if you EQ them.

Sony WH-1000XM4, Focal Clear MG, Sennheiser HD800S, Audeze LCD-S20, Audio Technica ATH-M50xBT2. I love headphones and I also sell them for a living :) join us at r/headphones

Yea I only use these to watch YouTube videos, sports on the go and taking calls/FT. If I want to listen critically it’s always going to be on my Focal Clear MG with a Mojo DAC, on a Z Fold 6 tuned with Rootless James DSP. I know the average person will think this is overkill, but if you value something enough and have the means to pay for it why sell yourself short. A lot of people that claim to like music for some reason don’t invest more into enjoying it but will spend exuberantly on more popular hobbies. If you like it enough invest in it if you can.