No other headphones at this price point give you a front-row seat at the concert like these do.

The build, design, comfort, and sonics of the Clear Mg Professional are simply superb. Without question, these one of the nicest headphones I’ve ever reviewed. As always, with a product of this caliber, the only downside is the price; like the original, they represent a significant investment. Regardless, the Clear Mg Professional offers audiophile-grade sonics in a top-notch studio tool.

The Clear Mg are unique in myriad ways and an achievement in audio technology. Priced well into the USD$1000+ tier, the Clear Mg are a luxury item for casual consumers. For audiophiles and enthusiasts, they are an object of desire that will satisfy many cravings for superior gear and be an easy choice for a sound investment. The few caveats are the transparent open-back design, physical heft, and…. well, that’s about all. These Clear Mg are closing in on perfection, gracefully dancing between genres with no hint of being far out of their element.

The Focal Clear Mg are some of the highest resolution and dynamic headphones we’ve ever heard. These headphones have the ability to magnify details while still being kind to poorly recorded source material. While the soundstage isn’t the widest available, their pin-point accurate imaging more than makes up for it. If you can afford them, the Focal Clear Mg could be the last headphones you’ll ever buy.

They have a smooth and warm sound profile with a flat mid-range, well suited for accurately reproducing vocals and lead instruments. However, they lack a bit of low-bass, and their underemphasized treble range veils and darkens sibilants. While they have consistent bass delivery, their treble delivery can vary depending on fit and seal. That said, although their soundstage doesn't sound as wide or spacious as other open-back headphones, it still feels like audio is coming from speakers placed around you, rather than as if coming from inside your head.

Exceptional headphones with an informative, refined and entertaining sound, coupled to excellent comfort and build

I’ve heard headphones that sound very similar to the FOCAL CLEAR MG, but frequency response is not everything. When you add comfort, build quality, the exquisite look of the overall design, the FOCAL CLEAR MG is an excellent value at $1500. As high-end headphones go, the FOCAL CLEAR MG is in the middle of the pack in terms of price, but it performs significantly better than the price would indicate.

The open Focal Clear MG are excellent headphones. The music sounds great with many layers of detail and a nice large midrange reproduction. The bass is cash without becoming dominant, and the treble is crisp and detailed without being scratchy. And best of all, the headphones are comfortable to wear and work fine even without a powerful amplifier.

The Focal Clear MG headphones offer simply fantastic audio quality, and a comfortable design for long periods of listening. And they can even be driven by portable devices, though are at their best with a great hi-fi setup.

The Focal Clear Mg is an exemplary headphone, with clean, clear sound, neutral tonal balance, and wide sound stage. Its only drawback is its high price tag.

Let’s not beat around the bush on this one. In 2,300 words, the most significant criticism I have made stick to the Clear MG is that it really could do with a longer cable with a conventional jack connection. That’s it. In the Clear MG, Focal has taken a headphone that was already very, very good and ironed out everything that passed for a criticism. Then, because why not?, they’ve also tweaked it into one of the most effortlessly beautiful bits of audio equipment I can remember testing. The Clear MG surpasses the Sennheiser HD800S and indeed anything else I can think of under £1,500 and keeps most things under £2,000 entirely honest. It is a truly stupendous combination of performance and design and takes its place as the new Best in Class.