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Headphones Newbie; Senheisser HD 800s or Focal MG Clear

Hi

I'm currently down to one pair of speakers, Quad 2905's. And because these speakers are with the repair technician on a continual basis, I need a backup. While another pair of Quads or another brand of speakers would be ideal, I don't  have that kind of money at the moment. So I've been thinking about buying a pair of headphones that punch above their weight class. My local Senheisser dealer says the HD800s and my Focal dealer says the MG Clear. I really like the looks of the Focal's and am leaning in that direction. I'll just use the headphone input on my ASR Emitter Exclusive II. All suggestions are appreciated, thank you!

goofyfoot
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,502 posts
 

Since you like Quad presentation be sure to audition ERA-1s.

larsman's avatar
larsman
1,753 posts
 

If you like a lot of bass, you're not going to get much out of the Sennheisers - what you'll get is a very, very wide sound stage, details, and airy presentation. If you want more muscle in your sound, I'd suggest the Focals. 

goofyfoot OP
1,325 posts
 

@fuzztone I like my Quads but I'm wanting more variety. As I'm sure you know, the Quads really shine with classical music but can be lacking with a lot of rock or pop. 

goofyfoot OP
1,325 posts
 

@tds3371 thanks for clarifying.

goofyfoot OP
1,325 posts
 

@larsman I've read a few reviews on the Focal Clear MG's and it seems like they've really made improvements over the original Clear's, one being detail. One thing I'm really wondering about the Focal's is whether or not the treble frequencies can seem weak or truncated?

I do have some time before making the purchase. I've got to clear some financial matters before I do anything. Hopefully my dealer might get a pair of the Clear MG's before then.

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