[dontfeedphils]

Just purchased the TA-ZH1ES and listened with the Utopia for many hours yesterday and I can't say that I was mistaken with my first impression. When I tried out the Utopia on my buddy's Schiit Ragnarok, the headphones inched towards the brighter side. Not HD800 bright but it was brighter than what I prefer. The TAZ softens the Utopia where it was very enjoyable for me.

With what I paid for the Sony (way below retail), I have enough funds left to explore tube amps. I'm thinking I'm going to look at the Eddie Current Balancing Act or the Aficionado (both for sale in the classifieds here) or Felix Audio Euforia. Any comments on Utopia with tubes? Recommendations maybe?

EC Balancing Act, hands down.

 

[Marcner]

EC Balancing Act, hands down.

1+

 

[cskippy]

I'll second a Balancing Act or Aficionado. Prefer the slightly more neutral Aficionado myself.

 

[point1]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/eddie-current-aficionado-w-extras.898449/

I'm eyeing this one.. I can't decide

 

[AmusedToD]

Just purchased the TA-ZH1ES and listened with the Utopia for many hours yesterday and I can't say that I was mistaken with my first impression. When I tried out the Utopia on my buddy's Schiit Ragnarok, the headphones inched towards the brighter side. Not HD800 bright but it was brighter than what I prefer. The TAZ softens the Utopia where it was very enjoyable for me.

With what I paid for the Sony (way below retail), I have enough funds left to explore tube amps. I'm thinking I'm going to look at the Eddie Current Balancing Act or the Aficionado (both for sale in the classifieds here) or Felix Audio Euforia. Any comments on Utopia with tubes? Recommendations maybe?

Is the Utopia cable balanced? If not, get one ASAP, the TA is a totally different beast out of a balanced output.

Regarding the WM1A - TA combo, try to get the docking cradle and a good USB cable, you'll hear improvements there too. The docking cradle is super handy and also has some fancy capacitors built in, so it acts as a USB filter of some kind.

 

[point1]

Is the Utopia cable balanced? If not, get one ASAP, the TA is a totally different beast out of a balanced output.

Regarding the WM1A - TA combo, try to get the docking cradle and a good USB cable, you'll hear improvements there too. The docking cradle is super handy and also has some fancy capacitors built in, so it acts as a USB filter of some kind.

Thank you for the tip! I'm in the process of getting balanced cables. I will look into the dock.

 

[506638]

Bahaha, then this professional musician can play intruments and is Beethoven which was deaf lol.

You're 100% right : this musician has played the Beethoven violin and triple concerti backed by the concertgebouw. I attended both rehearsal and concerts and that's amazing how those persons can hear even the slightlest subtility. Beethoven was deal only as the end of his life but could "hear" what he played via the vibrations of the piano. Have you played on a piano on which Beethoven had played ? I did and it's much different han tthe later pianos.

 

[up late]

Depending on your funds, the best I've ever heard the Utopia on is my Woo Audio WA33. If you can lurk for and get a pre-owned WA22 (which I once had, and sold to buy WA33), the Utopia will also sound amazing.

Thank you! I listened to the Utopia on the W5LE I then switched over to the headamp GSX MKII and I think I preferred solid state over the tube. Maybe I didn't give the Woo amp enough time to heat up and to be honest I don't think I gave it enough listening time to really make a decision.

I appreciate the feedback

i'd be interested in knowing what the output impedance of those woo amps are as i don't see them specified on their website.

 

[JLoud]

38 ohms high impedance selected and 16 ohms low impedance. It sounds very nice with my Utopias.

 

[llamaluv]

38 ohms high impedance selected and 16 ohms low impedance. It sounds very nice with my Utopias.

Which Woo amps are those numbers for? Woo seems to be coy about giving out output impedance numbers (If I'm wrong about that, I would love it if someone could point out where they do list those figures...).

 

[up late]

38 ohms high impedance selected and 16 ohms low impedance. It sounds very nice with my Utopias.

thanks providing that information. those impedance outputs are quite high.

 

[JLoud]

output for WA5 le. I found them from review on I believe Innerfidelity.

 

[JLoud]

They do seem high, but my Utopia as well as LCD3 and even LCD-MX4 sound very nice with it.

 

[up late]

the utopia's tonal balance seems susceptible to being altered by an amplifier's output impedance. doug savitsky of ecp audio explains the effect of pairing the utopia with a headphone amp that has a high output impedance thus:
"The headphones [Utopia] have an impedance of 80 Ohms at 1KHz, but 300 Ohms at 50Hz. That means there is a voltage divider with the headphone Z and amp Z. So, if there is a 1V signal, at 1K about 38% (50/(50+80)) of that signal is lost to the amp's impedance, and the other 62% goes to the phones. So you are left with a 0.62V. At 50Hz, the amp is still 50 Ohms but the phones are 300 Ohms. That means they get 86% of the signal. That's nearly a 3dB boost at 50Hz. Hence too much bass."
that said, if the utopia sounds "very nice" to you paired with the wa5-le then ignore the above.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Hello Friends,
I was notified by my local retailer thats authorised to sell Focal products that Focal will be announcing a new headphone thats marked above the Utopia.
I was told it code named "Project S" so im assuming its name will start with an "S" or perhaps its a "Utopia S" ?

has anyone else heard of anything regarding this? its supposed to be announced sometime this month.