Yeah that's why I said the Tidal Master quality versions of those Green Day songs. The originals are terrible mastered. I more meant if it still sounded punchy on either version I guess, the HD800s sounded kinda too airy.
And yep I did that on purpose purchasing in all three. Also really? I didn't know tiny Hugo 2 is technically superior to Yggy would have thought it would be the other way around.
Measurement wise is all I'm referring to, but yes, Hugo2 measurements are supposed to be remarkably good.
As for punch I don't think you'll find the Utopia lacking in the slightest. I need to be careful with the volume or they can punch too hard (dynamically) for me.
From what I've heard at noisy CanJams, the Hugo2 is a slightly lesser version of the DAVE. If I felt compelled to have stellar portable sound similar to my DAVE, I would consider the Hugo2 for travelling.
Yes, and measurably not too far off as well. I really hope Chord can release Hugo2 soon so I can get the tour going and I can find out how it pairs with the Utopia compared to DAVE. I'm just as impatient as the next guy, lol.
Measurement wise is all I'm referring to, but yes, Hugo2 measurements are supposed to be remarkably good.
As for punch I don't think you'll find the Utopia lacking in the slightest. I need to be careful with the volume or they can punch too hard (dynamically) for me.
The Utopia is definitely physically open so I think it would be highly unlikely for it to sound closed to anyone. However, the circumference of the cups and pads are less than the HD800 so it would stand to reason, the HD800S would have an advantage when it comes to sound stage size, especially in regards to height. I believe the silver mash may contribute to the illusion of a wider sound stage as well.
This place is filled with very knowledgeable people and a lot of exaggeration, it's human nature. When someone accuses the Utopia of sounding closed, it has to be taken with a big old grain of salt.
Just keep in mind that measurements don't always equal musical preference. In the end the best would be to audition, or, like I said, wait for more impressions from those that have heard both.
The Utopia's pretty efficient, so you should be good to go with the WA7. In comparison to the HD800S, the Utopia's bass is more defined, clean and present so it should be better for rock.
I can't help much with the sound stage question because I believe it to be more about personal preference than an issue of superiority. However, I will say this much. In my opinion, the Utopia simulates two channel audio imaging better than the HD800S. The stage width is less but the Utopia's more centered presentation gives it an advantage when it comes to creating the illusion of having the phantom center channel of a correctly set up pair of speakers.
This is my opinion only. Some people prefer the sound stage of the HD800S.
Thank you for this insightful, illuminating explanation!
I was unable to explain why the soundstage of my Utopia was much more realistic, thus better, than that of my HD 800. Your astute point makes sense of it.
Just keep in mind that measurements don't always equal musical preference. In the end the best would be to audition, or, like I said, wait for more impressions from those that have heard both.
I tipically listen to small jazz ensemble, and IME/IMHO for this kind of music the soundstage of the Utopia is much more realistic than the soundstage of the HD800 (never tried the HD800S)
that said, I still think that soundstage-wise, the best headphones for jazz I have listened to (again IME/IMHO) is the HE1000v1 (yes, v1, not the v2 which is much more focused and too sharp..... never been in a smokey good ol' jazz club??)
Could someone clarify what they mean by this thing being easy to drive? Like does the Utopia sound just as good out of a Chord Dave than it does out of a Dave to an amp? I was planning on getting a nice amp, but if it doesn't need more than just an Yggdrasil or Hugo 2... I mean my wallet will be happy but I find that somewhat odd.
Could someone clarify what they mean by this thing being easy to drive? Like does the Utopia sound just as good out of a Chord Dave than it does out of a Dave to an amp? I was planning on getting a nice amp, but if it doesn't need more than just an Yggdrasil or Hugo 2... I mean my wallet will be happy but I find that somewhat odd.
It is easy to drive as in it doses not need a lot of power physically to sound great. If you like tubes then you will be in heaven... I heard the Utopia with a tube amp at Canjam and it was exceptional.
Edit: I have driven the Utopia off of the DAVE at the store and I was more then happy with it. You playing around with the Utopia first with the equipment you have will give you a better understanding of what you want to achieve with it. Better to do that then go blind.... Or you could stop into MTME and hear it for your self first?
It is easy to drive as in it doses not need a lot of power physically to sound great. If you like tubes then you will be in heaven... I heard the Utopia with a tube amp at Canjam and it was exceptional.
I was also didn't realize that Dave has an amp... So expensive I never looked at it closely lol.
If I have WA7 Fireflies but am capable of upgrading this summer... Should I? What tube amps pair well with it that are under like 4K (prefereably like 2.5k).
Edit: not sure what MTME is... But I obviously would prefer to try this stuff out. I don't live near any meets or high end audio shops. Yeah Middle America.
Double Edit: Now I get what MTME is. Sorry, nowhere near there. I'd love to if I could.
I was also didn't realize that Dave has an amp... So expensive I never looked at it closely lol.
If I have WA7 Fireflies but am capable of upgrading this summer... Should I? What tube amps pair well with it that are under like 4K (prefereably like 2.5k).
Edit: not sure what MTME is... But I obviously would prefer to try this stuff out. I don't live near any meets or high end audio shops. Yeah Middle America.
I have a Mjolnir2 with some good tubes, and I thinkit sound pretty damn good. Much better than with the Auralic Mk 2. I tried for a couple of weeks with a Wolf Ear Makoyi ($2400) and some really good tubes, and it sounded better. This headphone really scales well. If you can swank an Eddie Current, you probably will be happy for life.
I have a Mjolnir2 with some good tubes, and I thinkit sound pretty damn good. Much better than with the Auralic Mk 2. I tried for a couple of weeks with a Wolf Ear Makoyi ($2400) and some really good tubes, and it sounded better. This headphone really scales well. If you can swank an Eddie Current, you probably will be happy for life.
One of the things I'm not sure of is that prices seem to be negotiable on these things. How much should I be trying to get Utopia for, and maybe an amp? Like I'm assuming the EC studio is gonna be full MSRP. But can you get the ZDR for less? And does it need a lot of tube rolling or is it solid out of the gate? I like my WA7s but they needed some rolling.
Utopia it seems like I shouldn't pay more than 3K...
Could someone clarify what they mean by this thing being easy to drive? Like does the Utopia sound just as good out of a Chord Dave than it does out of a Dave to an amp? I was planning on getting a nice amp, but if it doesn't need more than just an Yggdrasil or Hugo 2... I mean my wallet will be happy but I find that somewhat odd.
I have driven the Utopias off the Chord Dave and the combination is sublime. I find that the Utopias scale really well and not only are they easy to drive but sound good through a few different amps ( I have tried Chord Dave, Sony Ta-ZH1ES and Woo Audio). At the end of the day I would figure out what I want to spend and definitely audition the combo before I decide!
One of the things I'm not sure of is that prices seem to be negotiable on these things. How much should I be trying to get Utopia for, and maybe an amp? Like I'm assuming the EC studio is gonna be full MSRP. But can you get the ZDR for less? And does it need a lot of tube rolling or is it solid out of the gate? I like my WA7s but they needed some rolling.
Utopia it seems like I shouldn't pay more than 3K...
I would not pay north of 3200 for these now. I have dealt with a couple of great dealers on this forum especially Craig (music to my ears) and Jason (Source AV) and I would reach out to them to understand where the current pricing is.
Another option could be checking the selling HP forum. I have seen a couple of these pop-up every now and then
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