The only way I can describe the difference in soundstage between HD800 and Utopia is: Utopia: I can hear and make out with such clarity every damn thing that is played on the stage in front of me. It's very obvious where on the stage sound is coming from. However, the sound is really localized...

Ha..... well thanks a lot you two for the input. I think I will just have to get a pair from Amazon and try them out. I wish the Utopia's had a slightly larger soundstage... they would become my ultimate headphone!

Hi everyone, I am really curious for those that upgraded from an HD 800 to an HD 800 S, why did you do it? And in what ways do you feel the 800S is better? Currently my system is composed of a Yggy+Rag, Utopia and HD800. For the majority of music, I've been using the Utopia. When I play video...

Just want to pop in to say I really appreciate this thread!

How do you get an SDR mod on an 800? I have a pair for HD800, wondering if I can send it in somewhere to get the mod installed?

Awesome, congrats on taking the plunge. I jumped from the WA7 to the Yggy and that was pretty insane. This was also straight out of the box. But as you have most likely read, it gets much better :-)

LOL true that -- though for me, that would be called the HD 800's :-O

Thanks so much -- I will be looking into this!

Thanks for sharing, I can definitely relate with the 'not work' headphones. Working with spreadsheets and or anything requiring high cognitive thinking just does not pair well with the Utopia. I tried again as recent as last night and it feels like the Utopia's slap me and scream "HEY YOU, yes...

What PCIE card do you recommend?

I am really not versed in amps so had no idea balanced vs SE is dependent on amp. I just thought balanced provided more power lol. After reading the thread Darin posted for the Utopia, he mentions that the cable was terminated for XLR.   Will update my profile to reflect the gear I have but...

I bought my Utopia from Darin here on Head-Fi and just realized that the stock cables aren't XLR lol. Fortunately he put an XLR cable on the Utopia's and I hate to admit it but the XLR sounds better to my ears than the SE. Can't tell if it is placebo but I try to match the volume between XLR and...

This might be a bit unorthodox... but the past 3 days I fully extended the length of the focal utopia. Naturally, with it fully stretched out, it does not fit on my head lol. Being the eccentric person I am, I scourged the house for something I could rest on my head, to act as a buffer for the...

I never had the 800 S, but did have the 800 for a period of 3 years before owning the Utopia -- definitely have put the hours in on the Senn's lol. When you say detail retrieval, I take that to mean how audible each frequency is, and or the ability to hear and separate every noise that was...

What is the best way to go from my USB C MacBook Pro to the AES input on Yggy, I am a little confused... help would be appreciated!

Wow thanks so much guys... some of the suggestions here are AMAZING. Truly showcase what these headphones can achieve. Rodrigo & Gabriella in particular. I have a soft spot for acoustic guitars (being a musician myself)  and, just, damn. The imaging, fullness and -- time for me to have another...

Yeah thanks guys... I thought as much. Oh well, one way to find out is when the headphones come!

Hi guys,   I have been tremendously happy with my Utopia's. Will be testing an Abyss pair next week to decide which endgame headphone I want to keep (lol). Can anyone recommend their favorite tracks available on Tidal that really showcase the strengths of the Utopia's? Was reading a few...

Hi everyone,   I've been more than happy with the Rag. Currently pairing it with Utopia's. Next week I have a pair of the Abyss set to arrive. A little concerned that the Rag might not have enough power for the Abyss? I am reading conflicting things. A few published reviews I could find say...

Thanks for sharing everyone. Depicting how the system is connected really helps when there are a lot of components involved. I am curious on the inclusion of a pre-amp like the Freya. Why can't you just connect the Yggy to an amp? Do you guys include the Freya for volume control?   May I ask...

  Appreciate your input! Honestly, the headphones are primarily used for critical music listening, and occasionally I will game on them. In fact for gaming I used to prefer playing them on my surround setup, back when I had the HD800 and believe it or not, it was paired with the same WA7 in the...

Thanks for sharing... never heard of Class D Audio, but they seem very reasonable and hate to use the word, but not like they are trying to rip you off? Have to do more research into them!

Haha, I swear, it feels like I can relate to your audio preferences. Thanks for answering again lol.   It would be really awesome, and much appreciated, if you did add a gaming comparison. Curious, what games do you play that you have enjoyed on the Abyss? I am playing through Dishonored 2...

Does anyone pair their Yggy to speakers? I believe I have past the 200 hour mark and am floored by the sound. My 'reference' prior to the Yggy was the Triton 1 Golden Ear speakers, run through an Anthem receiver. Granted, I was only feeding the speakers Spotify music from the PS4, it still...

Does anyone game on these headphones? Love my music, but also love to game. Feel like the increased soundstage would do wonders for games...