[SoundHelmet]

The Focal Utopia has a single full range beryllium driver, but there many headphones that use more than one driver. For example, 1More has an over-ear headphone with 3 drivers and an in-ear headphone with 4 drivers. Some in-ear monitors such as from 64 Audio have as many as 18 balanced armature drivers.

MMM. i guess i meant to say "most" headphones. Iems are not headphones. Either way a single full range driver is easier to do on headphones than it is do on a speakers is my main point.

 

[happy hopping]

That's all new information to me. In fact, I never heard of 1more= or 64 audio.

Thanks for the info

 

[kid vic]

MMM. i guess i meant to say "most" headphones. Iems are not headphones. Either way a single full range driver is easier to do on headphones than it is do on a speakers is my main point.

Enigma Acoustics Dharma, AKG K340, Final Audio sonorus VI & IV,Mitchell and Johnson MJ1.
All full sized headphones using multiple drivers; yes I like to bully people on the internet with my big brain. Your absolutely right that its very difficult to do multiple drivers properly though

 

[happy hopping]

Headphone use ONE full range drivers that produces everything. Speakers need multiple drivers because they need to project sound into an entire room. Small drivers can't push bass very far and big drivers will be more likely to break up at high frequency. So speakers need more than one driver . Headphones sit right next to your ear so one small driver can do it all.

I finally have the chance to do A-B test, comparing the Focal Utopia vs. Signature Pro from Ultrasone. I compare 4 songs in 2 CD. My DAC is the Sony PHA-3. There is absolutely no difference on female / male vocal and background music.

First 3 songs is Celine Dion, comparing the vocal and background music, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever.
Last song is male vocal, and in the background, that song so happened to have the "chime" sound by that instrument, the Triangle every 2 sec. I listen to that single note on both headphone, there is no difference.

So I just save $2.5K

Now, if I upgrade my DAC to the Chord Hugo 2, from Sony PHA-3, do you guys think there would be a difference?

 

[SCBob]

I finally have the chance to do A-B test, comparing the Focal Utopia vs. Signature Pro from Ultrasone. I compare 4 songs in 2 CD. My DAC is the Sony PHA-3. There is absolutely no difference on female / male vocal and background music.

First 3 songs is Celine Dion, comparing the vocal and background music, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever.
Last song is male vocal, and in the background, that song so happened to have the "chime" sound by that instrument, the Triangle every 2 sec. I listen to that single note on both headphone, there is no difference.

So I just save $2.5K

Now, if I upgrade my DAC to the Chord Hugo 2, from Sony PHA-3, do you guys think there would be a difference?

You have asked a question that only you can answer. You heard no difference between two very differently priced headphones. If you are happy, you are blessed. Will upgrading your DAC give you a better experience? You need to try it to find out what is best for you.

 

[SoundHelmet]

I finally have the chance to do A-B test, comparing the Focal Utopia vs. Signature Pro from Ultrasone. I compare 4 songs in 2 CD. My DAC is the Sony PHA-3. There is absolutely no difference on female / male vocal and background music.

First 3 songs is Celine Dion, comparing the vocal and background music, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever.
Last song is male vocal, and in the background, that song so happened to have the "chime" sound by that instrument, the Triangle every 2 sec. I listen to that single note on both headphone, there is no difference.

So I just save $2.5K

Now, if I upgrade my DAC to the Chord Hugo 2, from Sony PHA-3, do you guys think there would be a difference?

Difference between DAC is generally more subtle than difference between headphones. if you can't tell apart the utopia from signature pro then i reckon you can live the Sony pha-3 and be happy

 

[happy hopping]

Difference between DAC is generally more subtle than difference between headphones. if you can't tell apart the utopia from signature pro then i reckon you can live the Sony pha-3 and be happy

I'm thinking of that too. The hype on the Utopia is quite high, and likewise, when I was at the Chord Hugo II threads, many of our fellow members strongly defend Hugo II, and the advertising at Chord website also said it's the best DAC in the world. The way they said it, is no difference than ?? in this thread, who told me Utopia is definitely better than Ultrasone.

And I have another problem: I can't sell the Sony. Because it support analog in, in which I have tons of old HiMD, that only does analog out on the HiMD player, so I have to keep the Sony no matter what. So for $2400, about 4X the price of the Sony, if it can deliver DAC performance like my Emotiva XDA-1, I'll be happy. So far, neither these headphone nor the Sony DAC can deliver musical performance close to my desk system, in which the speaker is only M-Audio M3-8 + Emotiva on a Bal. out.

 

[MacedonianHero]

I'm thinking of that too. The hype on the Utopia is quite high, and likewise, when I was at the Chord Hugo II threads, many of our fellow members strongly defend Hugo II, and the advertising at Chord website also said it's the best DAC in the world. The way they said it, is no difference than ?? in this thread, who told me Utopia is definitely better than Ultrasone.

And I have another problem: I can't sell the Sony. Because it support analog in, in which I have tons of old HiMD, that only does analog out on the HiMD player, so I have to keep the Sony no matter what. So for $2400, about 4X the price of the Sony, if it can deliver DAC performance like my Emotiva XDA-1, I'll be happy. So far, neither these headphone nor the Sony DAC can deliver musical performance close to my desk system, in which the speaker is only M-Audio M3-8 + Emotiva on a Bal. out.

The advertising on the Chord site shows that the DAVE is their flagship DAC...just sayin'. And the differences between the Hugo II and DAVE are quite profound. While I really enjoy the Sony Z1Rs, the Sony DAC really left me wanting.

 

[rkw]

And the differences between the Hugo II and DAVE are quite profound.

Including the price!

 

[MacedonianHero]

Including the price!

No doubt...but definitely worth it!

 

[Voxata]

If you can hear no difference between the closed back ultrasone and a utopia you sir have saved yourself a LOT of money in this hobby. Congrats to that! However, it isn't about just hearing a specific 'noise'. It is the tonal balance, how the sound behaves when the music is busy and positioning. This is just to name a few. There are a lot of factors that make a headphone a great headphone. Top that off with everyone having a preference and well... it's a sea out there.