[tekkster]

Using the Utopia on the H2 now, and you know...I guess my ears are just too weak. Doesn't sound that much better than the T1. Hrumph. I like that it has a little more bass, I dunno, "energy", I guess. A little better detail that is noticeable on some music. Maybe a tad easier to pinpoint fainter instruments. But given what I paid for the Utopias, I would have thought intimate music would sound intimate (which it does), whiles grander music would sound more grand, which it doesn't.

While I'm sure a good part of the limitation is probably my ears, I wonder if that's just how the Utopias are, in other words, they're just not really ideal for a broad spectrum of music types. I mean, neither is the T1 or the HD800 or the MD50/70 or the W2002 or the tr80, so, guess I shouldn't be expecting magic. But, just seems that the Utopias aren't really idea for, say, Audiomachine, or massive orchestral pieces.

Either way, a teensy bit better than the T1's, but sure as heck doesn't feel thousands of dollars better.

Starting to think spending that much for a pair of headphones might have been a mistake. Given my tastes, I'm starting to think maybe I should have just gotten a T1.2 instead. Thinking...thinking...

To those of you with amazing hearing, my post must be painful to read, hahaha

 

[514077]

Faintly hearing the start of the next track is evidence of 'print through' on the original analogue tape, and that the CD was not remastered as part of the loudness wars.
Arguably it is also evidence of the resolving power of the Hugo 2.
Overall don't lose that disc - even though it is not a great recording, it possesses a lot of 'musical atmosphere'.

There's a myth that the vocal reverse echoing in Led Zeplan's Whole Lot of Love was due to some really bad print-through. Not sure if I believeit; think it was a studio effect. But, in college, we were told to store our tapes tails out to avoid the reverse printthrough. FunFact.

 

[paul2qute]

Using the Utopia on the H2 now, and you know...I guess my ears are just too weak. Doesn't sound that much better than the T1. Hrumph. I like that it has a little more bass, I dunno, "energy", I guess. A little better detail that is noticeable on some music. Maybe a tad easier to pinpoint fainter instruments. But given what I paid for the Utopias, I would have thought intimate music would sound intimate (which it does), whiles grander music would sound more grand, which it doesn't.

While I'm sure a good part of the limitation is probably my ears, I wonder if that's just how the Utopias are, in other words, they're just not really ideal for a broad spectrum of music types. I mean, neither is the T1 or the HD800 or the MD50/70 or the W2002 or the tr80, so, guess I shouldn't be expecting magic. But, just seems that the Utopias aren't really idea for, say, Audiomachine, or massive orchestral pieces.

Either way, a teensy bit better than the T1's, but sure as heck doesn't feel thousands of dollars better.

Starting to think spending that much for a pair of headphones might have been a mistake. Given my tastes, I'm starting to think maybe I should have just gotten a T1.2 instead. Thinking...thinking...

To those of you with amazing hearing, my post must be painful to read, hahaha

I think the focal utopia is over priced and they need to change the name,it ain't in the league of the Utopia range of speakers

 

[514077]

Hi Rob. I use the Hugo 2 almost exclusively in desktop mode. I use it about one hour a day, sometimes once in two or three days. Is it better to keep it turned on 24/7 than turn it off after use? And if so, what’s the difference in power usage when turned off vs turned off without playing? It feels unnatural for me to not turn it off after use.

I'm not Rob. But, I always turn mine off when not in use. I left Hugo1 on toward the end, and the battery died about a month after expired warranty. After all, it's not the Yggy with that chip that has to warm up and stay that way. I leave it plugged in and on when needed.

 

[514077]

Having to move my phone away to read the texts,must be long sited,never thought I'd see

Think I'll need to inbox you mate so you can explain in more detail to me

Using the Utopia on the H2 now, and you know...I guess my ears are just too weak. Doesn't sound that much better than the T1. Hrumph. I like that it has a little more bass, I dunno, "energy", I guess. A little better detail that is noticeable on some music. Maybe a tad easier to pinpoint fainter instruments. But given what I paid for the Utopias, I would have thought intimate music would sound intimate (which it does), whiles grander music would sound more grand, which it doesn't.

While I'm sure a good part of the limitation is probably my ears, I wonder if that's just how the Utopias are, in other words, they're just not really ideal for a broad spectrum of music types. I mean, neither is the T1 or the HD800 or the MD50/70 or the W2002 or the tr80, so, guess I shouldn't be expecting magic. But, just seems that the Utopias aren't really idea for, say, Audiomachine, or massive orchestral pieces.

Either way, a teensy bit better than the T1's, but sure as heck doesn't feel thousands of dollars better.

Starting to think spending that much for a pair of headphones might have been a mistake. Given my tastes, I'm starting to think maybe I should have just gotten a T1.2 instead. Thinking...thinking...

To those of you with amazing hearing, my post must be painful to read, hahaha

I don't know about that. Maybe it's cool to hear you don't have to spend thousands for smaller improvements. Keeps me from lusting for the LCD-4 when the X pleases me enough. Here's to ya.

 

[Audio-Mark]

I've just listened to an album I've heard dozens of times before, since I was about 12. With each upgrade I made in my audiophile journey I would always listen to it at some point and think "wow, this sounds so much better than before".
Now with the H2, this is an experience on a whole new level for me. Suddenly I feel like I can hear everything. So much more detail, space between instruments, depth. Sections where 2 instruments play in unison were a blur before compared to what I'm hearing now where I can distinctly hear each of them separately (oh, it's a keyboard AND an electric guitar!).
Another thing is I noticed is that in the past my attention would always get drawn to the same instruments/parts in the same places in songs each time I listened to it. Now it was completely different. My attention wasn't drawn to any single instrument. I could hear them all clearly and choose where to focus my attention and change it freely.
What's interesting is that this isn't even that great of a recording. Technically one could find many issues with it. It was released in '83 and the transfer to CD isn't perfect (in the silence between tracks I can very very faintly hear the next track starting before it actually starts!). And yet, it turns out this Redbook packs loads of "analog" data.

This has been said here many times but... thank you Chord!

I’m very curious: what album is the album in your story? Don’t forget it’s all about the music, the device is just an instrument.

 

[x RELIC x]

I’m very curious: what album is the album in your story?

He listed it on the previous page in a subsequent post.

 

[dontfeedphils]

Using the Utopia on the H2 now, and you know...I guess my ears are just too weak. Doesn't sound that much better than the T1. Hrumph. I like that it has a little more bass, I dunno, "energy", I guess. A little better detail that is noticeable on some music. Maybe a tad easier to pinpoint fainter instruments. But given what I paid for the Utopias, I would have thought intimate music would sound intimate (which it does), whiles grander music would sound more grand, which it doesn't.

While I'm sure a good part of the limitation is probably my ears, I wonder if that's just how the Utopias are, in other words, they're just not really ideal for a broad spectrum of music types. I mean, neither is the T1 or the HD800 or the MD50/70 or the W2002 or the tr80, so, guess I shouldn't be expecting magic. But, just seems that the Utopias aren't really idea for, say, Audiomachine, or massive orchestral pieces.

Either way, a teensy bit better than the T1's, but sure as heck doesn't feel thousands of dollars better.

Starting to think spending that much for a pair of headphones might have been a mistake. Given my tastes, I'm starting to think maybe I should have just gotten a T1.2 instead. Thinking...thinking...

To those of you with amazing hearing, my post must be painful to read, hahaha

Sounds like it's just not your cup of tea. I knew after the first song that Utopia was what I had been looking for, and it's my go to set. So much so, that I sold off everything besides the Utopia to start building a system around it.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Audio-Mark]

He listed it on the previous page in a subsequent post.

I give up. Can’t find the post you’re referring to.

 

[paul2qute]

What did Mick Hucknall from simply red say...when you reach the top no-one tells you there is nothing there

 

[x RELIC x]

I give up. Can’t find the post you’re referring to.

Lol..

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...official-thread.831345/page-772#post-14107242

 

[514077]

I give up. Can’t find the post you’re referring to.

I give up. Can’t find the post you’re referring to.

He was answering me. Post 11574.

 

[514077]

What did Mick Hucknall from simply red say...when you reach the top no-one tells you there is nothing there

Strange; I was just binging Simply Red about a week ago.

 

[Rob Watts]

I've just listened to an album I've heard dozens of times before, since I was about 12. With each upgrade I made in my audiophile journey I would always listen to it at some point and think "wow, this sounds so much better than before".
Now with the H2, this is an experience on a whole new level for me. Suddenly I feel like I can hear everything. So much more detail, space between instruments, depth. Sections where 2 instruments play in unison were a blur before compared to what I'm hearing now where I can distinctly hear each of them separately (oh, it's a keyboard AND an electric guitar!).
Another thing is I noticed is that in the past my attention would always get drawn to the same instruments/parts in the same places in songs each time I listened to it. Now it was completely different. My attention wasn't drawn to any single instrument. I could hear them all clearly and choose where to focus my attention and change it freely.
What's interesting is that this isn't even that great of a recording. Technically one could find many issues with it. It was released in '83 and the transfer to CD isn't perfect (in the silence between tracks I can very very faintly hear the next track starting before it actually starts!). And yet, it turns out this Redbook packs loads of "analog" data.

This has been said here many times but... thank you Chord!

In the past I have talked about this kind of thing - it's when the loudest instrument dominates, and your attention constantly shifts too the loudest instrument. If you listen to live unamplified music, a quiet instrument will play in the background and is unaffected by an extremely loud one; once you recognise this behaviour you can't go back to other DAC's.

Technically, it's primarily down to two reasons - lack of noise floor modulation - and the WTA filter. That sense of tangibility, solidity and instrument power is even more enhanced when you connect an M scaler. I added that comment not as a cheap M scaler advert, but to illustrate the point that reconstructing transients more accurately gives better instrument separation and focus, and reduces the dominance effect.

This constant switching of attention to the loudest instrument is a key destroyer of musicality, and it's the second biggest source of listening fatigue - the first being a sound that is obviously hard and bright!

 

[Chikolad]

In the past I have talked about this kind of thing - it's when the loudest instrument dominates, and your attention constantly shifts too the loudest instrument. If you listen to live unamplified music, a quiet instrument will play in the background and is unaffected by an extremely loud one; once you recognise this behaviour you can't go back to other DAC's.

Technically, it's primarily down to two reasons - lack of noise floor modulation - and the WTA filter. That sense of tangibility, solidity and instrument power is even more enhanced when you connect an M scaler. I added that comment not as a cheap M scaler advert, but to illustrate the point that reconstructing transients more accurately gives better instrument separation and focus, and reduces the dominance effect.

This constant switching of attention to the loudest instrument is a key destroyer of musicality, and it's the second biggest source of listening fatigue - the first being a sound that is obviously hard and bright!

You’ve certainly got it figured out, Mr. Watts! My ears never seem to disagree with your theories (or shall we call it proven science). This is why I knew, after being wowed by my Mojo, that my next desktop solution would be powered by a Chord product. When the Qutest came out I thought that would be it, but then I read your statements that for headphone use the Hugo 2 was the better choice and I placed an order blindly, without having auditioned it beforehand. Obviously I'm wowed again!