[tradyblix]

I find it amusing just how much this hobby has changed in the last 8 years or so.

I remember when people were still doing things like putting magnum drivers in woodied Grados / Grado-alike headphones and the 800 was the undisputed king of the headphone world.

These very same sites that we all know and love were singing it's praises, it could do no wrong, etc.

Fast forward 8 years and the landscape has totally changed. While we have seen some nicer headphone builds and some interesting new exotic systems out, and we have real mobile options now, I can't help but feel that companies have been pushing the prices further as well. Faster than than the headphones are improving. You know what P.T. Barnum said... Anyway, I'll never pay full price for headphones again after this experience.

Having said all that, I'm finding that newer site themasterswitch.com to have a better listing for me than IF. Why ? They list components regardless of price. It's just a nicer way to see top components together based on one thing - sound quality - and not based on presumptions of what 4,000 *should* get you.

Like others have said - the Z1R incident - Putting the clear above the Utopia (It has nicer cables and is priced more sensibly, i'll give that) those things have devalued IF WoF in my, and many others minds. Not that it is not still a great resource and the work they do is great, but I don't consider it to have the same authority to me that I used to give it.

 

[paul2qute]

It would seem shared space in your family is difficult to share. This is not always easy. I had to ask my family to respect my time as I would respect theirs. Sometimes it’s required to discuss the sharing of space. Other times it’s essier to make compromises on the gear like getting a set of closed back in your case ....just my thoughts on the topic

Open back all the way,family locked in shed while I sit in the lounge in musical bliss,no compromise when it comes to my hi-fi and music,my house my rules

 

[doraymon]

Open back all the way,family locked in shed while I sit in the lounge in musical bliss,no compromise when it comes to my hi-fi and music,my house my rules

I'll PM you my wife's email, can you drop her a note to explain how that works?

 

[paul2qute]

Is this the focal Utopia thread or the focal clear thread,I'm not interested in the Utopia,I had it and sold it didn't like it,every Utopia owner banging on about how the Utopia is better than the clear lol.

 

[tradyblix]

Damn that dampens my desire for the Clear as I find my subjective preference in complete opposite to Tyll's. Nearly every high end headphone I own is something Tyll doesn't like or out right hate.

The problem with getting the Clear is that you will always be wondering about the Utopia if you should be using that instead. But I doubt you'd regret it

I'll PM you my wife's email, can you drop her a note to explain how that works?

Your wife didnt' give you grief about the Pathos ? lol

 

[franz12]

I find it amusing just how much this hobby has changed in the last 8 years or so.

I remember when people were still doing things like putting magnum drivers in woodied Grados / Grado-alike headphones and the 800 was the undisputed king of the headphone world.

These very same sites that we all know and love were singing it's praises, it could do no wrong, etc.

Fast forward 8 years and the landscape has totally changed. While we have seen some nicer headphone builds and some interesting new exotic systems out, and we have real mobile options now, I can't help but feel that companies have been pushing the prices further as well. Faster than than the headphones are improving. You know what P.T. Barnum said... Anyway, I'll never pay full price for headphones again after this experience.

Having said all that, I'm finding that newer site themasterswitch.com to have a better listing for me than IF. Why ? They list components regardless of price. It's just a nicer way to see top components together based on one thing - sound quality - and not based on presumptions of what 4,000 *should* get you.

Like others have said - the Z1R incident - Putting the clear above the Utopia (It has nicer cables and is priced more sensibly, i'll give that) those things have devalued IF WoF in my, and many others minds. Not that it is not still a great resource and the work they do is great, but I don't consider it to have the same authority to me that I used to give it.

People may agree or not. But the one thing I found which makes Innerfidelity quite an interesting blog is that Tyll he does not hesitate to knock more expensive cans off in favor of cheaper ones. (Utopia -> Clear, Ethers -> Aeons, LCD4 -> LCD2C) In many other sites, their rank is quite well aligned with the order of a price.

 

[paul2qute]

The problem with getting the Clear is that you will always be wondering about the Utopia if you should be using that instead. But I doubt you'd regret it



Your wife didnt' give you grief about the Pathos ? lol

I'll never be listening to the clear wondering about the Utopias,I want to sit back and enjoy the music not have nightmares

 

[tradyblix]

People may agree or not. But the one thing I found which makes Innerfidelity quite an interesting blog is that Tyll he does not hesitate to knock more expensive cans off in favor of cheaper ones. (Utopia -> Clear, Ethers -> Aeons, LCD4 -> LCD2C) In many other sites, their rank is quite well aligned with the order of a price.

Then he should call it the Wall of Thriftyness and not the Wall of Fame. He even took the SR009 off.

 

[franz12]

Then he should call it the Wall of Thriftyness and not the Wall of Fame. He even took the SR009 off.

Haha. $1500 price tag for a headphone is already enough to make normal people scary away.

 

[doraymon]

Your wife didnt' give you grief about the Pathos ? lol

Nah! I sold my Cavalli LC2 so one black box in / one out is ok.
She did suspect about the Aurium being way fancier due to the tubes and design, but I played the nationality card (we’re from Italy as the Aurium is) and it kind of worked. She just said “Ha...”
Sorry for them OT

 

[doraymon]

People may agree or not. But the one thing I found which makes Innerfidelity quite an interesting blog is that Tyll he does not hesitate to knock more expensive cans off in favor of cheaper ones. (Utopia -> Clear, Ethers -> Aeons, LCD4 -> LCD2C) In many other sites, their rank is quite well aligned with the order of a price.

Yeah Tyll uses a lot the valu for money proposition to rank the headphones but sometimes people misunderstand it as “this is overall better than that” which creates some confusion...

 

[nanaholic]

The problem with getting the Clear is that you will always be wondering about the Utopia if you should be using that instead. But I doubt you'd regret it

I’ve auditioned the Utopia before the Clear was even announced. I wasn’t that smittened by them to be honest, whereas I came to like the Clear almost immediately. Thankfully my local audio store has both so I’m going to audition them a few more times before making my decision, but I’m still leaning towards the Clear more than the Utopia.

Currently I think my end goal is to have one closed dynamic headphone and one open dynamic headphone for home use, and it’s probably going to be the Z1R and Clear. And for all the money I save by not getting a Utopia, I’ll put it to a Stax system build around the L700 instead, and I’ll be set for many years.

Oh yeah and no planers for me, I just don’t gel with the sound signature of planers. Just my preference.

 

[Matro5]

Yeah Tyll uses a lot the valu for money proposition to rank the headphones but sometimes people misunderstand it as “this is overall better than that” which creates some confusion...

While that's true, his review of the Clear was uncharacteristically superlative.

Not that I take Tyll's word as gospel. I happen to enjoy the HD700s which he seems to believe are an affront to humanity. But, for reasons I don't wish to explore, I did feel a bit like a proud dad watching his kid hit a home run when the Clear review was unveiled.

 

[paul2qute]

I’ve auditioned the Utopia before the Clear was even announced. I wasn’t that smittened by them to be honest, whereas I came to like the Clear almost immediately. Thankfully my local audio store has both so I’m going to audition them a few more times before making my decision, but I’m still leaning towards the Clear more than the Utopia.

Currently I think my end goal is to have one closed dynamic headphone and one open dynamic headphone for home use, and it’s probably going to be the Z1R and Clear. And for all the money I save by not getting a Utopia, I’ll put it to a Stax system build around the L700 instead, and I’ll be set for many years.

Oh yeah and no planers for me, I just don’t gel with the sound signature of planers. Just my preference.

I owned the l 700 fantastic ear speakers

 

[nanaholic]

I owned the l 700 fantastic ear speakers

I know - so many times I was tempted to get a full Lamda system in Japan - even the L300 is very good and so affordable over there. Also I much prefer the Lamda series over the SR series, even though the SR series are supposedly “better”.