[gnarlsagan]

I'm super glad we're talking about cables, but can people post photos of their cables? I'm not one for using cables to modify the sound, buy I'll be damned if I don't use something as aesthetically pleasing as it is financially devastating.

 

[pervysage]

I'm super glad we're talking about cables, but can people post photos of their cables? I'm not one for using cables to modify the sound, buy I'll be damned if I don't use something as aesthetically pleasing as it is financially devastating.

Agreed. Would love to see some other people's cable porn.

Here are some pics I posted a while back:










It is the Norne Eternus.

 

[gnarlsagan]

Agreed. Would love to see some other people's cable porn.

Here are some pics I posted a while back:










It is the Norne Eternus.

Those silver connectors look great. How's the overall weight?

 

[pervysage]

Those silver connectors look great. How's the overall weight?

Weight is one that of the best things moving to this cable from the stock one. Don't even feel the difference between having the cable hanging down and when I lift the cable up so I only feel the headphones weight. Pretty much just disappears.

Whereas the stock cable will never let you forget it is there, twisting, tangling and weighing down the headphones like crazy. Damn vacuum cleaner cable

 

[rgs9200m]

Has anyone tried the Dana Lazuli Ref cable on the LCD4? (I guess the reply should be on that thread, but this cable is mentioned here mainly). Thanks.

 

[TimeLord]

Agreed. Would love to see some other people's cable porn.

Here are some pics I posted a while back:




It is the Norne Eternus.

 
That's a clean looking set up. Very nice.

 

[BScherzer]

This is my first post after joining Head-Fi today. I had been reading this thread and some others regarding the Focal Utopia HPs for some time to try to understand what others were experiencing. Being in the Denver area, I was able to finally hear the headphones at RMAF. Most of my listening was with the Woo WA5 LE and that pairing made me seriously consider adding to Audeze LCD3. Well, my number came up at a local audio store and I was able to bring my Utopias home this past Friday. Being a newbie here, I know that reading what other users experienced was helpful in my own decision-making. I figured that I'd post this as very initial thoughts about the Utopia HPs.
 
I am burning in the phones via the headphone jack of an Oppo player.  My headphone amps include an SPL Phonitor 2 and a McIntosh MHA 100. When listening through either headphone amp, the front end is good stuff......Aesthetix, BAT, Clearaudio, Koetsu, Tara Labs......that I know the sound of very well. My initial impression of the Utopia through either amp was that I had made a horrible financial mistake buying them! The sound was edgy, somewhat muffled and I had to wince a couple of times during certain piano notes before I decided to just let them burn in for at least a few hours. Not much change after 6 hours but things started sounding much better at about 10 hours. I decided to just wait for at least 24 hours before putting them on again.
 
Last night was a whole different ball game. I love the Audeze LCD 3 cans but immediately had the perception last night that the Utopia was preferable to my ears........even through just the Oppo player. They are very dynamic, open sounding and as transparent as I could imagine, with good weight and tonal balance. It's a cliche to throw on Brothers In Arms but it's a great SACD and I know it quite well.......or at least I thought I did. I was blown away by what I was hearing. It was extremely detailed but not grating in any way. The proverbial "I'm hearing things I've never heard before..." actually happened. I own JM Labs L&R Utopia speakers, which a older Utopias but still magnificent sounding. If I could only get my speakers to sound like what I heard last night! I went from being pretty worried that I had gone crazy spending so much on a pair of headphones. As of two days later, I'm starting to think that I got a bargain! I'll report my perceptions after at least 100 hours of breakin time. Nice being here!

 

[brams]

  This is my first post after joining Head-Fi today. I had been reading this thread and some others regarding the Focal Utopia HPs for some time to try to understand what others were experiencing. Being in the Denver area, I was able to finally hear the headphones at RMAF. Most of my listening was with the Woo WA5 LE and that pairing made me seriously consider adding to Audeze LCD3. Well, my number came up at a local audio store and I was able to bring my Utopias home this past Friday. Being a newbie here, I know that reading what other users experienced was helpful in my own decision-making. I figured that I'd post this as very initial thoughts about the Utopia HPs.
 
I am burning in the phones via the headphone jack of an Oppo player.  My headphone amps include an SPL Phonitor 2 and a McIntosh MHA 100. When listening through either headphone amp, the front end is good stuff......Aesthetix, BAT, Clearaudio, Koetsu, Tara Labs......that I know the sound of very well. My initial impression of the Utopia through either amp was that I had made a horrible financial mistake buying them! The sound was edgy, somewhat muffled and I had to wince a couple of times during certain piano notes before I decided to just let them burn in for at least a few hours. Not much change after 6 hours but things started sounding much better at about 10 hours. I decided to just wait for at least 24 hours before putting them on again.
 
Last night was a whole different ball game. I love the Audeze LCD 3 cans but immediately had the perception last night that the Utopia was preferable to my ears........even through just the Oppo player. They are very dynamic, open sounding and as transparent as I could imagine, with good weight and tonal balance. It's a cliche to throw on Brothers In Arms but it's a great SACD and I know it quite well.......or at least I thought I did. I was blown away by what I was hearing. It was extremely detailed but not grating in any way. The proverbial "I'm hearing things I've never heard before..." actually happened. I own JM Labs L&R Utopia speakers, which a older Utopias but still magnificent sounding. If I could only get my speakers to sound like what I heard last night! I went from being pretty worried that I had gone crazy spending so much on a pair of headphones. As of two days later, I'm starting to think that I got a bargain! I'll report my perceptions after at least 100 hours of breakin time. Nice being here!

Great write up and good to to hear you are loving the Utopias!  You are correct; while they sound good they do not blow you away on an initial listen.  However, as they break in and the more you listen the more their special qualities sneak up on you.  They are very transparent to upstream components in a way I have not experienced before.
 
Curious as to your impressions of the Phonitor 2 versus the MHA 100 with the Utopia.  I have heard both amps, but never with the Utopia and think they both bring a lot to the table.  

 

[TSAVJason]

Great write up and good to to hear you are loving the Utopias!  You are correct; while they sound good they do not blow you away on an initial listen.  However, as they break in and the more you listen the more their special qualities sneak up on you.  They are very transparent to upstream components in a way I have not experienced before.

Curious as to your impressions of the Phonitor 2 versus the MHA 100 with the Utopia.  I have heard both amps, but never with the Utopia and think they both bring a lot to the table.  

I agree, I'd like to hear that from a consumer. Both Amps are good and the Utopia is great. Look forward to hearing that impression

 

[BScherzer]

I'm happy to give impressions but want to emphasize that I have not done any real critical listening to both amps with the Focals as they break in. Take this with a grain of salt because it only addresses the first couple of hours that the Utopia was being used. I preferred the presentation of the Phonitor 2, which was more transparent and more neutral than warm. The McIntosh, which is less detailed and a lot warmer sounding, accentuated the sense of too much warmth at the expense of detail....or balance. I listened for a couple of minutes before writing this post and the headphones sound far better with the McIntosh than they did on the first day. I'm still in a toss-up but have a feeling that I prefer the Phonitor 2. We'll see if that continues in a week or so. I'm hoping that one of these headphone amops, paired with the Utopia phones will get me close to the synergy these Focals had with the Woo Audio WA5 LE. That sound still haunts me!

 

[TSAVJason]

I'm happy to give impressions but want to emphasize that I have not done any real critical listening to both amps with the Focals as they break in. Take this with a grain of salt because it only addresses the first couple of hours that the Utopia was being used. I preferred the presentation of the Phonitor 2, which was more transparent and more neutral than warm. The McIntosh, which is less detailed and a lot warmer sounding, accentuated the sense of too much warmth at the expense of detail....or balance. I listened for a couple of minutes before writing this post and the headphones sound far better with the McIntosh than they did on the first day. I'm still in a toss-up but have a feeling that I prefer the Phonitor 2. We'll see if that continues in a week or so. I'm hoping that one of these headphone amops, paired with the Utopia phones will get me close to the synergy these Focals had with the Woo Audio WA5 LE. That sound still haunts me!

The SPL, McIntosh Labs and Woo Audio are all 3 great amps. All 3 with significant sonic differences. I look forward to your impressions after you get to full voice on the Utopia

 

[rgs9200m]

Could you as a favor try a regular CD rather than an SACD, as SACD itself will have far less inherent digital glare (and just plain sound better in all respects) on its own. Good old 16/44 of popular music will be the acid test.
Thanks in advance and thank you for the enjoyable impressions and good luck.

 

[LorandCz]

Hey guys,
 
I have a question if you can help me out. Sorry if I'm asking a question that was already asked
 
I was wondering that are the earpad and earcup dimensions for the Elear and Utopia. Thanks!

 

[FLTWS]

  Hey guys,
 
I have a question if you can help me out. Sorry if I'm asking a question that was already asked
 
I was wondering that are the earpad and earcup dimensions for the Elear and Utopia. Thanks!

From my list I keep, I think these are fairly accurate. Measurements of the opening and depth.
 
Model                                 H                  W               D
Sennheiser HD800 / S      82mm          62mm      23mm – 32mm
Hi-Fi Man HE-1000           82mm+       51mm       25mm
Sennheiser HD600           70mm          41mm      23mm
Focal Utopia/Elear            60mm         50mm       23mm+
Oppo PM-1                      60mm         35mm       20mm
Bose QC15                      60mm         35mm       30mm – 20mm

 

[LorandCz]

 
From my list I keep, I think these are fairly accurate. Measurements of the opening and depth.
 
Model                                 H                  W               D
Sennheiser HD800 / S      82mm          62mm      23mm – 32mm
Hi-Fi Man HE-1000           82mm+       51mm       25mm
Sennheiser HD600           70mm          41mm      23mm
Focal Utopia/Elear            60mm         50mm       23mm+
Oppo PM-1                      60mm         35mm       20mm
Bose QC15                      60mm         35mm       30mm – 20mm

 
Thanks @FLTWS !
 
Do you happen to know the external dimensions of the earpads? That'd be really helpful, thanks again.