[FLTWS]

 
​Some of the other guys there absolutely do not know what they are talking about, in my opinion. Utopia's bass accuracy only a "5", no stereo imaging, dynamics only a "6". Really? Only in your dreams! And a harsh 5k-8kHz range? Every other headphone I own is harsher there.
 
And the comfort of the LCD-4 is a perfect "10". Come on, this thing breaks peoples' necks!

 
With my music bass accuracy on Utopia seems just right to my ear and is recording quality dependent. Stereo image is razor sharp and stable, just no depth to speak of but maybe with more play time or different amp, or...
 
Limited dynamic range? That's one of the reasons I bought the Utopia, I don't have to turn up pppp passages to hear them which means I don't blow out my eardrums when ffff suddenly comes along and it doesn't distort like some other phones I auditioned over the past year. While everyone hears differently one doesn't listen to just the headphones. Everything in the chain is being listened to, some combinations may be flattering to say LCD's or HEK's but those same qualities may not be flattering with Utopia or HD800.
 
LCD4's? I could never spend enough time with them on my head to listen to anything long enough to draw any conclusion about how they sound. I'm sure it's my fat head and my spindly, weak 16 and 1/2 inch collar size that's the problem. Even the Abyss 1266 was more comfortable.
 
Oh well, to each their own.

 

[ubs28]

   
 
You may disagree with their opinions but I'm sure you'll agree with me that such impressions from a panel of professionals who do not take Focal or Audeze sponsor money is refreshing compared to paid ''reviews'' which are quick to proclaim every new super expensive headphone as awesome.
 
Paid review: The Utopia is the best ever, the only downside is the length of the cable. Please use it with a $4000 amp + $8000 DAC + $3000 cable to get the most from it. Also make sure to burn it in for 237.5 hrs. 
 
My understanding of Bob Katz meta review: The Utopia is a very impressive headphone but maybe a touch brighter and bass light compared to his reference speaker system and real life reproduction of music.
 
I know which one is more useful to me.
 
I have a question for you. When you evaluate a headphone what is the reference you use to determine if it is high fidelity i.e true to the source?
 
Thanks!
 
PS
 
Most of them rate the Utopias as more comfortable, I've tried both and I agree 100%. There are people with stronger necks than ours for whom Audezes are not a problem. Lucky them!

 
Bob has rolled off the treble of his reference speakers and added also a subwoofer to it which he tweaked based on various recordings. If he removes the EQ and the external subwoofer, would it still be brighter and lacking bass next to his reference speaker? That's why I find his testing method against his speakers quite interesting to say the least.
 
Also he uses different setups for the LCD-4 and the Utopia which is an quite interesting testing method.
 
What I believe is the best test is to record something with a super neutral microphone and then try to hear which headphone comes closest to the original source (with both headphones using the exact same equipment that is also neutral).

 

[strangecargo]

   
Bob has rolled off the treble of his reference speakers and added also a subwoofer to it which he tweaked based on various recordings. If he removes the EQ and the external subwoofer, would it still be brighter and lacking bass next to his reference speaker? That's why I find his testing method against his speakers quite interesting to say the least.
 
Also he uses different setups for the LCD-4 and the Utopia which is an quite interesting testing method.

 
Wow. So basically, nothing can be learned from this exercise? 

 

[ubs28]

Wow. So basically, nothing can be learned from this exercise? :blink:

Well, if we assume that the Audezes Deckard amplifier (which was used for the LCD-4) sounds exactly the same as the AMB headphone amplifier that was used for the Focal Utopia, the relative differences between the LCD-4 and Utopia that was heard can be used ofcourse.

But there is a big assumption that both amplifiers (the Audezes Deckard and AMB) sound exactly the same.

 

[up late]

 
​Some of the other guys there absolutely do not know what they are talking about, in my opinion. Utopia's bass accuracy only a "5", no stereo imaging, dynamics only a "6". Really? Only in your dreams! And a harsh 5k-8kHz range? Every other headphone I own is harsher there.
 
And the comfort of the LCD-4 is a perfect "10". Come on, this thing breaks peoples' necks!

 
yeah, those audio engineers have got no idea

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
yeah, those audio engineers have got no idea

 
Or Tyll? 

 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelity-product-year#2f0VBPUeqqzFOY5W.97
 
Both are awesome headphones and I love both!

 

[up late]

i just found that statement hysterical (probably should have added an appropriate emoticon). i also think both are excellent sounding cans.

 

[Toolman]

I like both but my ears love Utopia so much more so I bought one, and that is just that. Both are great cans and I couldn't care what others have to say about it. If your music preference are reliant on other people's (often subjective) reviews, then you'll have a set of never ending problem

 

[brams]

I found the comparison very informative.

My purchase of the Utopia was after auditioning both it and the LCD-4 on the same Questyle Golden stack so definitely no regrets here. Although I question the choice of amps used I also cannot ignore that the impressions of multiple people who are in a better position to evaluate than most of us is quite consistent even though they probably all hear slightly differently.

It suggests to me that what I have taken to be the target for accuracy is slightly skewed toward a slightly brighter tone than is strictly correct. Since I listen for enjoyment I am quite OK with that! The plus is that this will likely drive improvements in the next versions of both units.

 

[Emerald Core]

There was a guy who auditioned both focals plus the new AEON. He ranked them 1- Utopia 2-AEON 3-Elear. 
Well that is his own opinion.
 
 
Anyone auditioned AEON to compare to both Focals? 

 

[phaeton70]

I like both but my ears love Utopia so much more so I bought one, and that is just that. Both are great cans and I couldn't care what others have to say about it. If your music preference are reliant on other people's (often subjective) reviews, then you'll have a set of never ending problem

+1
 
same here, I have extensively listened to LCD4, and they are definitely great cans, but to my ears Utopia are better and that's why I bought them instead of the Audeze.
 
I like to read reviews, and yes they are informative ("paid" or not, which doesn't automatically mean they are false), but as one of my old professor used to say, everything must be put in context. if I read a review of the Utopia made by a bass-head, sound-engineer or not, who use an highly equalized system + subwoofer, and read that those cans are a little brighter, most probably I will find them a little bit too bass-focused 

 
Utopia are the most addictive hps I have had in the last years, since I bought them all my other hps are just gathering dust on the stands, and I have sold also some. and yes, this is just my opinion, and Katz&friends have their own different opinions. their more valuable? maybe, but then everyone in the audio community should be using pro electronics and speakers at home.
IMHO music REproduction is different from music production. otherwise I could say that Utopia is the best hps since the majority of my friends who play professionally (jazz and classical music) do prefer Utopia over LCD4.

 

[strangecargo]

Update on the Danacable: The cable has "opened up" a bit after I left it to cook overnight (Vinh has said I should give it at least 50 hours) and it seems like it's a bit more dynamic and has more top-end extension today. Further listening has really shown me how good the Danacable is at very, very quiet information. So good, in fact, that I started to become aware of a degree of low-level noise in my system, which I solved by lifting the grounds on my DAC and amp (the grounding issue was on my mind because I had recently replaced the receptacle to solve a intermittent ground fault issue with a computer UPS). Now the Danacable absolutely sings. It has a very organic ease with which it conveys all the quietest information and a way of presenting music as a whole which makes the absolute precision of the Axios seem a little artificial in comparison. It's really hard for me to call a favorite now. I think I'm definitely going to keep both of these cables now and switch depending on what I'm in the mood for.

 

[Duncan]

I like both but my ears love Utopia so much more so I bought one, and that is just that. Both are great cans and I couldn't care what others have to say about it. If your music preference are reliant on other people's (often subjective) reviews, then you'll have a set of never ending problem

And this should be the motto of Head-Fi regardless of what headphones you're listening to, or what budget you have...

It doesn't really matter what other people think, it is you wearing / using the product...

 

[rthomas]

I've heard the Utopia and LCD-4 at a store in London for about 2 hours each and I prefer the Utopia myself.....
 
 
You make valid points but I think they can be explained. In Katz Corner 12 Bob states that the speakers have been rolled off a bit to match the tonality of real life. If he is in the studio with the artists making the music that he is using to evaluate these transducers I trust that he has a good idea of what it's supposed to sound like.
 
He used a different amplifier with each headphone due to differences in sensitivity. To his ears both amps are transparent to the source. I know many Headfiers think that only multi thousand dollar amps must be used to ''get the most out of'' summit-fi cans but I think this shows how powerful marketing can be. In my humble opinion the difference between competent solid state amps are subtle even if there is a $2000 gap in price.
 
 
Again I must ask you: What is your reference system when evaluating a headphone?
 
The reason I prefer unpaid reviews is that there is no chance of mediocre equipment being praised to the skies. This leads to increased sales for the good stuff, reduced sales for the bad stuff and therefore the  quality of gear in the hobby overall gets much better over the years. If you have a marketing machine pushing everything as awesome then this process slows down.
 
Please note that for me a ''good'' transducer is faithful to the source. If a headphone colors the sound on purpose to appeal to a certain type of listener I have no problem but a ''reference'' summit-fi can must always strive to be as true to the source as possible.
 
A few examples of mediocre product praised to the skies:
 
1. Original Audeze EL8: Major dip in the upper frequency response.
2. MrSpeakers Ether: A thin sounding planar with poor bass quality and rough treble introduced at summit fi price and then attempted to be fixed first with ''tuning kit'' (pieces of foam?) and then a revision in the form of the Flow version which fixed the bass somewhat.
3. Oppo PM1: An extremely dull sounding headphone. Not worth anywhere near it's asking price. Buy a HD650 and a massive wooden box separately and save $500

 

[up late]

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