[Glasha]

I am going to buy the Focal Elear and to use it with the iBasso DX200. But I need to know where I should buy a good balanced cable, I live in Europe (italy). Can you help me please?

 

[xxx1313]

I am going to buy the Focal Elear and to use it with the iBasso DX200. But I need to know where I should buy a good balanced cable, I live in Europe (italy). Can you help me please?

Why not get a Forza Claire HPC? Quality cable for a reasonable price. They are located in Poland, so you will not have to pay customs. They do not have the Elear termination on the homepage, but probably they can offer you this cable too. Just ask Matthew ("contact us" on their homepage). I am very satisfied with his balanced cable for my Oppo PM-3 => AK380.

 

[Glasha]

Why not get a Forza Claire HPC? Quality cable for a reasonable price. They are located in Poland, so you will not have to pay customs. They do not have the Elear termination on the homepage, but probably they can offer you this cable too. Just ask Matthew ("contact us" on their homepage). I am very satisfied with his balanced cable for my Oppo PM-3 => AK380.

Thank you very much! Very useful!

 

[iccp]

Is there anybody here who has bought a focal utopia, and have returned to change for another brand new unit because 10-60hz peak problems of weird and artifacts sounds?
I Have change the Headphone twice, the first one with some serious problem on 40-45hz, the second unit returned with problems on 27 hz and 40hz (verifying by my dealer al times), and when was returned the second (with so short number difference on serial numbers... all we thought that was a defective lot... But curiosly from Focal, after several days making test, the refuse the defects as non existing (but return the money for each one of the distributor of my country.---> that is a way to admit the problem.
The thing is, 3 days ago, I recieved a third brand new unit, with 200 numbers on serial of difference (to me is not relevant, because it doesn´t mean that wasn´t produced by the same line, or the same week with a bad batch of glue or components.
The thing is I have been making a conscientious burning in process with progressive level sound, in different equipment, and be so patient, waiting 72 hours so well programed of burning in process, and today I put on the Hp for the first time, beging to hear music, and .... Puff... THE SAME artifacts in low end problem.... I don´t belive it !!!
Notice that ALL the songs, and equipment combinations, after fails the utopia, was checked with an HD800S, a Grado GS2000e, and even a bower and wilkins P9... and with ALL of them, the result´s was perfect with 0 problems...

I write this with 2 objetives, the first one is to know if anybody has get units on the same "defective" batch from Focal (to me it´s non acceptable that a brand of a supposed level as Focal, doesn´t have a so high QC to avoid this situation. But nowadays, the problem is real, I have the third unit, and with my money in their pocket and NO clear solution

- 2 second objetive is to tell in public HOW BAD FOCAL TREAT their "premium customer", making feel like garbage, each time you have a problem, and they don´t have the minimun empathy with a customer that have paid 4000 € for a pair of Hp, which none one the 2 first units works well, verified by my shop, and after by my country distributor, with specific machines, and the reject any problems, and is the distributor who tries a third time to send me a 3rd new brand unit, with the same luck. Y have many Focal Produc as 2 pairs (4 units) of SM9 (curiosly with the same berilium dome) which works fine, and antoher products.. cms65.... I love focal as a great brand... but I´m VERY VERY dissapointed How Focal (direcly focal) treat their clients, and even worse the "premium" clients.... Nobody call me, nobody worry that I have paid the Hp 3 monts ago and still I haven´t solution, nobody from FOCAL CUSTOMER SERVICE (it that exist) have tried to speal with me and try to make me with a temporal solution and good feeling about the brand take cares about their customer.

I feel like have bought a 40 € Hp from china, and the chinesse vendor, speak (at least) via mail with me to solve anything...

PS: Notice, I live In Spain, and France is so Near... But is there anybody from focal company... you are making with me so bad, because, not only the the defective HP, but, NO CUSTOMER CARE at all...

Right now I can´t recommend not the brand, but the non´-professional people behind there, and how bad I feell, and how may time I have spend burning defectives HP... not whichever Headphone, a supposed premium Headphone, targeted for premium users.... They think than my next step will be to request and audition of focal sopra or utopia III (which I was tinking about aquiring, with these bunch of "Profesional"

sorry all the people, and really furious, not only about the third not QC headphone, but the treat of the customer... THE WORSE TREAT I NEVER HAVE

PS: all my equipment was verified and make different combination to discard source problems.
all the moments with problems, I put the other Hp on the same level, with NO problem or insinuation
I don´t refuse to have a focal, because I have heard a good one of a friend, and I like, also I have invest 2000€ in 3 different king of cables with lemo to focal

If your are planning to buy some focal things.. read this carefully

FOCAL =BAD, POOR (EXISTING?) customer care.... don´t spend 4000€ (and 13.000 on 4 sm9) to discover that you mean garbage to them....

 

[iccp]

If the people want (appart to tell me how they think that they could help me, or solve this)... I can put advance to show how Focal treat a clients who spent only in the past 3 monts almost 20K € and to the you are like garbage with no customer attention, and no contact to try appart to change Hp, to make you supported and confortable with their brands... You are only and input of money, with no more value... That´s really serius to think, when with other brands (for example, with bower, I have a problem with 802 D3, and call them,, and I can say that almost hangin off the phone, the have sent to me a second pair of units, and I have in my house 2 pair of 802 D3, and minutes after, a technical of the company helping me installing and detectinf the problem. we can solve the connector incidence with the first pair, but them mantain the second pair (all need to be said, will be only a temporary solution this second pair, because the don´t have on the same finish as the first one, but the want over all to be shure that I enjoy what I have paid for, and wht sent to temporal replacement until they have the new brand units on the same colors.... Don you think that it is a good customer service? which diifference did you find in this two situation???

I the people wants, I will posting How Focal reacts or make anything but muy distributor (who is very concerned with the problem, but the depends from focal)


Utopia could sound like angels whispering your ear... but if you have bad luck and you depend on a company who has act until now (I remember, more than 2 months from the purchase, and no clue abour customer service, premium users cares, or something like this..... think before the investment on a brand who customer means only an input.... And I live in a country near their HQ... Think if you live abroad on USA or something....

All that´s needs to be a joke because it´s incredible

 

[iccp]

3 mails via focal contact page, requesting talk with customer service... I´ll tell you If they make anything...
While I have the third unusable unit here in my house after 2 months of purchase, with 0 minutes of music enjoy, and hours of wating time burning in defective products.... THAT´S IT´s a compele SHAME... (and remember, NOBODY of FOCAL has CONTACT or TRY TO SOLVE directly this, or WORRY ABOUT MY FEELINGS OR SATISFACTIONS.... A company with no compasion or soul... to me THE Worst Premium bought ever (I´m lucky to access of all king of premium products and brands in my normal life.. I´m hard worker business man and lucky, but never face a situacion like this... NEVER)

 

[iccp]

Anybody could tell me about a similar case on his own utopia, or a customer service similar from focal... to know How procedure, because I don´t know what´s the path to solve this, or if I need to call muy lawyers, and make it on the hard way with a judicial complaint, or what I need to do after two months, and no worry from focal, and less care about customer support.... A supposed big and good brand usually treat the people like this?

 

[Whitigir]

My ears are probably deaf, I can not tell if I have problems at the exact 10-60 Hz . It is amazing that human can hear out of the scientifically proven 20-20k range, but that is my wooden ears...so...sorry about your experiences which I don't understand what it is...

 

[iccp]

It´s easy, put a song with some low frequencies, or enter on spotify or youtube, and search titles as "20 hz frecuencies", and you´ll find a samples and you can easily test your Hp. With the age, all of us, lost some accuracy on high freq, lowering the auditionable range, but from the up side. On the lower freq, allways hear it

The problem I´m exposing is not a joke. I have had 3 pairs (counting the last one) brand new from focal, and the 3 with serious problem (after me expending a lot of time on each burning in)... I think that more people could have the same problem and maybe to be sure at the beggining to request to the "kindly customer support" if they really exists (irony off) instead of discober the problem months later...

I´m really concern how they allow that, how they don´t act or tray to get a nice customer support, and only think, If only me, I´m going on the 3rd defective Hp... how many of us have one and still no notice defect like these (so real) and so dangerous on a 4000€ Hp... Is focal using using us a tester... I know (and you can fin on this thread) that the first units that focal begin to sold, has many and plenty defects, and some users need to return and change their units, even some of them remarking that some unit has 3 meter long cable, .. other more brown and 4 meter cable...

Is like you buy a buggati chiron, but they don´t have any kind of quality control, and also, no customer support and o interest of them (customer who are target of other potential premium products of focal, but NOBODY from focal is interested in the satisfaction of the customer... no mails, no conctact, no interest....

If you have one utopia, I strongly recommend to make the test of low frequencies, and hear if you notice some audible, and annoying artifacts and weird sounds that make you quit the Hp, and begin to fell like me.... and act to return and request a solution asap.

 

[ubs28]

Mine behaves fine at 20hz based on frequency sweeps with a sine wave.

 

[Whitigir]

In the while, I am slamming away with my Wm1z Balanced out to Utopia . Such a superb headphones, really, out of these 2 pieces, it can satisfy so many hardcore audiophiles, portable with more than 12 hours in the bunch..... It is the reason why Utopia is held in such regard in my opinion. The best dynamic headphones yet.

Don't mind the long cables , I keep stock cables as it is the best of copper materials.....and now is in shortage of making more expensive cables lol

I have a plan to get a gold chain necklace with Wm1z as a pendant and wear the Utopia in early morning jogging....joking!

 

[lovethatsound]

Anybody could tell me about a similar case on his own utopia, or a customer service similar from focal... to know How procedure, because I don´t know what´s the path to solve this, or if I need to call muy lawyers, and make it on the hard way with a judicial complaint, or what I need to do after two months, and no worry from focal, and less care about customer support.... A supposed big and good brand usually treat the people like this?

I really feel sorry for you,having all these problems with your utopia.Of course focal should respond to your situation,and it's wrong of focal not to.THE 1st thing to go to the shop where you got them and discuss it with them,maybe they would offer you your money back,it's worth a try.

 

[Whitigir]

I think Focal is trying to take care of his problems, otherwise, how else could one have 3 replacements within how long ? We are talking about a lot of losses here toward Focal sides, like shipping back and forth and then restocking fees....etc...

The problems they may have is the same as what I am trying to understand. I do not know why or how could one determine so solidly that their headphones is a defect due to some weirdness of 10-60 HZ ? Hell below 20Hz is sub-harmonic and only whale or dolphin can hear it.....

I think it would be better if there are some proof of machinery that did the testing, a picture, some sweeps, or measurements to show it to Focal then they will know what is going on, otherwise, it seems moving on and away from Utopia maybe a better choice.

I do feel sorry for him though, but I still do not understand his situation

 

[jamato8]

I have been using the Whiplash Twau for sometime now balanced with the DX200 and the WM1Z, great results and SE with the highly modified micro Zotl 2 with the Illuminati power supply. I see that Whiplash has come out with Twau V2 and have to try it. Expensive hobby but so very rewarding and enjoyable. The Utopia make it hard to go back to any other headphones but I force myself to at time. lol

 

[iccp]

I really feel sorry for you,having all these problems with your utopia.Of course focal should respond to your situation,and it's wrong of focal not to.THE 1st thing to go to the shop where you got them and discuss it with them,maybe they would offer you your money back,it's worth a try.

Hi,
the shop of course give me the money back, also distributor here in spain replace the unit, for third time the past. In fact, the make test to the 2 first alf find problems ( first: over 40-45hz, and the second one in 27hz and also in 40hz)... The sent to France to Focal as the request, to inspect, and Focal refuse any problem, arguing that "could be a postition problem" (it´s all the info that I Have... but, In fact the recognize the problems, because the paid back to the distributor the units, instend of returning "if nothings happened" (That´s dirty)
The distributor try to find a unit with a serial number not so near (the have 7 units, basically correlative) and found one 200 numbers of separation in the serial, and send me as soon as they could...
But still problems, In the same range, and proven with 3 dacs, 3 amps, 4 other hp to be sure, and Focal has a problem, and is the same of artifacts an distorsion in some low frecuencies.

As customer I feel REALLY BAD buying a 4000€ Hp, and the brand act like that... no call, no mail, no support, no solution while the problem is solve (I remember I bought it more than 2 moths away)... This attitude is the very bad that I found on a manufacturer of anything in my live. The shop and the distributor has their hads tied. Of course they refund me the money, but I want an utopia, I have 2 custom cables for utopia (of almost 2000€ the two.. note received yet, and not possible to cancell (discard aftermarket cable problems... not used still).. and I want an utopia which works well

Also If you paid a premium price, you usually hope not also a premium product, but a "premium service an support"... NOT THE CASE... FOCAL acts like you are only an input of money, not a customer with some trouble, who is not confortable after more than 2 month feeling like beta-tester of a new production batch method, and not worried to contact with you, and try to help you...

That´s to me it´s the worth.... I´m still want the utopia, and still been pushing, but I shout to all of you that if is in your plans buy an unit, first, review well, and second... DON´T HOPE any kindness and customer treatment from the part of Focal, because you are not a customer, you are like garbage with 4000€, that once collected, never worried about you...

I´m customer of them by a lot of time, and never has a problem... but until you have one like me, now, you don´t even imagine the kind of company they are. Good speakers, good soud... 0 customer attention, worried, help and even less if you feel bad or hoping help... they probably are laughing about you while the smell in their hands your money...