Focal Elear and Utopia Review / Preview With Measurements - Head-Fi TV

[Beagle]

Yes, but when will it be delivered?
See?

 
A week before the Super Elear is announced?

 

[grizzlybeast]

Your so funny. I always get a chuckle

 

[FLTWS]

   
A week before the Super Elear is announced?

 
Brutal! But I'm laughing, Hi-End Hi-Fi, it's not a diversion, its a Blood Sport.

 

[pkcpga]

Code Grey!

Code Grey!

A patient has escaped from the Grado asylum!

Fetch me 3mg of lorazepam, a pair of skinny jeans, 2 bottles of craft beer and a pug dog!

Too old to be a hipster, I still like the grado gs1000 and my rs2's from over 15 years ago. And I like gs1000 better than my LCD 3's but for some music the hd800's are better, for rock and up tempo vocals I like the 1000's. Personal taste since some people love the LCD series I didn't, found it too warm, closed in sounding and muddy bass. The hifiman X are what I should have bought instead of the lcd3. Now I'll wait for the focals.

 

[meomap]

Too old to be a hipster, I still like the grado gs1000 and my rs2's from over 15 years ago. And I like gs1000 better than my LCD 3's but for some music the hd800's are better, for rock and up tempo vocals I like the 1000's. Personal taste since some people love the LCD series I didn't, found it too warm, closed in sounding and muddy bass. The hifiman X are what I should have bought instead of the lcd3. Now I'll wait for the focals.

Wow, all the money spent for all those top picks. Why not save it and select Utopia and be done with it?

 

[pkcpga]

Wow, all the money spent for all those top picks. Why not save it and select Utopia and be done with it?

I think it's all about collecting them, no if I hear something I like at the time I buy it, sometimes it's a winner, sometimes not. But I like to get new toys. If I like the utopia I'll pick it up, but I'd like to try it with the chord dave or naim DAC v1, since I own those DACs. While the elear I can order and not need to run it by the wife or expect her to be looking for a new handbag if I buy it. So the elear fits in an impulse buy price point for me.

Also the utopia is great and new today but will it be the same as the hd800's seven-eight years from now or will the focals get overshadowed by 5 other Utopia like hf since than.

 

[meomap]

I think it's all about collecting them, no if I hear something I like at the time I buy it, sometimes it's a winner, sometimes not. But I like to get new toys. If I like the utopia I'll pick it up, but I'd like to try it with the chord dave or naim DAC v1, since I own those DACs. While the elear I can order and not need to run it by the wife or expect her to be looking for a new handbag if I buy it. So the elear fits in an impulse buy price point for me.

So the WF plays a role here. Sounds like hifi syndrome now, interesting. It's good sign after all. Don't have to take out a mortgage to stay in this hp club, unlike the other Big hifiman club where 50k amp, 100k speaker, 30k turntable, 156 preamp, 10K cables, 5k noise isolator.
Good for you. It's all good.

 

[pkcpga]

So the WF plays a role here. Sounds like hifi syndrome now, interesting. It's good sign after all. Don't have to take out a mortgage to stay in this hp club, unlike the other Big hifiman club where 50k amp, 100k speaker, 30k turntable, 156 preamp, 10K cables, 5k noise isolator.
Good for you. It's all good.

Too late for home products but those she "can use" also, I have nautilus speakers with naim preamp, biamp, Dave DAC. But with home stuff I find 10 year old speakers like the nautilus are still similar to todays and my amps are still great just change DACs and cables every few years as they get old or progress happens.

 

[god-bluff]

Started to dislike Europe now. Bummer ! Feels like I want my money back........

I suggest you read your post again and realise how stupid that statement sounds

Taking a dislike to three quarters of a billion people because you can't have a pair of headphones

 

[meomap]

Too late for home products but those she "can use" also, I have nautilus speakers with naim preamp, biamp, Dave DAC. But with home stuff I find 10 year old speakers like the nautilus are still similar to todays and my amps are still great just change DACs and cables every few years as they get old or progress happens.

Well, for me thosE values at least 3 trips to Europe. I hope its worth it for you.
I have only entry setup for 2 channel listening. Go to hp to about 4 yrs now. Keep going back both 2 and hp every 2 weeks due to needing big soundstage and night listening.
It's all good.

 

[ThatPhil]

Utopia review is up at Inner Fidelity, he likes them
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/worlds-best-headphone-focal-utopia#ursEyedYMdLfZl1J.97

 

[potkettleblack]

I suggest you read your post again and realise how stupid that statement sounds

Taking a dislike to three quarters of a billion people because you can't have a pair of headphones

I suggest you not take people's comments so literally.

 

[potkettleblack]

Utopia review is up at Inner Fidelity, he likes them
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/worlds-best-headphone-focal-utopia#ursEyedYMdLfZl1J.97

Never seen Tyll so happy. Incredible review. I need to hear them and see what the fuss is about.

On his site he states that the LCDX has a larger image which is a bit concerning.

 

[TMRaven]

LCD-X has a huugely deep soundstage, and a good bit of that is probably because of its coloration, which sees the upper midrange-lower treble area subdued compared to the lower midrange.  That effect would mean fundamentals get emphasized over harmonics, which would be akin to sitting more back in a symphony.  Lots of large soundstaging headhpones have this same coloration.  
 
LCD-X however is not very wide in its soundstage, which is a trait pretty common to planar magnetics.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if Utopia sounds wider and images wider compared to the X, while still retaining good depth.

 

[pkcpga]

I'll wait until I hear them to form an opinion, I never really fully agree with Tyll's reviews. Not a big fan of Audeze coloration of sound, even though I own the 3's, just too muffled sounding but I get how bassheads or people who love warm sound would go with them.