[ButtUglyJeff]

   
No, the HE-1 Orpheus would still get the clear nod. As I said in the CanJam London video, I feel the Utopia's overall performance is matched only by a few top-performing planar magnetic headphones, and exceeded only by the very best electrostatic headphones in the world. The new Orpheus is, in my opinion, perhaps without peer right now (and I still haven't had a chance to try the HE-1 Orpheus with the Chord DAVE yet).
 
My Stax SR-009 and Stax SR-007 Mk1 with the Frank Cooter Custom 845 Electrostatic Amp are still, in my opinion, the better sounding, more resolving headphones (versus either the Utopia or Elear). Of course, at that point, we are talking about an electrostatic system that would be priced significantly higher than even the Utopia, and it's also a system that was shipped on a pallet, because it's so large--so you can't really use it anywhere other than where it is (at my office).
 
Especially with the SR-007 Mk1 (which I've been using more and more lately), the bass is more present than with the Utopia, and the treble smoother and more refined, and, overall, more resolving. Both the SR-009 and SR-007 Mk1 play with beautiful body and drive through the Cooter--more than any other amp I've yet heard with them.

 
I have a weird question.  Did you by chance try your Kimber/Sony cable on the Elear?  Just curious if they fit?  It would be awesome to double purpose them in two headphones...

 

[PhilW]

Gotta say they are pretty spectacular headphones and our stores ToTL has so far been the LCD4, now with the Focal build quality as it is it kinda pushes the LCD4 to one side quite dramatically. Shame we have to wait till September now before I get to hear them again.
 
Focal Utopia UK Pre Order

 

[1c3d0g]

You can always bite the bullet and provide comparisons for the rest of us

...

It's probably going to happen, but more towards the end of this year. To say I'm excited is an understatement, to say the least! As I own a Sony MDR-XB700, XB1000, Fostex TH600, THX00 (purpleheart - coming soon), TH900, this will by far be the most precious thing I own, by a long shot!

 

[mtoc]

...SE-Master1 and...Violectric V281...Heaven...

 
That your heaven only, man...

 

[mtoc]

According to an insider, utopia hps surpasses his $29,500 Wilson Sasha giant* speakers.
 
*Except the soundstage

 

[potkettleblack]

Utopia is now inofficialy the best hps officially in this world, if utopia doesn't sound better than your any other so-called high-end headphones, that's the amp/dac/everything-else you need to blame.

Oh dear...

 

[arnaud]

Oh dear...

Ignore button for troll masters...

 

[griff2]

I'd have thought the Naim DAC V1 would be the natural pairing for these new Focal phones

Nope the V1 is mainly a DAC with a headphone amp bolted on. I sold mine and replaced it with Schit gear for not much more money,but much better audio quality.

 

[up late]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but like I already said ....

i saw your post the first time. i hate having to explain in-jokes but i posted earlier in the thread that the utopia didn't look like a game changer.

 

[up late]

To keep things in perspective: He's one guy with one guy's opinion. Yes, it's an educated opinion, but like everyone else's, it's skewed by his taste and personal preferences. Plus, I really do think he should listen before he measures. I must say that lately, his utter disregard of the Pioneer SE-Master1 and the Violectric V281 for example, two pieces of gear that in combination reliably keep transporting me to Headphone Heaven day after day, really gave me pause. Shows what he knows. Or what I know, for that matter. I don't really care either way, and unlike others, I don't smell a hidden agenda of some sort, I think it's probably just a matter of personal aversion for whatever reasons ... in any case, I guess it just makes him more human in a way.   

that was sounding credible until you brought tyll's opinion of the se-master 1 into this

 

[phonomat]

Ignore button for troll masters...

 
master troll, obviously childlike? 

 

that was sounding credible until you brought tyll's opinion of the se-master 1 into this

 
You mean I'm sulking cause he don't like my baby? Haha, might be! Or perhaps I'm just altruistic enough to wish for him to taste its sweetness as well.

 How about your quest to give it a listen, any luck yet? But perhaps we should continue this in the appropriate thread or drop the matter entirely. Sorry for the OT, folks!

 

[god-bluff]

Nope the V1 is mainly a DAC with a headphone amp bolted on. I sold mine and replaced it with Schit gear for not much more money,but much better audio quality.

You obviously have heard it with Focals?

 

[jude]

There's been talk of pad-swapping between the Elear and Utopia. Then @Stillhart sent me this message:
 

Hey Jude,  I just swapped the Elear pads onto the Utopia.  Got more bass and didn't seem to have much detrimental effect.   Have you tried it yet?

 
Up to that point, I hadn't tried swapping the pads, so was thrilled to read that. As I said in an earlier post...
 

 
I'm one of the people who'd Elearize the tonal balance of the Utopia if I could. For me what the Utopia does better is resolution--it is no doubt the more resolving of the two. However, the Elear's tonal balance is more to my tastes, which have shifted a bit toward a fuller sound (than what I'd deem neutral) over the past couple of years...

 
This is obviously a personal preference thing, and Stillhart preferred the stock Utopia to the Utopia with Elear earpads. The other day I made the swap, and I'll spend more time with the Utopia with the Elear pads, but so far I'm digging it--a lot. I'll spend the next several days comparing, but this may be the Utopia I want, with more richness down low, but still Utopia-level resolving, in terms of details.
 
The earpads are very easy to change, so I have a feeling Focal is going to be getting a lot of Elear earpad orders for those who want both sound signatures with their Utopias.
 
I was curious about how the pad-swapped measurements would compare to stock, to each other, to the HD800, so here are the measurements:
 

---

 

(Above) Frequency response: Focal Utopia with Elear pads (dotted line) and Utopia stock (solid line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Total harmonic distortion (THD): Focal Utopia with Elear pads (dotted line) and Utopia stock (solid line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Frequency response: Focal Utopia with Elear pads (dotted blue line) and Focal Elear stock (dotted green line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Total harmonic distortion (THD): Focal Utopia with Elear pads (dotted blue line) and Focal Elear stock (dotted green line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Frequency response: Focal Utopia stock (blue line) and Focal Elear with Utopia pads (green line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Total harmonic distortion (THD): Focal Utopia stock (blue line) and Focal Elear with Utopia pads (green line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Frequency response: Focal Utopia with Elear pads (dotted blue line) and Sennheiser HD 800 (black dotted line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Total harmonic distortion (THD): Focal Utopia with Elear pads (dotted blue line) and Sennheiser HD 800 (black dotted line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Frequency response: Focal Elear stock (dotted line) and Elear with Utopia pads (solid line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 

(Above) Total harmonic distortion (THD): Focal Elear stock (dotted line) and Elear with Utopia pads (solid line). (Click on image to see full size.)​

 
NOTE: The measurements reflect diffuse field correction applied via the APx555's input EQ.
 

---

 
It's obvious (and not entirely surprising) that the earpads have a lot to do with the tonal balance of these headphones. In early listening, I'm happy to say my first impressions, again, have the Utopia doing their Utopia-resolution thing, but with most of what I love about the Elear's tonal balance.
 
What's most interesting about using the pad swap to bring the two headphones' spectral tilts into closer alignment is that it helps isolate and highlight the differences between the drivers. That is, when their tonal balances are more in line with each other, the Utopia driver's superiority--in terms of its resolving ability, transparency, and refinement--is even more evident.
 
In other words, frequency response alone does not tell the whole story of the differences between these headphones.

 
One other thing that I found very cool was that, in terms of THD, there's no penalty to pay for either earned choice, with either of the headphones.
 
Again, there's no doubt this will come down to personal preference. When Elear replacement earpads become available, I think a lot of people will opt to have both choices at their disposal.
 

---

 
Audio measurements were made using:

1. Audio Precision APx555 audio analyzer
2. G.R.A.S. 45CA Headphone/Hearing-protector Test Fixture
   1. G.R.A.S. KB0072/KB0073 small pinnae; G.R.A.S. RA0045 IEC 60318-4 ear simulators including G.R.A.S. 40AG microphones; G.R.A.S. 26AS 1/4" microphone preamplifier; G.R.A.S. 12AP microphone power module
3. Rupert Neve Designs RNHP headphone amplifier
4. Herzan acoustic enclosure (custom)

 

[FLTWS]

Shades of OPPO PM-1/2 Ear Pad Roulette. And, a plus for the Utopia.
 
Thanks for the effort!

 

[gto88]

This pad comparison is very interesting.
if it were me, I might get both pads.  But I am more interested to Elear.