[Mightygrey]

The 2.5mm upgrade cable from Meze Audio for their 99 Classic makes a great 'portable' balanced option for the Stellia. It's a genuine upgrade in terms of quality of life.

 

[up late]

i think the "conventional wisdom" regarding the advantage that open-back headphones have over closed-back models still holds true. open-back headphone designs largely avoid the problem of trapped sound waves that closed-back headphone designs contend with, and i'm yet to hear a closed-back headphone that is completely free of the reflections or resonances which affect or "color" the sound in some way.

 

[emrelights1973]

I posted previously on the comparison between the two. I owned both for a while. But in short: The utopia is more resolving and creates more of this spatial 3d environment. But the stellia is more v-shaped which means better bass and a more forgiving signature for bad recordings (which are most). I like you have low level ambient noise and I settle for the Stellia. As a bonus, they work better with my DAP.

Spot on, I own both
I like more utopia but it is hard to fine the quite occasion with 2 kids, if I find that occasion I listen stereo
Utopia needs a silence room and it is like a little Bluetooth speaker
stellia got a pretty good isolation and better bass response

 

[ubs28]

To be honest, when I was comparing the Focal Stellia against a wide selection of other closed headphones, the Focal Stellia did not destroy the AFC2 like the Focal Utopia does. Hence why I was willing to trade in the sound performance for more portability, comfort and superior isolation.

Maybe the Focal Stellia would have performed better with high-end cables, but I guess that is Focal their own fault for changing connectors. Else I would have been able to use my high-end cables from the Focal Utopia for testing purposes and it might have changed the outcome (and thus might have let to a potential purchase of the Stellia).

I think I will wait for a Focal Stellia V2 which is hopefully:
- in black (the Focal Utopia looks amazing. Not sure why they went with the brown colour of the Stellia)
- Same connector as the Utopia so I do not have to buy a new cable.

 

[noplsestar]

To be honest, when I was comparing the Focal Stellia against a wide selection of other closed headphones, the Focal Stellia did not destroy the AFC2 like the Focal Utopia does. Hence why I was willing to trade in the sound performance for more portability, comfort and superior isolation.

Maybe the Focal Stellia would have performed better with high-end cables, but I guess that is Focal their own fault for changing connectors. Else I would have been able to use my high-end cables from the Focal Utopia for testing purposes and it might have changed the outcome (and thus might have let to a potential purchase of the Stellia).

I think I will wait for a Focal Stellia V2 which is hopefully:
- in black (the Focal Utopia looks amazing. Not sure why they went with the brown colour of the Stellia)
- Same connector as the Utopia so I do not have to buy a new cable.

I also think it comes down to using upgrade cables with the Stellia.
Concerning the wait: it will take long. Because Utopia is out for many years now and until today there is no V2 so I guess there will be no V2 of the Stellia in the next few years.

 

[vonBaron]

Well all Focals sound better when you change that poor stock cable.

 

[Mightygrey]

It's

Well all Focals sound better when you change that poor stock cable.

It's genuinely baffling why they stick with those scratchy, ropey stock ones.

 

[montanari]

The utopia one is a sommercable..

 

[Hoegaardener70]

- Same connector as the Utopia so I do not have to buy a new cable.

i am the opposite. I hope focal sticks with 3.5mm, the lemo were just too exotic. At least, some other manufacturers use 3.5mm.

 

[Failed Engineer]

Is the Stellia compatible with Hifiman 3.5mm?

 

[Gadget67]

i am the opposite. I hope focal sticks with 3.5mm, the lemo were just too exotic. At least, some other manufacturers use 3.5mm.

Is the Stellia compatible with Hifiman 3.5mm?

I purchased converters to repurpose my inventory of cables. Most recently, I purchased a lemo to mini xlr converter from Affinity Cables. Here’s a link to his Ebay page showing his current inventory but I’m sure he or your favorite cable maker could make any converter you’d like.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/affinitycables/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

 

[Ichos]

Is the Stellia compatible with Hifiman 3.5mm?

Nope.

 

[Caruryn]

I have to say i am mightily impressed with this nordost usb on Arche.I was a bit disappointed at first as it was too dry and there was noticeable lack of details for that kind of price,everything sounded blurred and unrefined especially compared to Arche's coaxial output on daps.Gave it a lot of playtime past week and the sound is marvelous especially on Stellia mode.Very good detail retrieval,fantastic soundstage depth,organic and wet mids and very tight and punchy bass which tends to bloom a bit on this mode otherwise.Dramatic change i have to admit.

Arche has my high recommendation with Stellia,if you like spacious and very musical sound with very good technicalities,especially if you manage to find it for under $2000 and combine it with a quality usb cable.You will NOT be disappointed.

 

[up late]

Well all Focals sound better when you change that poor stock cable imo.

fixed

The utopia one is a sommercable..

is that so? their cables look fine and i like their approach: https://www.sommercable.com/en/hifi

 

[montanari]

https://shop.sommercable.com/en/Cab...h-Mikrofonkabel-SC-Peacock-MKII-200-0551.html