[Godbluffer]

What's your audio Chain?

iPad Pro -> Chord Mojo 2 on standard settings -> Utopias (both with their different stock cables, which sound identical when I switch them)

 

[rfernand]

Well, I liked what I heard at the store out of a Naim headphone amp and my Kann Cube. Liked it a bit too much.

I was not a fan of the previous model. It sounded “gassy” to me. No energy and a bit bright. Good detail but nothing exciting. The center of the soundstage inside my head was also not great for me.

The new ones addressed my gripes very well, which is to say, plenty of detail, darker with more tamed highs, center stage in front of me, and a very engaging overall presentation. My friend is a Focal guy and he did not like them. So I think this may be a new “voice” for the company’s headphones.

I’m burning them in now. At home they really like my rigs at medium or high gain - but they drive comfortably at low as well.

 

[ra990]

Well, I liked what I heard at the store out of a Naim headphone amp and my Kann Cube. Liked it a bit too much.

I was not a fan of the previous model. It sounded “gassy” to me. No energy and a bit bright. Good detail but nothing exciting. The center of the soundstage inside my head was also not great for me.

The new ones addressed my gripes very well, which is to say, plenty of detail, darker with more tamed highs, center stage in front of me, and a very engaging overall presentation. My friend is a Focal guy and he did not like them. So I think this may be a new “voice” for the company’s headphones.

I’m burning them in now. At home they really like my rigs at medium or high gain - but they drive comfortably at low as well.

Beautiful, the new look is growing on me.

 

[TheRudeDog]

iPad Pro -> Chord Mojo 2 on standard settings -> Utopias (both with their different stock cables, which sound identical when I switch them)

Do you still have both of them (Utopias) at your disposal?

 

[Godbluffer]

Do you still have both of them (Utopias) at your disposal?

Yes I do.

 

[TheRudeDog]

Yes I do.

Are you familiar with the EQ settings on your Mojo 2? I would like for you to roll off the top end on the original (it may take a few taps) and see how close you get to the 2022?

And of course don't forget to normalize when you put the 2022 back on

 

[Godbluffer]

Are you familiar with the EQ settings on your Mojo 2? I would like for you to roll off the top end on the original (it may take a few taps) and see how close you get to the 2022?

Yes, I’m familiar with those settings, and I just gave it a try with the following track I happened to be listening to:

Kate Bush - L’amour Looks Something Like You (2018 remaster)

I suspected a certain setting to be the closest one, and it turned out to be correct. If it’s not the same, it’s the closest it can possibly get keeping in mind the limited number of adjustable frequency bands, being -1 for both the green and the blue bands (the highest two of the four).

 

[TheRudeDog]

Yes, I’m familiar with those settings, and I just gave it a try with the following track I happened to be listening to:

Kate Bush - L’amour Looks Something Like You (2018 remaster)

I suspected a certain setting to be the closest one, and it turned out to be correct. If it’s not the same, it’s the closest it can possibly get keeping in mind the limited number of adjustable frequency bands, being -1 for both the green and the blue bands (the highest two of the four).

Cool!

Now if for some reason I need a 2022 I'll know what to do!

 

[rfernand]

I hear zero difference in terms of soundstage.

I am surprised you say that. the original put the center stage in my skull, this one has the center stage a bit more outside my head. Since you’re listening to Kate Bush, try her “Don’t give up” duet with Peter Gabriel and see if you can spot it

But as for the tuning, I really miss the top end sizzle of the OG on the 2022 version.

This is a darker set for sure (which is what I prefer). My Focal-enthusiast friend disliked it on similar grounds.

I also detect no difference in the bass

Try Herbie Hancock, you may notice bass hanging a bit more than the OG.

We may be in HD600 vs HD650 territory with this reissue… the brights vs. the warms. And let me tell you, there are dozens of us warms. DOZENS!

 

[Godbluffer]

Cool!

Now if for some reason I need a 2022 I'll know what to do!

LOL! And I’m even more determined to return it now.

I am surprised you say that. the original put the center stage in my skull, this one has the center stage a bit more outside my head. Since you’re listening to Kate Bush, try her “Don’t give up” duet with Peter Gabriel and see if you can spot it



This is a darker set for sure (which is what I prefer). My Focal-enthusiast friend disliked it on similar grounds.



Try Herbie Hancock, you may notice bass hanging a bit more than the OG.

We may be in HD600 vs HD650 territory with this reissue… the brights vs. the warms. And let me tell you, there are dozens of us warms. DOZENS!

If I use the Chord Mojo 2 settings from my previous post, I get the same soundstage on the the OG as on the 2022 with neutral settings, so the difference in staging appears to be a direct consequence of the difference in tuning. I will definitely try the duet with Peter Gabriel tomorrow! And which Herbie Hancock track/album do you recommend specifically?

Also, it’s not even that I dislike some aspects of the warmer tuning. There are more timbral nuances to be heard, and that can work well with some types of music/recordings. What I miss is the firmer delineation of voices and instruments the OG has, but I can see why that might be of lesser importance to other listeners, like you!

 

[TheRudeDog]

If I use the Chord Mojo 2 settings from my previous post, I get the same soundstage on the the OG as on the 2022 with neutral settings, so the difference in staging appears to be a direct consequence of the difference in tuning. I will definitely try the duet with Peter Gabriel tomorrow! And which Herbie Hancock track/album do you recommend specifically?

That is where I was going next! Thanks for confirming!

 

[tamleo]

I am surprised you say that. the original put the center stage in my skull, this one has the center stage a bit more outside my head. Since you’re listening to Kate Bush, try her “Don’t give up” duet with Peter Gabriel and see if you can spot it



This is a darker set for sure (which is what I prefer). My Focal-enthusiast friend disliked it on similar grounds.



Try Herbie Hancock, you may notice bass hanging a bit more than the OG.

We may be in HD600 vs HD650 territory with this reissue… the brights vs. the warms. And let me tell you, there are dozens of us warms. DOZENS!

Imo The hd650 and the hd800 have a different level of midrange definition compared to the hd600's one, That is just more simplified

 

[Godbluffer]

New day, fresh ears, and I decided I’d test it in the other direction, with the 2022 and Chord Mojo 2 settings on +1 for both the green and blue frequency bands to make it sound like the OG. I immediately noticed a sibilance I don’t get on the OG, so I realized my judgment last night could have been affected by my ears being tired from the day, causing my hearing of the highest frequencies to be blunted a bit. So instead I now turned down the highest, blue, frequency band back to neutral, leaving only the green one at +1, and that appeared to *really* hit the spot, making the 2022 sound pretty much exactly like the OG, and also, when setting only the green band *down* to -1 on the OG, it again sounded very much like the 2022! Additionally, when I turn up the green band on the 2022 1 dB I need to turn the overall volume 1 dB down to get the same loudness level as the OG.

So in short: turn the green frequency band on the Chord Mojo 2 *down* one dB on the OG, and *up* one dB on the 2022 for best mutual cloning results.

 

[ChJL]

People like to forget where we are in the world right now.
2016's 4000 usd is 4936 usd now.
Really, check inflation calculator. Com
So it actually the same price as the original, it's just people's money worth less now.
Edit: yeah I know different sites gives different answer, it's just really a volatile time right now. So really abate ya'all spending please.
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Not like I follow that faithfully, just snagging myself a KSE1200 .

So are you actually earning that much more as well to compensate for "Inflation"?
The WE I am a part of is getting ripped off by artificially devalualing money.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I was supposed to get the new Utopias today, but Focal sent the old ones