[karlheinz147]

I bought a HP from somebody on here...they told me they would give me shipping info the next day and then they went dark...I noticed there was shipping info on my paypal account so I thought all was well...a couple of days later ups said the package was delivered but I had received no package so I called ups and they asked me my name and address and they told me the package had been delivered to another name and address but in my zip code which caused paypal to declare the item delivered and closed...it took a long time and a lot of effort to prove it was a scam which I finally did and got my money back but it was a huge hassle..it is a clever scam if you think of it they send an empty box or whatever to a different address and then say they shipped it and it was received...be warned and be careful

Good to know you got your money back. Thanks for the info. I'll be more careful in future purchases.

 

[ra990]

They absolutely are and I wish there was another game in town because I'd drop PP immediately. They're a scam as well.

When something goes wrong, you can always count on PP siding with the obvious scammer. All of a sudden they have this really low bar for what it takes to prove the scammer's side and require a mountain of proof from the legitimate side. I hate paying or charging for PP fees because people genuinely think PP will have their back, when in fact a scammer with half a brain could work around their "protections".

 

[TheRudeDog]

I bought a HP from somebody on here...they told me they would give me shipping info the next day and then they went dark...I noticed there was shipping info on my paypal account so I thought all was well...a couple of days later ups said the package was delivered but I had received no package so I called ups and they asked me my name and address and they told me the package had been delivered to another name and address but in my zip code which caused paypal to declare the item delivered and closed...it took a long time and a lot of effort to prove it was a scam which I finally did and got my money back but it was a huge hassle..it is a clever scam if you think of it they send an empty box or whatever to a different address and then say they shipped it and it was received...be warned and be careful

Did the seller have a history in here (for example did he post) at the time of the purchase?

 

[bpcans]

As good as any $4 to $5K headphone manufacturers claims about how wonderful their products might be, one must always be aware of how small of a niche market that uber expensive headphones fall into. Unless one is ready to consider everything between the wall socket and where they plug these hp’s into, they’ll have a difficult time getting the best out of them. That being said, I believe the better the surrounding gear you have feeding the Utopia’s the better they sound.

 

[rfernand]

Quick after-burn impression here. They needed to loosen up quite a bit.

Listening out of my preferred rig for cans (gumby + mjolnir with unobtanium valves), all balanced. At low gain I have plenty of room left, so, driving them is easier than I thought.

Soundtage: Very nice. Not as wide as my GS1000e but I definitely appreciate the center not being in between my ears (as the Gen1). I’ve no idea if this is because of the M grille or what but there is more dimensionality here.
Detail: Yep. Compared to my favorite closed backs (Stealth) they are on par. The LCD-X is a fairer comparison I think since they are also open. A lot more detail than the Utopia Clear MGs to my ears, on par with the best.
Tone: Warmer than the Gen1. Very pleasant to me. The highs are much better managed here, the bass seems to have received the bulk of the attention. This being an open back I think they put some more juice down there to make you “feel” the bass more. It works for me, Clinical they are not - but the detail has enough realism to suck me in. And that awful gassy feeling in the highs is just not here (sorry, “airy”).

They are not playful like Grados. They seem to be socially awkward and very aware of what good manners ought to be. So they do their job very well but with some studied restraint. Jazz and big bands is what the like the most, and they do very well with everything else. I still prefer my wood cans for strings and guitar and concert-hall feel, but I think the new Utopias will stay permanently at my place in rotation.

I stand by what I said earlier, this may be a “new voice” for Focal and it just so happens it’s the type of voice I like. Long-running focal fan I know heavily disliked this revision. Remember when Grado put out the Professional Series and we all felt the “Grado sound“ had changed? Yeah. Or the other holy war, the HD600/HD650 & HD800/HD800s? Or the recent Schiit vs OG Schiit (they are becoming warmer and fatter!)? Or the solid state vs 300B riots of 2016? Let the division bell toll.

 

[Ciggavelli]

I've been listening to the old Utopia in preparation for the new one while I wait on my dealer to tell me where to send it back to. It's still as good as the previous 2 times I've owned it, but I also remember why I sold it. I'm hoping the slight changes in the new Utopia make it that much better for my listening tastes. I think they will, judging by impressions

 

[jamato8]

I keep reading that some express that the sound is between the ears, or part of the sound. But that is one reason I often change to the Utopia OG, because I don't get the sound between the ears but out in front of me and well layered. Only on poorly recorded or boxy sounding recordings do I get that but otherwise they are well layered and throw a nice sound stage.

 

[jlbrach]

PayPal is fukcing trash. I’ve had so many issues with them, but you have to use them as they hold a monopoly.

plus they are now getting political banning people for their private views...very troubling

 

[jlbrach]

Did the seller have a history in here (for example did he post) at the time of the purchase?

the guy had it appeared 2 transactions which may well have been setups because when I encountered the problem I messaged one of the 2 to ask if they had any problems with the guy and I never got a response so I assume they were made up transactions

 

[TheRudeDog]

the guy had it appeared 2 transactions which may well have been setups because when I encountered the problem I messaged one of the 2 to ask if they had any problems with the guy and I never got a response so I assume they were made up transactions

I was just wondering how far he went to scam people? Did he post on here, did he list what equipment he owned (which more than likely he didn't)?

The good news is that you got your money back! Hopefully they tracked down his IP (and he never received the payment) and busted him.

 

[jlbrach]

i did ultimately get a message from the name saying his account was hacked so who knows maybe it was..all I know is I have been on here since the year 1 and done tons of transactions and this was the first time I ran into this

 

[TheRudeDog]

i did ultimately get a message from the name saying his account was hacked so who knows maybe it was..all I know is I have been on here since the year 1 and done tons of transactions and this was the first time I ran into this

A simple IP address check by Head Fi would reveal the truth. Is he still on the website (just curious)?

 

[jlbrach]

jackdiesel is the name

 

[TheRudeDog]

jackdiesel is the name

Are you sure it's not JackWeasel? Just kidding

He could be a victim?

 

[bpcans]

@Ciggavelli, I was just looking at the gear that you’ve listed in your signature, very impressive, and I wanted to ask if you put your system together from the front to the back, headphones to the wall socket, or the other way around, power cable to headphones?

With my Utopia’s I found that the issues of a relatively center focused soundstage, and quite not tight enough bass, were greatly ameliorated by using a Danacable Lazuli Ultra hp cable with the Woo WA22 and the right tubes.