OK then, I will not stop posting my subjective impressions. At least they are in accordance with physics.
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Focal Utopia 2022 Review, Measurements
- Thread starter jude
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OK then, I will not stop posting my subjective impressions. At least they are in accordance with physics.
The point is the previous cable impressions related to the Utopia 2022 product/experience and so are relevant to this thread, whereas you're veering off into a debate about cable science generally. Again, this isn't difficult to grasp.
OK then, I will not stop posting my subjective impressions. At least they are in accordance with physics.
tamleo
500+ Head-Fier
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Is tube amp good for the Nutopia? According to what I know the 80ohm impedance is more suitable to ss amps’ low output-impedance, thanks
TheMiddleSky
Headphoneus Supremus
Depend on which tube amp. For example with Cayin HA-3A, HA-6A, and HA300 mk2, Utopia may behave a bit differently, as bass will "level up" few notches compare to other spectrum. Pair to my Ultrasonic Oblivion with low impedance output and push-pull topology, Utopia sound rather "normal", closer to solid state amp (no extra bass boost effect).
chesebert
18 Years An Extra-Hardcore Head-Fi'er
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Not true for transformer coupled tube amp. DNA Stellaris has a 3ohm output impedance from the 1/4.
What physics? The one you known and (somewhat) understand?
OK then, I will not stop posting my subjective impressions. At least they are in accordance with physics.
Many top physicians were fooling themselves, too, before they discovered Quantum Mechanics. They thought things were not possible because it contradicted what their teachings said. Turns out they were possible and indeed happening.
GryphonGuy
100+ Head-Fier
@headstef what you should take away from this is that YOUR path or journey through this hobby will be a lot less expensive to achieve happiness and contentment than those who enjoy listening to the subtle or not so subtle variations that electrically connected devices bring to the audio listening experience.
You shouldn't try to get inside others' heads to tell them what the can or cannot hear. That is just not possible. You don't hear it so that's GREAT .... and relatively inexpensive for you.
You shouldn't try to get inside others' heads to tell them what the can or cannot hear. That is just not possible. You don't hear it so that's GREAT .... and relatively inexpensive for you.
Top physicians never talked about or discovered Quantum Mechanics. Physicists did. I happen to be one.
New discoveries and theories are welcome in physics and the behavior of materials in macroscopic or microscopic level is always a hot area for research. But new theories don't alter the outcome of an experiment, only its explanation. A valid experiment on cables for human hearing is a well organized series of "blind" listenings, looking for repetitive results. This is the real challenge but it is invariably avoided by most audiophiles. "Subjective impressions" during "sighted" listening don't help much to establish knowledge and can be misleading for long time.
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Physicists, of course. English is still my second language.
Blind testing (single or double) is not very useful either when the test subject has its own expectations (in this case, that they won’t hear a difference)…
For me too, English is my second language. Our common language is music above all and a love for truth and technology progression. I have never been preoccupied to either direction about cables. Actually I spent years and countless hours trying to listen for differences between cables. Sources and amps were and are always too easy to tell apart in careful blind listenings but cables, strangely, never gave any differences. Then I did researching their actual nature and their effects on signal transmission, much beyond the claims in magazines and advertising. Their effects are multiple and well known but start in frequencies much above the human hearing range. In the audio spectrum any effect is many orders of magnitude lower than what a young and healthy pair of ears could ever detect. Serious headphone makers or audio engineers never bother with cables.
The Utopia being a very revealing headphone, just like an HD 800S or an NDH 30 and a few other headphones with very low distortion, offer a great platform for experimentation with cables. Some may claim the hearing of a bat for themselves or forget about so many factors that affect hearing, but careful research can be done with any of the above to conclude to solid results and avoided being mislead.
The Utopia being a very revealing headphone, just like an HD 800S or an NDH 30 and a few other headphones with very low distortion, offer a great platform for experimentation with cables. Some may claim the hearing of a bat for themselves or forget about so many factors that affect hearing, but careful research can be done with any of the above to conclude to solid results and avoided being mislead.
The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. In medicine the shelf-life of "scientific evidence" can sometimes be measured in months especially as we develop more refined, sensitive ways to obtain data (molecular methods rather than culture for defining infectious causes of illness, eg). Hence "state of the art" and best practice guidelines require updating. To think that we have attained a stable state of immutable knowledge and that those who challenges your views emanating from "science and careful, organized testing" are indulging in fairy tails is hubris and decidedly unscientific. So while it is absolutely fair game to post that you did not gain any discernable sonic advantage from a cable change on your Utopia (and that your personal benchmark for ascertainment requires blinded testing and / or measurement as proof), please don't denigrate those who hold a different view. Thanks!
John Buchanan
1000+ Head-Fier
Personally, I had hoped for a change in sound with new headphone cables. The only change I found was that Arctic Cables Core (the supposedly lowest quality of their stable) had far better handling qualities than the original cable (in this case, the Focal Utopia). No sound difference for me.
In my experience it’s pretty doable if the output impedance on the tube amp isn’t too high. That will generally mean a transformer on the output and an output impedance of 10 ohms or less unless you want more bass. 15 ohms max for me. There are transformer less tube amps that work quite well but they’re generally odd topologies with low (for tube amps) output impedance.
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DillingerEP
100+ Head-Fier
I also can say that the Nutopia gets very bassy with the Cayin Ha6a. The bass was not only stronger, it also bled into the mid range. It did not matter, what tubes i used. I had it and really liked the Cayin, but the Nutopia is not a good match in my opinion.
I can not say a thing about the more famous Ha3a or the Ha300, because i did not listen to them.
I can not say a thing about the more famous Ha3a or the Ha300, because i did not listen to them.
Beyond The Blackwall
Head-Fier
Does anyone get neck pain from using the Utopia 22? I had an OG but sold it because of this. I tried the 22 at a show a few months ago and it seemed to be more comforatble and fit better, but it was a brief demo. Hard to know if it would be an issue long term.
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