Thanks for posting this! So it looks like the intention is to improve reliability rather than change the sound. If that’s the case the good news is that 1) anyone with an existing Utopia needn’t update and 2) should a pre-refresh one fail it’ll likely get the updated drivers anyway.
I guess a new voice coil could change the sound. From that side by side comparison earlier, it looks like the driver may be housed more forward than the original Utopia. What that means, if anything, is not clear to me.
If it had a big change in sound you’d think they’d advertise that as being the main benefit. The fact they talk about reliability likely means any sound change will be minimal. I’d personally be happy with that as I think they are already just right. It’s nice to know if mine fail there’s a new version with better reliability.
Seems like this might more to do with driver failure than improved sound quality? You’d think if it was more than a minor improvement, they would have renamed it like they did with the Utopia speaker models. It’s possible it’s a big enough improvement for current owners to upgrade but who knows. Seems like it will be the only choice if buying new in a couple months.
Now that I’m getting used to the new look, think I’m starting to prefer it. In truth I was never a big fan of the original Utopia look. I came from the rare leather AT L3000 and felt nothing beat that. So to go from that to very modern looking headphone was hard.
I certainly hope a new utopia is not the same kind of letdown the lcd-5 was for me...I had so much hope for the 5 and ended up selling it shortly after buying it....I hope the utopia manages to avoid that...sadly IMHO we have gotten to a place with the likes of the abyss tc,susvara and sr1a that new models basically give you different designs and sound signatures but nothing better...I hope I am wrong but I think we have plateaued...for me only the sr1a has been something really both different and an improvement...
I prefer the old Utopias but don’t think the new ones are ugly. If I needed a warranty replacement in the future I wouldn’t be terribly upset the get the new design. The only thing I don’t like is the change in placement of the LEMO connectors. It’s not a big change but they are now slightly lower so the cable connectors touching your shoulders could be a bigger issue with these.
I certainly hope a new utopia is not the same kind of letdown the lcd-5 was for me...I had so much hope for the 5 and ended up selling it shortly after buying it....I hope the utopia manages to avoid that...sadly IMHO we have gotten to a place with the likes of the abyss tc,susvara and sr1a that new models basically give you different designs and sound signatures but nothing better...I hope I am wrong but I think we have plateaued...for me only the sr1a has been something really both different and an improvement...
I actually love the LEMO connector (versus the HD800 connector anyway). I know it reduces cable options but it is a neat design and unlike the HD800 isn’t proprietary to the maker.
Hmmm, if you find Stellia's timbre to be superior to that of the Utopia, then we hear things very differently. I'm also interested in what you see as the Utopia's design advantages. All else being equal (which it never is, unfortunately), I'd prefer a closed back for its versatility.
Utopia is better technically. The timbre difference is pretty much objective, Stellia sounds more natural. Resolve & Convince me Audio have confirmed this fact
I appreciate they acknowledged the driver failures, extended the warranty, backed their products, and modified the design to address the issue. Well done, Focal.
Utopia is better technically. The timbre difference is pretty much objective, Stellia sounds more natural. Resolve & Convince me Audio have confirmed this fact
Hoping older models are eligible for the newer voice coil on repairs, it’s the right thing to do after acknowledging an issue. Audeze took care of their customers of the LCD series with new driver revisions provided during repairs.
If all they are doing is making the new Utopia more reliable, I’m going to be disappointed. I may have to cancel a preorder I may or may not have already made.
Don't like the looks as much as the original . If they make strides on the soundstage, get rid of the clipping driver issue and increase QC/build quality that'll make up for it tho. Haven't heard the original Utopias, mainly staying away due to driver clipping, so if that gets fixed I may hop on these new ones
"mainly staying away due to driver clipping"
They didnt acknowledged that cause hardcore fanboys kiss their ass no matter what.
Good manufacturer like Sennheiser acknowledged their flagship complaints and improved things like soundstage from 650 to hd800 and treble peak from hd800 to hd800S.
Denon much improved their tonal balance and reworked original fostex crap crap headband desing while Fostex refuse to do changes.
Manufacturers like that who listen to community deserve utmost respect.
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. If they make strides on the soundstage, get rid of the clipping driver issue and increase QC/build quality that'll make up for it tho. Haven't heard the original Utopias, mainly staying away due to driver clipping, so if that gets fixed I may hop on these new ones
