[Daniel Johnston]

I'm just exploring some IEMs that can match the Utopia sound. That way Utopia + TT2 is for desktop, and Mojo 2 + IEM can be the portable setup.

My go to Mojo2 IEM is the Sony IER-Z1R. I can't say they are voiced like the Utopia, but they give that same effortless sound of the Utopias. The soundstage is wide and deep similar to open back HP. My approach was to reproduce the listening satisfaction of the Utopia rather than match the sound. IMHO.

 

[Spawn300Z]

Mine IEM go to setup is Mojo 2 and UE11 Pros. Great soundstage and bass.

 

[hakunamakaka]

I'm just exploring some IEMs that can match the Utopia sound. That way Utopia + TT2 is for desktop, and Mojo 2 + IEM can be the portable setup.

I have final Audio A8000 in IEM for. While it's very fast and has same aggressive nature of Utopias I don't think any IEM can match this headphone.

I rotate between various headphones and can confidently say that speed/dynamics are unmatched with what Focals do ( Haven't heard electrostats though). To me OG Utopia outresolves 2022 release which is shifted towards friendlier tuning. Ofcourse if the bass is big priority or one high end all-rounder is needed than newer model is a better option.

Worth to mention that Utopias don't need juice, but they scale like a champ with better source.

 

[tjkohli]

My go to Mojo2 IEM is the Sony IER-Z1R. I can't say they are voiced like the Utopia, but they give that same effortless sound of the Utopias. The soundstage is wide and deep similar to open back HP. My approach was to reproduce the listening satisfaction of the Utopia rather than match the sound. IMHO.

Love the Z1R. It just doesn’t love my ears lol. They stick out a lot and hurt my ear canals. I’d have loved to own these if they fit properly.

I did own IER-M9 for a while and loved them. Recently sold them because A/B with Utopia had me hear things in the Focal that I couldn’t hear in the M9.

 

[tjkohli]

I have final Audio A8000 in IEM for. While it's very fast and has same aggressive nature of Utopias I don't think any IEM can match this headphone.

I rotate between various headphones and can confidently say that speed/dynamics are unmatched with what Focals do ( Haven't heard electrostats though). To me OG Utopia outresolves 2022 release which is shifted towards friendlier tuning. Ofcourse if the bass is big priority or one high end all-rounder is needed than newer model is a better option.

Worth to mention that Utopias don't need juice, but they scale like a champ with better source.

I did order some A8000 for myself but, while waiting on customs, I sampled the EE Odin. Although it didn’t quite sound like Utopia, these were many elements that felt very similar And I found very enjoyable.

I ordered a custom pair of those, since universal Odin also hurt my ears like the Z1R. Let’s see how they work out!

I am selling the A8000 brand new, unopened, for a good price in Classifieds.

If there are no takers, I may open it and try it out as well, but I can’t return the Odin CIEM at this point

 

[hakunamakaka]

I did order some A8000 for myself but, while waiting on customs, I sampled the EE Odin. Although it didn’t quite sound like Utopia, these were many elements that felt very similar And I found very enjoyable.

I ordered a custom pair of those, since universal Odin also hurt my ears like the Z1R. Let’s see how they work out!

I am selling the A8000 brand new, unopened, for a good price in Classifieds.

If there are no takers, I may open it and try it out as well, but I can’t return the Odin CIEM at this point

A8000 can get tiring and definitely has some peaks in treble. To me it's closer to OG Clear which I adored with some music, but quickly get tired with longer listening sessions.

On the go I mainly use Earsonics EM10 CIEM, which on it's own sounds a bit dead and nothing like Utopia. EQ pushes this IEM to a different tier and I enjoy that it sustains smooth presentation. Kind of planar sound of LCD headphones just with BA bass.

Auditioned multiple IEM's and none of it would replicate HP experience as it's just the limitations of physics.

 

[bcaulf17]

Love the Z1R. It just doesn’t love my ears lol. They stick out a lot and hurt my ear canals. I’d have loved to own these if they fit properly.

I did own IER-M9 for a while and loved them. Recently sold them because A/B with Utopia had me hear things in the Focal that I couldn’t hear in the M9.

Consider the U12t? That’s what I have and, while I’ve never heard the M9, I’ve read they’re both similar in tuning, with the U12t maybe not being as thick in the midbass, and more resolving. I use the U12t on the go and the Utopia at home, it’s a great duo.

I wouldn’t say the U12t sounds much like the Utopia but it does sound effortless and is really pleasant while also being plenty detailed.

 

[tjkohli]

Consider the U12t? That’s what I have and, while I’ve never heard the M9, I’ve read they’re both similar in tuning, with the U12t maybe not being as thick in the midbass, and more resolving. I use the U12t on the go and the Utopia at home, it’s a great duo.

I wouldn’t say the U12t sounds much like the Utopia but it does sound effortless and is really pleasant while also being plenty detailed.

I tried and returned the U12t. I would call it neutral sounding at best. It doesn’t sound bad, but has zero excitement of the Utopia. I would call the U12t inoffensive.

I actually preferred a bit of the character of the Volür which sounded like a U12t with more bass and slightly more sparkly treble… but it was so much of a bass monster that I had a hard time matching it to the Utopia. It was too much of a mental shift going back and forth; I feel like I would have started hating whichever one I listened to least.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

It has been a several years since I have participated on this thread, So I apologize if this post overlooks important information answered earlier. I hope people are continuing to enjoy their Utopias and to share their impressions and questions with respect to equipment synergy.

The reason I am posting is because my beloved 2016 Utopia had its left driver fail last night while listening through my 3F amp. I realize driver failure was not an uncommon issue with the early generation of Utopias. What have others done to get them repaired/replaced? Is there a Focal representative monitoring the site whom I can PM to start the replacement process, or should we just open a ticket with Focal by their official website? I am essentially just wondering the ideal way of handling this. Thanks!

 

[tjkohli]

Is there a Focal representative monitoring the site whom I can PM to start the replacement process, or should we just open a ticket with Focal by their official website? I am essentially just wondering the ideal way of handling this. Thanks!

Sorry to hear about the driver failure! I personally haven't yet had to deal with Focal service, but I recommend either contacting them directly, or possibly better yet: contacting your local Hi-Fi dealer who sells or services Focal.

 

[chrisnyc75]

I did order some A8000 for myself but, while waiting on customs, I sampled the EE Odin. Although it didn’t quite sound like Utopia, these were many elements that felt very similar And I found very enjoyable.

I ordered a custom pair of those, since universal Odin also hurt my ears like the Z1R. Let’s see how they work out!

I am selling the A8000 brand new, unopened, for a good price in Classifieds.

If there are no takers, I may open it and try it out as well, but I can’t return the Odin CIEM at this point

Glad to hear you liked the Odin. Not exactly the same signature as Utopia, but the same "TOTL effortlessly detailed" spirit. I landed on Legend EVO myself as I prefer my IEMs bassier than my over-ears, but my nirvana will be when they someday introduce something along the lines of Odin plus a little more bass & a BC driver. Much like Focal, EE has that little something extra that sets them apart, IMO.

 

[up late]

It has been a several years since I have participated on this thread, So I apologize if this post overlooks important information answered earlier. I hope people are continuing to enjoy their Utopias and to share their impressions and questions with respect to equipment synergy.

The reason I am posting is because my beloved 2016 Utopia had its left driver fail last night while listening through my 3F amp. I realize driver failure was not an uncommon issue with the early generation of Utopias. What have others done to get them repaired/replaced? Is there a Focal representative monitoring the site whom I can PM to start the replacement process, or should we just open a ticket with Focal by their official website? I am essentially just wondering the ideal way of handling this. Thanks!

you have my sympathy. i don't think that Marine aka @FocalOfficial monitors this thread any more but i could be wrong. she did not reply to my last pm back in 2021, however. i would contact focal directly if i were you.

 

[tjkohli]

Glad to hear you liked the Odin. Not exactly the same signature as Utopia, but the same "TOTL effortlessly detailed" spirit. I landed on Legend EVO myself as I prefer my IEMs bassier than my over-ears, but my nirvana will be when they someday introduce something along the lines of Odin plus a little more bass & a BC driver. Much like Focal, EE has that little something extra that sets them apart, IMO.

You may want to try the new TOTL EE “Raven”… it has a bone conduction driver in addition and it’s the spiritual successor to the Odin.

They didn’t have a Raven available for demo unfortunately, but it sounded kinda like what you want.

 

[chesebert]

It has been a several years since I have participated on this thread, So I apologize if this post overlooks important information answered earlier. I hope people are continuing to enjoy their Utopias and to share their impressions and questions with respect to equipment synergy.

The reason I am posting is because my beloved 2016 Utopia had its left driver fail last night while listening through my 3F amp. I realize driver failure was not an uncommon issue with the early generation of Utopias. What have others done to get them repaired/replaced? Is there a Focal representative monitoring the site whom I can PM to start the replacement process, or should we just open a ticket with Focal by their official website? I am essentially just wondering the ideal way of handling this. Thanks!

Talk to your Focal dealer and hopefully they will ask you for an amount that’s less than $1400…. 8 years is not a bad run, TBH.

 

[bcaulf17]

Dumb question; does anyone know what kind of screwdriver I would need to get for the screws that are in the Utopia, near where the ear pad teeth are? They look like small hexagon screws but I can’t really tell.

I want to try to tighten the screws to see if that fixes my ear cup creaking issue.