[paul2qute]

Has anyone connected two rel 12 inch subs and Daisy chain to the headphone amp,just some advice for utopia owners that want a little more bass

 

[TSAVJason]

Best of both Worlds:
Espresso (OK, Cappuccino) and Utopia

I'll bring the cans and amp, you make the espresso ...I'm in!

 

[Duncan]

Guess I can finally, after quite a delay, join those that have heard these...

 

[LARRYW]

Sony WM1Z

 

[Allanmarcus]

Here goes the Robot.
Sorry that its only the Elear (which i sold short after, an upgraded to the Utopia).

I always worry about pad compression when I see a stand like that.

 

[paul2qute]

Guess I can finally, after quite a delay, join those that have heard these...

and with the greatest respect your verdict Duncan?

 

[Allanmarcus]

I read a report on another headphone site about using Mrspeaker electrostat pads on the utopia. The review was very positive. Slight better bass, wider soundstage, at the expense of a little dynamic punch, which the utopia has in spades. Anyone else try these pads? Seems that are large enough to just go over the cups.

Update: ordered!

 

[phaeton70]

Guess I can finally, after quite a delay, join those that have heard these...

you will adore your music with these fantastic cans !!! curious to read your impressions.

PS Utopia are new out of the box? in case, give them at least 100h of burn in 

 

 

[Wolf352]

I always worry about pad compression when I see a stand like that.

That's not my regular Stand for the HP, thought it was nice to put it there for a Photo.
Thats the regular Stand - just kidding...

 

[Wolf352]

and with the greatest respect your verdict Duncan?

would like to hear that, too!

 

[Wolf352]

As this Thread isn' Photos alone but Impression here is mine:
 
Went along with the Elear for about a week, instantly told my dealer i was so impressed with the Dynamics and (to my Ears) tonal Balance I'll have to find out what the Utopia has to offer.
My findings are that the Utopia does everything better - not only by a bit.
Is this worth 4times the Price of the Elear , to me it was.
If money is prior to SQ i surely would go with the Elear and would be happy too!
Thats it in short terms.
 
But wait, one more thing - my opinion on the SoundStage:
 
As I own a decent Listeningroom for Stereo and HomeCinema, which sees a Speaker Setup strictly to the ITU Rules - which means 30 Degree Angle for the Left an Right Speakers and equipped with highly recommended Studio Monitors "Neumann KH420" (maybe you have heard of their excellent Microphones, they built Speakers too! - at Least in Europe. To be Honest they formerly went by the Brand of "klein&hummel" before Sennheiser took over).
And kept in mind that, Focal calls in for a Sound Experience "like a Speaker Setup Situation" I can assure you thats just the thing you get with both the Elear and Utopia - which i prefer a lot over an unnatural wide Soundstage with the HD800 (s).
Of course sound mixed directly to L or R is stuck there, but everything in between you will find yourself in a Listening Setup as described above, but with HP!
So Focal gives you what they promised, along with stunning Dynamic and great tonality.
Well Done!
 
Just my 2 Cents!

 

[Duncan]

There are about 100 caveats, including but not exclusive to ~ unfamiliar DAC (Hugo 2), not volume matched, not perfect listening environment, unsure as to how long the Utopias have been burned in for etc etc, however, exclusively between the Utopia and the LCD4, out of the Hugo 2, on the standard filter, I found the Utopia to have a sheen to the upper end that just doesn't sit right with me...

They obviously do many many things right, and sound phenomenal, micro detail in spades, great imagery, general tonality bang on the money, but I got hooked up on that lift in the upper reaches, and couldn't let go of it.

I'm sure that that is the beryllium infusion at work, and I'm sure it does, and will work for many many people, but for me, if it was my money I was spending, rather than a demo setup that I knew I could walk away from without any hint of commitment, I would take the LCD4, which just seems more balanced overall for my liking (even if tilted slightly more towards the bottom end ~ out of the Hugo 2)

Quick and dirty analogy, the LCD4 is to a candlelit meal, as the Utopia is to a 15 course menu at a Michelin starred restaurant... The latter may be more correct, but the former just feels more homely.

That was probably four paragraphs and 90 seconds of your time that you'll never get back, but that is my thoughts.

I would DEFINITELY be interested in an extended audition, at home, with familiar equipment, and in quiet surroundings though, definitely not writing them off just yet.

 

[paul2qute]

There are about 100 caveats, including but not exclusive to ~ unfamiliar DAC (Hugo 2), not volume matched, not perfect listening environment, unsure as to how long the Utopias have been burned in for etc etc, however, exclusively between the Utopia and the LCD4, out of the Hugo 2, on the standard filter, I found the Utopia to have a sheen to the upper end that just doesn't sit right with me...

They obviously do many many things right, and sound phenomenal, micro detail in spades, great imagery, general tonality bang on the money, but I got hooked up on that lift in the upper reaches, and couldn't let go of it.

I'm sure that that is the beryllium infusion at work, and I'm sure it does, and will work for many many people, but for me, if it was my money I was spending, rather than a demo setup that I knew I could walk away from without any hint of commitment, I would take the LCD4, which just seems more balanced overall for my liking (even if tilted slightly more towards the bottom end ~ out of the Hugo 2)

Quick and dirty analogy, the LCD4 is to a candlelit meal, as the Utopia is to a 15 course menu at a Michelin starred restaurant... The latter may be more correct, but the former just feels more homely.

That was probably four paragraphs and 90 seconds of your time that you'll never get back, but that is my thoughts.

I would DEFINITELY be interested in an extended audition, at home, with familiar equipment, and in quiet surroundings though, definitely not writing them off just yet.

So the utopia are better, 4050 quid more relieved with the Nordost cable added

 

[phaeton70]

There are about 100 caveats, including but not exclusive to ~ unfamiliar DAC (Hugo 2), not volume matched, not perfect listening environment, unsure as to how long the Utopias have been burned in for etc etc, however, exclusively between the Utopia and the LCD4, out of the Hugo 2, on the standard filter, I found the Utopia to have a sheen to the upper end that just doesn't sit right with me...

 

very interesting, that's, more or less, my findings when I first heard a low-hours Utopia. that's right, when not well burned-in they have a strange emphasis around 10kHz, would not call it a peak, just a little too much energy. now that my Utopia has more than 200h, that "strangeness" has gone, treble are simply perfect to my ears!

 

[Duncan]

very interesting, that's, more or less, my findings when I first heard a low-hours Utopia. that's right, when not well burned-in they have a strange emphasis around 10kHz, would not call it a peak, just a little too much energy. now that my Utopia has more than 200h, that "strangeness" has gone, treble are simply perfect to my ears!

good to know, albeit bad for my finances lol...

Now to try and find a pair that has a couple of hundred hours on the clock, to demo again...