[Allanmarcus]

Maybe try a different setup if you want a bigger soundstage.

Chord Dave + Auralic Taurus MKII (with high-end interconnects) with the HD 650 has a bigger soundstage than the HD 800 quite suprisingly if the HD 800 is on a lesser setup.

But I never do that with the Utopia as it is too good at revealing the lower resolution when adding things to the chain and thus the bigger soundstage comes with a compromise. The HD 650 doesn't get affected that much so that is why I have no problem doing that with the HD 650.

You are saying that somehow the Taurus doesn't have the resolution as an amp, or reduces resolution from the Dave?

 

[Tobes]

How does Utopia's frequency curve differ from the HE-6?

You can check out the actual frequency response graphs at Innerfidelity:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalUtopia.pdf
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/HiFiMANHE6.pdf

In terms balance I find the most important differences to be in the mids/highs.
I'm a HE6 fan and find the mids very good but the Utopia's mids are quite obviously more rounded and realistic - just wonderful on voices, piano and all manner of acoustic instruments. The Utopias superior clarity, finesse and quickness seals this advantage - though in isolation the HE6 is very good in those metrics as well.
The HE6 has a tad too much energy in the highs - which equipment choice and mods can ameliorate - but regardless, it doesn't sound as well balanced as the Utopia to me.
Don't get me wrong, I can listen to HE6 and really enjoy the music so this is more of a comparative thing than serious overt problems with the HE6.
Perspective wise the HE6 is less up front than the Utopia (probably due to the different mid balance) and stages a bit wider.
The HE6 is more extended in the deep bass - which can be nice on hip-hop, electronic etc - though the Utopia has excellent extension too and sounds faster in the bass.

 

[draytonklammer]

Still enjoying my Utopia. Has officially replaced my Abyss...

 

[jscmd2000]

What happened to your post, draytonklammer? About Tyll measuring your Utopia?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Maybe try a different setup if you want a bigger soundstage.

Chord Dave + Auralic Taurus MKII (with high-end interconnects) with the HD 650 has a bigger soundstage than the HD 800 quite suprisingly if the HD 800 is on a lesser setup.

But I never do that with the Utopia as it is too good at revealing the lower resolution when adding things to the chain and thus the bigger soundstage comes with a compromise. The HD 650 doesn't get affected that much so that is why I have no problem doing that with the HD 650.

Very good point. I was quite happy with the sound stage but then introduced the KTE SU-1 + KTE Spring DAC Level 3 into the mix and the sound stage really kicked up a level. No, it's not HD800S wide (but really, what is?), but it's on par with many other fantastic TOTL headphones. I'm finding the Utopias are quite revealing of your source/DAC; don't just focus on your amplifier with these headphones. I find the SR-009s very similar that way.

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

Well Bob Katz certainly took the biggest schiit he could on Utopia with his "expert" LCD4 comparison. I can't say I'm surprised, given how biased he is in favor of a warm, wet sound.

 

[Allanmarcus]

Well Bob Katz certainly took the biggest schiit he could on Utopia with his "expert" LCD4 comparison. I can't say I'm surprised, given how biased he is in favor of a warm, wet sound.

Are you friggin kidding? You need to read about the whole thing on innerfidelity. It's quite possible the utopias were either defective, of focal retuned them.

 

[Tobes]

The more insidious possibility is that Focal, knowing Tyll dislikes brighter balanced headphones, supplied him wirh a specially tuned version to secure a positive review/launch.
Maybe all the other Utopias measure like the other 2 measured examples in the arrticle(?).

 

[paul2qute]

This site is getting well better already, got my alerts and messages just to the right now, buzzing my knockers off

 

[paul2qute]

To my ears, the brilliance of Utopia is its tolerance of less than ideal upstream gear. Out of a Rag/Yggy stack it is of course better than a Magni/Modi stack, but the latter sounds great, whereas HD800 sounds only acceptable, and then only if you've installed Sonarworks.

I find the utopia is very fussy with recordings, it highlights how bad some of my music sounds through them

 

[Whitigir]

I find the utopia is very fussy with recordings, it highlights how bad some of my music sounds through them

If you have a bad sources then sure, Utopia wouldn't be so forgiving. I connect Utopia to an iPad to stream Netflix, and then I can see how disgusting the output is on the iPad , but why in the hell would I complain though ? I appreciate Utopia being this way, so easy to drive out of anything

 

[paul2qute]

If you have a bad sources then sure, Utopia wouldn't be so forgiving. I connect Utopia to an iPad to stream Netflix, and then I can see how disgusting the output is on the iPad , but why in the hell would I complain though ? I appreciate Utopia being this way, so easy to drive out of anything

I find my stax SR L 700 was the same, hated bad recordings... Focal utopia speakers are the same so easy to drive but love a high quality signal

 

[Whitigir]

I find my stax SR L 700 was the same, hated bad recordings... Focal utopia speakers are the same so easy to drive but love a high quality signal

Exactly!!

 

[ufospls2]

Still enjoying my Utopia. Has officially replaced my Abyss...

What swayed you away from the Abyss? Just not getting much headtime in comparison to the Utopia?

 

[paul2qute]

What swayed you away from the Abyss? Just not getting much headtime in comparison to the Utopia?

I took my iPad and Hugo to Hifi lounge and listened to the abyss and wasn't impressed but loved the LCD X blew me away at the time