[joseph69]

The thing is, the distortion and sense of congestion is significant, I would be surprised if after 300h this would be gone.
I mean, the sound is really off!

This is how the Utopia sounded to me the first time I borrowed them when they originally came out, which is why I couldn't understand the craze. The second time, which was recent, I was very impressed, so I'm definitely assuming there was something wrong the first time around.

There must be something wrong, I just opened up a new pair this past Friday, and they sounded awesome from the start. Zero distortion.

Maybe I missed it, but did something happened to your original Utopia?

 

[kvn864]

I can confirm that my pair didnt require break in period as well, I bought my set brand new, and they sounded "like Utopias" from the start

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

This is how the Utopia sounded to me the first time I borrowed them when they originally came out, which is why I couldn't understand the craze. The second time, which was recent, I was very impressed, so I'm definitely assuming there was something wrong the first time around.

Maybe I missed it, but did something happened to your original Utopia?

The letter F fell off the side of the cup, and my right driver started sounding a little off to me during kick drums and stuff.

 

[Ojisan]

Do the Utopia need a break-in period? What I am hearing at the moment (first 5 hours) is some distortion and a congested sound.
At the moment the Clear sound more airy, clean and precise.
I truly hope this is only break-in...

I would give it 5 days to a week of continuous music at normal listening level. I experienced rough balance on both Utopia and Clear for the first few days. Initially, they were incoherent peaky mess. Four months now for me on the Utopia, I love it.

 

[McMadface]

The letter F fell off the side of the cup, and my right driver started sounding a little off to me during kick drums and stuff.

I was at the Source this weekend and actually talked about your F with Alan. Apparently, the silver Focal logo isn't just metallic stickers. In order to fix it, though would have to open up the cups, remove the drivers, and sacrifice a couple of chickens to Jobu the god of f#ckery in order to fix those letters. Overall, it ends up being cheaper for Focal to just replace the headphone with a new one when all the international shipping is taken into consideration as well. Crazy.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

I was at the Source this weekend and actually talked about your F with Alan. Apparently, the silver Focal logo isn't just metallic stickers. In order to fix it, though would have to open up the cups, remove the drivers, and sacrifice a couple of chickens to Jobu the god of f#ckery in order to fix those letters. Overall, it ends up being cheaper for Focal to just replace the headphone with a new one when all the international shipping is taken into consideration as well. Crazy.

Lol, Alan is that dude. Yes, it was crazy, I took them out of the storage case one day and I'm like what the "F" no pun intended is this sorcery, my "F" was gone.

 

[McMadface]

Can we talk about cables for a bit? I checked out the Kimber Axios, Nordost Heimdall 2, and SourceAV Black Cobra. I compared them to the stock Utopia cable and to each other using both my personal Utopia and the Source's, and a WA7 with Tidal MQA streaming from a V30. I used the same minute of music for each listen -- between 6:00 and 7:00 of Inception Medley by Hans Zimmer, Live in Prague -- so that I could really drill down and see if I could hear a difference, like some of you claim.

And, I could. F' me. Without having really tried out any high-end cables, I had always been kinda in the objectivist camp because it sounded well-reasoned and based on science. I think this is an example of where there hasn't been enough research done. Each cable sounded different and had their own signature sound. Not necessarily better sound, but there was definitely an effect.

SourceAV Black Cobra - This is where I started out. This is a bright cable that also has the effect of tightening up the bass. Cymbal crashes were louder and more shimmery. Timpani hits seemed slightly more defined with a quicker decay. Mids sounded slightly subdued, but it's probably only in relation to the elevated treble. The sheath on the cable is gorgeous and feels stealthy and a little dangerous. Black Cobra is definitely a name that fits these cables.

Nordost Heimdall 2 - This is also a bright cable that seemed to elevate treble as much as the Black Cobra. It did not seem to have an effect on the bass. However, it seemed like the dynamic range on some of the instruments were negatively affected. Some of the background percussion sounded more 1 dimensional vs having a rounded out sound.

Kimber Axios - Yes, the Utopia rocks out with this cable. I could hear slightly more texture in the brass and the timpani hits starting at 6:48 came through clear, well-defined, and with... I don't know the word... I could hear the mallet strike and each note reverberate in the kettle with a wider range of tones. I don't want to say that it's more "musical" because that seems like such a cop out but I'm not sure how else to describe it in a concise way.

Overall, I preferred the stock Utopia cable over the Black Cobra and Heimdall 2 because I didn't like the increased brightness. I can see either cable being great with something like the Ether or Auteur. I liked the Black Cobra better than the Heimdall 2 because of the increased bass definition and think it's a much better buy. The Axios really shined and I almost ordered one but checked my calendar and I'll be out of town for next week and a half. I wouldn't want $800 worth of cable sitting around for a week for my wife to cut in half with scissors when she finds out how much I spent on it.

 

[TSAVJason]

Can we talk about cables for a bit? I checked out the Kimber Axios, Nordost Heimdall 2, and SourceAV Black Cobra. I compared them to the stock Utopia cable and to each other using both my personal Utopia and the Source's, and a WA7 with Tidal MQA streaming from a V30. I used the same minute of music for each listen -- between 6:00 and 7:00 of Inception Medley by Hans Zimmer, Live in Prague -- so that I could really drill down and see if I could hear a difference, like some of you claim.

And, I could. F' me. Without having really tried out any high-end cables, I had always been kinda in the objectivist camp because it sounded well-reasoned and based on science. I think this is an example of where there hasn't been enough research done. Each cable sounded different and had their own signature sound. Not necessarily better sound, but there was definitely an effect.

SourceAV Black Cobra - This is where I started out. This is a bright cable that also has the effect of tightening up the bass. Cymbal crashes were louder and more shimmery. Timpani hits seemed slightly more defined with a quicker decay. Mids sounded slightly subdued, but it's probably only in relation to the elevated treble. The sheath on the cable is gorgeous and feels stealthy and a little dangerous. Black Cobra is definitely a name that fits these cables.

Nordost Heimdall 2 - This is also a bright cable that seemed to elevate treble as much as the Black Cobra. It did not seem to have an effect on the bass. However, it seemed like the dynamic range on some of the instruments were negatively affected. Some of the background percussion sounded more 1 dimensional vs having a rounded out sound.

Kimber Axios - Yes, the Utopia rocks out with this cable. I could hear slightly more texture in the brass and the timpani hits starting at 6:48 came through clear, well-defined, and with... I don't know the word... I could hear the mallet strike and each note reverberate in the kettle with a wider range of tones. I don't want to say that it's more "musical" because that seems like such a cop out but I'm not sure how else to describe it in a concise way.

Overall, I preferred the stock Utopia cable over the Black Cobra and Heimdall 2 because I didn't like the increased brightness. I can see either cable being great with something like the Ether or Auteur. I liked the Black Cobra better than the Heimdall 2 because of the increased bass definition and think it's a much better buy. The Axios really shined and I almost ordered one but checked my calendar and I'll be out of town for next week and a half. I wouldn't want $800 worth of cable sitting around for a week for my wife to cut in half with scissors when she finds out how much I spent on it.

Ouch! Your wife would do that?

 

[McMadface]

Ouch! Your wife would do that?

Ha! No, she wouldn't really do that. She's been surprisingly supportive of my audio purchases after the initial sticker shock wears out. We have separate discretionary spending accounts but she doesn't get HiFi at all. She has crazy demon ears that can hear me listening to the Utopia when she's upstairs with the bedroom door closed but doesn't care about this stuff. It's like if Andre the Giant decided that he would rather just change lightbulbs for a living instead of going into pro wrestling. Just image the Princess Bride without Andre as Fezzik! Hey, anyone want a peanut?

 

[FLTWS]

Can we talk about cables for a bit? I checked out the Kimber Axios, Nordost Heimdall 2, and SourceAV Black Cobra. I compared them to the stock Utopia cable and to each other using both my personal Utopia and the Source's, and a WA7 with Tidal MQA streaming from a V30. I used the same minute of music for each listen -- between 6:00 and 7:00 of Inception Medley by Hans Zimmer, Live in Prague -- so that I could really drill down and see if I could hear a difference, like some of you claim.

And, I could. F' me. Without having really tried out any high-end cables, I had always been kinda in the objectivist camp because it sounded well-reasoned and based on science. I think this is an example of where there hasn't been enough research done. Each cable sounded different and had their own signature sound. Not necessarily better sound, but there was definitely an effect.

SourceAV Black Cobra - This is where I started out. This is a bright cable that also has the effect of tightening up the bass. Cymbal crashes were louder and more shimmery. Timpani hits seemed slightly more defined with a quicker decay. Mids sounded slightly subdued, but it's probably only in relation to the elevated treble. The sheath on the cable is gorgeous and feels stealthy and a little dangerous. Black Cobra is definitely a name that fits these cables.

Nordost Heimdall 2 - This is also a bright cable that seemed to elevate treble as much as the Black Cobra. It did not seem to have an effect on the bass. However, it seemed like the dynamic range on some of the instruments were negatively affected. Some of the background percussion sounded more 1 dimensional vs having a rounded out sound.

Kimber Axios - Yes, the Utopia rocks out with this cable. I could hear slightly more texture in the brass and the timpani hits starting at 6:48 came through clear, well-defined, and with... I don't know the word... I could hear the mallet strike and each note reverberate in the kettle with a wider range of tones. I don't want to say that it's more "musical" because that seems like such a cop out but I'm not sure how else to describe it in a concise way.

Overall, I preferred the stock Utopia cable over the Black Cobra and Heimdall 2 because I didn't like the increased brightness. I can see either cable being great with something like the Ether or Auteur. I liked the Black Cobra better than the Heimdall 2 because of the increased bass definition and think it's a much better buy. The Axios really shined and I almost ordered one but checked my calendar and I'll be out of town for next week and a half. I wouldn't want $800 worth of cable sitting around for a week for my wife to cut in half with scissors when she finds out how much I spent on it.

Thanks for the effort. Since I returned to "higher end audio" (for lack of a better term) with HP's only 2 plus years ago and after a 12 year hiatus, I find in some, but not all cases, everything in the chain can make a difference. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle, and sometimes little or no difference worth noting at all when substituting non-stock cables in any part of my rig. HP and even HP amp comparisons are much easier for me by comparison as far as determining what I like / want.

Having a place that provides several of these HP cable options to listen to would be a treat and cost effective way to go about it.

No one can listen with your ears so advice and suggestions always need to be taken with a box of salt. Finding the right combination with these high end HP cables to suits your sonic tastes can be a costly adventure however.

 

[TSAVJason]

Ha! No, she wouldn't really do that. She's been surprisingly supportive of my audio purchases after the initial sticker shock wears out. We have separate discretionary spending accounts but she doesn't get HiFi at all. She has crazy demon ears that can hear me listening to the Utopia when she's upstairs with the bedroom door closed but doesn't care about this stuff. It's like if Andre the Giant decided that he would rather just change lightbulbs for a living instead of going into pro wrestling. Just image the Princess Bride without Andre as Fezzik! Hey, anyone want a peanut?

My name is Ingigo Montoya! You killed my father ....prepare to die!!

My wife threatens to sell all my AV so she can use the money to buy real estate. SMH

 

[McMadface]

Thanks for the effort. Since I returned to "higher end audio" (for lack of a better term) with HP's only 2 plus years ago and after a 12 year hiatus, I find in some, but not all cases, everything in the chain can make a difference. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle, and sometimes little or no difference worth noting at all when substituting non-stock cables in any part of my rig. HP and even HP amp comparisons are much easier for me by comparison as far as determining what I like / want.

Having a place that provides several of these HP cable options to listen to would be a treat and cost effective way to go about it.

No one can listen with your ears so advice and suggestions always need to be taken with a box of salt. Finding the right combination with these high end HP cables to suits your sonic tastes can be a costly adventure however.

Yes. My number 1 rule is that if I can't hear a difference, I won't spend the money on it. I would definitely recommend for anyone looking to upgrade their cable to listen to it first. The difference can be very subtle. I had to listen to the same 1 minute of music around 100 times to really sort things out. Alan must have gotten sick of hearing it over and over and over again. Sorry, mah dude.

So, is the sublte difference worth the money? I don't know. I'm not sure I'd really be able to notice the difference if I wasn't doing a head-to-head comparison. But, I also listen to my headphones about 6 hours a day. Sometimes more. That subtle difference adds up over time.

 

[dontfeedphils]

Can we talk about cables for a bit? I checked out the Kimber Axios, Nordost Heimdall 2, and SourceAV Black Cobra. I compared them to the stock Utopia cable and to each other using both my personal Utopia and the Source's, and a WA7 with Tidal MQA streaming from a V30. I used the same minute of music for each listen -- between 6:00 and 7:00 of Inception Medley by Hans Zimmer, Live in Prague -- so that I could really drill down and see if I could hear a difference, like some of you claim.

And, I could. F' me. Without having really tried out any high-end cables, I had always been kinda in the objectivist camp because it sounded well-reasoned and based on science. I think this is an example of where there hasn't been enough research done. Each cable sounded different and had their own signature sound. Not necessarily better sound, but there was definitely an effect.

SourceAV Black Cobra - This is where I started out. This is a bright cable that also has the effect of tightening up the bass. Cymbal crashes were louder and more shimmery. Timpani hits seemed slightly more defined with a quicker decay. Mids sounded slightly subdued, but it's probably only in relation to the elevated treble. The sheath on the cable is gorgeous and feels stealthy and a little dangerous. Black Cobra is definitely a name that fits these cables.

Nordost Heimdall 2 - This is also a bright cable that seemed to elevate treble as much as the Black Cobra. It did not seem to have an effect on the bass. However, it seemed like the dynamic range on some of the instruments were negatively affected. Some of the background percussion sounded more 1 dimensional vs having a rounded out sound.

Kimber Axios - Yes, the Utopia rocks out with this cable. I could hear slightly more texture in the brass and the timpani hits starting at 6:48 came through clear, well-defined, and with... I don't know the word... I could hear the mallet strike and each note reverberate in the kettle with a wider range of tones. I don't want to say that it's more "musical" because that seems like such a cop out but I'm not sure how else to describe it in a concise way.

Overall, I preferred the stock Utopia cable over the Black Cobra and Heimdall 2 because I didn't like the increased brightness. I can see either cable being great with something like the Ether or Auteur. I liked the Black Cobra better than the Heimdall 2 because of the increased bass definition and think it's a much better buy. The Axios really shined and I almost ordered one but checked my calendar and I'll be out of town for next week and a half. I wouldn't want $800 worth of cable sitting around for a week for my wife to cut in half with scissors when she finds out how much I spent on it.

Interesting. I really like the looks of the Axios cables. What exactly does $800 buy you with that cable (length, terminations, etc)? I made my own out of 24AWG 7N OCC copper, mostly because it seemed the cheapest way to get the 3.5-4m length I want. I imagine an Axios cable that length would require a second mortgage.

 

[McMadface]

My name is Ingigo Montoya! You killed my father ....prepare to die!!

My wife threatens to sell all my AV so she can use the money to buy real estate. SMH

"Real estate? What's the point? You can only live in one house at a time."
- What you say when she points out that you can only listen to one HiFi system at a time.

 

[McMadface]

Interesting. I really like the looks of the Axios cables. What exactly does $800 buy you with that cable (length, terminations, etc)? I made my own out of 24AWG 7N OCC copper, mostly because it seemed the cheapest way to get the 3.5-4m length I want. I imagine an Axios cable that length would require a second mortgage.

$800 was for the single ended 16-strand Axios copper cable in a 5 foot length. I thought about getting the balanced 4 pin XLR, but the single-ended adapter was like another $400 or something like that. I don't have any balanced amps.

Yeah, I don't even know how much a 4m Axios would cost. If we just did the math off the price per meter of the cable I got quoted for, it puts you at $2100.