[rgs9200m]

Thanks for confirming what I hear mulveling. I'm grateful to Tyll for his creation. (Small world. I got my nice KGSS hv mini from Purk).

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

Came back from a Snarky Puppy concert on Sunday (@TSAVJason eat your heart out). Listening to the album "We like it here" by them now on the Mac<Ifi micro iUSB3.0<Questyle 600i<Utopia now. Even though it isn't like being there live, I can still rock out with this combo!! I love the separation, speed and how brass sounds on the Utopia. The drums as well sound excellent. Love the punch from the drums 3:00 minutes in the track "What about me". Do your self a favor and listen to this album if your not familiar with it.

Side note- it made me feel odd that I was like one of the few people at the concert who were head bobbing and tapping my foot at the concert. Everyone else was way too "chill" I think lol. But hey, I had a blast.

 

[TSAVJason]

Came back from a Snarky Puppy concert on Sunday (@TSAVJason eat your heart out). Listening to the album "We like it here" by them now on the Mac<Ifi micro iUSB3.0<Questyle 600i<Utopia now. Even though it isn't like being there live, I can still rock out with this combo!! I love the separation, speed and how brass sounds on the Utopia. The drums as well sound excellent. Love the punch from the drums 3:00 minutes in the track "What about me". Do your self a favor and listen to this album if your not familiar with it.

Side note- it made me feel odd that I was like one of the few people at the concert who were head bobbing and tapping my foot at the concert. Everyone else was way too "chill" I think lol. But hey, I had a blast.

Hahahaha you are a first timer. I’ve seen them over a dozen times so it’s you that needs to eat your heart out. They are great to go see and their music rocks the house!

 

[BunnyNamedCraig]

Hahahaha you are a first timer. I’ve seen them over a dozen times so it’s you that needs to eat your heart out. They are great to go see and their music rocks the house!

HA! BURN!
I'm jealous now thanks a lot....

Utopia is a perfect match for Snarky Puppy. Utopia is able to keep up with the pace and I love them for that.

 

[mulveling]

Thanks for confirming what I hear mulveling. I'm grateful to Tyll for his creation. (Small world. I got my nice KGSS hv mini from Purk).

I'd been using a Gilmore Balanced Reference recently, but after reading your post last night I broke out my Max Balanced, and hooked it up to the Utopias and my newly rebuilt SOTA Nova turntable. Even driving it single-ended, damn it sounds awesome! I really really like the sound of the Utopia with vinyl, and the Max is really working brilliantly in this mix. I'm definitely a Stax fanboy, and 009S are now easily my favorite headphone, but the enjoyment gap between 009S/Utopia seems to close up a bit with a great vinyl source (both rock).

 

[TSAVJason]

I bought a Home Balanced (Max modules) and later a Max Balanced off of Purk. 2006 modules. They are super awesome amps. Definitely good with Utopia. Underrated, and usually a good deal when they do pop up - especially the Home Balanced, which is really like 99% of the Max. I’m not really impressed by what I see available in the dynamic amplifier scene today, so I fall back to the top amplifiers from head-if days past. Take a look inside one of the Headroom Balanced amps from 2006-08. Amazing quality.

There is a touch of warmth/sweetness (probably from the OPA627) that can be good for the Utopia.

@purk is pretty cool and takes good care of his gear.

 

[rgs9200m]

Yep, I like my 009 and 007 too, but, I have to admit, I'm so taken by my Utopia setup that it's now my preferred way of listening.
Chain: EMM XDS1v2 DAC/cdp ==> Headroom Max amp ==> Utopia headphone with Stealth Indra IC and Shunyata and Telwire power cables. All plugged into a Shunyata Titan power conditioner.
Just using stock Utopia headphone cable.
Honestly, sound to die for.

Thanks again for going to the trouble of testing out your Headroom amp mulveling!

From time to time, I still go back to Stereophile's Headroom Max article from 1997 (by Wes Phillps, RIP. ) Tyll's comments in the review are also interesting:

https://www.stereophile.com/headphones/261/index.html

The Headroom Blockhead review by Jonathan Scull:
https://www.stereophile.com/headphones/614/index.html

 

[Savage4]

I have my utopia + Dana cable listed for sale if anyone is interested.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/utopia-dana-lazuli-ref.883308/

 

[strojo]

@TSAVJason - will the new Moon 390 headphone amp have enough power to support the Utopias?

 

[Allanmarcus]

@TSAVJason - will the new Moon 390 headphone amp have enough power to support the Utopias?

Headphone output power (600 Ω / 300 Ω / 50 Ω) 100 mW / 200 mW / 0.8 W

should be plenty.

 

[TSAVJason]

@TSAVJason - will the new Moon 390 headphone amp have enough power to support the Utopias?

Yes definitely enough power.

 

[doraymon]

I'd like to thank Marine and the other colleagues @FocalOfficial for their help in addressing the issue with my Utopias.
Thanks for your intervention!

 

[doraymon]

Came back from a Snarky Puppy concert on Sunday (@TSAVJason eat your heart out). Listening to the album "We like it here" by them now on the Mac<Ifi micro iUSB3.0<Questyle 600i<Utopia now. Even though it isn't like being there live, I can still rock out with this combo!! I love the separation, speed and how brass sounds on the Utopia. The drums as well sound excellent. Love the punch from the drums 3:00 minutes in the track "What about me". Do your self a favor and listen to this album if your not familiar with it.

Side note- it made me feel odd that I was like one of the few people at the concert who were head bobbing and tapping my foot at the concert. Everyone else was way too "chill" I think lol. But hey, I had a blast.

Alone at home I poured a Single Malt Scotch on the rocks and listened to this album.
Not sure if thanks to the Utopias and Dave or to the Scotch effect during a couple of passages I instinctively removed my headphones to check if someone was in the house...
Very realistic. Great suggestion, thanks!

 

[emrelights1973]

Yes definitely enough power.

İt is a pre/streamer... i had Naim 272 similar product, no problem driving anything but it was not good headphone amp my creek21 was far better

 

[emrelights1973]

The Naim 272 is an exclent pre/streamer by the way, in a stereo set up, for headphones is just ok... trashed by a 500$ dedicated headphone amp with different headphones — hd800/Fostex th900/Focal elear, Easy bunch to drive except 800s

Offcourse moon can be exception by being Master of all trades dac/streamer/preamp/headphone amp.... then I should sell all my separates and get one