[paul2qute]

I must have a unicorn set because the bass is certainly not non-existent on my pair. Was listening with the Hugo2 the other night and it was sublime. The bass is certainly much more present on my Utopia than my ETHER C Flow (there goes the theory of closed cans always having more bass - ETHER Flow open has a much warmer tonality than the closed). I know you heard it differently, I just want to add another data point.

My favorite pairing is the Utopia with the DAVE, and again, bass is plenty for my tastes.

I'll be honest I reckon I had a faulty pair because the amount of ppl that love the Focal Utopia is unbelievable, my Mrs didn't like them either so they must of been defective,I got mine the first December they were released, I had the Naim nd5 xs to 2qute then to Trilogy 933 amp, it should of sounded amazing

 

[joseph69]

I'll be honest I reckon I had a faulty pair because the amount of ppl that love the Focal Utopia is unbelievable, my Mrs didn't like them either so they must of been defective,I got mine the first December they were released, I had the Naim nd5 xs to 2qute then to Trilogy 933 amp, it should of sounded amazing

I believe this is exactly what happened to me the first 2 times I had the Utopia (in home.) They di absolutely nothing for me. I actually retired the to The Cable Company 5 days early, with times! Then after reading all the positive impressions, I just had to hear them again. This time, I totally understood what all the rave was about and couldn't believe how they sounded (and still can't.)

This being said, I feel there had to be something wrong wit the first 2 pairs I tried because they sounded nothing like the 3rd pair, or the pair I purchased. Maybe it had to do with them being loaners and they were just abuse by others? I don't know, but I'm thankful to those that posted these positive impressions and made mw try the Utopia again, otherwise I'd be missing out big time!

 

[rgs9200m]

Yep, Utopia + Dave is a match made in heaven, close to end game. ('probably need an Mscaler too, but that's just speculation since I haven't heard the million tap monster.)

 

[jlbrach]

i am listening to dave/blu2 plus utopia right now!....

 

[TSAVJason]

i am listening to dave/blu2 plus utopia right now!....

It doesn’t suck does it?

 

[phaeton70]

well, after some 2 years now, I must say I still love my Utopia, and I use it on a very regular basis (together with the 009). no bass? ouch, I must be deaf or maybe only lucky because I hear a perfectly tuned and well extended bass.
I do admit however that striking the right source/amp/cable combination was not easy at all.... after many changes I've settled using a Vega (with filter 4) + 300B (EML Mesh) with a FAW full copper cable. IMO and to my ears this combination is just at the same level of a 009+GG driven by an Analog, and I choose between the two based on if I want to have a more "romantic" experience (Utopia) or a more "hifi" one (009)
after having listened to many amps with my Utopia, I can say that for my tastes and the way I like to hear, Utopia likes 300B..... 2A3 are too "hifi", 45 are too "soft", 300B is just perfect for ths hp.... and specifically, the EML 300B Mesh are really a perfect fit IMHO.

 

[JLoud]

I am running the same 300B tubes in my Woo WA5 and I agree the sound wonderful.

 

[AmusedToD]

Anyone looking for a fine quality balanced cable for the Focal Utopia, I can recommend Invictus cables from Italy. They sell on eBay. I bought a 7N silver cable from them with genuine LEMO connectors. The craftsmanship is top notch, and the packaging is very classy. It is reasonably priced, yet it looks like a much more expensive cable. Emiliano from Invictus is extremly kind and helpful, he answers questions within minutes, so another plus for the customer service.

The cable itself is very light and soft which helps with the weight of the headphones themselves. In regards to the sound, I can only say there is not a hint of harshness (if anybody is concerned about brightness of silver). The soundstage is large and very airy with excellent detail retrieval. The sound is relaxed and very musical. So top marks from me. This is my experience from just one day of listening, I expect it to further improve with burn in. My source is the QP2R DAP.

 

[ubs28]

“I listen on crap equipment so the Focal Utopia must be bad when it sounds horrible”

 

[emrelights1973]

what would be the best cable for Utopia / 1Z combo? Kimber? Plussound ( which one )? Another with a good black friday deal?

 

[336881]

“I listen on crap equipment so the Focal Utopia must be bad when it sounds horrible”

So when you say crap do you mean poorly built or inexpensive? Just me but there is a big difference.

 

[youurayy]

“I listen on crap equipment so the Focal Utopia must be bad when it sounds horrible”

That sums up most of the negative Utopia reviews.

 

[rgs9200m]

Listened last night on my Utopia to the HDtracks download of the new Beatles White Album 50th anniversary release.
Total awesomeness.

I was skeptical of the new mix, with a fear that they were tampering with greatness, but this is a great take on things.
There is all sorts of interesting plankton.
This sounds to me like the best digital Beatles recording I ever heard.
The super deluxe version with the Esher demos is well worth it.

 

[TSAVJason]

what would be the best cable for Utopia / 1Z combo? Kimber? Plussound ( which one )? Another with a good black friday deal?

Both a great cables. The general consensus is the Kimber Axios but there is a degree of subjectivity to each of our experiences with things like this.

 

[emrelights1973]

Both a great cables. The general consensus is the Kimber Axios but there is a degree of subjectivity to each of our experiences with things like this.

Any Black Friday deals on Kimbers? Plus sound x8 cooper/silver with gold is in my radar...