Focal Utopia General Discussion
Aug 29, 2019 at 4:53 PM Post #10,952 of 20,433
May I ask where did you get your headphone? It's such a deal.
Adorama got dropped as a Focal dealer (at least for headphones IIRC) and blew out their inventory in an ‘open-box’ sale about 2 years ago. Total impulse purchase which I’ve been paying for, but not regretting, ever since (cable upgrades, chain additions, tube rolling).
 
Aug 30, 2019 at 11:46 AM Post #10,953 of 20,433
Hey all, after years of bouncing around - I’ve finally ended up with the Utopia, will arrive today. Got a reasonable price on a new on with warranty, so had to jump. I’ve owned Elear and Clear as well.

Anyway, trying to decide whether grabbing a balanced cable is a must? I’m currently running the RME ADI-2 DAC and THX 789.

I’d like to replace the cable regardless as I’d like something lighter/shorter. Thus far the only downside is lack of case and balanced/better cables like Clear etc. Odd that the lesser model includes that awesome case and cable options...

Anyway, recommend a balanced cable? Of any benefit? Any reasonably priced options that come to mind?

Thanks!
 
Aug 30, 2019 at 3:07 PM Post #10,954 of 20,433
Hey all, after years of bouncing around - I’ve finally ended up with the Utopia, will arrive today. Got a reasonable price on a new on with warranty, so had to jump...
Congrats, and welcome to the club!
...Thus far the only downside is lack of case and balanced/better cables like Clear etc. Odd that the lesser model includes that awesome case and cable options...
Shockingly, you’re not the first to mention this :)
...Anyway, recommend a balanced cable? Of any benefit? Any reasonably priced options that come to mind?...
The answer really has nothing to do with the cans. The question should be, “Will my chain drive these better through a balanced connection?” It’s tempting to ask whether any of your other cans sound better via a balanced cable from that chain. But given the hyper-revealing nature of Utopia, that answer would probably be mis-leading.

Personally, I run everything balanced and don’t really worry about whether it’s ‘better’. I’m comfortable knowing that it’s probably not ‘worse’. But I would have bought a replacement cable for Utopia anyway as I don’t care for the stock cable.
 
Aug 30, 2019 at 8:49 PM Post #10,955 of 20,433
You don't need to spend $4k on a Utopia. There are plenty of deals to be had for under $3k new, and closer to $2k used. With Focal changing their warranty to be transferable I now have a lot more confidence buying either way. Good on them for doing a pro-consumer move for once.

It spoils the confidence some folk might have to buy without audition.

I would rather think that instead of buying blindly with confidence, and then finding out afterwards that what you bought isn't what you were after, you'd want people to tell you the truth to spare you from having to go through that in the first place. Though of course we all hear differently so there will be some variance in user impressions.

Yes, to me the Utopia is a bit bass light. But only a little bit. It's honestly closer to the HD600 tuning than I would have expected, and the upper treble sounds smoother to me than some FR graphs I've seen would indicate. At the same time, yes there's a bit of a 6khz spike and the midrange tone is slightly cold. But it's reasonably well balanced as is, and I can listen to it without EQ just fine - which is not the case for most other headphones. I would also say that the Utopia actually has less of a metallic coloration to me than the Clear does, or the other aluminum/magnesium driver Focals. Next to them, it's a bit more natural sounding, more accurate texturally, noticeably more resolving and 3-dimensional, better at microdynamics, but also a little dry and a little analytical, at least in my rig.

I think the next move for me is either picking up something like a DHSA-3F to max the rig out, or picking up a Verite to see if the warmer tuning wins me over. Either way, I can no longer deny that dynamics are catching up to electrostatics technically. Exciting times in the hobby, for sure. Now if only the prices came back down...
 
Last edited:
Aug 31, 2019 at 1:15 AM Post #10,956 of 20,433
Congrats, and welcome to the club!

Shockingly, you’re not the first to mention this :)

The answer really has nothing to do with the cans. The question should be, “Will my chain drive these better through a balanced connection?” It’s tempting to ask whether any of your other cans sound better via a balanced cable from that chain. But given the hyper-revealing nature of Utopia, that answer would probably be mis-leading.

Personally, I run everything balanced and don’t really worry about whether it’s ‘better’. I’m comfortable knowing that it’s probably not ‘worse’. But I would have bought a replacement cable for Utopia anyway as I don’t care for the stock cable.

Yes, perhaps preaching to the choir in regards to lack of case and cables etc. With that said, good god man, these are some good looking cans... Just getting started with them, but so far so good. Have the Arya and HD800S sitting here as well, time to decide which one needs to go ha! We've all been there eh?

Off to find a balanced cable, as I'm sure these will appreciate the extra oomph.
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 1:49 AM Post #10,957 of 20,433
I'm a professional musician in the LA area. I play viola in symphonies and recordings and I teach at a couple universities. Nothing I've listened to comes closer to matching the feeling of "being there" than the Utopia. Not by a long shot. The things I hear and feel when I play in a symphony or a quartet are the things I hear and feel when I have my Utopia on. It takes my breath away how real it is! I've actually learned so much about sound since I got these. I'm able to hear so closely and so deeply into the recordings it's changed the way I listen and improved my playing. I had a high-end planar as well, but I sold it. It's so laid back, it's like being in the back of the concert hall with ear-muffs on. Focal has achieved something quite incredible with these headphones.
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 7:14 AM Post #10,958 of 20,433
Hey all, after years of bouncing around - I’ve finally ended up with the Utopia, will arrive today. Got a reasonable price on a new on with warranty, so had to jump. I’ve owned Elear and Clear as well.

Anyway, trying to decide whether grabbing a balanced cable is a must? I’m currently running the RME ADI-2 DAC and THX 789.

I’d like to replace the cable regardless as I’d like something lighter/shorter. Thus far the only downside is lack of case and balanced/better cables like Clear etc. Odd that the lesser model includes that awesome case and cable options...

Anyway, recommend a balanced cable? Of any benefit? Any reasonably priced options that come to mind?

Thanks!
both the clear and the stellia were released after the utopia, which might explain why they came with a carry case and cable options
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 7:20 AM Post #10,959 of 20,433
Im in the camp that feels the Utopia is bass light.
Its strength is extracting detail- great for critical listening.
Not a "fun" headphone imo- no head bopping and toe tapping here.

Excellent advice- if at all possible, audition before purchasing.
listening to esperanza spalding's emily's d+evolution at the moment - no shortage of bass to my ears and my toes are tapping as i type :smile_phones:
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 7:24 AM Post #10,960 of 20,433
You don't need to spend $4k on a Utopia. There are plenty of deals to be had for under $3k new, and closer to $2k used. With Focal changing their warranty to be transferable I now have a lot more confidence buying either way. Good on them for doing a pro-consumer move for once.



I would rather think that instead of buying blindly with confidence, and then finding out afterwards that what you bought isn't what you were after, you'd want people to tell you the truth to spare you from having to go through that in the first place. Though of course we all hear differently so there will be some variance in user impressions.

Yes, to me the Utopia is a bit bass light. But only a little bit. It's honestly closer to the HD600 tuning than I would have expected, and the upper treble sounds smoother to me than some FR graphs I've seen would indicate. At the same time, yes there's a bit of a 6khz spike and the midrange tone is slightly cold. But it's reasonably well balanced as is, and I can listen to it without EQ just fine - which is not the case for most other headphones. I would also say that the Utopia actually has less of a metallic coloration to me than the Clear does, or the other aluminum/magnesium driver Focals. Next to them, it's a bit more natural sounding, more accurate texturally, noticeably more resolving and 3-dimensional, better at microdynamics, but also a little dry and a little analytical, at least in my rig.

I think the next move for me is either picking up something like a DHSA-3F to max the rig out, or picking up a Verite to see if the warmer tuning wins me over. Either way, I can no longer deny that dynamics are catching up to electrostatics technically. Exciting times in the hobby, for sure. Now if only the prices came back down...

I actually had my eye on the Moon Audio Black Dragon cable for the Utopia. https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/moon-audio-black-dragon-premium-v2-headphone-cable/?page=2

Big thank you to everyone though. The last couple of pages have been a very interesting read.
 
Last edited:
Aug 31, 2019 at 4:16 PM Post #10,961 of 20,433
Yes, perhaps preaching to the choir in regards to lack of case and cables etc. With that said, good god man, these are some good looking cans... Just getting started with them, but so far so good. Have the Arya and HD800S sitting here as well, time to decide which one needs to go ha! We've all been there eh?

Off to find a balanced cable, as I'm sure these will appreciate the extra oomph.
I suggest you listen to Utopia w/ the stock cable for a while prior to purchasing an upgrade cable. You can nudge the tonality with a cable, but you need to decide which way you want to go. My completely un-scientific review suggests that there’s a fairly even split between folks (like me) who prefer a copper cable to add a little warmth and others who prefer the additional brightness a silver cable brings.
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 7:26 PM Post #10,962 of 20,433
I suggest you listen to Utopia w/ the stock cable for a while prior to purchasing an upgrade cable. You can nudge the tonality with a cable, but you need to decide which way you want to go. My completely un-scientific review suggests that there’s a fairly even split between folks (like me) who prefer a copper cable to add a little warmth and others who prefer the additional brightness a silver cable brings.

Yes, I'm content for the time being - I'd like to get used to the Utopias sound signature before adding potential tweaks. I'm not treble sensitive, but I'd warm them up a touch if I had the option.
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 8:16 PM Post #10,963 of 20,433
Yes, I'm content for the time being - I'd like to get used to the Utopias sound signature before adding potential tweaks. I'm not treble sensitive, but I'd warm them up a touch if I had the option.
My Lazuli Reference cable does that (along w/ some warmer tubes for my Liquid Platinum).
 
Aug 31, 2019 at 9:57 PM Post #10,964 of 20,433
I've been using the Utopia directly connected a Pass Labs X150.8 speaker amp over the last several listening hours. It was going to be just a quick test in passing not meant to be taken too seriously, but has since turned into more than that. Now I feel compelled to post some impressions about it just because I'm enjoying it so much.

My main point of reference is the Utopia connected directly to the DAVE-plus-Mscaler -- which until yesterday was the combination I've liked more than any amp (and DAC) pairing I've used with the Utopia in the past. Music listening so far has been mostly acoustic. Cable is a Lavricables Master Silver, which had 0 hours on it when I started.

Some pluses (big ones!):

- Crazy fast and articulate. Piano now has an appropriate sense of attack and even aggression when it should (One example: Vijay Iyer - Historicity). The speed combined with the X150.8's tonally density works really well. So, "electrostat-like", but with extra solidity.

- This is really part of the same point above, but... Gobs of microdetail, air and reverb, clarity and nuance. To my ears, more of all these things compared to Dave's headphone-out. Is also brighter than the MDave-direct, which I find to sound too dark with Utopia by about 2dB. YMMV ofc.

- Expanded soundstage that easily puts it on par with some other high-end open-backs. So much the opposite of the Utopia sounding "congested" or "closed-in". Makes the Utopia sound nth-row instead of first-row or on-stage. This may be the most notable difference among those listed here.

- Better moments of depth than I've ever heard with the Utopia (though this was while listening at 2 in the morning, so that probably also had something to do with it). The X150.8 has really nice depth and point-point imaging, and it carries over to the Utopia as I would expect it to. Example: Espoo Big Band - Finale.

- Very convincing, realistic acoustic instrument timbre to my ears. I feel like this must be the result of everything coming together correctly -- tonality, transient character, clarity, resolution, depth, etc. It equals the most lifelike presentation I've ever heard from my system (which has mostly been organized around the Susvara and SR1a for the last period). At least tied with the Susvara + AHB2. Also worth noting is that I do not find the X150.8 to have amazing "realism" with either the RAAL or the Susvara, but I do with the Utopia.

- Exhibits an incredible amount of control and nuance in the bass. Makes the bass from the Utopia direct out of the Dave sound bloated in comparison -- fighting words, I know. Same goes for the bass of the Susvara driven by the same amp, which when heard directly after the Utopia sounds loose and inarticulate. Favorite example so far -- Sonar - Vortex: Bass guitar notes start in the middle of the sound stage, rattling the cranium, and then emanate outward into blackness on the X/Z plane. Really lovely effect, intended or otherwise.

- Relatedly, is surprisingly un-fatiguing. I've found the Utopia bass to be overly punchy to the point of abusive on a number of amps, which led to too much fatigue and ultimately to giving up on the first pair I had.

- Almost no background noise to speak of with this amp. But if you have a ground loop, you will definitely hear it.

- Edit: Lastly, I forgot to mention, and as you'd expect with this much ridiculous extra power on tap, dynamic swings are huge. At my normal listening volume, I've caught myself bracing myself in anticipation of big swells in the music. Which is pretty awesome, if you think about it, and exactly as it ought to be.

Some potential minuses:

- Bigger soundstage means less forward-sounding (As always, pluses can also be minuses based on preference).

- It's so resolving that it has an almost "raw" sound, maybe? Still trying to decide if I think this is really the case or if it's originating from my own expectation bias...

- Treble could be a shade overdone to some, and stuff like cymbals can be just a tad over-emphasized. I like it, though. May have something to do with this silver Lavricables cable, which is still brand new (ditto for the point above as well).

- Tight bass may also mean less of it. Reach for that low-shelf filter if need be.

- Lastly and most obviously, this is a crazily mismatched pairing in terms of power. So, yes, much caution is warranted when main-lining the headphones into a power amp so as to avoid making an operational mistake that could lead in a very bad day.

Next up on my roadmap is the Benchmark AHB2, which I've been kind-of planning on replacing the X150.8 with, primarily for use with the SR1a and Susvara. This could prove to be slightly "safer" than this amp when used with the Utopia, as it has an a-typically low user-selectable gain setting of just 9dB.
 
Last edited:
Aug 31, 2019 at 10:16 PM Post #10,965 of 20,433
My Lazuli Reference cable does that (along w/ some warmer tubes for my Liquid Platinum).

Wow, you're not messing around - I'm not prepared to drop that kind of coin on a cable, at least not yet :wink: It's odd, I still have issues rationalizing spending so much on headphones, but I'll drop several magnitudes more on watches - strange haha

With that said I'd love to audition some higher end cables and see for myself. I can't say whether there's improvements to be had with specific cables (audible improvements that is) but I'll reserve judgment until I can test myself. I'm keeping an open mind!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top