[BreadMaster]

Damn, ya went super Saiyan lol

 

[mkbtam]

I have never heard the VC. I am confident it is a great headphone. I do happily own a blackwood Auteur and respect Zach's work. The reverb effect is also at work in the Atticus and is one of its special charms IMO. It is what makes differences in wood more apparent. For some, it is a weakness; for others, it is a strength. From what I understand, the harder woods reflect less reverb than the softer woods. It's fair to expect there will be some people who experience fatigue with reflection in the cups/reverb.

In terms of soundstage and a sense of openness, it is remarkable what Zach and Dan Clarke have been able to do with sealed headphones recently, starting to bridge the cap with their open variants.

I would not say the Utopia has a lack of air, at least on my setup. YMMV. The sense of "air" around instruments, while not as vast as what I have heard with something like HD800(S), is readily apparent to me. I remember doing A/B comparisons with the Clear at my home setup; when I put the Utopia back on after having listened to the Clear for a number of hours, I was immediately struck by how much open and "airy" they sounded.

Absolutely right! Everyone has his/her preference and I love my Utopia and HD800. Bravo!

 

[pervysage]

Damn, ya went super Saiyan lol

I'm pretty sure he went even further BEYOND *proceeds to scream for 5 minute*

 

[mkbtam]

I have quite a few SACDs and is using two top of the line Sony players but they are almost ten years old; I am planning to add a DAC that has a HDMI input for my Sony player. The one I am looking at is Bryston BDA-3; is this a good match for the Utopia?

 

[bidn]

Hi there,

famous head-fier Nomax, who excels at getting insider information before anyone else, has posted the following pic on a German forum:

from:
https://www.open-end-music.de/vb3/showpost.php?p=319482&postcount=1157

He calls it a face lifting of the accessories.

All the best,
bidn

 

[dontfeedphils]

Hi there,

famous head-fier Nomax, who excels at getting insider information before anyone else, has posted the following pic on a German forum:

from:
https://www.open-end-music.de/vb3/showpost.php?p=319482&postcount=1157

He calls it a face lifting of the accessories.

All the best,
bidn

I already received an email from Focal about this update, so not exactly under wraps sort of info, FYI.

 

[Progisus]

I already received an email from Focal about this update, so not exactly under wraps sort of info, FYI.

I got that too and wondered if it would be available as a separate item.

 

[up late]

it's also on focal's website

 

[DaYooper]

But....can one purchase the accessory kit by itself?

 

[BreadMaster]

Be nice if they come with V2 drivers too along with the new packaging .

 

[BreadMaster]

Any change with the cable materials?

 

[Ken G]

Any change with the cable materials?

Looks like the Clear/Elegia/Stellia cable material with the Utopia connections.
I own the Clear and I think the Cloth-based cables are pretty good if a bit stiff. Great for desktop/home use but not quite as portable, even the shorter ones.
Not sure why anyone would use the Utopia portably but perhaps there is a use case.

 

[pervysage]

Significant upgrade considering how downright TERRIBLE the stock Utopia cable is lol. I still call it the "vacuum cleaner power cable".

 

[Ken G]

But....can one purchase the accessory kit by itself?

I've reached out to Focal to see if they would be willing to give a discount on the accessory bundle to current owners that have paid full (or close to full) price in the past. I would encourage anyone else interested in these accessories to do the same.

Focal has not responded to my email yet.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

I am less surprised with Empyrean, a little surprised by VC, and very surprised by the Abyss.

Despite what others have said, you ultimately prefer Utopia to Abyss? Can you offer more reasons as to why? I also wouldn't mind more details of comparison with the other headphones listed.

To add to

Last few days I've been doing quick rotations between the Utopia, Empyrean, Abyss and Verite Closed.

The Utopia remains my favourite by far. I'm so glad I bought these headphones. Worth every penny.

Roasty's and Liu's discussion were super exciting for me, and I liked Roasty's comparison. I own three out of the four mentioned (AB-1266 TC, Utopia, Empy) but not the VC. For me, the ab-1266TC vs Utopia is like comparing a Hollywood Blockbuster VS an Art House Film. The abyss is bombastic and impressive, its bass is unrivalled as is the soundstage. It is a fun headphone, and one cannot stop listening to it, as one cannot stop watching a well made Hollywood Movie. But in a direct comparison with the Utopia, the mentioned finesse of the mids and the way to treat main instruments - I call it putting them into spotlight - allows for a microscopic and much more controlled hearing, like discovering the joys of a perfect dialogue which can be heard and reheard, never dull, never hollow. The empy again is so good on yet another level, it does not stand out in anything particular but also does not disappoint. Plus, it is the easiest to drive and the most comfortable.

Saying all this, I will probably sell my Utopia because I need a closed headphone. The Stellia is not as good but hopefully close enough to not miss it too much