[astrostar59]

Julian, why participate in such drivel. Coloration, in one way or another, exists in everything.
Yea, a stretch, arguably, unless you solely listen to your own recordings. What fun!

I am saying a transparent source in budget digital can lead to all sorts of fatigue and problems. A high end HP needs a high end DAC, and by that not always expensive, more high performance. Likewise a high end speaker will ruthlessly reveal a low end (performance) source and end up unsatisfying.

 

[Arniesb]

I am saying a transparent source in budget digital can lead to all sorts of fatigue and problems. A high end HP needs a high end DAC, and by that not always expensive, more high performance. Likewise a high end speaker will ruthlessly reveal a low end (performance) source and end up unsatisfying.

Agree. + Unlike amps we can use 1 dac for both speakers and headphones use, thus proving to be better value.

 

[up late]

While I agree that for most of us, 4K DAC could be too much for Utopia, I would like to add a little story.

Once (around 2 yrs ago), local community in my place tried to built a set-up by combine all what we have into one ultimate system. They consist of:
DCS Vivaldi DAC with stacks: Vivaldi Master Clock and Vivaldi Upsampler
Bakoon Pre 5420 MK3 (as pre amp)
Woo Audio WA5 Max
Focal Utopia

We also tried to swap the dac with Dave, which is already produce excellent sound. However, in this case Vivaldi able to bring us "magic" that make all of our jaws drop. Tested with Katie Melua - Dreams On Fire, we able to listened the song in microscopic detail, that we guess even their sound engineer never expect people to hear it: one person cough a little in the background, there was one door being closed, and some paper noise as they flip the music book (we guess?).

Then we try back listened with Dave, and that song become "normal" again, we hear micro detail very well, but all of that "noise" are very hard to pick (we didn't realize them if we haven't heard at DCS at the first place), and some are totally missing.

Note that this Katie Melua song is kind of our reference song because we like the song itself so much (like we listened to it almost everyday). All of us never heard this "noise detail" before, that's why the wow effect for us was so big.

While we all agree these set-up simply way way way too overkill, it is just fun to know the capabilities of these 40mm beryllium drivers in term of revealing detail.

the dave was clearly disadvantaged in the comparison by the absence of the hugo m-scaler

 

[joseph69]

one person cough a little in the background, there was one door being closed, and some paper noise as they flip the music book (we guess?).

Listened to this track via MBP > Roon+Tidal Hi-Fi > ultraRendu w/Uptone UltraCap LPS-1 > 'KTE' Singxer SU1 > 'KTE' Holo Spring DAC > WA33 > HD800. Listening casually, I couldn't hear anyone coughing but did hear someone walking from the left at +/-1min 20sec. Also heard what I thought to be a door closing from the right at +/- 3min 26sec. Thought I heard some pages turning hear & there, but I think it was more fingers sliding across the guitars.

 

[up late]

I am saying a transparent source in budget digital can lead to all sorts of fatigue and problems. A high end HP needs a high end DAC, and by that not always expensive, more high performance. Likewise a high end speaker will ruthlessly reveal a low end (performance) source and end up unsatisfying.

if a so called "budget digital" source is "transparent" then it may well be fatiguing at times if the recorded material that it is reproducing is also fatiguing. asserting that "a high end hp needs a high end dac" because it's "more high performance" is meaningless without an explanation of how it can be just as "transparent" as a "budget" dac without being fatiguing. i think you risk tying yourself into knots here but that's up to you. and the "high end" in audio is synonymous with expensive as i understand it.

 

[muski]

I haven't plugged them into the Mojo yet. I'm waiting for a single ended cable that doesn't outweigh the mojo by a factor of 3.

With my Mojo I use a short-ish (3-4ft) Black Dragon cable from Moon. It's not too heavy and pairs well with the Mojo. But I know what you mean: with DAVE I use a Lazuli Reference cable. I love the way it sounds but it sure is heavy.

 

[thecrow]

So the gist of what I’ve been reading here recently is a better dac, a better amp and/or a better headphone generally makes things sound better

But a lesser dac, amp and/or headphone is still ok.

Ok. I agree with that.

 

[montanari]

Today I was listening the new avishi Cohen ecm album with my utopia. dac super transparent amp susy dynalo so again..
At min 7. 23 about of the second track I heard a voice from the back. A female voice. The voice raised. It looked so real that i turned back scared. It was in that moment that I saw my gf upset and with the lunch ready on the table!
Ciaooo

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Listened to this track via MBP > Roon+Tidal Hi-Fi > ultraRendu w/Uptone UltraCap LPS-1 > 'KTE' Singxer SU1 > 'KTE' Holo Spring DAC > WA33 > HD800. Listening casually, I couldn't hear anyone coughing but did hear someone walking from the left at +/-1min 20sec. Also heard what I thought to be a door closing from the right at +/- 3min 26sec. Thought I heard some pages turning hear & there, but I think it was more fingers sliding across the guitars.

it's start to be like a game, to find something that shouldn't exist

 

[Progisus]

Paul is dead

 

[LCMusicLover]

Paul is dead

I buried Paul.

 

[thecrow]

Today I was listening the new avishi Cohen ecm album with my utopia. dac super transparent amp susy dynalo so again..
At min 7. 23 about of the second track I heard a voice from the back. A female voice. The voice raised. It looked so real that i turned back scared. It was in that moment that I saw my gf upset and with the lunch ready on the table!
Ciaooo

i'm scared to hear this on the utopia tonight - it's freaking me out enough with the hekse

 

[Slim1970]

i'm scared to hear this on the utopia tonight - it's freaking me out enough with the hekse

Good grief this is freaky, but what an experience in sound!

 

[Mh996]

Hi, I am a new Utopia owner. I’ve seen on here and the Clear thread people using a wool sleeve to protect the headband. Could someone recommend one to me? I can’t seem to find any using my own searching skills.

 

[strojo]

Hi, I am a new Utopia owner. I’ve seen on here and the Clear thread people using a wool sleeve to protect the headband. Could someone recommend one to me? I can’t seem to find any using my own searching skills.

What are you trying to protect it from? It’s fine as it is.