Focal Utopia General Discussion

[Frozen Rat]

not really. i was just responding to the previous post.

Yes, I see that now. You don't quote much or use capitals. I have to be alert for subtler clues.

 

[Articnoise]

I need something that isolates out in public. I don't want people hearing what I'm listening to and judging me. There's this song in my playlist by Selena Gomez—I think someone put it there as a joke—it won't delete. What if that comes on while I'm around my lumberjack buddies and they hear it? I'd never live it down. (I don't have lumberjack buddies, but my friends have keen ears and a taste for verbal abuse and will pick up on the slightest weakness and run with it).

Since these two use the same driver (I'm assuming), what makes the U faster than the S? The cup construction?

All I have to go on is reviews. That's all I had to go on before buying the Utopia, but it worked out.

I was going to get the Elegia, but I'd still dream of the Stellia and in the end I'd weaken and buy the Stellia anyway. It's like when it's my birthday, I won't order the top sirloin if there's rib eye on the menu.

I don’t know if your “friends” will stop mooching you if you would change to the Stellia. I doubt it, and why should you. It’s probably better to stand up for you self and not letting others push you around because who you are and what sort of music you listen to.

 

[up late]

Yes, I see that now. You don't quote much or use capitals. I have to be alert for subtler clues.

Ok

 

[TheMiddleSky]

I need something that isolates out in public. I don't want people hearing what I'm listening to and judging me. There's this song in my playlist by Selena Gomez—I think someone put it there as a joke—it won't delete. What if that comes on while I'm around my lumberjack buddies and they hear it? I'd never live it down. (I don't have lumberjack buddies, but my friends have keen ears and a taste for verbal abuse and will pick up on the slightest weakness and run with it).

Since these two use the same driver (I'm assuming), what makes the U faster than the S? The cup construction?

All I have to go on is reviews. That's all I had to go on before buying the Utopia, but it worked out.

I was going to get the Elegia, but I'd still dream of the Stellia and in the end I'd weaken and buy the Stellia anyway. It's like when it's my birthday, I won't order the top sirloin if there's rib eye on the menu.

Clearly oot, but I think I need to say this: Judge a person based on their music preference, is like judge a person based on their favourite ice cream flavour. What to judge from Selena Gomez song? or korean song? or edm song? or japanes song? I simply don't get it.

Anyway, Stellia is more forgiving than utopia, thus, better for all round purpose, you can play all songs above and still enjoyable

While I also like Elegia, it's nowhere near stellia capabilities, and i think there's a little problem with elegia's bass presentation too.

 

[Frozen Rat]

I don’t know if your “friends” will stop mooching you if you would change to the Stellia. I doubt it, and why should you. It’s probably better to stand up for you self and not letting others push you around because who you are and what sort of music you listen to.

I was going to say something clever (to me) but decided to be serious for once. And here it is:

Last night I was perusing Apple iTunes looking for new tunes to treat myself with through the Utopia and I realized I hate most music. I went through 300 songs and picked three. That means I like 1% of the music out there. I wonder what that says about me.

And I confess, there's this one song by Selena Gomez I like. But "Havana" by Camila Cabello is even better and I play it proudly. It also makes me wonder why Latinas sometimes have such strange names. Cabello translates to "hair." Her name is "Camila Hair" in English. Weird.

Actually, here's the serious part:

Does anyone have sample EQs they like with the Utopia? Or do you all play them un-EQ'd?

 

[LCMusicLover]

Un-EQ'd here.

 

[DaYooper]

Here too, IN fact I don't EQ anything.

 

[up late]

^ likewise

 

[Mh996]

I do a +3dB low shelf pass at 60Hz

 

[dontfeedphils]

No EQ for me, thanks.

 

[Frozen Rat]

Thanks for the answers. I was playing with the EQ last night and wasn't overly satisfied with the results, except EQ'ing up the bass a hair added a bit of body to the low end. Not sure it really needs it (yet). There's a knife's edge in the treble on some songs that really drills the eardrum if the volume is up. On the good side, Utopia sounds detailed and good at lower volumes. I'm not reversing course and calling these bright, but in some cases they can fatigue the ear. Maybe I'm listening too loud. One thing that seems to have helped (more testing needed) is making sure my source volume isn't pegged. When I back off the volume on the source and dial it up to compensate on the Mojo, I feel like it smooths out the treble a bit.

 

[meomap]

Listening Utopia right now through these stack of equipments.
No EQ is ever needed.......
Newest member of the club is the AQ Niagara 3000 with Tornado power cable.
So much extra noise taken out to the ground that I feel the system takes my Utopia to another level. So much better now. So much quieter and so much more dynamic slam with more pronounced bass.
It's that perfect in many songs that I have heard many times years ago and now just WOW. What a difference is this noise dissipation system made to the audio system.
Can't wait until I test it in my 2 channel system in the summer.

 

[koven]

Listening Utopia right now through these stack of equipments.
No EQ is ever needed.......
Newest member of the club is the AQ Niagara 3000 with Tornado power cable.
So much extra noise taken out to the ground that I feel the system takes my Utopia to another level. So much better now. So much quieter and so much more dynamic slam with more pronounced bass.
It's that perfect in many songs that I have heard many times years ago and now just WOW. What a difference is this noise dissipation system made to the audio system.
Can't wait until I test it in my 2 channel system in the summer.

Nice. I can attest to the improvements from a power conditioner as well. I had the Niagara 1000 for a couple months which was great. I'm now using the IsoTek Aquarius which I find even better. Someday I will try an offering in the next price bracket, like the highly acclaimed Inakustik AC-3500P.

 

[Nomax]

Do you happen to know if the case in the picture have enough room to fit the SP1000+SP1000AMP?

No the Sp1000+AMP AMP find not enough place

NOMAX

PS.sorry for my late answer

 

[catscratch]

Definitely use EQ. I find the Utopia colored and fatiguing without it, even though in the grand scheme of things it is actually less colored than most headphones. There's a bump at 1-1.5khz, a dip at 2khz, a peak at 5.7-6khz and smaller peaks in other places. It's also somewhat upwards tiled, with the bass being a few db down and treble being slightly elevated.

I'm still zeroing in on a finalized EQ but right now it's something like this:

Peaking Filter 1.2khz -2db Q-factor 1.41
Peaking Filter 2khz +0.8db Q-factor 2
High-shelf Filter 3.5khz -2db S 0.9
Peaking Filter 6khz -2db Q-factor 2

However everybody hears differently especially in the treble. So you want to come up with your own EQ. You can probably use someone else's up to 2khz or so but past that outer ear resonances come into play and they vary from person to person.

I also wouldn't add too much bass boost, as Focal drivers operate closer to the limits of excursion than many others and will bottom out more easily. A few db is probably fine, but not more than that, at least if you listen at 80db or more.