[bajs1988]

Hi all - I've had Utopias for about 4 months now, and have been using them with my Lyr 3 - I also have Meze Empyrean and HifiMan HE-1000 v2 - I really enjoyed them with that, but I experienced a lot of what other people have mentioned; constricted soundstage, a bit light in the bass, and a bit harsh in the trebles; great phones, but I couldn't understand all this 'best headphone in the world' hype that used to go around. A few days ago I got a Quicksilver Headphone Amp, all tube class-A, and while all my headphones sound much better through that, it's like it was made for Utopia - it expands the soundstage, adds heft and body to the bass, and rolls of highs just enough to avoid harshness and shoutiness. I never knew music could sound like this and I understand the hype now - so much 3D/holographic sound going on. This amp totally rocks and for $1000, it's serious value for money. I'm new here or I'd put up a photo of it, but I can't recommend it enough to anybody with Utopias - there is real magic in those cans, but you need the right amp to bring it out....

My question to you would be what amp were you running them on before.

 

[LarsMan]

My question to you would be what amp were you running them on before.

Hi there! It was a Lyr 3, as I mentioned in my first paragraph above. Also, I'm using an RME ADI-2 DAC....

 

[THGM]

Hi all - I've had Utopias for about 4 months now, and have been using them with my Lyr 3 - I also have Meze Empyrean and HifiMan HE-1000 v2 - I really enjoyed them with that, but I experienced a lot of what other people have mentioned; constricted soundstage, a bit light in the bass, and a bit harsh in the trebles; great phones, but I couldn't understand all this 'best headphone in the world' hype that used to go around. A few days ago I got a Quicksilver Headphone Amp, all tube class-A, and while all my headphones sound much better through that, it's like it was made for Utopia - it expands the soundstage, adds heft and body to the bass, and rolls of highs just enough to avoid harshness and shoutiness. I never knew music could sound like this and I understand the hype now - so much 3D/holographic sound going on. This amp totally rocks and for $1000, it's serious value for money. I'm new here or I'd put up a photo of it, but I can't recommend it enough to anybody with Utopias - there is real magic in those cans, but you need the right amp to bring it out....

Welcome to Head-Fi! It looks as though your wallet has already taken a bashing

 

[LarsMan]

Welcome to Head-Fi! It looks as though your wallet has already taken a bashing

Thank you for the kind welcome! If my wallet could speak, it would scream at what I've been doing to the poor thing. And I've also got ZMF Verite Open and Abyss Diana V2 coming within the next few weeks! Yes, I will be putting a lot of these up for sale, as well as my iFi ICANN (forgot to mention that one earlier) and my Hugo 2; they are both fine pieces of gear, but I liked the RME over the Hugo 2 and I could just never really connect with that iFi - I preferred the Lyr 3 at about 1/3 the price.

 

[bajs1988]

Hi there! It was a Lyr 3, as I mentioned in my first paragraph above. Also, I'm using an RME ADI-2 DAC....

My apologies it is late here and I missed that. Glad to see you are getting more out of your utopias! I would love to look into amps but for me its always a gamble as not much around to test myself and well, currently running an HDV 820 and I am not sure what I could get to improve the sound any further if possible.

 

[LarsMan]

My apologies it is late here and I missed that. Glad to see you are getting more out of your utopias! I would love to look into amps but for me its always a gamble as not much around to test myself and well, currently running an HDV 820 and I am not sure what I could get to improve the sound any further if possible.

No apologies necessary! I'm happy to answer any questions at any time.... Good luck with your great sound!! I'm wondering if one of the reasons the other phones sound great but Utopia is a transcendental experience - I don't listen to music on them, I experience it - is because they are dynamic and the others are all planars?

 

[BassicScience]

No apologies necessary! I'm happy to answer any questions at any time.... Good luck with your great sound!! I'm wondering if one of the reasons the other phones sound great but Utopia is a transcendental experience - I don't listen to music on them, I experience it - is because they are dynamic and the others are all planars?

Probably not a shock that Utopia (the best dynamic headphone, IMO) beats lesser planars. The best planar (Susvara) is superior to and more transcendent than the Utopia (again, IMO). OTOH, my favorite speakers use dynamic drivers. It may partially come down to my love of great bass, which planar headphones and dynamic speakers seem to excel at, although Susvara and top-notch dynamic speakers excel across the entire frequency spectrum.

 

[ilikebananafudge]

Has anyone heard the Corpse Cable Gravedigger? Seems like a more reasonably priced cable than most of the popular ones in this thread.

https://corpsecable.com/collections...r-cable-for-focal-utopia-headphones-4-pin-xlr

 

[SalR406]

Has anyone heard the Corpse Cable Gravedigger? Seems like a more reasonably priced cable than most of the popular ones in this thread.

https://corpsecable.com/collections...r-cable-for-focal-utopia-headphones-4-pin-xlr

I don't know that specific cable, but I've been a customer of Travis Johnston at Corpse Cable before and found the workmanship and the customer service to be excellent.

 

[ilikebananafudge]

I don't know that specific cable, but I've been a customer of Travis Johnston at Corpse Cable before and found the workmanship and the customer service to be excellent.

Yeah, they seem like they know what they're doing and they're not charging an arm and a leg so I'm intrigued.

 

[LarsMan]

Has anyone heard the Corpse Cable Gravedigger? Seems like a more reasonably priced cable than most of the popular ones in this thread.

https://corpsecable.com/collections...r-cable-for-focal-utopia-headphones-4-pin-xlr

I've got a Corpse Cable Gravedigger cable for my Meze Empyreans; definitely seemed to give it a bit more air and spaciousness than the stock cable, and seems quite well-made.

 

[NYanakiev]

Finally decided on an upgrade cable for my Utopias after toying with the idea of getting a Danacable Lazuli Reference. Decided to go for the Arctic Cables Fusion Series (palladium and silver). Meant to have a pretty great synergy with these headphones, will report my findings when it arrives!

 

[LarsMan]

Finally decided on an upgrade cable for my Utopias after toying with the idea of getting a Danacable Lazuli Reference. Decided to go for the Arctic Cables Fusion Series (palladium and silver). Meant to have a pretty great synergy with these headphones, will report my findings when it arrives!

I just ordered a Lazuli Reference for Utopia earlier today!

 

[NYanakiev]

I just ordered a Lazuli Reference for Utopia earlier today!

It is meant to be a great pairing with Utopia. I suppose I was turned off by the ergonomics of the thing. Massive!

 

[bajs1988]

Has anyone heard the Corpse Cable Gravedigger? Seems like a more reasonably priced cable than most of the popular ones in this thread.

https://corpsecable.com/collections...r-cable-for-focal-utopia-headphones-4-pin-xlr

Thanks for this I was looking to buy a shorter 4.4MM balanced cable for my portable setup and went ahead and pulled the trigger on one of them from these guys.