[mitchb]

What is edm?

 

[BowWazoo]

Electronic dance music

 

[mitchb]

They would all work as they are well detailed with good bass. It would be a personal preference.

 

[Nomax]

NOMAX

PS.its only one sample that shows how fast the transducer works from the Utopia in the low end

 

[montanari]

Electronic dance music

LCD x
Th900 even better

 

[LarsMan]

"Riedenburger Festbier"

A organic one, from Bavaria.
(I don't like that Bayer/Monsanto crap in my Beer...)

https://www.riedenburger.de/sortiment/klassische-biere/

Thanks! Looks like a tasty tipple....

 

[Empyah]

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....

I would consider this quote here (from a very experienced and well known individual) as essential read for anyone considering the Utopia regarding amp pairing and chain in general. And yes I am the guy that ended up with a Studio Junior 2A3 through a miscomunication.

"The best components to pair with the Utopia are this:

Donald North Stellaris or Eddie Current Studio Junior. Both are SET but have a different sound. DNA is wetter, more bloomy, bassier even - very much a classic SET sound. The EC uses feedback and is less tubey. EC is no longer, but may have a final run of a Studio B (same as Studio Junior but in a Balancing Act Chassis). Personally, I would request the EC in 2A3, unless you really really want a 300B. There was one guy were some miscommunication results in the 2A3 version of the Junior, but in my opinion, he scored.

There are a lot of good solid-state amps, but the only one I can recommend is ECP DSHA 3F with consideration towards the warmer sounding nickel core input transformers. The ECP DSHA 3F plays to the Utopia's strengths, its speed and mid-range transparency.

Anything less means you are leaving stuff at the table with regards to Utopia. I tried Utopia from the Magnius today, and really I don't care for it. The idea is that you must give the car a good driver or the driver a good car. You can put me in a Corvette and Alonso in a Camry on a windy racetrack, and Alonso will still outrace me. Don't waste your money on the Utopia if you have modest gear. Consider the Clear, Elear, or Elex. "

 

[Empyah]

Thanks man. You saved me 3k. Since i looked up what beryllium is i can't listen with the Utopias anymore. I'll give them back for a little loss.

You know that you can claim the same for copper and aluminum in POWDER form, when INHALED or aplied on skin/orally?

 

[LarsMan]

I would consider this quote here (from a very experienced and well known individual) as essential read for anyone considering the Utopia regarding amp pairing and chain in general. And yes I am the guy that ended up with a Studio Junior 2A3 through a miscomunication.

"The best components to pair with the Utopia are this:

Donald North Stellaris or Eddie Current Studio Junior. Both are SET but have a different sound. DNA is wetter, more bloomy, bassier even - very much a classic SET sound. The EC uses feedback and is less tubey. EC is no longer, but may have a final run of a Studio B (same as Studio Junior but in a Balancing Act Chassis). Personally, I would request the EC in 2A3, unless you really really want a 300B. There was one guy were some miscommunication results in the 2A3 version of the Junior, but in my opinion, he scored.

There are a lot of good solid-state amps, but the only one I can recommend is ECP DSHA 3F with consideration towards the warmer sounding nickel core input transformers. The ECP DSHA 3F plays to the Utopia's strengths, its speed and mid-range transparency.

Anything less means you are leaving stuff at the table with regards to Utopia. I tried Utopia from the Magnius today, and really I don't care for it. The idea is that you must give the car a good driver or the driver a good car. You can put me in a Corvette and Alonso in a Camry on a windy racetrack, and Alonso will still outrace me. Don't waste your money on the Utopia if you have modest gear. Consider the Clear, Elear, or Elex. "

Good info, thanks, and I know these are excellent amps! My guess is that there are more than two or three amps that are every bit as good and will pair equally well with Utopia, just with different sound characteristics. Not everybody is going to hear the same thing as the 'very experienced and well known individual', and not everybody will have the same preferences when it comes to sound - I'm the one who will be doing the listening, not this fine very experienced fellow! He has no experience with my ears (I hope!)!

 

[Empyah]

Good info, thanks, and I know these are excellent amps! My guess is that there are more than two or three amps that are every bit as good and will pair equally well with Utopia, just with different sound characteristics. Not everybody is going to hear the same thing as the 'very experienced and well known individual', and not everybody will have the same preferences when it comes to sound - I'm the one who will be doing the listening, not this fine very experienced fellow! He has no experience with my ears (I hope!)!

I am sorry for not clarifing it well enough, but it is not that simple to dismiss this as a pure "taste" or "preference" assessment, the amps mentioned above play very well technically with the Utopia, mainly with the Utopias impedance curve (very important!), strenghtening the bass/sub-bass and significantly widening the stage as well as elevating the Utopias detail retrieval and speed to its absolute maximum. There are not many more amps out there on that level to be enough for the Utopia.
To adjust particular "preferences" there are different DAC's, tubes etc., but if you want to hear what the Utopia can do there are not many options out there.
For more context - here is the rest of the recomendations mentioned:

"Honorable mentions: DNA Starlett (still leaving stuff at the table, but close enough). Schiit Vali (OG and OOP). The Vali leaves the most on the table. But it is a $119 stopgap wait you wait for your amp to be built. Because it is OOP, it leaves some mystique. And also because I am being an asshole.

DAC / source: The DAC and source is your pick. Since the above are True Hi-Fi™ fine amps, it's unlikely that anyone buying them will have poor taste in DACs*. I choose not based on what is "da best", but what offers the best synergy or the sound I want to achieve. There are many DACs betterer than the Schiit Gungnir Multibit above, and I have almost unlimited access to what I can choose, but I chose this because it does what I want."

IMHO a much more condensed and valuable source regarding the Utopia - and mind you, I have read ALL 935 PAGES of this one.

 

[LCMusicLover]

...There are a lot of good solid-state amps, but the only one I can recommend is ECP DSHA 3F with consideration towards the warmer sounding nickel core input transformers. The ECP DSHA 3F plays to the Utopia's strengths, its speed and mid-range transparency...

Shout-out for the effect DSHA-3F w/ Amorphous Core transformers has on Utopia headstage. From other amps, the Utopia headstage can seem very precise in 2d (width & height) but flat, lacking depth. 3F w/ amorphous helps with that. But agree that the nickel core transformers add heft to Utopia's lower registers.

 

[mwr2700]

Good info, thanks, and I know these are excellent amps! My guess is that there are more than two or three amps that are every bit as good and will pair equally well with Utopia, just with different sound characteristics. Not everybody is going to hear the same thing as the 'very experienced and well known individual', and not everybody will have the same preferences when it comes to sound - I'm the one who will be doing the listening, not this fine very experienced fellow! He has no experience with my ears (I hope!)!

You're right, there are several more amps that stand with those mentioned, when considered with your qualification of different sound characteristics.

One not yet mentioned would be DNA Stratus. And while I haven't heard them, highly recommended amps for the Utopia include Zana Deux and Chord Dave

 

[LarsMan]

You're right, there are several more amps that stand with those mentioned, when considered with your qualification of different sound characteristics.

One not yet mentioned would be DNA Stratus. And while I haven't heard them, highly recommended amps for the Utopia include Zana Deux and Chord Dave

... and my Quicksilver Tube Headphone Amp sounds awesome, and that's before I upgrade the tubes....

 

[montanari]

And the ear hp-4
And the rogue rh-5
And..and

 

[seadog123]

I am new here. I have a Meze Empyrean for about 2 weeks. But It’s not doing it for me.

About to go with my second choice from my various dealer demos. The Utopia, just a little concerned that my front end my be on the brighter side for them.
Source is a Naim Audio HDX HDD server, Chord Qutest DAC and HeadAmp GSX Mini. My music is about 80% rock, pop, blues.

Thoughts ?