[dontfeedphils]

Awesome. 998 slots open - hurry before they sell out

Do you think the fairly tight tolerance of the Lemo would be a problem if it was coated? The push/pull mechanism is very tight on my cables.

Yea that's why I was leaning towards anodization rather than cerakote as anodized should be a pretty thin layer.

The stock/black connectors are also slightly different than the normal/nickel ones I've bought from moon-audio. There's one internal part on the stock/black version that's a slightly larger inner diameter which makes it a bit easier to use with larger gauge wire. I'm not sure if this difference is tied to the color or maybe just different revisions of this style LEMO.

 

[GreenBow]

Actually please, talking about Moon cables. I noticed something that I doesn't understand with the connectors Moon Audio use.

The list of amplifier end connnectors that Moon Audio list for Focal Utopia, are mostly rhodium. However that doesn't make sense to me, with my limited knowledge.

Rhodium is not as electrically conductive as silver or gold. Silver being the most electrically conductive metal. For reference, https://www.tibtech.com/conductivite.php?lang=en_US

Rhodium would come fourth on that table after aluminium, and before molybdenum. .......... Then why not use silver connectors? (Maybe rhodium is harder.)


I am only theorising here. It's probably silver's electrical conductivity that makes it potentially more accurate as a cable material. I think, whereas copper even when done propely is still a touch warm. ... However don't take what I say in this paragraph as true. I do not know if perfectly made copper cables still make a warm cable. That's just what I read. It's why some cable manufacturers put a silver coating on copper cables: to rebalance the detail/treble.

Waffling on. UP-OCC copper cables that are made multithread with a given diameter of each thread is said to be best. I think the diameter of the threads was something numbered in AWG and around 24. Again don't take my word for it. Multithread UP-OCC copper as a genaral rule. Then it's down to insulation and construction etc, for tonality I think.

Let me just leave this here as options for later reference:

Tube amps: https://forum.headphones.com/t/im-sailing-away/5367/86

Solid state amps: https://forum.headphones.com/t/im-sailing-away/5367/90




Haha not at all. I don't really have a gear list either. The photo list is trolling for likes hahahahaha.

Thank you, but honestly I am one of those that finds the Hugo 2 and TT2 good as they are. The TT2 can drive my Dynaudio Special Forty standmounts, without an amplifier. (They are 86dB 6ohm.) No way the Utopia would need an amp then from the TT2. The Hugo 2 has been reported to drive some Focal floorstanders, by @miketlse in the Hugo 2 thread. Special point made about good bass reproduction. Some folk even drive speakers from the Chord Mojo.

I personally think then that using an ampifier is about tuning and colouration. Neither of which I think I would need, since I know my DACs. However that is based around me liking my DAC signatures. Whereas some find the Hugo 2 not tuned their way - I love it. I love it's neutrality.

In all inevitablity though, I can imagine buying the Moon Audio Black Dragon cable. Only because it is higher quality than the stock cable, being UP-OCC. (Stock cable is OFC.) Secondly because I may feel the Utopia needs that touch of warmth that HiFi+ reported in the Black Dragon v2 review. https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/moon-audio-black-dragon-premium-v2-headphone-cable/ Plus I could use the 5 foot cable in quality cabling, as opposed to the longer 3m rubber Utopia cable.

Anyway will have to wait and see.

 

[ev666il]

Rhodium would come fourth on that table after aluminium, and before molybdenum. .......... Then why not use silver connectors? (Maybe rhodium is harder.)

To the best of my knowledge (but take this with a pinch of salt), the main reason is durability.

 

[BowWazoo]

Btw. thats not a Lemo Part

That's the Lemo bend Relief

Btw. Btw.
I'm selling a pair of the black Lemo Plugs,
but there is still a cable attached...
See sales Forum...

 

[miketlse]

Thank you, but honestly I am one of those that finds the Hugo 2 and TT2 good as they are. The TT2 can drive my Dynaudio Special Forty standmounts, without an amplifier. (They are 86dB 6ohm.) No way the Utopia would need an amp then from the TT2. The Hugo 2 has been reported to drive some Focal floorstanders, by @miketlse in the Hugo 2 thread. Special point made about good bass reproduction. Some folk even drive speakers from the Chord Mojo.

I can confirm what you posted.
I had managed to use my Hugo 2 to happily drive standmounts in the range 86bB to 89dB, as desktop monitors.

I had been assuming that I would need to buy a TT2 (or maybe even a TToby), to have any chance of direct driving my Focal floorstanders (rated at 300W max).
Nevertheless I decided to make up a set of speaker cables, so that I could experiment with the Hugo 2.
My expectation was that I would be unable to hear anything, so you can imagine my surprise, when I discovered that I could comfortably listen to jazz CDs, with the Hugo 2 volume set slightly below half power (as far as I could tell from the colour of the balls).
And yes, the sound quality was the best that I have yet heard - when using an amplifier the sound always felt veiled, but that disappeared when direct driving.

I am a realist, and know that if I wanted to listen at higher volumes, then I would need to consider a TT2 and possibly an amplifier.

 

[gnomen]

I have bought what some call the legacy Edition of the Utopia, and it means it has the 3m black rubber cable. I am planning to probably buy the Moon Audio Black Dragon v3. That's if I find the Utopia in any way needing it.

Hi Greenbow. I have just bought the Utopia to use with my HMS TT2 and can report it works splendidly. Both the demo and the final purchase - no variation at all in that sample of two. Utopia also works like a dream with my original Hugo TT. I have never heard it sound so good.
Re the cable, I strongly suggest trying the Lazuli Reference before making a final decision. Mine has just arrived via international purchase. I am based in the UK and had to buy the cable unheard. Now that was a bit nail biting. But I need not have worried, the people at Danacable were v helpful and it all went smoothly and quickly - just over a week door to door.
Frankly I am amazed that a cable can make such a difference. The sound stage has opened up beautifully - so important with Chord DACSs. I tried the Heimdal 2 which was better than stock - more detailed and refined but a bit thinner. The Lazuli was a big step up from both and I have hardly burned it in yet.

 

[HeavenlyD]

Hi Greenbow. I have just bought the Utopia to use with my HMS TT2 and can report it works splendidly. Both the demo and the final purchase - no variation at all in that sample of two. Utopia also works like a dream with my original Hugo TT. I have never heard it sound so good.
Re the cable, I strongly suggest trying the Lazuli Reference before making a final decision. Mine has just arrived via international purchase. I am based in the UK and had to buy the cable unheard. Now that was a bit nail biting. But I need not have worried, the people at Danacable were v helpful and it all went smoothly and quickly - just over a week door to door.
Frankly I am amazed that a cable can make such a difference. The sound stage has opened up beautifully - so important with Chord DACSs. I tried the Heimdal 2 which was better than stock - more detailed and refined but a bit thinner. The Lazuli was a big step up from both and I have hardly burned it in yet.

Hey Gnomen:
My Utopias turn up shortly and im in Kent.
Can I ask the costs involved as I've been struggling to find anything in the UK suitable as replacement cables for the Utopia?
Im going to possibly sell my Phi and some new V2 I also have and want to make sure I give these Utopia's the best chance possible,.

 

[iamoneagain]

Hi Greenbow. I have just bought the Utopia to use with my HMS TT2 and can report it works splendidly. Both the demo and the final purchase - no variation at all in that sample of two. Utopia also works like a dream with my original Hugo TT. I have never heard it sound so good.
Re the cable, I strongly suggest trying the Lazuli Reference before making a final decision. Mine has just arrived via international purchase. I am based in the UK and had to buy the cable unheard. Now that was a bit nail biting. But I need not have worried, the people at Danacable were v helpful and it all went smoothly and quickly - just over a week door to door.
Frankly I am amazed that a cable can make such a difference. The sound stage has opened up beautifully - so important with Chord DACSs. I tried the Heimdal 2 which was better than stock - more detailed and refined but a bit thinner. The Lazuli was a big step up from both and I have hardly burned it in yet.

Now I don’t feel so crazy raving about the Lazuli cable. Hard to believe they can make that much difference. As far as burn in, I couldn’t really tell. I thought they sounded great when I first tried them and still sounded great after 100 hours burn in.

After listening to them for a while, try going back to the stock cable. You really hear what’s missing. Even after a week listening to stock while waiting for the Lazuli to get balanced plug, I felt like I needed some sort of upgrade. Once had cable back everything sounded amazing.

 

[silversurfer616]

I use the Lazuli Reference for both the Stellia and Utopia( with adapters). They are horribly expensive but it is definitely an audible upgrade.

 

[tradyblix]

...by some. Why would a 17% improvement in conductance cause a different sound? Sorry, this doesn't jive with my experiences whatsoever. Some might confuse the added detail retrieval with "brightness" but careful listening has shown this is not the issue based on my experiences.

I dunno what you are talking about but you don't have to go very far to see how people describe a change in cable resulting in a change in sound. I mean it happens everywhere.

In the Meze thread, EVERYONE talks about using silver to make them more bright. So yeah. I would worry about using silver with Focal for that reason. Because my experience with the Utopias is that they do tend towards bright at times. I myself only have one silver cable and I'm not much of a fan of it compared to my copper cables. But I have no idea if that's because it's silver or just not as good of a cable.

 

[MacedonianHero]

I dunno what you are talking about but you don't have to go very far to see how people describe a change in cable resulting in a change in sound. I mean it happens everywhere.

In the Meze thread, EVERYONE talks about using silver to make them more bright. So yeah. I would worry about using silver with Focal for that reason. I myself only have one silver cable and I'm not much of a fan of it compared to my copper cables. But I have no idea if that's because it's silver or just not as good of a cable.

That again is non-sensical...again, please explain to me how a 17% in conductance makes a cable brighter? Some guys on a thread said it, so it must be true is hardly a rigorous explanation. It's not just the conductor, but the quality of the conductor, (are there other metals / contaminants in the cable), is it oxygen-free, what is the geometry of the conductors, gauge of the conductors, type of dielectric used? All come into account and broad sweeping statements don't really help. I actually own a silver cable by RAAL Requisite that is warmer than the copper stock cable....so the hypothesis proposed doesn't seem to hold up here. That's all I was saying.

Finally, it is great that you brought up the Empyrean silver cable. I got to review (and owned) these headphones both with the stock and upgraded silver cable. I found the upgraded silver cable offered an improvement in detail and extension in the frequency. Some confuse this with "brighter"...but measurements and careful listening have shown me in this instance as well that brighter was not the case.

 

[tradyblix]

I don't know how it makes anything brighter. I don't even know if it does. I do know cables make a difference in the sound that I can't explain.

You only have to google silver cables bright to see how much it's discussed...

 

[MacedonianHero]

I don't know how it makes anything brighter. I don't even know if it does. I do know cables make a difference in the sound that I can't explain.

You only have to google silver cables bright to see how much it's discussed...

Ok then. Have a great evening.

 

[tradyblix]

Ok then.

 

[JLoud]

From my experience with Norne cables I will say this. All silver seemed the most neutral, copper was the warmest, and hybrid the brightest. These were all 19 gauge, Litz braid with same dielectrics. Of course this is one cable maker and only my opinion of what I heard. I personally think it had to do with how different frequencies react to resistance of cable. I'm not going to get into skin effect and such of wire. Touchier subject than politics.