[JohnnyCakes]

I just received my Utopia. First impression is NOT favorable: thin, metallic and etched highs, soundstage not as defined as it should be. 

 
 
yes.  my first impressions out of the box too.  now they are positively euphoric.
 
keep at it and run them overnight for a week or two.  and i'm not even necessarily a believer in burn-in, but i might be now.  because the Utopia at 50 hours is very different than the Utopia at 50 minutes.  

 

[TonyNewman]

My modded HE6 isn't in the game with the Utopia after burn in. No contest IMHO.
 
Tried to express that view in the HE6 thread, but got slapped down. They are pretty hardcore over there

 
Anyway, Utopia is the only headphone I have heard that makes me forget about my HE6.
 
Around 200 hours, if I remember correctly, for the Utopia to get about as good as it ever will. Most of the goodness happened in the first 50 or so for me. Not a lengthy burn in compared to the Ethers, for example.

 

[Captain-Scarlet]

I own a Dave as well,which i use with the hd800,so tell me do you think the utopia is worth paying £2000 more for than the hd800?thanks for your opinion in advance☺

I like HD800 a lot. But to my ear the Utopia is more accurate and very close to real world sound. So yes, I do think Utopia worth the price.

 

[GuyUnder]

Lol okay you guys are making me feel better -- I'll patiently wait for the burn-in.

I sold the Ragnarok mainly because it displayed this annoying issue of grain/hash/distortion in the upper mids when the volume is turned up; it wasn't severe, but it was enough to eventually make me get tired of it. Last year I had a Mjolnir 2 which I liked a lot, ended up sending it back due to financial circumstances -- and missed it ever since. So I ordered another one. I had some nice NOS tubes for it, which of course got thrown out...so I bought some Reflektor 75 Silver Shields off eBay for $100 a pop, and some Cryosets for good measure. Won't get it for another 3 weeks.

If the Utopia is as great as everyone says, I will bow out of the HE-6 amp arms race forever

 

[apaar123]

How do they compare to lcd4?

 

[phase0]

Last year I had a Mjolnir 2 which I liked a lot, ended up sending it back due to financial circumstances -- and missed it ever since. So I ordered another one. I had some nice NOS tubes for it, which of course got thrown out...so I bought some Reflektor 75 Silver Shields off eBay for $100 a pop, and some Cryosets for good measure. Won't get it for another 3 weeks.

If the Utopia is as great as everyone says, I will bow out of the HE-6 amp arms race forever

 
That's awful how could you? I'm sure someone out there would take a donation of your unwanted NOS tubes. They're not making any more of them y'know... once they're gone they're gone... There's still an abundance of some types of tubes but they are finite. I can't compare Utopia to HE6, but I think I'm all set with Utopia. Since I've had it a few months I don't find myself having those mental what-if thoughts and looking around at what else is out there...

 

[apaar123]

How does it compare to lcd4 and he1000?

 

[phaeton70]

  My modded HE6 isn't in the game with the Utopia after burn in. No contest IMHO.
 
Tried to express that view in the HE6 thread, but got slapped down. They are pretty hardcore over there

 
Anyway, Utopia is the only headphone I have heard that makes me forget about my HE6.
 
Around 200 hours, if I remember correctly, for the Utopia to get about as good as it ever will. Most of the goodness happened in the first 50 or so for me. Not a lengthy burn in compared to the Ethers, for example.

agree. while I do love the sound of my HE6, Utopia is simply on a different league, apart a slightly worse sub-bass extension (that I can easily live with, given the overall performance)

 

[phaeton70]

re the comparison between Utopia, HEK and LCD4.
 
I have the HEK and have extensively listened to LCD4. IMHO is a little bit like comparing apples to oranges (no offense intended), and that's why I have bought the Utopia instead of the LCD4 and
will keep the HEK.
 
listening to the HEK is a lush experience, it's a romantic, slighlty interpretative, relaxed hps, with a diffused headstage like sitting in the 15th row or so. Utopia is a perfect musical instrument, very detailed, very natural and precise timbre, no coloration at all, incredibly dynamic, with a focused and precise headstage like sitting in the 2nd row or so.
 
they are IMHO perfectly complementary.
 
LCD4 to mu ears is of the like of the HEK, would say a different interpretation of the same subject. so IMHO also perfectly coplementary to Utopia.
 
there is one very big difference between Utopia and HEK/LCD4, that is the needed amplifier. Utopia can really shine also with low-end amplifier, while HEK and LCD4 do need an high-end amplifier to sound at their best. at least in my experience.

 

[Trogdor]

How does it compare to lcd4 and he1000?

I have owned both, and listened to the Utopia extensively now.

LCD-4 has stronger bass. Utopia has better treble.

Utopia is slightly more forward, particularly in the upper mids. LCD-4 is a bit warmer to get that Audeze house sound. Utopia comes more analytical in many respects.

Utopia and LCD-4 are both very dynamic, with maybe a slight edge to the Utopia.

Utopia had more headstage when I listened to it, some people report just the opposite. Might be very amp dependent.

Both are end-game headphones anyway you look at it. Neither are worth 4k. But what can is?

 

[JohnnyCakes]

Both are end-game headphones anyway you look at it. Neither are worth 4k. But what can is?

 
 
"worth" is purely subjective to how much money you have in the bank, and how much you value listening to music.  a blanket statement like this can not stand.
 
e.g. - the new review on Moon Audio says they are worth $10,000.  just saying.  
 
and compared to the $200,000 Focal Utopia room speakers, they are a steal.  after all, the same engineers worked on both and are confident they produce similar quality sound, at 1/50th the price tag.  fwiw....

 

[TonyNewman]

 
agree. while I do love the sound of my HE6, Utopia is simply on a different league, apart a slightly worse sub-bass extension (that I can easily live with, given the overall performance)

 
Same thing with the Ether Flow. The planars seem to be able to go a little deeper than the Utopia. I do think that the Utopia has better defined bass - sharper and more punchy - while the planars have deeper bass. YMMV.

 

[jlbrach]

I have owned both, and listened to the Utopia extensively now.

LCD-4 has stronger bass. Utopia has better treble.

Utopia is slightly more forward, particularly in the upper mids. LCD-4 is a bit warmer to get that Audeze house sound. Utopia comes more analytical in many respects.

Utopia and LCD-4 are both very dynamic, with maybe a slight edge to the Utopia.

Utopia had more headstage when I listened to it, some people report just the opposite. Might be very amp dependent.

Both are end-game headphones anyway you look at it. Neither are worth 4k. But what can is?

IMHO if one can afford them the LCD-4 and the Utopia complement one another very well...the Utopia is more dynamic and more detailed with a smaller soundstage....the LCD-4 has to my ears a more natural soundstage,deeper bass and is easier to listen to for longer periods of time.I find the LCD-4 more musical and the Utopia a bit more clinical.The Utopia is more comfortable and more efficient,the LCD-4 is a power hog and be prepared to need an amp with ample power to fully appreciate them...both great in their own ways...perhaps the 2 best options out there.....

 

[GuyUnder]

I've noted the Utopia is capable of quite explosive dynamics.

Normally I would never spend $4k on dynamics with such high-end planers and electrostats in that range, but the byrellium drivers really interested me being so rare / exotic.

Excitement in my listening is very important to me. I believe "hi-fi" isn't neutral at all, but rather is a type of art form for audiophiles that stimulates our minds to make us feel good.

 

[Trogdor]

IMHO if one can afford them the LCD-4 and the Utopia complement one another very well...the Utopia is more dynamic and more detailed with a smaller soundstage....the LCD-4 has to my ears a more natural soundstage,deeper bass and is easier to listen to for longer periods of time.I find the LCD-4 more musical and the Utopia a bit more clinical.The Utopia is more comfortable and more efficient,the LCD-4 is a power hog and be prepared to need an amp with ample power to fully appreciate them...both great in their own ways...perhaps the 2 best options out there.....

You sound like you are making your grand defense for owning both and I assure you there is no need. (the last response by another poster to my "worth" comment completely missed my point).

I agree with most of what was written above minus soundstage but I didn't get to compare apples to apples in terms of playback. which may mean my impressions are just an artifact of the chains I used to compare them.

These are two top cans and you really can't go wrong with either of them.

Addendum: I do agree that the HEK (the other can I used to own) is more akin to the LCD-4 than the Utopia. My biggest complaint about the HEK though, after owning it for months, was it was a bit "lazy" or "lackadaisical" in terms of dynamics at times. I know HEK'ers are going to cry bloody murder, but it just IS compared to the LCD-4 and now, the Utopia.