[zachawry]

Just got mine. Listening for the first time. 
 
They are definitely a precision instrument, like a scalpel or a laser. I can see how some would not be attracted to this sound, but I definitely am. 
 
It's certainly NOT a "throw 'em on and do some work" headphone. 
 
My only other experience with decent full-size cans is my Ethers, which I will be selling to pay for these Utopias. The Utopias certainly blow the Ethers away in terms of detail and imaging. Then again, for the price, they should! 
 
I look forward to breaking these in and getting to know them more over the coming days. 
 
THIS song sounds amazing on the Utopias (assuming you are listening to an actual music file and not Youtube): 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIR5XPWK3Vk

 

[Seen3]

Finally had a chance to demo the Utopia.

Initial impressions: incredibly resolving, imaging somewhat small. A more realistic, but not the exaggerated, airy sound I'd grown accustomed to hearing. 9/10. Are they worth the 4K? If properly amped up, yes. But then you have to decide if it's the amp you like or the headphone. Remember, both need to be congruent ina lol facets.

 

[Modwright01]

Utopia sounds excellent with tubes, as far as I use the EAR Yoshino HP4, which enhance the bass section in a spectacular maner almost night and day if I compare when I use my Dave alone.

 

[paul2qute]

I know-damn my ears

It was actually at Paul & Wendy's that I first heard them when auditioning amps.

I had chosen the amp and thought what the heck I may as well try a few other cans whilst I was there.

Trouble is it was 5pm. and they were getting ready to leave so I didn't have long but the 5 minutes I had with them was enough to get me seriously thinking.

Bear in mind I have always said the Utopia may well be the most capable sound generating device I've ever heard but they're just not what I'm looking for.

Interestingly and to wade in to the whole Utopia LCD4 debate-Paul said they sell a load of Utopia, a load of HEK's and hardly any LCD4's.

In fact I think he said he'd had 9 people trade the LCD4's for the Utopia-he really doesn't rate thrm.

Paul is great from Hifi Lounge, think he is doing the head fi show in April, the set up he has there is amazing, doesn't look like a shop

 

[phaeton70]

  Just got mine. Listening for the first time. 
............ 
I look forward to breaking these in and getting to know them more over the coming days. 

from experience, burning in for at least 150h is definitely mandatory to listen to a "real Utopia" 

I was lucky enough to listen to a well burned one, and decided to buy versus LCD4 and Abyss. If my listening session would have been with an out of the box Utopia, I would have 100% chosen the LCD4.
the most important change is in the sub-bass and the treble. a well burned Utopia will show a punchy and very extended bass, and a never fatiguing treble (I'm using a FAW cable, cryo UPOCC copper, and a custom 300B amp).
I'm on top of 3 hours listening right now, and still enjoying Blue Stone and Leisem at the right volume (i.e. very high 

)
 
PS me too do love Loreena, one of the best living female voice IMHO

 

[Kamb1ng]

  Just got mine. Listening for the first time. 
 
They are definitely a precision instrument, like a scalpel or a laser. I can see how some would not be attracted to this sound, but I definitely am. 
 
It's certainly NOT a "throw 'em on and do some work" headphone. 
 
My only other experience with decent full-size cans is my Ethers, which I will be selling to pay for these Utopias. The Utopias certainly blow the Ethers away in terms of detail and imaging. Then again, for the price, they should! 
 
I look forward to breaking these in and getting to know them more over the coming days. 
 
THIS song sounds amazing on the Utopias (assuming you are listening to an actual music file and not Youtube): 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIR5XPWK3Vk

Thanks for sharing, I can definitely relate with the 'not work' headphones. Working with spreadsheets and or anything requiring high cognitive thinking just does not pair well with the Utopia. I tried again as recent as last night and it feels like the Utopia's slap me and scream "HEY YOU, yes YOU, I require your undivided attention. NOW." -- all I can do is accept defeat and get lost in the sound.

 

[Allanmarcus]

oh god! I don't want an official "Microsoft Office 365" version of the Utopia!
 

 

 

[Kamb1ng]

 
oh god! I don't want an official "Microsoft Office 365" version of the Utopia!
 

 

LOL true that -- though for me, that would be called the HD 800's :-O

 

[JohnnyCakes]

let me just say -- as a Utopia owner with about 1,000hrs of burn-in (i.e. "use"), with a nice warm amp and upgraded copper cabling....... and also as an Audeze LCD-4 owner, and a fan of sub-bass in general (home system, cars, etc)..... let me just say that if anyone complains about a lack of bass on the Utopia, they don't know what they're talking about.  let me explain...
 
the entire concept of bone-rattling bass comes from a movie in the 70's.  up until then, the idea of sub-bass didn't really exist.  it's just not a "real" part of music.   (if you'd like to learn more: http://pitchfork.com/features/oped/9667-drop-the-bass-a-case-against-subwoofers/) 
 
bass that rattles windows and you can "feel"?  it's a party trick.  it's not reproducible by any real instrument.  so expecting this from a headphone is ridiculous.  i mean, you might like the party trick, and if so that's great - go get a Fostex.  
 
the Utopia is about reproducing real actual music.  not falling into this ridiculous sub-bass war that seems destined to infect the audiophile industry forever.  
 
because while the Utopia doesn't provide the same skull-rattling sub-bass that that Abyss, Fostex, or (to a lesser extent) the LCD-4 does, it still provides AMPLE bass when the music calls for it.  and dear god is that bass glorious.  so, so, so precise.  usually the 50-150hz bass tones get muddled in their own air flatulence, but not so with the Utopia.  it's a totally new experience for me to hear such detailed and defined bass tones so low in the spectrum.  
 
i'm listening to The Roots right now (again, real instruments) and the bass hits just so deliciously perfect.  
 
cheers to Utopia's bass chops..... which so often get overlooked because of its spectacular mids and highs.  

 

[meomap]

let me just say -- as a Utopia owner with about 1,000hrs of burn-in (i.e. "use"), with a nice warm amp and upgraded copper cabling....... and also as an Audeze LCD-4 owner, and a fan of sub-bass in general (home system, cars, etc)..... let me just say that if anyone complains about a lack of bass on the Utopia, they don't know what they're talking about.  let me explain...

the entire concept of bone-rattling bass comes from a movie in the 70's.  up until then, the idea of sub-bass didn't really exist.  it's just not a "real" part of music.   (if you'd like to learn more: http://pitchfork.com/features/oped/9667-drop-the-bass-a-case-against-subwoofers/) 

bass that rattles windows and you can "feel"?  it's a party trick.  it's not reproducible by any real instrument.  so expecting this from a headphone is ridiculous.  i mean, you might like the party trick, and if so that's great - go get a Fostex.  

the Utopia is about reproducing real actual music.  not falling into this ridiculous sub-bass war that seems destined to infect the audiophile industry forever.  

because while the Utopia doesn't provide the same skull-rattling sub-bass that that Abyss, Fostex, or (to a lesser extent) the LCD-4 does, it still provides AMPLE bass when the music calls for it.  and dear god is that bass glorious.  so, so, so precise.  usually the 50-150hz bass tones get muddled in their own air flatulence, but not so with the Utopia.  it's a totally new experience for me to hear such detailed and defined bass tones so low in the spectrum.  

i'm listening to The Roots right now (again, real instruments) and the bass hits just so deliciously perfect.  

cheers to Utopia's bass chops..... which so often get overlooked because of its spectacular mids and highs.  

Well, don't tell us that, Utopia's owners.
Tell mr. Katz's reviewer's what you think.
We owners know that bass already.

 

[ufospls2]

  let me just say -- as a Utopia owner with about 1,000hrs of burn-in (i.e. "use"), with a nice warm amp and upgraded copper cabling....... and also as an Audeze LCD-4 owner, and a fan of sub-bass in general (home system, cars, etc)..... let me just say that if anyone complains about a lack of bass on the Utopia, they don't know what they're talking about.  let me explain...
 
the entire concept of bone-rattling bass comes from a movie in the 70's.  up until then, the idea of sub-bass didn't really exist.  it's just not a "real" part of music.   (if you'd like to learn more: http://pitchfork.com/features/oped/9667-drop-the-bass-a-case-against-subwoofers/) 
 
bass that rattles windows and you can "feel"?  it's a party trick.  it's not reproducible by any real instrument.  so expecting this from a headphone is ridiculous.  i mean, you might like the party trick, and if so that's great - go get a Fostex.  
 
the Utopia is about reproducing real actual music.  not falling into this ridiculous sub-bass war that seems destined to infect the audiophile industry forever.  
 
because while the Utopia doesn't provide the same skull-rattling sub-bass that that Abyss, Fostex, or (to a lesser extent) the LCD-4 does, it still provides AMPLE bass when the music calls for it.  and dear god is that bass glorious.  so, so, so precise.  usually the 50-150hz bass tones get muddled in their own air flatulence, but not so with the Utopia.  it's a totally new experience for me to hear such detailed and defined bass tones so low in the spectrum.  
 
i'm listening to The Roots right now (again, real instruments) and the bass hits just so deliciously perfect.  
 
cheers to Utopia's bass chops..... which so often get overlooked because of its spectacular mids and highs.  

Tell that to my old 26" ludwig kick drum.
 
Saying that someone doesn't know what they are talking about if they find the Utopia a bit bass light is a bit off. The Utopia has great quality bass, I agree with that, but what is wrong with a synth that happens to produce sound below 50hz? Is that not a real instrument? The Utopia does have a lack of bass, by a couple db in my opinion, but I like bass. I prefer the Utopia with the bass EQ'd up a little bit, and I know I'm not alone in that preference. Is there something wrong with that? Nope. Not at all. 

 

[JohnnyCakes]

but what is wrong with a synth that happens to produce sound below 50hz? Is that not a real instrument? 

 
yes!  precisely!  hence it's coming from a SYNTHESIZER, and not a real instrument!
 
did you read the article i posted by chance?

 

[drwlf]

   
yes!  precisely!  hence it's coming from a SYNTHESIZER, and not a real instrument!
 
did you read the article i posted by chance?

The article is click-baity with inconsistencies and factual errors, right up somebodys reinforcement theory-alley.
Basically you're saying that any prog from the 70's which use an analog bass pedal isn't "real" music.

 

[Seen3]

Interesting comparison between the LCD-4 and the Focal Utopia

http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/katz’s-corner-episode-13-big-shootout-audeze-lcd-4-vs-focal-utopia?page=1#3JmPg1tdSDu7A9xV.97

I have not tried the LCD-4's but I am inclined to agree. I have the LCD-X's and have done a side by side demo against the Utopia's with the same high end amp. Surprisingly, the X's won out. I will retest these at a later date.

 

[nvfan]

  let me just say -- as a Utopia owner with about 1,000hrs of burn-in (i.e. "use"), with a nice warm amp and upgraded copper cabling....... and also as an Audeze LCD-4 owner, and a fan of sub-bass in general (home system, cars, etc)..... let me just say that if anyone complains about a lack of bass on the Utopia, they don't know what they're talking about.  let me explain...
 
the entire concept of bone-rattling bass comes from a movie in the 70's.  up until then, the idea of sub-bass didn't really exist.  it's just not a "real" part of music.   (if you'd like to learn more: http://pitchfork.com/features/oped/9667-drop-the-bass-a-case-against-subwoofers/) 
 
bass that rattles windows and you can "feel"?  it's a party trick.  it's not reproducible by any real instrument.  so expecting this from a headphone is ridiculous.  i mean, you might like the party trick, and if so that's great - go get a Fostex.  
 
the Utopia is about reproducing real actual music.  not falling into this ridiculous sub-bass war that seems destined to infect the audiophile industry forever.  
 
because while the Utopia doesn't provide the same skull-rattling sub-bass that that Abyss, Fostex, or (to a lesser extent) the LCD-4 does, it still provides AMPLE bass when the music calls for it.  and dear god is that bass glorious.  so, so, so precise.  usually the 50-150hz bass tones get muddled in their own air flatulence, but not so with the Utopia.  it's a totally new experience for me to hear such detailed and defined bass tones so low in the spectrum.  
 
i'm listening to The Roots right now (again, real instruments) and the bass hits just so deliciously perfect.  
 
cheers to Utopia's bass chops..... which so often get overlooked because of its spectacular mids and highs.  

 
People who actually own high performance subwoofers would opt to disagree here. Also anyone with eyes can read a FR graph.