[Whitigir]

Focal Kanta no.2 are supposedly TOTL as well, and they look amazing too

btw, enjoying my Focal Utopia headphones

P.S: People are deaf, for sure with all that "lacking bass" or "Soundstage"

Definitely kakaka

 

[Ekul61]

That is quite a generalisation isn't it? Even my IEM's have better sound quality than the B&W speakers a few friends of mine my have.

I'm so unimpressed by most speakers, that I even started saving up for some serious TOTL speakers (the Focal Utopia's are a possible contender).

Yes I agree. b/w are average.

 

[phaeton70]

P.S: People are deaf, for sure with all that "lacking bass" or "Soundstage"

Maybe not deaf, just using different gears. As posted before by many others, Utopia are a so perfect reproduction instrument (versus an interpretation instrument like many other TOTL cans out there) that they will change their sound signature depending on what you use to drive them. This can be seen as good (you can hear exactly what you give them) and bad (jeez, if the gears are not exactly spot on quality can be not topnotch).
Other cans superimpose their own character (to a certain degree of course) and so the performances are more "stable".
Just like many others, I have been lucky enough to hear at the beginning an almost perfectly driven Utopia, and had the patience to "replicate" that sound. After many trials and errors, I have ended up with two main setups for Utopia, slighlty different in presentation but both very enjoyable: Vega-Taurus and Analog-Halgo300B. I do prefer the 300B (EML Mesh) because it's more "romantic" while the Taurus setup is more "hifi", and in general I do like tubes sound sig more than SS, but both are pushing Utopia at the top in all parameters IMHO and at my ears.
I think it's the same situation you can find with 009. If not perfectly driven, many find them just an average can, lacking bass and soundstage (umh... I seem to remember something... ) and they don't understand why so many people think 009 is the best can money can buy

 

[XVampireX]

Maybe not deaf, just using different gears. As posted before by many others, Utopia are a so perfect reproduction instrument (versus an interpretation instrument like many other TOTL cans out there) that they will change their sound signature depending on what you use to drive them. This can be seen as good (you can hear exactly what you give them) and bad (jeez, if the gears are not exactly spot on quality can be not topnotch).
Other cans superimpose their own character (to a certain degree of course) and so the performances are more "stable".
Just like many others, I have been lucky enough to hear at the beginning an almost perfectly driven Utopia, and had the patience to "replicate" that sound. After many trials and errors, I have ended up with two main setups for Utopia, slighlty different in presentation but both very enjoyable: Vega-Taurus and Analog-Halgo300B. I do prefer the 300B (EML Mesh) because it's more "romantic" while the Taurus setup is more "hifi", and in general I do like tubes sound sig more than SS, but both are pushing Utopia at the top in all parameters IMHO and at my ears.
I think it's the same situation you can find with 009. If not perfectly driven, many find them just an average can, lacking bass and soundstage (umh... I seem to remember something... ) and they don't understand why so many people think 009 is the best can money can buy

Excellent explanation
I've put a like on that post, and there is also Whitiger who had his Utopia but sold it to keep his 009 because he says it's a superior headphone.
So far I'm very very very very content with my Utopia, I'm just upgrading my amp now, waiting for shipping by the end of the week maybe or start of next week, getting the Soundaware P1, supposedly the best thing since sliced bread, just like LKS MH-DA004 (Which Whitiger also swears by !) based on my Ukrainian friends who got to hear it in China with hard to drive headphones (AKG K1000 and Abyss 1266) with several variations of setups and they all sounded badass..
So yeah, back to Utopia, I'm almost certain that these headphones are my end game.
Now to get a better speaker system.

 

[Whitigir]

I will have to clarify this point. The SR009 is only superior to Utopia when being played out of KG T2. I hope you know that amplifier. Not everyone can get it. I did not even go all out to afford an amp for Utopia though. I only know the one thing that Stax 009 spoils me real bad is that gigantic opened soundstage, and Utopia is different in that segment. I was thinking of letting go of Sr-009 right before I got the KG T2.

 

[XVampireX]

I will have to clarify this point. The SR009 is only superior to Utopia when being played out of KG T2. I hope you know that amplifier. Not everyone can get it. I did not even go all out to afford an amp for Utopia though. I only know the one thing that Stax 009 spoils me real bad is that gigantic opened soundstage, and Utopia is different in that segment. I was thinking of letting go of Sr-009 right before I got the KG T2.

I haven't had the chance to listen to the SR-009, because where I live apparently where I found that they are selling them are sort of elitists so they don't let anyone listen to these headphones.
I wanted to listen to them because ultimately I wanted to get the best headphones possible without having to go through upgrading cycles, but when you do your upgrades sometimes it's even good because you get to hear just how much of a difference the different parameters in your setup make.
Maybe at some point I'll get to hear them, but generally I've also heard that they are not good friends of dust + water or rather even they are enemies of the elements

 

[Whitigir]

I haven't had the chance to listen to the SR-009, because where I live apparently where I found that they are selling them are sort of elitists so they don't let anyone listen to these headphones.
I wanted to listen to them because ultimately I wanted to get the best headphones possible without having to go through upgrading cycles, but when you do your upgrades sometimes it's even good because you get to hear just how much of a difference the different parameters in your setup make.
Maybe at some point I'll get to hear them, but generally I've also heard that they are not good friends of dust + water or rather even they are enemies of the elements

You heard that right, the 009 is a super model, and should be taken care of in that manner , but it is not as horrible as it sound lol

 

[joseph69]

I will have to clarify this point. The SR009 is only superior to Utopia when being played out of KG T2. I hope you know that amplifier. Not everyone can get it. I did not even go all out to afford an amp for Utopia though. I only know the one thing that Stax 009 spoils me real bad is that gigantic opened soundstage, and Utopia is different in that segment. I was thinking of letting go of Sr-009 right before I got the KG T2.

I definitely prefer the 009/BHSE combo over the Utopia/GS-Xmk2.
What amp/DAC where you using when you considered selling the 009?

 

[Whitigir]

I definitely prefer the 009/BHSE combo over the Utopia/GS-Xmk2.
What amp/DAC where you using when you considered selling the 009?

I was using the same lks004. I was considering selling 009 instead because Utopia has another advantage that I could go portable out of wm1Z. But until T2 came along, that idea became a little...unnecessary, lol

 

[joseph69]

I was using the same lks004. I was considering selling 009 instead because Utopia has another advantage that I could go portable out of wm1Z. But until T2 came along, that idea became a little...unnecessary, lol

I wasn't sure if you had a BHSE and were considering selling the 009. If this would've been the case, I would've thought you were crazy. But, of course, to each his own. Portable use is a different story.

 

[mulveling]

I definitely prefer the 009/BHSE combo over the Utopia/GS-Xmk2.
What amp/DAC where you using when you considered selling the 009?

Same here, 009/BHSE wins over Utopia/Headamp Gilmore Reference (the GS-X's predecessor). A closer call would be next level of amps down from BHSE vs. the same Utopia setup. The Utopias are really really good.

 

[joseph69]

Same here, 009/BHSE wins over Utopia/Headamp Gilmore Reference (the GS-X's predecessor). A closer call would be next level of amps down from BHSE vs. the same Utopia setup. The Utopias are really really good.

I t would have been a close call for me using the KGSShv/009 (never heard any Stax amps). As you already know, I did prefer the KGST over the KGSShv with the 009.
And yes, the Utopia is an excellent headphone.

 

[Whitigir]

I wasn't sure if you had a BHSE and were considering selling the 009. If this would've been the case, I would've thought you were crazy. But, of course, to each his own. Portable use is a different story.

Same here, 009/BHSE wins over Utopia/Headamp Gilmore Reference (the GS-X's predecessor). A closer call would be next level of amps down from BHSE vs. the same Utopia setup. The Utopias are really really good.

I agree, the 009 when paired with KG top tier amp (Carbon and Grounded Grid) is hard to beat. I just couldn’t see myself bringing the 009 around, even if portable device was to exist, which Stax just recently has been showing it off. Dynamic headphones are more friendly to being portable. However, since I got T2, the soundstage on the 009 and the fidelity has transcended the ordinary performances, and that I figure I will always sit down for some real performances here from 009+t2 instead of bringing stuff around with Utopia.

Since Utopia weakness is in the soundstage which I could no longer tolerate when I adapted into 009 soundstage, I let it go and be going for Hd800s for home system to pass time. It will certainly has not enough punching Dynamic like Utopia, but it will have the finesses and the soundstage which I am much craving for. What I don’t want to see is the Utopia MKII to have improve soundstage and be $10,000 because it sound good Roflmao.

It is also more sensible to be bringing the Hd800s around instead of the Utopia...I rather abuse a Lexus than a Ferrari kakaka

 

[mulveling]

I get the complaints about Utopia soundstage. Personally, soundstage in headphones in't a huge priority to me as that's speakers' game. But yeah, 009 and HD800 are much more satisfying in that regard. I just could never get around the rest of the HD800's sound.

 

[Whitigir]

I get the complaints about Utopia soundstage. Personally, soundstage in headphones in't a huge priority to me as that's speakers' game. But yeah, 009 and HD800 are much more satisfying in that regard. I just could never get around the rest of the HD800's sound.

How come ? Why don’t you like about it ?