[TSAVJason]

Another question, s'il vous plait. Having the pair Chord Blue / Dave, I am inclined to add Utopia to my headphones, considering the proven synergy. However I wonder if it is the best choice to listen mainly to operas. Each headset has its favorite terrain, my HD800 is very good for the classic, where the LCD3 is basically useless there, while it is good with rock. So, for those of you who know them well, better Utopia for classical music or Abyss? Many thanks in advance!

That particular combination is truly one of the most amazing systems you could possibly consider. The Chord Dave with the Utopia is amazing. Adding the Blu2 into the system takes it to an unbelievable level of excellence and detail. I don’t care what music preference you have, that is the creme de la creme .....it’s a head gear dream come true, IMO

 

[tabness]

I have the Focal Clear's, and I'm extremely happy with them... However, I've been on the fence about "upgrading" to the Utopia, especially with the price it is currently at right now. Should I do it or should I not? Keep in mind, I can only have one or the other due to budget constraints. Maybe someone with both of them could chime in?

I also had the Clear and I just got the Utopia today.

I listened to it for a bit tonight, and after the first few minutes which were very harsh and sharp I've acclimated pretty well to the sound or the headphones burned in or whatever. Quickly switching between both using the Mojo and directly on my MacBook Pro (using ripped CDs) it honestly isn't that big of a difference at all. The Clear really gets most of the way there. It gets almost all of the way there. The main difference is you can hear a bit more harshness in the recording in some areas owing the the resolution of the Utopia so in some senses the Clear smoothing that out a bit is actually nicer. The Utopia sounds a bit brighter than the Clear which does sound slightly veiled in comparison, but again, this is really not a big difference at all.

My take is if you like to listen on either the Utopia or Clear for short periods of time in a more analytic sense to enjoy every last detail, then maybe it is worth it spending what you will with the Utopia. That's how I listen to my headphones as I generally prefer (even phone or computer) speakers for longer casual listening. However, if you are a true headphone person and want to listen for long periods for casual listening as well as analytic listening the Clear might even be the better choice being less fatiguing.

I auditioned the Utopia very briefly a few months back (I had the Clear already at that time) and my impression at that time was to pass as it did not really impress or stand out much at all (compared to the Clear as well as the Sony R10 which I tested it with back to back). However, I began reconsidering due to the Clear getting a bit uncomfortable just after 10ish minutes of wearing it (mainly with the clamp around the ears and also sometimes the hotspot on the top of the head). I read here that the Utopia would be more comfortable with softer pads and less of a clamp despite its heavier weight. It's too early to tell for sure but they seem a bit more comfortable. Plus while I really like the way the Clear looks and the color, I wish they had went leather. The gloss black Utopia also looks great, I kinda wish the cups just had the metal grille without the protrusions though (similar to the Clear).

I'm really not sure which one I'll keep just yet. The comfort will decide it. If the Utopia does indeed end up being a lot more comfortable than the Clear and perhaps separate itself some more soundwise, then I'm gonna pick up a Focal case (so ridiculously expensive but very nice) and keep the Utopia. If it runs into the same problem comfort wise, I will keep the Clear, as the sound benefits (so far) seem way too small and in some cases the higher resolution sounds worse.

This may sound like a downer post so let me just be clear, I think the Utopia is a great headphone, but the Clear is so good and you get the case and a reasonable length cable as well.

Just some last things for you to make my impression more valuable:

I'm probably not audiophile material (despite being able to hear up to 17-18 kHz) in terms of really analyzing the sound and all that, because although I try to do so, I also end up enjoying whatever it is I'm listening to. I'm most likely a guy who will end being OK with some decent headphones (50ish dollars) and happy with just one set of great ones, so while I'm enjoying the different listening, I think eventually I will return/sell off all but a couple of headphones. The only headphone left I really want to try is the Stax 009S (as well as the vintage Orpheus and Omega of course), and I will pick my favorite and just stick with it.

Though I'm far from an audio objectivist, I don't really hear differences between amps/sources in my (albeit limited) experience (I think I heard a difference switching cables more and I'm not even sure about that) so the notion that the Utopia scales better than the Clear probably wouldn't apply to me.

I like bright headphones (I think).

Aesthetics and comfort are very important to me.

Brand is also really important. I like Focal and Sony and Stax (and to a lesser degree beyerdynamic and Grado and Sennheiser).

 

[Arniesb]

I also had the Clear and I just got the Utopia today.

I listened to it for a bit tonight, and after the first few minutes which were very harsh and sharp I've acclimated pretty well to the sound or the headphones burned in or whatever. Quickly switching between both using the Mojo and directly on my MacBook Pro (using ripped CDs) it honestly isn't that big of a difference at all. The Clear really gets most of the way there. It gets almost all of the way there. The main difference is you can hear a bit more harshness in the recording in some areas owing the the resolution of the Utopia so in some senses the Clear smoothing that out a bit is actually nicer. The Utopia sounds a bit brighter than the Clear which does sound slightly veiled in comparison, but again, this is really not a big difference at all.

My take is if you like to listen on either the Utopia or Clear for short periods of time in a more analytic sense to enjoy every last detail, then maybe it is worth it spending what you will with the Utopia. That's how I listen to my headphones as I generally prefer (even phone or computer) speakers for longer casual listening. However, if you are a true headphone person and want to listen for long periods for casual listening as well as analytic listening the Clear might even be the better choice being less fatiguing.

I auditioned the Utopia very briefly a few months back (I had the Clear already at that time) and my impression at that time was to pass as it did not really impress or stand out much at all (compared to the Clear as well as the Sony R10 which I tested it with back to back). However, I began reconsidering due to the Clear getting a bit uncomfortable just after 10ish minutes of wearing it (mainly with the clamp around the ears and also sometimes the hotspot on the top of the head). I read here that the Utopia would be more comfortable with softer pads and less of a clamp despite its heavier weight. It's too early to tell for sure but they seem a bit more comfortable. Plus while I really like the way the Clear looks and the color, I wish they had went leather. The gloss black Utopia also looks great, I kinda wish the cups just had the metal grille without the protrusions though (similar to the Clear).

I'm really not sure which one I'll keep just yet. The comfort will decide it. If the Utopia does indeed end up being a lot more comfortable than the Clear and perhaps separate itself some more soundwise, then I'm gonna pick up a Focal case (so ridiculously expensive but very nice) and keep the Utopia. If it runs into the same problem comfort wise, I will keep the Clear, as the sound benefits (so far) seem way too small and in some cases the higher resolution sounds worse.

This may sound like a downer post so let me just be clear, I think the Utopia is a great headphone, but the Clear is so good and you get the case and a reasonable length cable as well.

Just some last things for you to make my impression more valuable:

I'm probably not audiophile material (despite being able to hear up to 17-18 kHz) in terms of really analyzing the sound and all that, because although I try to do so, I also end up enjoying whatever it is I'm listening to. I'm most likely a guy who will end being OK with some decent headphones (50ish dollars) and happy with just one set of great ones, so while I'm enjoying the different listening, I think eventually I will return/sell off all but a couple of headphones. The only headphone left I really want to try is the Stax 009S (as well as the vintage Orpheus and Omega of course), and I will pick my favorite and just stick with it.

Though I'm far from an audio objectivist, I don't really hear differences between amps/sources in my (albeit limited) experience (I think I heard a difference switching cables more and I'm not even sure about that) so the notion that the Utopia scales better than the Clear probably wouldn't apply to me.

I like bright headphones (I think).

Aesthetics and comfort are very important to me.

Brand is also really important. I like Focal and Sony and Stax (and to a lesser degree beyerdynamic and Grado and Sennheiser).

Dont expect big difference when comparing on mojo, it is not that resolving dac at all.

 

[youurayy]

Dont expect big difference when comparing on mojo, it is not that resolving dac at all.

This. It's like running Koenigsegg Regera in a traffic jam. Finally by using the iFi Pro iDSD and iCAN combo with Utopia (on silver cables), I have a setup that's really difficult to turn off when it's time to stop listening. All the lesser amps/dacs collect dust now. Sometimes I get really picky about the source material too (HDtracks only), but other times I'm fine with 44k. Depends on mood or something.

I'm guessing the Utopia, due to how dynamic it is, is harder to listen on moderately-higher volumes for a longer time -- that's why I'd still like to try something electrostatic e.g. like the MrSpeakers Voce. But I'm not in a hurry. The dynamics of Utopia also is fantastic with movies.

With the comfort I have zero complaints (could be less creaky when putting on but it's a non issue really).

 

[Arniesb]

This. It's like running Koenigsegg Regera in a traffic jam. Finally by using the iFi Pro iDSD and iCAN combo with Utopia (on silver cables), I have a setup that's really difficult to turn off when it's time to stop listening. All the lesser amps/dacs collect dust now. Sometimes I get really picky about the source material too (HDtracks only), but other times I'm fine with 44k. Depends on mood or something.

I'm guessing the Utopia, due to how dynamic it is, is harder to listen on moderately-higher volumes for a longer time -- that's why I'd still like to try something electrostatic e.g. like the MrSpeakers Voce. But I'm not in a hurry. The dynamics of Utopia also is fantastic with movies.

With the comfort I have zero complaints (could be less creaky when putting on but it's a non issue really).

Im eyeing Utopia For quite some time, just hope next iteration will have Easily removable headband padding...

 

[Arniesb]

P.S you cant listen very loud because Ifi Noise cancellation stuff and galvanic isolation makes music very dynamic. I only have nano usb 3.0 and i already listen music music no where near loud as i used to cause its so alive now. I bet Ifi gear with Great usb cables + Utopia is Explosion.

 

[dontfeedphils]

P.S you cant listen very loud because Ifi Noise cancellation stuff and galvanic isolation makes music very dynamic. I only have nano usb 3.0 and i already listen music music no where near loud as i used to cause its so alive now. I bet Ifi gear with Great usb cables + Utopia is Explosion.

I'm not sure I follow, can you explain further?

 

[FocalOfficial]

What is considered early production.

« Early production » means first production batches of course
However, we cannot precisely tell you which serial numbers or amount of headphones are affected since not all headphones from the first productions batches have this issue.

Thank you for your understanding,
Kind regards,
Marine, Community Manager Focal

 

[Arniesb]

I'm not sure I follow, can you explain further?

Ifi specialty is to deal with Pc noise, usb problems, ground issues, data correction, galvanic isolation. You know all that noise from pc makes Everything veiled and lack dynamics. When you correct Everything you get ton more resolution, ton more dynamics, real not tinny bass and stuff. Mid end dacs with all ifi stuff can blow away High end dacs... You pair all that with Utopia you get Bomb.

 

[dontfeedphils]

Ifi specialty is to deal with Pc noise, usb problems, ground issues, data correction, galvanic isolation. You know all that noise from pc makes Everything veiled and lack dynamics. When you correct Everything you get ton more resolution, ton more dynamics, real not tinny bass and stuff. Mid end dacs with all ifi stuff can blow away High end dacs... You pair all that with Utopia you get Bomb.

Can't say that I agree, but to each their own.

 

[Arniesb]

Can't say that I agree, but to each their own.

You should try IFI stuff, Schiit Usb solutions isnt close... Im saying as I was no believer in ifi stuff...

 

[dontfeedphils]

You should try IFI stuff, Schiit Usb solutions isnt close... Im saying as I was no believer in ifi stuff...

I have. That's why I said I can't agree.

 

[attmci]

« Early production » means first production batches of course
However, we cannot precisely tell you which serial numbers or amount of headphones are affected since not all headphones from the first productions batches have this issue.

Thank you for your understanding,
Kind regards,
Marine, Community Manager Focal

Then, what's the beginning ser.no. of the second batch?

 

[up late]

I also had the Clear and I just got the Utopia today.

I listened to it for a bit tonight, and after the first few minutes which were very harsh and sharp I've acclimated pretty well to the sound or the headphones burned in or whatever. Quickly switching between both using the Mojo and directly on my MacBook Pro (using ripped CDs) it honestly isn't that big of a difference at all. The Clear really gets most of the way there. It gets almost all of the way there. The main difference is you can hear a bit more harshness in the recording in some areas owing the the resolution of the Utopia so in some senses the Clear smoothing that out a bit is actually nicer. The Utopia sounds a bit brighter than the Clear which does sound slightly veiled in comparison, but again, this is really not a big difference at all.

My take is if you like to listen on either the Utopia or Clear for short periods of time in a more analytic sense to enjoy every last detail, then maybe it is worth it spending what you will with the Utopia. That's how I listen to my headphones as I generally prefer (even phone or computer) speakers for longer casual listening. However, if you are a true headphone person and want to listen for long periods for casual listening as well as analytic listening the Clear might even be the better choice being less fatiguing.

I auditioned the Utopia very briefly a few months back (I had the Clear already at that time) and my impression at that time was to pass as it did not really impress or stand out much at all (compared to the Clear as well as the Sony R10 which I tested it with back to back). However, I began reconsidering due to the Clear getting a bit uncomfortable just after 10ish minutes of wearing it (mainly with the clamp around the ears and also sometimes the hotspot on the top of the head). I read here that the Utopia would be more comfortable with softer pads and less of a clamp despite its heavier weight. It's too early to tell for sure but they seem a bit more comfortable. Plus while I really like the way the Clear looks and the color, I wish they had went leather. The gloss black Utopia also looks great, I kinda wish the cups just had the metal grille without the protrusions though (similar to the Clear).

I'm really not sure which one I'll keep just yet. The comfort will decide it. If the Utopia does indeed end up being a lot more comfortable than the Clear and perhaps separate itself some more soundwise, then I'm gonna pick up a Focal case (so ridiculously expensive but very nice) and keep the Utopia. If it runs into the same problem comfort wise, I will keep the Clear, as the sound benefits (so far) seem way too small and in some cases the higher resolution sounds worse.

This may sound like a downer post so let me just be clear, I think the Utopia is a great headphone, but the Clear is so good and you get the case and a reasonable length cable as well.

Just some last things for you to make my impression more valuable:

I'm probably not audiophile material (despite being able to hear up to 17-18 kHz) in terms of really analyzing the sound and all that, because although I try to do so, I also end up enjoying whatever it is I'm listening to. I'm most likely a guy who will end being OK with some decent headphones (50ish dollars) and happy with just one set of great ones, so while I'm enjoying the different listening, I think eventually I will return/sell off all but a couple of headphones. The only headphone left I really want to try is the Stax 009S (as well as the vintage Orpheus and Omega of course), and I will pick my favorite and just stick with it.

Though I'm far from an audio objectivist, I don't really hear differences between amps/sources in my (albeit limited) experience (I think I heard a difference switching cables more and I'm not even sure about that) so the notion that the Utopia scales better than the Clear probably wouldn't apply to me.

I like bright headphones (I think).

Aesthetics and comfort are very important to me.

Brand is also really important. I like Focal and Sony and Stax (and to a lesser degree beyerdynamic and Grado and Sennheiser).

hardly a ringing endorsement for the utopia. but seriously, if the differences in sound quality between the clear and the utopia are so minor to you, then i doubt that the comfort of the utopia would improve upon the clear significantly enough to justify the price hike.

 

[Mrstump5]

When does the headphone tradein sale end?