[LCMusicLover]

Just received DSHA-3F Ravenswood amp yesterday. Spent way too many hours last night trying out all my cans with it.

On plugging in Utopia, my reaction was:

'Wow, there's more depth to the headstage!'

It was an immediately noticeable difference -- with my previous amps (LP/BHA-1/V280) the stage seemed quite flat.

Once again reinforcing that Utopia really scale.

 

[GreenBow]

Talking about headphone amps, I never hear anyone talking about the Simaudio Moon 430HA headphone amp. Just thought I'd mention it, in case folk never head of it.

https://simaudio.com/en/product/430ha-headphone-amplifier/?v=445d337b5cd5


I personally don't use a headphone amp, because I find the Chord DAC headphone ports right for me.

 

[joseph69]

Thanks to @llamaluv I had the pleasure of hearing the Utopia via DAVE + M Scaler this afternoon and was very impressed!

 

[xxx1313]

Thanks to @llamaluv I had the pleasure of hearing the Utopia via DAVE + M Scaler this afternoon and was very impressed!

Fully agree. This is my main home setup too and it still impresses me every day when I power it up. This is a true end game headphone setup. Did you listen with or without crossfeed?

 

[llamaluv]

Thanks to @llamaluv I had the pleasure of hearing the Utopia via DAVE + M Scaler this afternoon and was very impressed!

Joe brought over his Wireworld Nano-Platinum Eclipse cable for the Utopia, which I've been listening to a few hours already, and we compared it with my Neotech 23AWG solid core silver cable (custom build by Triton Audio Cables -- see pic) so I wanted to jot down some initial impressions.

The WW cable presents a hugely positive first impression. All three of us were able to identify the differences between the two cables instantly. And extra validation that for anyone who dismisses the importance of headphone cables, well... they just don't know.

I've owned a sickening number of cables for the Utopia -- Wywires Red, Wywires Platinum, Lazuli Reference, my current Neotech cable, plus a Lavricables Master Silver for my DAP. The WireWorld cable sounds the most like the Wywyres Platinum, I'd say based on distant memory, but in any case, it's very dynamic, lively resolving, with first-rate separation. Very "hi-fi" sounding and a very different beast from my Neotech, which is silver also. The Neotech is smooth and warm and sounds like a typical copper cable when directly to the WW Platinum. Almost veiled in comparison, actually.

The WW *may* be too bright for me personally for long-term listening sessions, though that will ultimately depend on preference and signal chain etc etc. But I know it will make an awesome complement to the Neotech based on their differing "styles". Sounds amazing direct out of the DAVE, for sure.

Another fun fact: When used with a lemo-to-2.5mm adapter connected to the Susvara, the Nano Platinum Eclipse reaches deeper in the bass than the Lazuli Ultra, and is really quite noticeable, as the Lazuli Ultra goes for a more mid-centric kind of presentation.

 

[joseph69]

Fully agree. This is my main home setup too and it still impresses me every day when I power it up. This is a true end game headphone setup. Did you listen with or without crossfeed?

I don't know, @llamaluv would have to answer that question. However configured, it was impressive!

 

[llamaluv]

Fully agree. This is my main home setup too and it still impresses me every day when I power it up. This is a true end game headphone setup. Did you listen with or without crossfeed?

I don't know, @llamaluv would have to answer that question. However configured, it was impressive!

X-feed off, yup.

 

[Gavin C4]

For those who play with cable rolling, do you think the utopia pairs well with a 8 wire cable for a wider sound stage, or 4 wire cable for minimum change in sound stage

 

[Energy]

For those who play with cable rolling, do you think the utopia pairs well with a 8 wire cable for a wider sound stage, or 4 wire cable for minimum change in sound stage

8 wire changes it but not by much. The main area of improvement is in the detail, bass impact, and slightly (barely) deeper and wider stage. The treble could benefit but it depends on the wire used. I noticed silver plated stuff doesn’t sound good on the Utopia since it’s treble already has a slight metallic etch to it when compared to other Beryllium drivers like ZMF Verite which is more natural/neutral in the treble. Silver will sound more detailed in the treble than silver plated copper and without the harshness but that really depends on your setup. Another upgrade that makes the sound stage even wider and deep would be an 8-wire internal wire change, but it breaks warranty. It however provides more of an improvement in the sound stage than using 8-wire headphone cable. Both methods combined offers an even greater sound stage expansion.

What I recommend is to use OCC Silver (if money suffice) in addition to 8-wire for all the benefits, and if there is any metallic etch in the treble, to use a tube amplifier or solid state that takes the edge off without sacrificing detail. Tube amplifiers like DNA Stellaris. Solid state amplifiers like ECP DSHA3F (Ravenswood) which are custom made to have the same output impedance as the Focal’s and apparently according to Eddie Current, it is one of the his top 3 headphone amplifiers (that says quite a lot), especially when used with Focal headphones.

FOCAL CLEANING METHOD

For those who wants to learn how to clean their focal’s headphones properly, what I do is use some super soft toilet paper like Charmin Ultra Soft and fold 4-5 sheets together and into a square. From there I dip it in some distilled water (stay away from chloride and other harmful material in tap water that can break down lamb skin), squeeze it dry, and gently wipe the ear-pads and head-pad. Make sure hands are clean. Wait for the water film to air dry. Take a microfiber cloth and cut into little 2” squares. Apply some pea sized leather conditioner drops (in this case the Audeze one) onto the cloth and spread evenly with fingertip. Glide cloth over the surface of the lambskin while gently pushing down lightly as you go. This helps get the conditioner into the crevices of the leather. Let it air dry for 10-15 minutes and repeat the process for the second coat. If only two coats were used then it should dry without residue left over. If there are some, gently pat it off with another microfiber cloth. Clean areas where the leather conditioner wasn’t suppose to touch with a cotton swab or ultra soft toilet paper.

This cleaning/rejuvenating method is to help keep the leather hydrated, preventing it from drying out and cracking which can have a direct influence on the sound frequency. The leather conditioning formula penetrates the leather without making it oily or sticky. The combination of ingredients (lanolin, neatsfoot oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, Brazilian carnauba wax, and beeswax) protects the lambskin from getting broken down. It adds a layer to not only take care of the lambskin leather, but to also repel our skin’s acidic oil and pH imbalance as well as protecting it from oxidation. This is why I apply two coats.



Audeze sources their products from HowardProducts so instead of getting a small bottle, you can get four times the amount for the same price. And for those who hasn’t cleaned their headphones in awhile and require more than just water to take the existing oils off that is currently breaking down your leather, use the their leather cleaner provided in the link below. I have no association with them other than using their products.

https://www.howardproducts.com/product/leather-cleaner/
https://www.howardproducts.com/product/leather-conditioner/

 

[up late]

had the utopia sounded metallic in any way to my ears then i wouldn't have bought it - just sayin'

 

[JinTam]

8 wire changes it but not by much. The main area of improvement is in the detail, bass impact, and slightly (barely) deeper and wider stage. The treble could benefit but it depends on the wire used. I noticed silver plated stuff doesn’t sound good on the Utopia since it’s treble already has a slight metallic etch to it when compared to other Beryllium drivers like ZMF Verite which is more natural/neutral in the treble. Silver will sound more detailed in the treble than silver plated copper and without the harshness but that really depends on your setup. Another upgrade that makes the sound stage even wider and deep would be an 8-wire internal wire change, but it breaks warranty. It however provides more of an improvement in the sound stage than using 8-wire headphone cable. Both methods combined offers an even greater sound stage expansion.

What I recommend is to use OCC Silver (if money suffice) in addition to 8-wire for all the benefits, and if there is any metallic etch in the treble, to use a tube amplifier or solid state that takes the edge off without sacrificing detail. Tube amplifiers like DNA Stellaris. Solid state amplifiers like ECP DSHA3F (Ravenswood) which are custom made to have the same output impedance as the Focal’s and apparently according to Eddie Current, it is one of the his top 3 headphone amplifiers (that says quite a lot), especially when used with Focal headphones.

FOCAL CLEANING METHOD

For those who wants to learn how to clean their focal’s headphones properly, what I do is use some super soft toilet paper like Charmin Ultra Soft and fold 4-5 sheets together and into a square. From there I dip it in some distilled water (stay away from chloride and other harmful material in tap water that can break down lamb skin), squeeze it dry, and gently wipe the ear-pads and head-pad. Make sure hands are clean. Wait for the water film to air dry. Take a microfiber cloth and cut into little 2” squares. Apply some pea sized leather conditioner drops (in this case the Audeze one) onto the cloth and spread evenly with fingertip. Glide cloth over the surface of the lambskin while gently pushing down lightly as you go. This helps get the conditioner into the crevices of the leather. Let it air dry for 10-15 minutes and repeat the process for the second coat. If only two coats were used then it should dry without residue left over. If there are some, gently pat it off with another microfiber cloth. Clean areas where the leather conditioner wasn’t suppose to touch with a cotton swab or ultra soft toilet paper.

This cleaning/rejuvenating method is to help keep the leather hydrated, preventing it from drying out and cracking which can have a direct influence on the sound frequency. The leather conditioning formula penetrates the leather without making it oily or sticky. The combination of ingredients (lanolin, neatsfoot oil, coconut oil, aloe vera, Brazilian carnauba wax, and beeswax) protects the lambskin from getting broken down. It adds a layer to not only take care of the lambskin leather, but to also repel our skin’s acidic oil and pH imbalance as well as protecting it from oxidation. This is why I apply two coats.



Audeze sources their products from HowardProducts so instead of getting a small bottle, you can get four times the amount for the same price. And for those who hasn’t cleaned their headphones in awhile and require more than just water to take the existing oils off that is currently breaking down your leather, use the their leather cleaner provided in the link below. I have no association with them other than using their products.

https://www.howardproducts.com/product/leather-cleaner/
https://www.howardproducts.com/product/leather-conditioner/

How do you keep the cleaner from soaking in to the foam? Do you have before and after photo of the cleaning and conditioning? I thought about cleaning them but it looks like a real pain.

 

[Energy]

If you were to use the cleaner, I recommend you spray it on a ultra soft toilet paper and squeeze the extra cleaner out. This way the material is only slightly wet and doesn’t have a dripping effect making it harder to get absorbed into the small holes of the earpads. When you gently wipe the pads, you do it with the holes facing downwards so that gravity can help you in keeping the water/cleaner out. For example, if I were to clean the area of the pad that touches the face, that area would be facing the ground as i clean.

Once you get good at this, the direction you clean it in won’t matter much as long as the toilet paper is not too damp, it should just glide over the leather leaving a light water film and will naturally dry (or you can pat it dry with a sheet of toilet paper). The idea of using the leather conditioner aside from rejuvenating and protecting the leather is that it makes cleaning in the future easier since sebum (secreted by our sebaceous glands) is now stuck to the waxy layer created by the leather conditioner and not the leather itself.

For those who has never initially applied leather conditioner on the leather areas of their headphones, I recommend using a leather cleaner (in the provided link above). The reason is because by now our skins natural oil (sebum) would have penetrated the leather and normal water won’t be able to remove it, since oil and water naturally repel each other. The only reason why I use water is because I applied leather conditioner the first day I received the headphones. I only use leather cleaner every other time to increase the longevity of the ear-cups.

Additionally, for those who want to know, sebum is an acidic and oily substance our face creates that has a pH of 3.5. Leather has a pH of 5. The Carnauba wax used in the leather conditioner has a pH of 7 which is considered neutral. To make leather last longer we want neutral pH oils and wax’s to hydrate the leather, not acidic ones produced by our skin.

 

[JinTam]

If you were to use the cleaner, I recommend you spray it on a ultra soft toilet paper and squeeze the extra cleaner out. This way the material is only slightly wet and doesn’t have a dripping effect making it harder to get absorbed into the small holes of the earpads. When you gently wipe the pads, you do it with the holes facing downwards so that gravity can help you in keeping the water/cleaner out. For example, if I were to clean the area of the pad that touches the face, that area would be facing the ground as i clean.

Once you get good at this, the direction you clean it in won’t matter much as long as the toilet paper is not too damp, it should just glide over the leather leaving a light water film and will naturally dry (or you can pat it dry with a sheet of toilet paper). The idea of using the leather conditioner aside from rejuvenating and protecting the leather is that it makes cleaning in the future easier since sebum (secreted by our sebaceous glands) is now stuck to the waxy layer created by the leather conditioner and not the leather itself.

For those who has never initially applied leather conditioner on the leather areas of their headphones, I recommend using a leather cleaner (in the provided link above). The reason is because by now our skins natural oil (sebum) would have penetrated the leather and normal water won’t be able to remove it, since oil and water naturally repel each other. The only reason why I use water is because I applied leather conditioner the first day I received the headphones. I only use leather cleaner every other time to increase the longevity of the ear-cups.

Additionally, for those who want to know, sebum is an acidic and oily substance our face creates that has a pH of 3.5. Leather has a pH of 5. The Carnauba wax used in the leather conditioner has a pH of 7 which is considered neutral. To make leather last longer we want neutral pH oils and wax’s to hydrate the leather, not acidic ones produced by our skin.

Wow, that's impressive.

 

[bidn]

Hi there,

Andrew Park posted a really nice, quite up-to-date video of the Utopia, impressions and measurements, I find it really worth watching.

It includes comparisons with some recent headphones like the ZMF Verite and the Hifiman HE1000se.
I was pleased to hear about his impressions and measurements of the default setting and the Utopia setting on the Focal Arche DAC-amp. These confirm my listening impressions
( https://www.head-fi.org/threads/focal-utopia-general-discussion.811273/page-735#post-15188208 ),
i.e. that I couldn't hear any difference in tonality between the two, in spite of being tired after having focussing on auditioning a number of DAC-amp before.

In case you haven't heard yet about Andrew Park (nickname "resolve"): he is the only one I can see as taking up the torch and filling in the void left after Tyll Hertsens retired, I find him smart, critical, and a great communicator. And fully independent : neither paid nor "receiving" (for free as a present) the expensive stuff. I understand he lives close to the location of headphones.com, taking headphones for his reviews and returning them, all he has to do is to mention their site in his reviews.

Enough talking, here is the video, enjoy
and have a nice weekend,
bidn

 

[meomap]

Hi there,

Andrew Park posted a really nice, quite up-to-date video of the Utopia, impressions and measurements, I find it really worth watching.

It includes comparisons with some recent headphones like the ZMF Verite and the Hifiman HE1000se.
I was pleased to hear about his impressions and measurements of the neutral setting and the Utopia setting on the Focal Arche DAC-amp. These confirm my listening impressions
( https://www.head-fi.org/threads/focal-utopia-general-discussion.811273/page-735#post-15188208 ),
i.e. that I couldn't hear any difference in tonality between the two, in spite of being tired after having focussing on auditioning a number of DAC-amp before.

In case you haven't heard yet about Andrew Park (nickname "resolve"): he is the only one I can see as taking up the torch and filling in the void left after Tyll Hertsens retired, I find him smart, critical, and a great communicator. And fully independent : neither paid nor "receiving" (for free as a present) the expensive stuff. I understand he lives close to the location of headphones.com, taking headphones for his reviews and returning them, all he has to do is to mention their site in his reviews.

Enough talking, here is the video, enjoy
and have a nice weekend,
bidn

Yes, very good review and observations from this guy. Even though he could not afford it now, he said he will in the future if he has the dough.
Utopia still is the King of dynamic driver hp.