[up late]

my impressions from the stellia thread for what they're worth:
"the stellia sounded like a closed-back approximation of the utopia to me in that it was warmer with a touch more bass presence. the stellia's treble was shelved-down relative to the utopia. the utopia had noticeably more treble energy and seemed more incisive, whereas the stellia had a more relaxed presentation. while the stellia's bass seemed to be more elevated than the utopia's, it also seemed somewhat less defined. if you are expecting the stellia to rival the utopia for clarity, then you should probably lower your expectations as it is a closed-back headphone after all. that said, the stellia reminded me of the utopia just as the hd820 reminded me of the hd800s. they don't sound the same (how could they? we're comparing open-back and closed-back models here) but they do bear more than a passing resemblance to my ears."

ps i neglected to comment on comfort. i found the stellia more comfortable than the utopia. the stellia's ear cups are lighter in weight, which made it feel better balanced on my head. and the stellia's ear pads felt even softer than the utopia's. these differences made the stellia feel less obtrusive than the utopia. it's one of the more comfortable headphones that i've worn.

 

[thecrow]

my impressions from the stellia thread for what they're worth:
"the stellia sounded like a closed-back approximation of the utopia to me in that it was warmer with a touch more bass presence. the stellia's treble was shelved-down relative to the utopia. the utopia had noticeably more treble energy and seemed more incisive, whereas the stellia had a more relaxed presentation. while the stellia's bass seemed to be more elevated than the utopia's, it also seemed somewhat less defined. if you are expecting the stellia to rival the utopia for clarity, then you should probably lower your expectations as it is a closed-back headphone after all. that said, the stellia reminded me of the utopia just as the hd820 reminded me of the hd800s. they don't sound the same (how could they? we're comparing open-back and closed-back models here) but they do bear more than a passing resemblance to my ears."

i'd agree with that - from my limited time with stellia and except for the fact i have never heard the hd820

 

[up late]

The thing with Utopia that you need perfect silence to enjoy them....

not really. my listening room is fairly quiet but it's not silent. i find that extraneous noise is screened out once the music is playing.

 

[emrelights1973]

not really. my listening room is fairly quiet but it's not silent. i find that extraneous noise is screened out once the music is playing.

Like i Said if you are listenin Beethoven Piano Sonatas that is not the case, if you are cranking up on Bon jovi there is no problem

i use them almost every night listen all kind of music and share my experince which is not very subjective one, and Mr.Uplate tells Me that is not the case, i do agree about “not to agree” on subjective things but challenge a fact that i am living is strange! I can hear the sound of the pages turned when i read..

 

[up late]

Like i Said if you are listenin Beethoven Piano Sonatas that is not the case, if you are cranking up on Bon jovi there is no problem

i use them almost every night listen all kind of music and share my experince which is not very subjective one, and Mr.Uplate tells Me that is not the case, i do agree about “not to agree” on subjective things but challenge a fact that i am living is strange! I can hear the sound of the pages turned when i read..

what do you mean "like i said"? you didn't make any attempt to qualify your statement in your previous post.

and for the sake of clarity, i replied to your post based on my own subjective experience - i wasn't disagreeing with you about yours. i listen to a variety of music genres at low to moderate volume levels and as i said in my previous post, i find that extraneous noise in my listening environment is screened out once the music is playing. your mileage obviously varies, which is fine.

 

[emrelights1973]

what do you mean "like i said"? you didn't make any attempt to qualify your statement in your previous post.

and for the sake of clarity, i replied to your post based on my own subjective experience - i wasn't disagreeing with you about yours. i listen to a variety of music genres at low to moderate volume levels and as i said in my previous post, i find that extraneous noise in my listening environment is screened out once the music is playing. your mileage obviously varies, which is fine.

maybe i got super ears that with utopia and İgor playing Sonatas i can hear everything but not just something, everything! that makes them like listening to stereo set up

 

[up late]

maybe i got super ears that with utopia and İgor playing Sonatas i can hear everything but not just something, everything! that makes them like listening to stereo set up

maybe...

 

[joseph69]

Then demoed the utopia right after and was immediately put off by the sound; I thought the people singing praises on the utopia were all smoking crack.

I thought the same after demoing the Utopia 2x (in home) for +/-10 days each time. I just had to demo them again after repeatedly reading how amazing they were and the third time was definitely a charm for me. The Utopia is one of the best headphones I've ever owned/heard, and still feel this way today after owning y share of TOTL headphones.

 

[Roasty]

Last few days I've been doing quick rotations between the Utopia, Empyrean, Abyss and Verite Closed.

The Utopia remains my favourite by far. I'm so glad I bought these headphones. Worth every penny.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Last few days I've been doing quick rotations between the Utopia, Empyrean, Abyss and Verite Closed.

The Utopia remains my favourite by far. I'm so glad I bought these headphones. Worth every penny.

I am less surprised with Empyrean, a little surprised by VC, and very surprised by the Abyss.

Despite what others have said, you ultimately prefer Utopia to Abyss? Can you offer more reasons as to why? I also wouldn't mind more details of comparison with the other headphones listed.

 

[Roasty]

The Utopia hits all the right spots for me. Sweet upper range, lots of detail. Very upfront presentation. Accurate, punchy bass which is really IMO not lacking at all.

Compared to Abyss:
Abyss has much more bass. Tonnes of bass which is also accurate and punchy. Thumping bass, to the point of chest rumbling. The bass never leaks into mid range. Mid range sounds just a bit thin/hollow. Highs are detailed. But seems like whole mid/upper range is recessed; utopia singer is in your face, whereas abyss singer is maybe several feet away. Vocals have a bit of an echoey/in the box sound. Also, very finicky with positioning on your head; find the sweet spot and it's all good, but shift a bit and u can hear change in sound, such that it almost seems like there is a subtle time delay between L and R driver. Tilt the headphones a bit forward or backwards and bass becomes boomy/loose or suddenly severely lacking . Funny headphones in that when I raise the volume, I can hear the mids and bass increase, but the highs seem to stay relatively low volume.. Whereas with utopia, increase volume and the highs goes up first.

Meze is most comfortable of all my headphones. At first I thought they were veiled, lacking detail. But I recently swapped to the suede pads and it made a huge difference. Also, I prefer the Meze with hpa4 over tube amp; tube amp with Meze sounds just too rich/luscious/thick. Presentation is more up front than abyss, just behind utopia. I find the Meze has a more pleasant presentation, like V shaped curve. Mid bass bleed is present.. Also, doesn't do so well in congested/complicated passages. Really great for female jazz vocals and dance music.

Verite closed.. I can't seem to enjoy these very much. Bass is good. Mids are ok, but sound congested most of the time. Highs occasionally sound harsh to me. Something is up with these headphones... If there is one singer singing, it seems almost like there is an echo or reverb. Not sure if this is because of the closed cans.. I find the VC do slightly worse than the Meze in complicated passages. Also, non perforated leather pads and closed cups makes my ears get hot and sweaty fast..

Taking into account the physical attributes of my headphones, if I had to rank.. Then:

Utopia, Meze, Abyss, VC

Ymmv. I just prefer what the Utopia is offering. Sweet sound especially the highs, great mid range, very very good bass. Detailed, speedy, accurate. More up front and intimate presentation. Nice imaging.

If I had to sell my other headphones, I really would not feel any loss at all if all I was left with was the Utopia.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

The Utopia hits all the right spots for me. Sweet upper range, lots of detail. Very upfront presentation. Accurate, punchy bass which is really IMO not lacking at all.

Compared to Abyss:
Abyss has much more bass. Tonnes of bass which is also accurate and punchy. Thumping bass, to the point of chest rumbling. The bass never leaks into mid range. Mid range sounds just a bit thin/hollow. Highs are detailed. But seems like whole mid/upper range is recessed; utopia singer is in your face, whereas abyss singer is maybe several feet away. Vocals have a bit of an echoey/in the box sound. Also, very finicky with positioning on your head; find the sweet spot and it's all good, but shift a bit and u can hear change in sound, such that it almost seems like there is a subtle time delay between L and R driver. Tilt the headphones a bit forward or backwards and bass becomes boomy/loose or suddenly severely lacking . Funny headphones in that when I raise the volume, I can hear the mids and bass increase, but the highs seem to stay relatively low volume.. Whereas with utopia, increase volume and the highs goes up first.

Meze is most comfortable of all my headphones. At first I thought they were veiled, lacking detail. But I recently swapped to the suede pads and it made a huge difference. Also, I prefer the Meze with hpa4 over tube amp; tube amp with Meze sounds just too rich/luscious/thick. Presentation is more up front than abyss, just behind utopia. I find the Meze has a more pleasant presentation, like V shaped curve. Mid bass bleed is present.. Also, doesn't do so well in congested/complicated passages. Really great for female jazz vocals and dance music.

Verite closed.. I can't seem to enjoy these very much. Bass is good. Mids are ok, but sound congested most of the time. Highs occasionally sound harsh to me. Something is up with these headphones... If there is one singer singing, it seems almost like there is an echo or reverb. Not sure if this is because of the closed cans.. I find the VC do slightly worse than the Meze in complicated passages. Also, non perforated leather pads and closed cups makes my ears get hot and sweaty fast..

Taking into account the physical attributes of my headphones, if I had to rank.. Then:

Utopia, Meze, Abyss, VC

Ymmv. I just prefer what the Utopia is offering. Sweet sound especially the highs, great mid range, very very good bass. Detailed, speedy, accurate. More up front and intimate presentation. Nice imaging.

If I had to sell my other headphones, I really would not feel any loss at all if all I was left with was the Utopia.

Do you drive the Abyss with the hpa4 as well?

I believe the VC is supposed to have that reverb effect. However, I have also read they are very open sounding, sometimes even indistinguishable from the open Verite.

I appreciate your impressions a lot. The Utopia is a very well balanced, incredibly resolving, highly technical dynamic headphone. Since the Meze has sort of the polar opposite signature, I can sort of see why you'd prefer it as a nice complement. The Abyuss is more like a full replacement for the Utopia.

 

[LCMusicLover]

The Utopia hits all the right spots for me. Sweet upper range, lots of detail. Very upfront presentation. Accurate, punchy bass which is really IMO not lacking at all.

Compared to Abyss:
Abyss has much more bass. Tonnes of bass which is also accurate and punchy. Thumping bass, to the point of chest rumbling. The bass never leaks into mid range. Mid range sounds just a bit thin/hollow. Highs are detailed. But seems like whole mid/upper range is recessed; utopia singer is in your face, whereas abyss singer is maybe several feet away. Vocals have a bit of an echoey/in the box sound. Also, very finicky with positioning on your head; find the sweet spot and it's all good, but shift a bit and u can hear change in sound, such that it almost seems like there is a subtle time delay between L and R driver. Tilt the headphones a bit forward or backwards and bass becomes boomy/loose or suddenly severely lacking . Funny headphones in that when I raise the volume, I can hear the mids and bass increase, but the highs seem to stay relatively low volume.. Whereas with utopia, increase volume and the highs goes up first.

Meze is most comfortable of all my headphones. At first I thought they were veiled, lacking detail. But I recently swapped to the suede pads and it made a huge difference. Also, I prefer the Meze with hpa4 over tube amp; tube amp with Meze sounds just too rich/luscious/thick. Presentation is more up front than abyss, just behind utopia. I find the Meze has a more pleasant presentation, like V shaped curve. Mid bass bleed is present.. Also, doesn't do so well in congested/complicated passages. Really great for female jazz vocals and dance music.

Verite closed.. I can't seem to enjoy these very much. Bass is good. Mids are ok, but sound congested most of the time. Highs occasionally sound harsh to me. Something is up with these headphones... If there is one singer singing, it seems almost like there is an echo or reverb. Not sure if this is because of the closed cans.. I find the VC do slightly worse than the Meze in complicated passages. Also, non perforated leather pads and closed cups makes my ears get hot and sweaty fast..

Taking into account the physical attributes of my headphones, if I had to rank.. Then:

Utopia, Meze, Abyss, VC

Ymmv. I just prefer what the Utopia is offering. Sweet sound especially the highs, great mid range, very very good bass. Detailed, speedy, accurate. More up front and intimate presentation. Nice imaging.

If I had to sell my other headphones, I really would not feel any loss at all if all I was left with was the Utopia.

Great post!

One question: From your sig it appears you pair your Utopia w/ your Matrix/Woo stack -- preferred vs Benchmark/Utopia pairing? By a significant margin?

BTW, I agree w/ your comments re: Empyrean, including SS vs tube amp pairing and suede pad preference. Too lush w/ other pads and/or tubes. I sold mine before receiving my DSHA-3F, so of course I'll always wonder ...

 

[Roasty]

Do you drive the Abyss with the hpa4 as well?

I believe the VC is supposed to have that reverb effect. However, I have also read they are very open sounding, sometimes even indistinguishable from the open Verite.

I appreciate your impressions a lot. The Utopia is a very well balanced, incredibly resolving, highly technical dynamic headphone. Since the Meze has sort of the polar opposite signature, I can sort of see why you'd prefer it as a nice complement. The Abyuss is more like a full replacement for the Utopia.

Yep I've driven the abyss with the hpa4. The hpa4 is more than enough to power the abyss. It can go to uncomfortably loud if needed, and then some more. I don't have a preference of amp with the abyss; I feel both wa22 and hpa4 are good with that headphone.

With the abyss, what doesn't change is that echoey hollowness in the mids and highs with all my music and both amps. It's very apparent with vocals. I don't get the same problem with the Utopia or Meze. Perhaps some folks would interpret it as a bigger soundstage? I dunno..

I find the VC reverb is hard to get used to especially when I compare it to the Meze and Empy. I think most people on the VC/VO thread regard those headphones as one of the best they've ever had. Unfortunately I can't say the same for myself. Believe me, I've tried very hard to enjoy the VC, paired them with stock cable, lavricable, abyss cable, danacable, but I guess the sound signature and tuning are just not for me. I have tried the VO and the VC and to me, they are indeed almost indistinguishable except that the VC bass is a bit more impactful and there is that reverb sensation.

IMO for the price they command, I would take the Utopia over the VO/VC.

Also, I hesitate to say the abyss is a utopia replacement. The sound signatures are very different especially the mids and highs. If u like the Utopia for their presentation, you will likely miss it when going to the Abyss. To choose one over the other means trading off some good stuff from each..

 

[Roasty]

Great post!

One question: From your sig it appears you pair your Utopia w/ your Matrix/Woo stack -- preferred vs Benchmark/Utopia pairing? By a significant margin?

BTW, I agree w/ your comments re: Empyrean, including SS vs tube amp pairing and suede pad preference. Too lush w/ other pads and/or tubes. I sold mine before receiving my DSHA-3F, so of course I'll always wonder ...

Yes I do very much prefer the utopia with the Wa22. It gives some smoothing over the top and at the same time, some fullness to the low and mid/low end. Soundstage also seems bigger with the tube amp.

With the utopia and wa22 I always enjoy my listening sessions. With the abyss, I'm always adjusting the fit and position and find myself doing a lot of critiquing on the sound. The abyss is also a bit tinny and thin up top. With the Meze I get a bit conscious about the mid bass bloat; I've heard a new set of pads is in the works which will help with this and also improve detail up top. With the VC I get conscious about congestion, harshness, and a funny overall tonality. But with utopia it's just put on my head and enjoy the music. The lambskin pads are just so comfortable. And the sound is not sensitive/reactive to placement around the ear, unlike the abyss.