When my system is too bright, the midrange on the Utopia specifically has a piercing, "hard" quality, especially with the piano. Even a loud, sustained middle-C from a piano could make me wince a little. I'm guessing it has to do with higher-order harmonics in the upper-mids/treble. I've noticed that certain headphone cables make this worse for me.Could you please explain in more detail what you mean by hardness in the mids?
It sounds like the Platinum remains a solid choice for those without comparable fatigue-inducing systems. I do wonder, though, whether this cable contributes to your sense of hardness in the mids on the Utopia.
Interestingly though, a recent, beefy power cable upgrade for my DAC has definitively resolved this issue for me with the Utopia now, regardless of what amp or headphone cable I'm using.
But yea, since the power situation in my household isn't great, for sure I wouldn't want to generalize about whether any particular Utopia cable would be too "bright" for anyone else or not.