[meomap]

Oh boy this hobby just gets more and more expensive for me

Anybody has a grenade for the rabbit's hole?
I could use some buckets now.

 

[tomwoo]

Instead of paying full price for a new pair you can check if any certified dealers have open box specials that still have full warranty. You can also buy used from someone who has original receipt and hasn’t owned it too long and still get most of that 5 year warranty. I wouldn’t buy used without the receipt since too much risk.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely look into that. I noticed there was a new version called 'Focal Utopia SKU for 2020', which comes with a carrying case and upgraded cables, as well as different packaging. But it's a shame Focal charges $400 more for the new version. Maybe they just want to quickly 'sell off' the old stock. Regardless, I think at that price range the old version is really thin in accessories department. The new version is much better accessory-wise but should have kept the same price tag. It would be really nice if they have fixed the design flaw that causes driver failure in so many cases...

 

[iamoneagain]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely look into that. I noticed there was a new version called 'Focal Utopia SKU for 2020', which comes with a carrying case and upgraded cables, as well as different packaging. But it's a shame Focal charges $400 more for the new version. Maybe they just want to quickly 'sell off' the old stock. Regardless, I think at that price range the old version is really thin in accessories department. The new version is much better accessory-wise but should have kept the same price tag. It would be really nice if they have fixed the design flaw that causes driver failure in so many cases...

The new items are nice if going to take your headphones out of the house. Don’t see too much need for them otherwise. Sort of a nice to have but not worth charging more. Made more sense for Stellia since those are closed and more likely someone might bring into the office back when people still went into the office.

It’s hard to say what the failure rate is. More people usually post when have something really positive or negative to say. Most people who own the Utopia probably have never posted here. The fact that someone had 3 pairs that failed does tell us it higher than it should be but still don’t think you should avoid it.

I use mine mostly for alternative rock and they are great. Very dynamic and punchy. Lots of detail and razor sharp precision in sound placement. The bass is sort of dependent of how you feed it. Thought was too thin and not warm enough out a Hugo 2. I was lucky enough to end up with a Dave and that gives them a warmer, fuller sound. I’m sure there are much cheaper options that would work as well.

 

[Frankie D]

Well, I prefer to not call people unlucky, it’s not very polite. In any case, I feel this becomes one of the “I don’t have a problem so something is wrong with you or your gear” discussions.
so, if it helps, my utopia failed twice, both times while listening to the focal Arche. Volume was medium low. It made “crr” rather loud for a split of a second, and then the driver was gone.

Since when is calling someone unlucky impolite? If one person has the Utopias with no issue and the other has them but encounters failures, he or she was unlucky. I would not consider it a slight, just a circumstance.

I subscribed to this thread to learn more about the Utopias. But the failure rate I am hearing has me a bit concerned. And if someone will make an “unlucky” purchase, trust me, it will be me!

 

[tomwoo]

The new items are nice if going to take your headphones out of the house. Don’t see too much need for them otherwise. Sort of a nice to have but not worth charging more. Made more sense for Stellia since those are closed and more likely someone might bring into the office back when people still went into the office.

It’s hard to say what the failure rate is. More people usually post when have something really positive or negative to say. Most people who own the Utopia probably have never posted here. The fact that someone had 3 pairs that failed does tell us it higher than it should be but still don’t think you should avoid it.

I use mine mostly for alternative rock and they are great. Very dynamic and punchy. Lots of detail and razor sharp precision in sound placement. The bass is sort of dependent of how you feed it. Thought was too thin and not warm enough out a Hugo 2. I was lucky enough to end up with a Dave and that gives them a warmer, fuller sound. I’m sure there are much cheaper options that would work as well.

Great to hear that. I'm into alternative too. I agree it's not worthwhile to pay more for the new version just for the sake of case and cables. But it's nice to have shorter/lighter cables as the old ones are really long and heavy? (again, based on what I read here, I never had the chance to see them in person).

 

[strojo]

Without knowing how many pairs have been manufactured/sold, we have no way of really knowing if the failures talked about in this forum qualify as a few or a lot. It's really that simple.

Here's my take. Focal has a five year warranty. If you have a problem, work with your dealer and it will get resolved. Are you going to be mad? Maybe. Will it be a pain in the butt? Probably. But...the Focal Utopias are amazing headphones and my pair has been flawless since I purchased them shortly after their release. I also own Focal studio monitors and home audio speakers and those have been flawless as well.

I truly believe this is a case of a few bad situations get talked about over and over, giving the impression that the problem is larger than it probably is in reality.

 

[dontfeedphils]

Without knowing how many pairs have been manufactured/sold, we have no way of really knowing if the failures talked about in this forum qualify as a few or a lot. It's really that simple.

Here's my take. Focal has a five year warranty. If you have a problem, work with your dealer and it will get resolved. Are you going to be mad? Maybe. Will it be a pain in the butt? Probably. But...the Focal Utopias are amazing headphones and my pair has been flawless since I purchased them shortly after their release. I also own Focal studio monitors and home audio speakers and those have been flawless as well.

I truly believe this is a case of a few bad situations get talked about over and over, giving the impression that the problem is larger than it probably is in reality.

Agreed. Then the same discussion is had time and again here. It's tiring.

 

[tomwoo]

Without knowing how many pairs have been manufactured/sold, we have no way of really knowing if the failures talked about in this forum qualify as a few or a lot. It's really that simple.

Here's my take. Focal has a five year warranty. If you have a problem, work with your dealer and it will get resolved. Are you going to be mad? Maybe. Will it be a pain in the butt? Probably. But...the Focal Utopias are amazing headphones and my pair has been flawless since I purchased them shortly after their release. I also own Focal studio monitors and home audio speakers and those have been flawless as well.

I truly believe this is a case of a few bad situations get talked about over and over, giving the impression that the problem is larger than it probably is in reality.

I really hope this is the case. Otherwise they should have a recall to fix the potential issues.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Agreed. Then the same discussion is had time and again here. It's tiring.

I fully agree. Yet, it is inevitable since potential buyers come here to seek information. Or new driver failure guys share their experience. So I see it as the nature of the forum.

I am also seeking advice myself. After two driver failures, I am very cautious. I will soon move to a place where my focal trader is one continent away. Take the new replacement with me or not? I really don't know.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Since when is calling someone unlucky impolite? If one person has the Utopias with no issue and the other has them but encounters failures, he or she was unlucky. I would not consider it a slight, just a circumstance.

I subscribed to this thread to learn more about the Utopias. But the failure rate I am hearing has me a bit concerned. And if someone will make an “unlucky” purchase, trust me, it will be me!

It might be a connotation issue since I am not a native speaker. Saying "you are a person with bad luck" is not polite in my perception. Saying you are "unlucky with your headphone purchase" is totally fine. May be a cultural thing. In any way, just wanted to respond. May be I expressed myself incorrectly here.

 

[iamoneagain]

Great to hear that. I'm into alternative too. I agree it's not worthwhile to pay more for the new version just for the sake of case and cables. But it's nice to have shorter/lighter cables as the old ones are really long and heavy? (again, based on what I read here, I never had the chance to see them in person).

Well I went a little crazy and bought the expensive Danacable. It’s even heavier and thicker. I got in same 10 foot length since I sit at a distance from my setup. For some reason this cable doesn’t seem to pull as much. That’s the biggest issue original stock one. You have to sort of drape it over your leg to keep the weight of it pulling.

Not sure if I can say the Danacable is worth it or not for the price. It does make a noticeable difference making them even more transparent and little more dynamic. It also gives sort of tube like mids that are richer than the stock version. But the stock one is still amazing.

 

[LCMusicLover]

It might be a connotation issue since I am not a native speaker. Saying "you are a person with bad luck" is not polite in my perception. Saying you are "unlucky with your headphone purchase" is totally fine. May be a cultural thing. In any way, just wanted to respond. May be I expressed myself incorrectly here.

This.

The difference between someone having unfortunate thing happen to them, apparently randomly, and someone being 'unlucky' as in a personal attribute is a distinction which most Americans won't recognize. I believe that in many societies there is the belief that bad luck can attach to people. Perhaps it's a bit religious, related to karma? And I suppose that some might also think that being 'unlucky' could be contagious.

 

[fiiom11pro]

I cannot agree with this lifeless statement.

I’ll admit that I started with the HD800S and sold it when I bought my Utopia, however after buying a number of other high end headphones I bought the HD800S again due to how good it is. For the money, it’s absolutely incredible value.

It’s not as far off the Utopia as you make out when setup on the right equipment. Some aspects it won’t win the battle, but in others it absolutely holds its own and bests the Utopia. Soundstage is just one, but it also sounds more angelic and airy, especially on my V281 or WA2.

The HD800 series are just different and they are really good for it's price.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Well I went a little crazy and bought the expensive Danacable. It’s even heavier and thicker. I got in same 10 foot length since I sit at a distance from my setup. For some reason this cable doesn’t seem to pull as much. That’s the biggest issue original stock one. You have to sort of drape it over your leg to keep the weight of it pulling.

Not sure if I can say the Danacable is worth it or not for the price. It does make a noticeable difference making them even more transparent and little more dynamic. It also gives sort of tube like mids that are richer than the stock version. But the stock one is still amazing.

This is a clear example of 'your ears/my ears'. I had the Lazuli Ref for my Utopia and ended up selling it. Definitely warmer and richer, but I thought it stole too much detail, and muddied the bass. I've gone to a silver Lavricables Grand now.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

This is a clear example of 'your ears/my ears'. I had the Lazuli Ref for my Utopia and ended up selling it. Definitely warmer and richer, but I thought it stole too much detail, and muddied the bass. I've gone to a silver Lavricables Grand now.

Same here, I had a Danacable Ultra and went for a Norne cable instead. It felt like going from a garden hose to a piece of jewelry in terms of ergonomics. Sound-wise, the Dana was great.