[llamaluv]

R......e
NOMAX

PS.lol

Also, "Really expensive" fits.

 

[iamoneagain]

Resonate
Response
Radiance

These are my guesses. There’s a website where you can put in first and last letters and then search in different word lengths. I assume it’s an 8 letter word.

 

[Focux]

Resonate
Response
Radiance

These are my guesses. There’s a website where you can put in first and last letters and then search in different word lengths. I assume it’s an 8 letter word.

"Reference"

 

[arnaud]

My best offer: RooboodeebooE Utopia

 

[Tobes]

I prefer the Moon Audio Black Dragon with the Utopia by a good margin. I agree the stock cable sounds pretty good. The newer one is way too microphonic for my liking. I'm now using the Nordost Heimdall 2 with my pair and love the combination.

@MacedonianHero I also have the HPA4 with the Utopia.
I've mostly been using my speakers for listening recently, but I'm now revisiting the HP setup and wondering what I might gain from a cable upgrade.
I used to own the Heimdall 2 years ago and liked it, my memory is of a precise and spacious sound with a nice delicacy - I recall it made the stock cable sound congested by comparison - but perhaps lacking some 'beef' and drama. I sold the Heimdall as the length was too short for my current situation (maybe I should have got the extension cable).
I reverted back to using the stock 4m Focal cable and can't use anything shorter - ie any new cable would be at least 4m.
The stock cable actually sounds much better than I remember - nicely balanced and nothing offensive.

How do you rate the Moon cables? They one of the more affordable options for longer lengths. I presume above you mean you prefer the Black Dragon to the Silver - not an overall cable preference for the Black Dragon?
You used to be a big proponent of the Danacable Lazuli Reference, but am I reading correctly that you now prefer the Heimdall 2?
The impressions I've read of the Lazuli make it sound very appealing - but bloody expensive in a 4m length.

 

[elisiX]

I prefer the Moon Audio Black Dragon with the Utopia by a good margin. I agree the stock cable sounds pretty good. The newer one is way too microphonic for my liking. I'm now using the Nordost Heimdall 2 with my pair and love the combination.

Black Dragon is exceptional with the Utopia. A friend bought one and I borrowed it for a week and it was so much better than the stock cable.

I won't say the stock cable is bad, but it exhibited some brighter sounds which made the Utopia a little track picky for me. Black Dragon works on any music.

Using my stock Stellia cable as a reference, the 'updated' stock Utopia cable will have terrible micro-phonics.

I'm keen to buy a cable which has the same affect as the Black Dragon but not so stiff and ideally braided. The Black Dragon looks like a power cord..

 

[elisiX]

Here's a little write-up I did for some friends on another forum after my mate lent me his new Black Dragon.

I also have the Hart XLR for comparison. I'm not expert by any means, but here's what I found trying the various cables.

RME into V281 - Utopia

Tracks:

Moon - OTR

The Dreamer - Anna Of The North

Liberty - Anette Askvik

SF to Berlin - Spencer Brown, Ben Bohmer

Chris Jones - Long After You Are Gone

Black Dragon XLR v Hart Audio XLR

• HA has bloom which softens the treble and overall sound
• HA is warmer sounding than the BD by a noticeable margin
• BD is precise and clear but manages to tame treble a little
• BD hits hard but there's less reverb with the bass rolling off
• HA holds onto the deeper bass for longer for acoustic music

Summary: BD is clearly the better quality cable, but it's also the more analytical of the two. The Lemo connectors, materials and weight scream quality. It's the cleaner and clearer sounding cable for the Utopia, however on acoustic music, that warmth and smoothness from the HA is appreciated. BD is a winner, but the HA shouldn't be disposed of too quickly, as it works better for music that requires some warmth, such as acoustic tracks. Funnily enough, the BD is the warmer of the Moon Audio cables compared with the Silver Dragon.

Black Dragon SE v OEM SE

• OEM cable sounds immediately harsh compared to BD on EDM
• Details come across sharper on the OEM cable but not in a good way
• The above made me want to drop treble 1-2db on the OEM cable
• S's and T's more apparent on OEM cable
• Perhaps slightly clearer details on OEM cable but very slight if at all
• BD has a fuller sound than OEM
• BD SE overall quite similar to XLR

Summary: This is a much easier battle to decide as the OEM cable sounds more or less crap against the Black Dragon. The differences between these two were more obvious that the Hart/Black Dragon. Ultimately the OEM cable sounds more treble harsh compared to the other two cables. It might slightly come out ahead on clarity in details, but only marginally.

Overall:

Black Dragon just suits the Utopia very well. Aesthetically, musically, it's a winner. Don't underestimate the Hart Audio, even if it is of much lower quality. OEM cable is basically bright and lacking compared to the Black Dragon. The OEM cable is a higher quality than the Hart Audio, but it just doesn't sound as appealing, even if the Hart Audio is bloomy by comparison (as an XLR vs a SE as I don't have the SE Hart end). These aftermarket cables just take a bit of the harshness away from the Utopia, the Hart more-so, but the Black Dragon sits nicely in the middle in that respect and therefore gets 1st place.

1st. Black Dragon

2nd. Hart Audio

3rd. OEM

A couple of other notes on the Black Dragon cable.

1. I don't completely love the plastic sleeved look - I think i'd prefer braided fabric

2. The left Lemo connecter seemed to have issues going into my left cup - right side perfect

3. Cable is relatively stiff, though this might just be because it's new

4. Pro and con, but the cable and connectors are quite heavy and pull on your headphones

 

[Nomax]

I was trying a lot of cables....my search ends with this one

NOMAX

PS.lol

 

[Tobes]

OEM cable sounds immediately harsh compared to BD on EDM

Is this OEM cable the original black Utopia cable or the newer stiffer cable?
Asking because I wouldn't characterise the older 4m cable I have as harsh - at least not in a general sense. It sounds a bit on the warm side and the highs can even exhibit a touch of liquidity.
Sure I've heard some material sound harsh, but not all recordings are perfect and I wouldn't want to 'throw baby out with the bath water' by getting a cable that dumbed down everything too much.
Not that I'm saying the BD would do that, I wouldn't know.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Hi guys, sad story . I decided to sell my Focal Arche and a nice head-fier got in touch with me and immediately paid. I packed up the Arche and bought an insured USPS label, and dropped the package together with 8 others (small ebay stuff) in my apartment building's mail room like hundreds of times before. But the Arche was never scanned by USPS, all the 8 others were ... so either the package fell through the cracks, or someone went through the mail and took it. Seems I will need to refund the Arche plus the PP fees on top. Man.

 

[ev666il]

I reckon the fact that the label was insured doesn't mean you're getting compensated for the loss of the package?

 

[koven]

Hi guys, sad story . I decided to sell my Focal Arche and a nice head-fier got in touch with me and immediately paid. I packed up the Arche and bought an insured USPS label, and dropped the package together with 8 others (small ebay stuff) in my apartment building's mail room like hundreds of times before. But the Arche was never scanned by USPS, all the 8 others were ... so either the package fell through the cracks, or someone went through the mail and took it. Seems I will need to refund the Arche plus the PP fees on top. Man.

USPS can be spotty with scanning. Sometimes it doesn't scan until it reaches destination distro center. I would say give it a few days, there's still hope. But generally I'd never leave valuable packages in a pickup drop, it's worth the peace of mind to go to post office for a scan receipt. Or avoid USPS all together, UPS/FedEx is more reliable.

 

[Gadget67]

USPS can be spotty with scanning. Sometimes it doesn't scan until it reaches destination distro center. I would say give it a few days, there's still hope. But generally I'd never leave valuable packages in a pickup drop, it's worth the peace of mind to go to post office for a scan receipt. Or avoid USPS all together, UPS/FedEx is more reliable.

Agree 100%. Give it a couple of days; don’t forget, the post office is in a political turmoil now!

 

[elisiX]

Is this OEM cable the original black Utopia cable or the newer stiffer cable?
Asking because I wouldn't characterise the older 4m cable I have as harsh - at least not in a general sense. It sounds a bit on the warm side and the highs can even exhibit a touch of liquidity.
Sure I've heard some material sound harsh, but not all recordings are perfect and I wouldn't want to 'throw baby out with the bath water' by getting a cable that dumbed down everything too much.
Not that I'm saying the BD would do that, I wouldn't know.

I’m referring to the original long black cable.

I wouldn’t say it’s harsh in the general sense, but it is certainly harsh on some tracks, whereas the Black Dragon was never harsh.

I don’t think the BD is too warm or muted in any way either.

To me it tamed the treble at the right time, not overall.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Agree 100%. Give it a couple of days; don’t forget, the post office is in a political turmoil now!

Sure, and I keep my finger's crossed. But the fact that 8 packages with no worth are trackable, and the only one worth a lot it not ... is more than concerning. Thanks guys