[Frankie D]

The Berkeley is a better DAC, but it’s 10x the price, plus an additional device if you want USB. So it should be better. There is an added silence between notes on the Berkeley, you hear more detail, but with no harshness at all.

Oops! My bad. I thought I was asking about the Berkeley vs the DCS Bartok. In reality I asked about the Berkeley vs the Arche. My apologies.

Thanks for the comparison to the Arche. I was curious about that as well. Tks.

 

[PaulMiami]

Thank you. How do you figure 10X the price? I thought they were within a few thousand of each other? I realize no headphone amp on the Berkeley. Tks.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/ar...ference-series-3-digital-to-analog-converter/

The Berkeley is roughly 20,000 and another 2,000 or so for their USB adapter

 

[PaulMiami]

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/ar...ference-series-3-digital-to-analog-converter/

The Berkeley is roughly 20,000 and another 2,000 or so for their USB adapter

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/ar...ference-series-3-digital-to-analog-converter/

The Berkeley is roughly 20,000 and another 2,000 or so for their USB adapter

Also my bad ... I didn’t realize you were comparing the Berkeley to the DCS. I haven’t heard the DCS. Been using Berkeley products since their first DAC about 12 years ago. The Arche is in my bedroom with Utopia phones. The Berkeley is in a media room with TAD R1s and Constellation Centaur amps. Each is very good at what they do. Very, very pleased with the synergy between Arche and Utopia.

 

[genefruit]

Per my prior update the Berkeley Ref 3 lists for $22k vs list of $17,500 for the Bartok, no?

I was hoping Bartok might match it in sound quality. Tks.

As an outsider to your conversation, I took your request as a comparison with the Arche.

PaulMiami said:
It took a bit work to get the microRendu working with the Arche, but after updating the Arche firmware and setting it up as a Custom DAC on the microRend, it works perfectly, but limited to only to sample rate 192khz. Im quite positively surprised with just how good the Arch/Utopias sounds. At some point I will try the Arche just as an amp with my Berkeley Reference DAC. The Berkeley DAC surely was better than the Sony. That said, the Utopias on the Arche are extremely synergistic. Truly a match.

I would love to read your comparison to the Berkeley Reference. Tks.

 

[Gadget67]

Trust me, i've all different all different sequences (you and me have had this conversation before) and it doesn't work first time. I think maybe it came on twice first time since i've had it (August).

You may want to PM @FocalOfficial (Marine) and see what suggestions she may have. I’m out of ideas otherwise!

 

[Roasty]

Trying out EQ for the utopia.

Can someone try the following? I found this somewhere a while back but can't seem to remember where I got it from. I usually use the values from the github repository but I can't seem to find this eq there now.

I quite like this eq with the Utopia. 10 band parametric eq in Roon, with preamp adjustment to -4.2dB

 

[KennyDow]

Trying out EQ for the utopia.

Can someone try the following? I found this somewhere a while back but can't seem to remember where I got it from. I usually use the values from the github repository but I can't seem to find this eq there now.

I quite like this eq with the Utopia. 10 band parametric eq in Roon, with preamp adjustment to -4.2dB

The EQ curve looks like a close variation of the Oratory.
For me, It sounds slightly darker and lost some air for piano/violin sonata (which I feel it whenever I enable EQ in Roon). Not my cup of tea

 

[Roasty]

The EQ curve looks like a close variation of the Oratory.
For me, It sounds slightly darker and lost some air for piano/violin sonata (which I feel it whenever I enable EQ in Roon). Not my cup of tea

Yes it does look a bit like the oratory. Wonder if oratory updated it recently. I agree it does sound a bit darker with less sparkle up top. I do like what it does for most genres of music, especially for the low end. Will try and tweak it a bit, maybe turn off or adjust some filters up top. Thanks for trying it out!

*edit
I compared the EQ I posted to all the available Utopia EQs on the github repository and found I preferred the one above over all the rest. It was also quite similar to the innerfidelity one. I felt the crinacle posted eq sounded the worst.

 

[supermj]

You may want to PM @FocalOfficial (Marine) and see what suggestions she may have. I’m out of ideas otherwise!

I've contacted SCV who are the distributers for Focal here in the UK and said they were aware of the problem and are working on a firmware update, even if they are taking their time doing it.

 

[Hoegaardener70]

Trying out EQ for the utopia.

Can someone try the following? I found this somewhere a while back but can't seem to remember where I got it from. I usually use the values from the github repository but I can't seem to find this eq there now.

I quite like this eq with the Utopia. 10 band parametric eq in Roon, with preamp adjustment to -4.2dB

Thanks for sharing, Roasty. Will try it out tonight with Roon.

 

[Lappy27]

Lucky you didn't try the HE-9 (regenerative power supply version of the Master-9). It would have hurt your wallet even more. I aspire to the HE-9 (having auditioned it for an hour or two in the shop) if ever I need more than my Chord Dave as headphone amplifier for my Focal Utopias.

Regards
GG

I used to have the Master 9 for about a year with my Utopia. Good match in my opinion. Smoothness of the M9 matched with the dynamism and punch of Utopia gave a good balanced sound signature.

Then I bought a HE-9 from the same guy who sold me the M9, headfier Yippedidou. For me, in my system, to my ears, YMMV, the HE-9 was obviously superior in every conceivable ways. Blacker background (despite I really took care of the power grid in my house), more density, deeper and better bass, midrange with a beautiful bloom like I add tubes to the M9 and definitely smoother and more refined treble. It was a really significant upgrade for me. All the above improvements brought by the HE-9 in comparison to the M9 are also obvious in preamp mode feeding my 2 channels amp to my Focal Electra 1038.

 

[KennyDow]

Today tragedy happened...

I return home today after work and put on my utopia, expecting for some music bliss, but the left side speaker has no sound...
I have switched the headphone cable L/R, and the left channel remains silent. Then I switch to my old faithful HD800 and everything just singing.

It seems my new Focal Utopia left driver has broken. When I first read from the forum about the Utopia driver fails, I thought it is just an urban myth, and the chance it happens to me will be extremely low.

Let's hope the Focal warranty can stand up their brand, but my expectation is really low because this Covid-19 pandemic, the driver repair might take much longer than expected.
Well, guys....wish me luck!

 

[supermj]

I can't believe it, just put my utopias on and left channel is not working, bought just last August 2020. Not happy.

 

[KennyDow]

I can't believe it, just put my utopias on and left channel is not working, bought just last August 2020. Not happy.

I bought mine in June, it is really sad....
I switch to HD800, and they are simply not in the same league.
Just one day I already start to miss utopia's singing

 

[supermj]

Mine bought in June, it is really sad....
I switch to HD800, and they are simply not in the same league.
Just one day I already start to miss utopia's singing

Did yours fail as well ? Same problem ?