[murphythecat]

and I think the argument that the susvara is a far better HP than the utopia is pretty widely accepted...that said I owned and liked the utopia but IMHO there is no comparison between the 2 UNLESS you are constrained by the lack of an amp that can properly drive the susvara

I hope that the Susvara is better vs Utopia. in the used market, Susvara cost around 5k CAD, Utopia are around 3k CAD. Personally, I cannot spend 5k on cans, the Utopia are my fav 3K cans out there.

 

[up late]

i continue to enjoy my utopia despite having owned it only once

 

[up late]

I apologize for bringing up my opinion that perhaps not everybody has the same standards for what is 'best' than you do.

it's all sooo subjective, right?

 

[jlbrach]

I apologize for bringing up my opinion that perhaps not everybody has the same standards for what is 'best' than you do.

I said no such thing, I said if you haven't heard both HP's you are in no position to pass judgment

 

[Arnold Schwartz]

Day one with the Utopia - WOW

I'm usually late to the party when it comes to splurging on toys; part of me worries about getting sucked into the hype but 4 years later people are still talking about Utopias so I figured might as well take the plunge.

Being a huge fan of the HD800 (best bargain in hifi) what I'm hearing is more detail, better imaging, clarity, punch, bass and a cohesive albeit smaller soundstage that's super deep (I get it now). The bass is excellent, tight, goes low, punchy, pretty happy with the bass and have my LCD3 when I'm in the mood for more - otherwise bass is probably pretty close to perfect for tonal balance. Also the treble is just as sparkly as the HD800 without any sibilance, as a result I think the tone is better.

Having said all that, these are luxury products and if you can't own the Utopia, TT2, or some other TOTL gear for that matter, you can enjoy music all the same so be careful scratching the itch it's expensive. Please don't put these on your credit card.

 

[bpcans]

Day one with the Utopia - WOW

I'm usually late to the party when it comes to splurging on toys; part of me worries about getting sucked into the hype but 4 years later people are still talking about Utopias so I figured might as well take the plunge.

Being a huge fan of the HD800 (best bargain in hifi) what I'm hearing is more detail, better imaging, clarity, punch, bass and a cohesive albeit smaller soundstage that's super deep (I get it now). The bass is excellent, tight, goes low, punchy, pretty happy with the bass and have my LCD3 when I'm in the mood for more - otherwise bass is probably pretty close to perfect for tonal balance. Also the treble is just as sparkly as the HD800 without any sibilance, as a result I think the tone is better.

Having said all that, these are luxury products and if you can't own the Utopia, TT2, or some other TOTL gear for that matter, you can enjoy music all the same so be careful scratching the itch it's expensive. Please don't put these on your credit card.

Arnold Schwartz, congratulations on getting the finest dynamic driver headphones on the market today. I hope you enjoy many years of music listening bliss with your Utopia’s.

 

[Arnold Schwartz]

Arnold Schwartz, congratulations on getting the finest dynamic driver headphones on the market today. I hope you enjoy many years of music listening bliss with your Utopia’s.

What a welcome, thank you. Based on my shopping habits if something new came out tomorrow and managed to best these at whole new performance level it would take 5 years before I ever find out. So I hope to enjoy these for at least that long

 

[TDinCali]

and yet here you are putting forth your opinion as fact lol.....

The Utopia's being an easy to drive HP and therefore are able to be powered by any amp. That is a fact. Unlike your opinion about which HP is "better". I'll order a pair of Susvara tomorrow and see how truly "best" they are next to my 1266, Utopia and HE1000SE.

 

[tajpapa]

What a welcome, thank you. Based on my shopping habits if something new came out tomorrow and managed to best these at whole new performance level it would take 5 years before I ever find out. So I hope to enjoy these for at least that long

About time after the Focal Utopia 5 years warranty to finish to find another TOTL

 

[Slim1970]

The Utopia's being an easy to drive HP and therefore are able to be powered by any amp. That is a fact. Unlike your opinion about which HP is "better". I'll order a pair of Susvara tomorrow and see how truly "best" they are next to my 1266, Utopia and HE1000SE.

I have all of the headphones you just mentioned. Truth be told there is something to like about all of them. They all bring TOTL performance to the table and I’d be hard pressed to pick a “best” one. I just appreciate them all for what they are.

 

[LarsMan]

I said no such thing, I said if you haven't heard both HP's you are in no position to pass judgment

That's why I said originally, "I haven't heard Susvara yet so I've got no opinion as to their relative merits...."....

 

[Frozen Rat]

i continue to enjoy my utopia despite having owned it only once

Me too. I got a stinking good deal ($2,000 US) and they came with a nicer than the stock cable. I'm listening to Vieux Farka Touré on them right now. Had them over a year now and never, ever feel like I want to even look at anything else. I have the Stellia too for outside the house, which, when I'm listening to those I think they are superb, and then I put on the Utopias and am reminded just how damned good the Utopia is. Big upside is I can drive both on anything, even no amp at all.

 

[BPED]

FYI, I just posted a comparison of Utopia vs Abyss TC playing classical piano music on the TC thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-jps-labs-abyss-ab-1266-impressions-thread.666765/post-16376619

 

[JLoud]

FYI, I just posted a comparison of Utopia vs Abyss TC playing classical piano music on the TC thread:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-jps-labs-abyss-ab-1266-impressions-thread.666765/post-16376619

And started a small riot over there. Just kidding, nice review/comparison.

 

[BPED]

And started a small riot over there. Just kidding, nice review/comparison.

Thanks, somehow it always ends up like that on HF