Focal Utopia General Discussion
Nov 30, 2021 at 6:03 PM Post #16,516 of 20,433
This must be heresy, i am using mighty Utopias with 50€ Aliexpress cable:)

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Nov 30, 2021 at 6:23 PM Post #16,517 of 20,433
How do they compare to original. It does not have to be bad because its alie express i got some great stuff from alieexpress over the years. Please tell us your experience
 
Nov 30, 2021 at 6:36 PM Post #16,518 of 20,433
How do they compare to original. It does not have to be bad because its alie express i got some great stuff from alieexpress over the years. Please tell us your experience
I only have the heavy and most cumbersome stock SE cable so can't compare balanced vs balanced, however compared to that i dont hear anything out of ordinary, even checked channel balance with decibel meter + white noise and it matches. Its quite light cable so dont know about durability yet but comfort went up "tons".
 
Nov 30, 2021 at 6:53 PM Post #16,519 of 20,433
Does anyone have a spare Utopia storage presentation box they wish to sell? I previously sourced one for my 2020 Utopia but the embossed Focal logo on the front flap was misprinted at a 5 degree angle.
 
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Nov 30, 2021 at 7:06 PM Post #16,520 of 20,433
Does anyone have a spare Utopia storage presentation box they wish to sell? I previously sourced one for my 2020 Utopia but the embossed Focal logo on the front flap was misprinted at a 5 degree angle.

Keep it for a few years, and then sell it at a profit as a "rare collectors item factory misprint edition box".
 
Nov 30, 2021 at 7:07 PM Post #16,521 of 20,433
Nov 30, 2021 at 8:01 PM Post #16,522 of 20,433
Keep it for a few years, and then sell it at a profit as a "rare collectors item factory misprint edition box".
I think the employee was more of the, "zero f**ks given" mindset, or as they say, rien à foutre.
 
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Nov 30, 2021 at 9:57 PM Post #16,523 of 20,433
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The Utopia pairs really well with the Ferrum OOR Hypsos stack. It has zero harshness on the treble, for those who seems to felt the treble to be to hot or harsh on the Utopia, the Ferrum stack is really a good combo. The Ferrum OOR Hypsos has really good clarity and detail while keeping in mind to aim for a fatigue free listening experience. It does not change the tonality of Utopia, it keeps a very neutral presentation, while both the top end and low end is very well controlled. Don’t get me wrong, the Ferrum OOR is not dark at all, the highs are very detail much better than an A90, but the amount and level is very well controlled at a fatigure free level.

In previous posts where I was playing with Eq for the Utopia, after an extensive listening over almost a month, I decided to remove the bass eq and not use any eq at all. The Utopia strength lies in a the perfect balance tonaility that is good for a long listening experience. Focal really used their high end 2 channel tuning experience in the Utopia. Balanced and neutral tuning that you can listen to it for decades to come just like their 2 channel systems.
 
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Dec 1, 2021 at 12:44 AM Post #16,524 of 20,433
Dec 1, 2021 at 3:25 AM Post #16,525 of 20,433
Dec 1, 2021 at 5:15 AM Post #16,526 of 20,433
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I spent a bit of money to get original Utopia replacement pads. Managed to compare original pads, one pair with the rubberized padding layer, and another pair with the padding layer removed (with some goo gone and rubbing alcohol).

So sorry guys, but I am hearing a slight difference in sound between the two sets. Mostly in the low end and midbass/lower mids region. I guess the padding does play a role. The differences are small and subtle but they're there.

With the padding layer, there is a bit more punch and added amount of bass and some bloom, mids sound a bit fuller. Vocals seem more centered and slightly louder too.

Without the padding, I felt the bass was just slightly leaner but tighter. Mids a tad less loud, and the vocals seem just a little less focused.

For the ear pads themselves; the new pads are a bit firmer and harder to compress. I guess this may play a part too, given that the position/distance of the drivers from the ears may be different.
 
Dec 1, 2021 at 9:19 AM Post #16,527 of 20,433
I think it's LCD-5
Not really, just too little time to really enjoy them and give them the attention that they duly deserve! They are now sold and will be off to their new owner shortly
 
Dec 1, 2021 at 9:39 AM Post #16,528 of 20,433
So no headphones for you? :p
 
Dec 1, 2021 at 10:21 AM Post #16,529 of 20,433
20211201_180621.jpg

I spent a bit of money to get original Utopia replacement pads. Managed to compare original pads, one pair with the rubberized padding layer, and another pair with the padding layer removed (with some goo gone and rubbing alcohol).

So sorry guys, but I am hearing a slight difference in sound between the two sets. Mostly in the low end and midbass/lower mids region. I guess the padding does play a role. The differences are small and subtle but they're there.

With the padding layer, there is a bit more punch and added amount of bass and some bloom, mids sound a bit fuller. Vocals seem more centered and slightly louder too.

Without the padding, I felt the bass was just slightly leaner but tighter. Mids a tad less loud, and the vocals seem just a little less focused.

For the ear pads themselves; the new pads are a bit firmer and harder to compress. I guess this may play a part too, given that the position/distance of the drivers from the ears may be different.
That confirms my findings as well.
 

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