[DJW50]

These are the cables that come with this years Utopia's and they are rather good.

 

[ubs28]

These are the cables that come with this years Utopia's and they are rather good.

How much are they?

And are they like the cables of the Focal Clear?Else they might not last long.

I had to got my Focal Clear cable replaced.

 

[iMemphis]

M


How much are these cables if you want to buy them?

Hah, I am curious too. I plan on upgrading to something else in the future, and would most likely sell the stock cable.

 

[Powermankw]

Hah, I am curious too. I plan on upgrading to something else in the future, and would most likely sell the stock cable.

I want to say they are $350. People sell then here, like I did, for around 2-250.

 

[archagon]

Hi! Could someone with Utopias try this tone generator? https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

On my pair, 6100Hz-6800Hz sounds significantly tilted towards the left channel, as does 8000-8200Hz, while 7400-7800Hz sounds tilted towards the right channel. I don't think it's (just?) my ears, since my other headphones exhibit a different sort of imbalance in the high frequencies. (The 6000Hz range is fine, for instance.) Is this normal, or is something wrong with my pair?

(Admittedly, it still could just be my ears, since my other pair is closed back and has a very different signature, so it's hard to compare the two directly...)

 

[iDesign]

Hi! Could someone with Utopias try this tone generator? https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

On my pair, 6100Hz-6800Hz sounds significantly tilted towards the left channel, as does 8000-8200Hz, while 7400-7800Hz sounds tilted towards the right channel. I don't think it's (just?) my ears, since my other headphones exhibit a different sort of imbalance in the high frequencies. (The 6000Hz range is fine, for instance.) Is this normal, or is something wrong with my pair?

(Admittedly, it still could just be my ears, since my other pair is closed back and has a very different signature, so it's hard to compare the two directly...)

Troubleshoot the issue by using a different pair of headphones or another source. With respect to hearing, you may find apps like the Mimi Hearing Test to be useful but we don’t talk enough about audiologists on Head-Fi— and if you haven’t seen one in the past few years it’s worth a visit.

 

[thecrow]

Hi! Could someone with Utopias try this tone generator? https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/

On my pair, 6100Hz-6800Hz sounds significantly tilted towards the left channel, as does 8000-8200Hz, while 7400-7800Hz sounds tilted towards the right channel. I don't think it's (just?) my ears, since my other headphones exhibit a different sort of imbalance in the high frequencies. (The 6000Hz range is fine, for instance.) Is this normal, or is something wrong with my pair?

(Admittedly, it still could just be my ears, since my other pair is closed back and has a very different signature, so it's hard to compare the two directly...)

Try changing the connectors - ie left and right and see if the perceived imbalance follows the cable connections

 

[KelFab]

Try changing the connectors - ie left and right and see if the perceived imbalance follows the cable connections

@archagon, it may be worth trying to flip the headphones to the opposite side (left earcup on right ear and right earcup on left ear) and listen if the result is the same than the one previously heard but on the opposite ear.

If so then it may be a faulty unit, otherwise faulty ears

You can find on Focal website some files of specific frequencies, it may help : Here

 

[DJW50]

How much are they?

And are they like the cables of the Focal Clear?Else they might not last long.

I had to got my Focal Clear cable replaced.

I've used them a few times and straight out of the box they sound good. But I have no idea of the cost. There is an e-bay seller in France who seems to get a lot of Focal stuff. But you could probably get a decent aftermarket cable for about the same price I guess.

 

[srkbear]

The Utopia does now come with a 4-pin XLR cable, but not the Lazuli Reference FC 3m dual 3-pin XLR which is the "$1399.00" you were referring too, and if yours did, you're one lucky owner.

No, I purchased the 2020 model which came with the long, somewhat stiff and rather unwieldy XLR cable, along with a 3.5mm single-ended cable I’ve never touched. My amp (the iFi Pro iCAN Signature) comes with dynamic impedance matching tech built in to both the 4.4mm balanced jack and the 3.5mm single-ended, unlike the balanced XLR output, and it is a major game changer for this headphone. It’s available as a separate adapter, which I’ll explain.

While I was waiting for the 4.4 cable I ordered to arrive, I used the XLR cable, and it gave me an inaccurate impression of what the Utopia can do. The amp outputs 14W at 16 ohms, which is obviously more than enough power—but with the cans at 80 ohms the resistance was obviously mismatched. The amp has three gain settings, and to achieve the appropriate volume range I had to set it on zero gain—and to my astonishment, at not unreasonably loud volumes the amp was often clipping—especially when I added any bass enhancement. I heard alarming pops as the headphone driver was bottoming out.

Then the 4.4mm balanced cable arrived, and when I first plugged it in I was puzzled because the volume was considerably quieter on zero gain—unbeknownst to me the impedance matching had kicked in. Then I kicked the amp up to +18db, and the headphones sprung to life—literally. The noise floor was non-existent, the harshness in the high end completely smoothed out, the bass slam and punch was kick-ass, and the amp wouldn’t clip no matter how much volume or bass I threw at it.

Impedance matching is a major factor in amplifier-headphone performance that I had previously unappreciated. IFi makes a 4.4mm ieMatch adapter that goes in line between the headphones and the amplifier jack, and it has adjustable attenuation settings that can be set by ear, or based on iFi’s headphone calculator on their website. It costs a measly $59, and for anyone who has cans with an impedance less than 120 or so, the difference it makes are well-beyond subtle—there is nothing gimmicky or snake oilish about it. For the Utopias I enthusiastically encourage folks to check it out!

https://bloomaudio.com/products/ifi-iematch-4-4mm

 

[archagon]

@archagon, it may be worth trying to flip the headphones to the opposite side (left earcup on right ear and right earcup on left ear) and listen if the result is the same than the one previously heard but on the opposite ear.

If so then it may be a faulty unit, otherwise faulty ears

You can find on Focal website some files of specific frequencies, it may help : Here

Heh, flipping the headphones reveals a completely different set of imbalanced frequencies (though one still seems to line up). I think it's not really possible to make a comparison by flipping, since the cup volume changes so dramatically. (Though it does suggest that it's more likely an ear problem than a headphone problem.)

 

[Orangutan]

Honestly speaking, they revived my faith in high end headphones. After being lukewarm on other high end stuff, Utopias blew me away. I cannot nearly afford them, but if I had enough money, I would spend it all on Utopias. Comfort was great, weight is distributed evenly, the ear pads take care of you and there is enough space for the glasses to fit comfortably . They look awesome, they feel awesome and the sound... Oh, I can't do it justice. You notice all the detail in the instruments and the vocals and at the same time when the low end kicks in, its very satisfying. In my opinion, if there is one product that deserves the 'Legendary' title. It is Focal Utopia.

Utopias with Naim streamer - sounded great but not sure how much of the overall experience was driven by the amp/dac pairing.

 

[iamoneagain]

Utopias with Naim streamer - sounded great but not sure how much of the overall experience was driven by the amp/dac pairing.

Make sure you burn in the Naim for at least 50 hours to open up the sound. For me, this paring really gets the weight and balance right. There is warmth, power, punch, texture, great mid and highs with no fatigue. With other setups I’ve tried, the low end if not filled out quite as nicely. But yes, if lot of has to do with the Utopia’s themselves. Speed, details and transparency are always there. Transparency does change setup to setup but still always great.

 

[Nomax]

The near time future will be very interesting for all Utopia Fans

NOMAX

PS.lol

 

[up late]

*sigh*