Depends on how you define "wow". I've heard several planars (Susvara, HE1000SE, Meze Elite) that were initially more subjectively impressive in certain details. And even my old HD800s really blow new listeners away with their soundstage and perceived detail retrieval.
Thats true, depends on persons preferences combined with music style. Old HD800 truly impresses with details and soundstage, however if i go play some Children of Bodom with it experience can become thin and somewhat unengaging sound.
Correct, for me if headphone doesn't have sufficient level of "punch" rest of the qualities can't really redeem it. Utopia seems to combine clarity/details/punch rather well.
You could make a case for 1266 TC, Susvara, LCD-4, LCD-5, CRBN, SR-X9000, Solitaire P, and a handful of other contenders. But while each may out-"wow" Utopia in one way or another, as @Musicophilesblog eloquently & succinctly put it, Utopia is about getting it just right.
They sound fantastic on my ASR-approved Topping A90/D90 stack. However, I added a Xduoo MT-604, using the A90 as pre-amp. I'm sure the MT-604 tests like garbage and would be laughed off that forum, but... now the Utopias sound even better. Having tested far more expensive gear, I'm not sure if anything would actually sound like a meaningful upgrade if at all. I wish more people would try the MT-604. It's a $170 game-changer. To be clear, it doesn't do a ton to the sound -- but what it does (tube pre + Class A) makes a huge difference with the Utopia.
So without the tube amp, is the sound just too clean?
I wonder how something like the FiiO K9 Pro would perform with the Utopias? Admittedly I am a pretty big FiiO fan but I have found they make very good products and their house sound is slightly on the warmer and smoother side, so it could be a good pairing for those who want a bit more warmth from their Utopias. Due to COVID I haven't had a chance to try one out and the store that sold me my Utopias didn't have one in stock, but I am very intrigued by it. I'm also not looking to sell or buy so it it's just for curiosity's sake, but it's a third of the price of the Hugo 2 and less than a quarter of the price of of the Atom HE here. I suspect there are considerable diminishing returns.
My perception is that the tubes smooth the top end without sacrificing detail and shape the sound from a flat L/R to more of a semicircle. The class A amp may also be kinder to the ears. And this is all by small degrees. The A90 is a superb amp with the Utopias.
The Utopia is a relatively high sensitivity headphone, so one important measurement to consider is noise floor. A lot of "high end" equipment features better ergonomics, build/parts quality, warranty, etc. as opposed to dramatically better sound quality vs. budget gear. Other "high end" equipment is simply overpriced. You should also know that tube amps and preamps are all over the map in terms of their distortion profiles and subjective impact on sound. Beyond the circuit topologies, different models and vintages of the tubes themselves can make quite a noticeable sonic difference. Typically, if you just want plug and play, solid state is the easier route, and I found my Utopia sounded quite musical out of the SS gear I drove it with when I owned it. YMMV, of course.
While it is uncertain when Focal is going to release a new flagship, it is almost certain the new headphone is likely not going to have an exact same sound signature as the Utopia. Think hd600/650/660-800, LCD2-3-4-5, Stax 007-009-009s-x9000 etc. If you like what you're hearing your that should be plenty reason to get it imo. You don't often hear people clamoring for an upgraded Susvara even though they are released just a year after the Utopia.
