[dfiled]

What do you mean it “opened up”?

 

[Exekuhtor]

It got more soundstage. It's normally an intimate headphone. An OTL tube amp generally does expand the soundstage.

 

[chesebert]

It got more soundstage. It's normally an intimate headphone. An OTL tube amp generally does expand the soundstage.

A good dac expands the soundstage. OTL amp makes you think you are hearing an expanded soundstage but in reality you are hearing a combination of distortions (pleasant distortion).

 

[Exekuhtor]

Hmmm, and what is the difference in the end if the result is the same but the path is different? It's still sounding bigger, just saying...

Also: Can i get your opinion on cables? Pure copper / silver plated copper / pure silver / over-the-top-why-even-bother gold / platinum / palladium?
Do they consistently shape the sound in a certain way or does it depend on the headphone / chain? The one time i really did hear a difference was with the Utopia, i found that the midrange was extremely forward and aggressive, a custom cable (not even that expensive, 200€), brought the midrange half a step back out of my head which was enough for me to enjoy the Utopia way more.
People do buy some of the very expensive cables (superconductor / IEM cables) for 1k+...

I do respect your opinion since i know that you have listened to a bunch of stuff, but if you're a jerk i will call you out, simple as that. Cheers.

 

[r343]

It got more soundstage. It's normally an intimate headphone. An OTL tube amp generally does expand the soundstage.

I can agree, with Cayin Ha-A1 Mk2 Utopia had more soundstage and tube sweetening effect pushes listening volumes higher which stacks to effect.
However in long run i think bass went too boosted which made me back down to hybrid tube Liquid Platinum which has more subtle effect.

 

[BowWazoo]

...

 

[up late]

snarky remark deleted

 

[SAMCL]

Any cable for utopia? The original focus on mid but not enough on the high.

 

[Tano]

Any cable for utopia? The original focus on mid but not enough on the high.

This isn't a cable problem, it's the tuning of the headphones. If you want more highs just EQ and you will achieve what you want, saving a bunch of money in the process.

 

[Exekuhtor]

Forza HPC cable fixed the EXTREMELY forward mids for me and made the headphone really enjoyable, i would have sold it otherwise.
The only headphone up to now that i heard a massive difference to the stock cable.
Just grab a good quality one, doesn't have to be very expensive.

 

[Tano]

Forza HPC cable fixed the EXTREMELY forward mids for me and made the headphone really enjoyable, i would have sold it otherwise.
The only headphone up to now that i heard a massive difference to the stock cable.
Just grab a good quality one, doesn't have to be very expensive.

Pretty sure it's your brain the one who fixed that. The utopia has forward mids.
I've owned plenty of Forza cables and they are just transparent, they don't add or take nothing out, as it should be.

 

[Exekuhtor]

Nope. The sound changed. It was reproducable and clear. You may not like it, but it's the truth.
Of course the basic standard bad cable could have been the culprit in making the sound way worse.

 

[Tano]

Nope. The sound changed. It was reproducable and clear. You may not like it, but it's the truth.
Of course the basic standard bad cable could have been the culprit in making the sound way worse.

Well, I win nothing arguing you, but the truth is that if you take a Forza cable and compare It with the Focal stock one making measurements, the mids would be the same in both.

Theres something called psychoacoustics and bias, which is whats happening in your brain.
But at the end of the day, if you think that the cable toned down the mids, that's what really matters.

 

[Exekuhtor]

There were a lot of different cable versions in the OG Utopia batches. Mine had a very long (i think 3m) one. Of course i didn't test another stock cable. Yours can be ok, that doesn't mean mine is "perfectly fine".

Edit: I also have to add i switched from unbalanced to balanced on a balanced amplifier (that can also do unbalanced but is designed for balanced), so that's also another possibility.

 

[up late]

i can think of one cable revision for the og utopia