[up late]

they're not pretty but i didn't find them problematic when i auditioned the susvara. ymmv.

 

[kingkikapu]

I cut my OG cable in half and re-terminated as a stop gap measure until I could braid a better cable. That thing was like a vacuum cleaner cord!

 

[AcousticMatt]

I've recently become a Utopia owner. It's become a favorite, fast! And I own some great headphones. Many thanks to @rollinbr for loaning me his!

Wanted to recommend the Woo WA-23 as an amp for the Utopia for those looking. The Utopia scales unbelievably well with it (excellent punchy yet clean bass, incredible imaging that just helps expand on the Utopia's capability there, and a clean + clear yet beautiful tube sound). It improves upon all of the Utopia's capabilities while also opening the soundstage enough to where things sound just a little more open.

 

[AussieMick]

Hi All
I‘m looking to buy a Heimdall 2 for my Utopia. If you’re looking to move yours on please PM me. I’m ready to go. With the stock cable the headphone is certainly deeply impressive, but adding the Cardas Clear took it to captivating. I’m after the Heimdall 2 as I love that cable with my Stellia.
Cheers
Mick

 

[iDesign]

Hi All
I‘m looking to buy a Heimdall 2 for my Utopia. If you’re looking to move yours on please PM me. I’m ready to go. With the stock cable the headphone is certainly deeply impressive, but adding the Cardas Clear took it to captivating. I’m after the Heimdall 2 as I love that cable with my Stellia.
Cheers
Mick

For what it’s worth, Focal recommends cables from Audio Sensibility. Danacable and Crystal Cable are also fine options. Personally, I use the now discontinued OEM Focal Utopia 6.35mm (9ft) cable since the length and quality are perfectly fine. The only criticism I have about Crystal Cable’s Double Duet is the slight memory and mechanical noise it has.

 

[AussieMick]

For what it’s worth, Focal recommends cables from Audio Sensibility. Danacable and Crystal Cable are also fine options. Personally, I use the now discontinued OEM Focal Utopia 6.35mm (9ft) cable since the length and quality are perfectly fine. The only criticism I have about Crystal Cable’s Double Duet is the slight memory and mechanical noise it has.

Can I ask where you heard Focal make that recommendation? The Crystal Cable options are a bit more than I’d like to spend, and Danacable I know is well received, but in Australia I’m no chance of hearing it and I’d rather not buy blind. I’m not a fan of the stock Utopia cable because although it has nice balance, I’d really like a lot more surface texture and more vivid colour. I know the Heimdall 2 can give me that with my Stellia, and I know the Cardas gets really close, hence looking for those. Interested in hearing the Silver Dragon, too.

 

[iDesign]

Can I ask where you heard Focal make that recommendation? The Crystal Cable options are a bit more than I’d like to spend, and Danacable I know is well received, but in Australia I’m no chance of hearing it and I’d rather not buy blind. I’m not a fan of the stock Utopia cable because although it has nice balance, I’d really like a lot more surface texture and more vivid colour. I know the Heimdall 2 can give me that with my Stellia, and I know the Cardas gets really close, hence looking for those. Interested in hearing the Silver Dragon, too.

In my discussions directly with them— I have no experience whatsoever with Audio Sensibility. I’m afraid I can’t help with buying blind or preferences for color and texture.

 

[AussieMick]

In my discussions directly with them— I have no experience whatsoever with Audio Sensibility. I’m afraid I can’t help with buying blind or preferences for color and texture.

Thanks for that. I wonder if they‘ll ever say it publicly? Probably not, I suppose, which is fair. I don’t need help, I already know exactly what I’m after.
Cheers
Mick

 

[TheR0v3r]

Hi All
I‘m looking to buy a Heimdall 2 for my Utopia. If you’re looking to move yours on please PM me. I’m ready to go. With the stock cable the headphone is certainly deeply impressive, but adding the Cardas Clear took it to captivating. I’m after the Heimdall 2 as I love that cable with my Stellia.
Cheers
Mick

No cable to offer but only encouragement. To me the Heimdall 2 fits the Utopia perfectly

I’ve read about people using one cable with adapters for different headphones, for example 3.5mm to Lemo. Maybe that’s an option?

 

[gnomen]

FWIW I listened to both the Heimdall 2 and the Danacable Lazuli in the early days of owning the Utopia. Both were better than the stock cable -- I was amazed, since I am a sceptic about these things. For me, the Lazuli was clearly better and was the one I purchased. Later they released the Lazuli Reference but I could not bring myself to spend as much on the cable as on the headphones!

 

[AussieMick]

FWIW I listened to both the Heimdall 2 and the Danacable Lazuli in the early days of owning the Utopia. Both were better than the stock cable -- I was amazed, since I am a sceptic about these things. For me, the Lazuli was clearly better and was the one I purchased. Later they released the Lazuli Reference but I could not bring myself to spend as much on the cable as on the headphones!

Do you think by saying the Danacable being better than the Heimdall means it’s more to your preference? Or are there particular performance parameters that you found superior? But then that can mean preference, too I suppose.
I find the Cardas Clear betters the stock cable on quietness and hence low level detail, surface textures, body and tonal mass of instruments and voices, subtle dynamic nuance, and weight in the low end. However, I could do without the way it pushes the mids forward, placing singers too close for my taste. I prefer singers to be on stage with the band, not in my lap.
It’s one if the reasons I like the Heimdall 2 - it doesn’t bring any instruments or frequencies to the front. But, I can easily see how the singer being more intimately front and centre could be preferred by others. So they’d see the Cardas as better.

 

[iDesign]

Do you think by saying the Danacable being better than the Heimdall means it’s more to your preference? Or are there particular performance parameters that you found superior? But then that can mean preference, too I suppose.
I find the Cardas Clear betters the stock cable on quietness and hence low level detail, surface textures, body and tonal mass of instruments and voices, subtle dynamic nuance, and weight in the low end. However, I could do without the way it pushes the mids forward, placing singers too close for my taste. I prefer singers to be on stage with the band, not in my lap.
It’s one if the reasons I like the Heimdall 2 - it doesn’t bring any instruments or frequencies to the front. But, I can easily see how the singer being more intimately front and centre could be preferred by others. So they’d see the Cardas as better.

A lot of unsubstantiated claims but a comparison:
https://audiobacon.net/2017/03/22/danacable-lazuli-reference-headphone-cable-for-the-focal-utopia/

 

[gnomen]

Do you think by saying the Danacable being better than the Heimdall means it’s more to your preference? Or are there particular performance parameters that you found superior? But then that can mean preference, too I suppose.
I find the Cardas Clear betters the stock cable on quietness and hence low level detail, surface textures, body and tonal mass of instruments and voices, subtle dynamic nuance, and weight in the low end. However, I could do without the way it pushes the mids forward, placing singers too close for my taste. I prefer singers to be on stage with the band, not in my lap.
It’s one if the reasons I like the Heimdall 2 - it doesn’t bring any instruments or frequencies to the front. But, I can easily see how the singer being more intimately front and centre could be preferred by others. So they’d see the Cardas as better.

Difficult to say. I was particularly listening for a wider sound stage because I thought the Utopias were a bit 'narrow'. Lazuli delivered that, and perhaps a bit more richness than the Heimdall 2. But that is from memory, I don't have both here now, and Heimdall 2 was certainly very good. I mentioned it in case a wider audition was possible.

 

[AussieMick]

A lot of unsubstantiated claims but a comparison:
https://audiobacon.net/2017/03/22/danacable-lazuli-reference-headphone-cable-for-the-focal-utopia/

Thanks for this, it sums up the differences between Nordost, Kimber and Prion the same way I’d describe them, but clearly the writer is after a different experience than I am! Heimdall 2 all the way. If I can’t find one I’ll end up with a Silver Dragon Premium V3 I suspect. I’m a silver fanboy in my speaker system…

 

[silversurfer616]

Had the Lazuli Reference with Utopia and sold the cable after a few weeks. I found it too incisive in a negative way. It ruined the balance in the music as it went too deep carving out certain sound information or frequencies more than others…felt like applying a bad EQ.
Must be just me as I had the same impression with my first pair of Utopia and Lazuli cable years earlier but I thought it should give it a second chance.
Have now Silver Dragon and it’s inoffensive.