[TheAbyss2022]

A friend has kindly allowed me to borrow the new Utopia for a few days and I can certainly say this headphone is the real deal and to the point where I'm sad and happy at Focal for ruining my LCD 4 lol. The HEKSE can hang with the Utopia in terms of technical performance but the Utopia has much better vocals and punchy bass in comparison. Soundstage is slightly more narrow than the LCD 4 but it has very good depth so its a very 3 dimensional presentation which makes up for the slightly narrow width. I am running it on the Cayin HA-3A and there is some background hissing when music isn't playing but it goes away once I start listening so not really a big deal as my other headphones are both planars and don't exhibit any hissing. I may sell my LCD 4 but I think I will save up for a few more months to get the Raal SR-1A as I really enjoyed listening to it at Canjam.

 

[thefitz]

A friend has kindly allowed me to borrow the new Utopia for a few days and I can certainly say this headphone is the real deal and to the point where I'm sad and happy at Focal for ruining my LCD 4 lol. The HEKSE can hang with the Utopia in terms of technical performance but the Utopia has much better vocals and punchy bass in comparison. Soundstage is slightly more narrow than the LCD 4 but it has very good depth so its a very 3 dimensional presentation which makes up for the slightly narrow width. I am running it on the Cayin HA-3A and there is some background hissing when music isn't playing but it goes away once I start listening so not really a big deal as my other headphones are both planars and don't exhibit any hissing. I may sell my LCD 4 but I think I will save up for a few more months to get the Raal SR-1A as I really enjoyed listening to it at Canjam.

Well I eagerly await my Utopia to arrive in the mail, I implore you to run oratory 1990 parametric EQ presets on the LCD 4! It will absolutely change everything

 

[TheAbyss2022]

Well I eagerly await my Utopia to arrive in the mail, I implore you to run oratory 1990 parametric EQ presets on the LCD 4! It will absolutely change everything

I've tried all EQ's and I always revert back to the stock tuning with a bass bump on the LCD 4.

 

[AussieMick]

Heaps of people adore EQ and enhance their experience no end, but for some EQ just doesn’t click. It’s all good.

 

[Garpov]

Apologies if this has been covered already, but it's a big thread! I've just picked up a used original Utopia.

What's the consensus with replacement ear pads? Are the ones currently being sold only suitable for the 2022 version, or do they use the same pads?

 

[up late]

the same pads, i believe. they appeared to be the same to me at least.

 

[PrTv]

Apologies if this has been covered already, but it's a big thread! I've just picked up a used original Utopia.

What's the consensus with replacement ear pads? Are the ones currently being sold only suitable for the 2022 version, or do they use the same pads?

I have both 2022 and OG and the pads are interchangeable.

 

[Garpov]

That's great, thanks

 

[Lx3A]

Apologies if this has been covered already, but it's a big thread! I've just picked up a used original Utopia.

What's the consensus with replacement ear pads? Are the ones currently being sold only suitable for the 2022 version, or do they use the same pads?

Thanks for asking the question I wondered the same. And congrats on the pickup!

 

[Garpov]

Hi, so I've just got my Utopia and it sounds horrendous, like comically bad. The ear pads look suspiciously new, so I'm guessing these are a cheap knock off pair.

Can I ask Utopia owners, if you compress the ear pads fully with your flat hand, how quickly do they return to original state?

The pads I have here spring back immediately, reminiscent of some of the cheap pads I tried on the Focal Clear.

 

[Spawn300Z]

Return them if that bad.

 

[Garpov]

When I say a knock off pair, I mean a knock off pair of ear pads, I don't doubt the headphone itself is authentic. Just to clarify.

 

[chesebert]

Hi, so I've just got my Utopia and it sounds horrendous, like comically bad. The ear pads look suspiciously new, so I'm guessing these are a cheap knock off pair.

Can I ask Utopia owners, if you compress the ear pads fully with your flat hand, how quickly do they return to original state?

The pads I have here spring back immediately, reminiscent of some of the cheap pads I tried on the Focal Clear.

What do you mean by “horrendous”? What’s your equipment and types of music you are trying to play?

 

[Garpov]

Everything I've read about the Utopia is that it's one of the best balanced headphones. All I'm getting is a hot trebly mess, no bass. I'm using Hugo 2 with or without Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear. Music is anything I've tried, rock, pop, jazz, classical.

 

[u2u2]

Hi, so I've just got my Utopia and it sounds horrendous, like comically bad. The ear pads look suspiciously new, so I'm guessing these are a cheap knock off pair.

Can I ask Utopia owners, if you compress the ear pads fully with your flat hand, how quickly do they return to original state?

The pads I have here spring back immediately, reminiscent of some of the cheap pads I tried on the Focal Clear.

Knock off pads? Maybe a corner cut on a driver repair given the performance. No info given on history with previous owner but maybe you can return them and find a proper set. My 2 1/2 year old Utopia pads return to shape instantly. My Stellia pads take a split second.