[nigel801]

I have saved some hard earned money and have a option to buy either Focal Utopia or Chord Hugo 2, my current setup is Sony Z1R with Questyle CMA400i, Shure SE846 with Chord Mojo and Fiio X7 mark ii.

I need advice from head-fi community expert which will give more value for money and increase my joy of music listening, can my CMA400i do justice with Utopia or Can Hugo 2 give me more bang for bucks with Z1R and Shure SE846?

Many Thanks for your expert opinion.

 

[gc335]

IMO the Hugo 2 is a very impressive piece of gear. It adds layers to the music and give it so much more depths. It's really hard to describe.

 

[nigel801]

IMO the Hugo 2 is a very impressive piece of gear. It adds layers to the music and give it so much more depths. It's really hard to describe.

Many thanks for your swift reply, indeed I got the chance to listen to Hugo 2 and its big step up from Chord Mojo, not sure about CMA400i though

 

[gc335]

I have never heard the CMA400i. I’ll have to check it out.

 

[ufospls2]

I'd go for the Utopia.

 

[nordkapp]

The Utopia. It would provide a nice alternative to Z1R.

 

[tomatoshoe]

Utopia

 

[Deftone]

I have saved some hard earned money and have a option to buy either Focal Utopia or Chord Hugo 2, my current setup is Sony Z1R with Questyle CMA400i, Shure SE846 with Chord Mojo and Fiio X7 mark ii.

I need advice from head-fi community expert which will give more value for money and increase my joy of music listening, can my CMA400i do justice with Utopia or Can Hugo 2 give me more bang for bucks with Z1R and Shure SE846?

Many Thanks for your expert opinion.

Yes i think it can, i have one myself which was an upgrade from Mojo. Go for Utopia.

 

[nigel801]

Many thanks all for your feedback and recommendations, I am now convinced Utopia will give me more bang for the bucks.

 

[Me x3]

I need advice from head-fi community expert which will give more value for money and increase my joy of music listening

Value for money and Utopia are hard to put in the same sentence, although it might increase your joy of listening to music (depending on your preferences).
Your preferences are key at this point. For instance many people prefer the HD800S over Utopia because it has a superior soundstage, it's also a lighter headphone and more comfortable to many people as well.
Check the Tesla T1 (1st Gen) and Tesla T1 (2nd Gen) - which is a more bassy version of the 1st Gen - and check the AKG K812 PRO too.
If you can look through the hype and pricing induced bias, you'll find out that there are trade offs among them, try to pick the one that suits your preferences the best.

 

[Phronesis]

I have both the Mojo and Hugo 2. When I compared them back to back with quick switching and matching of volumes and music segments, I couldn't consistently notice a difference in the sound (with various headphones). So I can't recommend getting the Hugo 2 if you already have the Mojo.

Also, I spent a lot of time comparing the Clear and Utopia. Cost aside, I wound up slightly preferring the Clear, so that's what I bought. I can recommend the Clear to complement the gear you already have.

 

[Deftone]

i cant tell differences from quick AB i have to spend a while with something and then switch, thats how i found out Mojo had a chunky bass and "rolled off" highs.

 

[gtbrown50]

As a rule I always start with the headphones/speakers first for upgrades, then amp, dac, source, etc. Without the final output being what you want it may be difficult to even detect much difference when changing DACs, etc.
By the way, I have a lot of different headphones and put the Utopia's very high on the list, but the Clear/Utopia comparison, for me, is pretty close. Yes, I would still get the Utopia but I still give the Clear props for SQ.

 

[nigel801]

I have both the Mojo and Hugo 2. When I compared them back to back with quick switching and matching of volumes and music segments, I couldn't consistently notice a difference in the sound (with various headphones). So I can't recommend getting the Hugo 2 if you already have the Mojo.

Also, I spent a lot of time comparing the Clear and Utopia. Cost aside, I wound up slightly preferring the Clear, so that's what I bought. I can recommend the Clear to complement the gear you already have.

Thanks for your feedback and recommendation, I got the chance to compare both Mojo and Hugo 2 and in my experience Mojo is bit pm warmer side and Hugo 2 is on brighter side but with little bit more details than Mojo. But indeed Mojo is defintely very good value for money compared to Hugo 2.

 

[matti621]

I say you have to listen to both... some amps measure objectively like high end but sound like crap.