Nice, glad that I'm not alone around here being impressed by the SE-5 (Beagle also really likes it). I owned the HD800S not long ago and also loved it, wish I could have afforded to have kept it, but at the time the money was needed to fund a Sony Z1R (which I thought was fantastic). I haven't been able to hear a Utopia yet. I was in France for two weeks last year and I could not find one Focal dealer that had them on demo. Cheers.
Sadly no, these just don't seem to be getting the exposure they should. They differ significantly from the Z1R which as you probably know I also owned and loved. The Z1R is deeper, more obviously musical sounding headphone where while detail retrieval is excellent, in the treble region, one could argue there is a slight attenuation. With the Pioneer, the opposite is true, the treble is not at all dialed back, but it is of such good quality that while prominent it is never harsh or strident to my ears. My friend who owned the Monitor-5 just before me and sold me one of his two (yes he had purchased two) has a great deal of experience and he felt, and I concur, that the Monitor-5 is fairly neutral. That isn't to say that it lacks character or musicality, it simply tends to be very balanced and coherent sounding. In contrast, the Z1R is clearly a deliberate and wonderful sound signature tailored to present music not in a neutral sense, but rather a powerful and compossed way where the lower frequencies really define how everything is perceived. I still think the Z1R is my favourite headphone to date, but I love the Monitor-5 and feel that in some ways it is what the HD800S might sound like if it was designed as a closed headphone, and I did own the HD800S for a time.
I may not be the best one to take advice from seeing I tend to be a little biased when it comes to bass tilted headphones, but I did own the Z1 (not the Z1R) for awhile. Unlike the Z1, the SE-5 is very balanced, detailed and smooth across the entire spectrum, it's really good in that aspect. I'm sure the Z1R is on a different level compared to the Z1 so your personal preference will be the determining factor whether or not you favor Pioneer over the Sony.
Sorry, I'm just a long time satisfied customer. It may be best to call them at 1-844-230-1853 and get all the information straight from the horse's mouth. I know they do not charge a re-stocking fee on items returned in like new condition but that's about it.
I'm a very happy new customer of a nice set of used Monitor-5, very impressed with this unit so far. It is detailed enough, lows' mids. & highs, I am re-learning some of my favourite music. A real "ear opener" to step up into this set & a highly recommended listen to, to those on the fence to give them a try.
Glad to hear that you are rolling with the SEM5. It will likely grow on you. I agree that the bass is a tad lighter than ideal, but as it seems you suggested, I also find that the speed and quality of the bass makes up for it. I haven't tried increasing the bass via EQ, perhaps I will try a very gentle boost and see how that goes. Cheers.
I'm the same way, I avoid the EQ, but if I do use it, I take a very minimalist approach and do the very least adjusting possible. Sometimes I will use a gentle cut in one frequency to boost the balance of another frequency that I was finding needed more emphasis. Even unadjusted, and I have owned the Z1R, Z7, D7000, TH900, TH600 and LCD 2F, I do find the SEM5 to have adequate and satisfying bass, nonetheless, so it isn't for me a major issue anyway and why despite having owned the Pioneer for close to a year I think, I haven't yet done any bass boosting.
