Please help in deciding between FOCAL Utopia and Hifiman HE1000SE.

[Shivanshumishra]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post on the forum, and I’m currently torn between the HIFIMAN HE1000SE and the Focal Utopia. I know they’re not in the same tier, as the Susvara is often considered a step above, and I frequently see comparisons between the Susvara and Utopia rather than the HE1000SE.

I could put most of the money and buy the Susvara, but driving them properly seems like a major challenge, as I won't have much money left after that. So, for practical reasons, I’m focusing on the HE1000SE and Utopia instead.

I primarily listen to Pop, Jazz, and a mix of other genres, but another big use case for me is watching movies and TV series. Given my preferences, which of these two headphones would you recommend?
Would love to hear insights from those who have experience with both!

Thanks in advance.

 

[dunring]

The HE1000 is bright, and need EQ to soften them for most people. The original Utopia are more interesting, the 2022 version sounds a little smoothed out for bass and treble. The Dan Clark stealth closed back are the best I've heard for movies, the material in the cups make it like an isolation chamber and so immersive for a good movie.
For best value for money, the Hifiman Edition XS and JDS Atom 2 stack or Topping A70Pro and E70 9028Pro combo will really impress, and you'll feel like you stole them compared to the Utopia.

 

[Shivanshumishra]

Thanks for your response. I would not like to collect many headphones. I want one headphone primarily for music and which also works good with movies etc. I am leaning towards He1000se because it's also a lot cheaper than Utopia. However, I was wondering if streching more for Utopia (used) would be better.

 

[HA-1]

Given my preferences, which of these two headphones would you recommend?

Here's a review (in German) of the 2016 Utopia vs. the 2016 HE1000V2 - Musicalhead.de . The HE1KV2 won and the review is right - I've heard the same results when I had to decide between Utopia and HE1KV2 end of 2016.

A review of the 2018 HE1000se in comparison to other headphones - Musicalhead.de . The HE1Kse won also in that case.

With the HE1000se you have to check if you're sensitive to upper treble energy. For some listeners, this is a disadvantage of the HE1000se. The 2018 version of the SE has sharper treble than the newer version of the SE since 2021.

The best would be to audition the Utopia and HE1000se for yourself with your own music on your own chain.

See also the HE1000se thread in general - Head-Fi.org .

 

[zeek99]

pop genre and movie watching isn't what i first think of when i listen with my hekse headphones. i like them a lot, but i get the most out of them with orchestral arrangements, good dynamic range in music, things that highlight the high detail and soundstage of what the headphone is known for. the bass will be light unless u EQ it up for tv and movies.

 

[chezzer]

Comfort and head size should be a factor especially for watching films and tv, the Utopia would be a winner in that department if you have a small head like my little
peanut head, I love all Hifiman headphones for sound quality but they just don't fit me well and always feel loose. You can get an Arya for around 5-600 usd now and that is a deal and would enable you to check size, buy and try from Amazon

 

[Shivanshumishra]

pop genre and movie watching isn't what i first think of when i listen with my hekse headphones. i like them a lot, but i get the most out of them with orchestral arrangements, good dynamic range in music, things that highlight the high detail and soundstage of what the headphone is known for. the bass will be light unless u EQ it up for tv and movies.

Thanks for the heads up. I don't mind EQuing headphones if that makes them better for my preference.

 

[Cirrus Socrates Particl]

I don't know if it will be helpful, but I will tell you my experience.

I once had the HE1000SE for movies. It sounded very clear, but it lacked immersion. The sound felt distant. I soon got rid of it.

I also had the Utopia SG. When watching Hollywood movies, it sounded like a high-end speaker. But it was not comfortable to watch movies for long periods of time.

I recommend the Utopia as the best headphones for pop and jazz.

After that, I started using the Arya Stealth as movie headphones. It's easy to hear voices, and it's very suitable for movies. However, the high notes can be stimulating. The sound field is not as wide as the HE1000SE. But strangely, it is more immersive than the HE1000SE.

In the end, I watch movies on speakers now.

Everyone has their own style, so I can't generalize, but from my experience, I think it's better to have separate headphones for watching movies and listening to music.

If I were you, I would buy speakers for movies and Utopia SG for music.

 

[Shivanshumishra]

Well, I have Arya Organic and it is really big but they fit me just fine. After 2-3 hours session, I feel a bit uneasiness or fatigue near my jaw, where they end.
I think I should have also asked do i really need to upgrade to HE1000SE, considering I already have Organic? I think the price drop and open box deal (~1400 usd) making me going towards them and selling the Organic later on.

Comfort and head size should be a factor especially for watching films and tv, the Utopia would be a winner in that department if you have a small head like my little
peanut head, I love all Hifiman headphones for sound quality but they just don't fit me well and always feel loose. You can get an Arya for around 5-600 usd now and that is a deal and would enable you to check size, buy and try from Amazon

Well, I have Arya Organic and it is really big but they fit me just fine. After 2-3 hours session, I feel a bit uneasiness or fatigue near my jaw, where they end.

I think I should have also asked do i really need to upgrade to HE1000SE, considering I already have Organic? I think the price drop and open box deal (~1400 usd) making me going towards them and selling the Organic later on.

 

[Lemondante]

I would suggest you get the he1000 unveiled cause I think it's better than both headphone you mentioned

 

[yrstruly]

My 2c: HEKSE is indeed competitive with Utopia sonically, at least the Utopia OG - both have tuning quirks and would make good complements to one another (although I see you just want to own one). The Utopia 2022 is superior to both imo - it just has a more agreeable tuning to me.

HEKSE is also v good for films imo. Due to reliability concerns with the Utopia OG, particularly since you’d have to get one second hand now with it being discontinued, I would probably go for the HEKSE, although budget isn’t a concern I’d pick Utopia 2022 overall.

 

[Shivanshumishra]

Thanks for your inputs. While having Atrium closed for a while, I reliazed that Arya organic spoiled me in sense of soundstage. I've heard utopia has a decent soundstage but not enough to compete with HEKSE. Although treble bugs me a bit (not a lot) on the Organic I tame them down with some eq and it works fine. HEKSE also have similar treble issues. Is there any other headphone that have utopia type tuning and HEKSE type sound stage, which also doest cost a kidney