[HiFiWar]

Welcome to the Drinking Fountain!

The Watercooler is a very well known thread for IEM discussion started by @Rockwell75, but there is nothing similar for full-size headphone enthusiasts. Therefor, on this day, the 4th of January, 2024, the Drinking Fountain has been created for just such a purpose. Everyone is invited as long as they maintain a friendly demeanor - everyone is entitled to sharing their opinion as long as they are polite about it. As @Rockwell75 said it best: "We are gathered here to share impressions, to participate in discussions, to cultivate love & enthusiasm for this hobby and to partake in the joy of fellowship and community."

Thread expectations: Thread discussions will be centered around full-size headphones and associated sources (DACs/AMPs/Streamers, etc.) There is no “off topic” here, some of the best discussions revolve around the moments we experience while listening to music - walking the dog, enjoying beautiful scenery, drinking coffee on the patio, or even attending a CANJAM. That said, please remain respectful at all times and remember that just because you don't like a set of headphones, someone else likely loves them. Please share photos, impressions, comparisons, discussions on sound, music, albums, and tuning. Also, please ask questions - this is the place to ask for information on which full-size headphones to buy and what may pair really well with them. Avoid double posting if possible and use the quote feature to reply to multiple people in one reply - this is not the place to get your Headphoneus Supremus status with a double or triple posting.

Build friends - build a family. This may be the only place people understand you love of the hobby.

 

[HiFiWar]

I'll kick the discussion off here with a relatively controversial topic: Focal Utopia - Love it, Hate it, best headphone ever, not worth the price? Make sure you list the version as there are at least 3 I can think of.

My take on my Utopia 2020 - excellent detail with a very neutral sound. Also, quite boring in my opinion. My purchase of the Utopia taught me a LOT about my audio preferences. I enjoy more bass and pronounced Mids because that is where the music lives. I grabbed a HE-1000v2 and enjoyed it more, but REALLY enjoyed the Rosson RAD-0 until I realized that they were still missing some of the bassy parts of the song I could hear on other headphones or IEMs. Excellent detail can often lead to a loss of other areas of the music - bass and mids are constantly competing for presence. I have a couple of new sets on the way to try and see if I can fill the full-size hole in my currently-slim collection.

 

[Rockwell75]

Awesome, good luck!

 

[texx2818]

I'll kick the discussion off here with a relatively controversial topic: Focal Utopia - Love it, Hate it, best headphone ever, not worth the price? Make sure you list the version as there are at least 3 I can think of.

My take on my Utopia 2020 - excellent detail with a very neutral sound. Also, quite boring in my opinion. My purchase of the Utopia taught me a LOT about my audio preferences. I enjoy more bass and pronounced Mids because that is where the music lives. I grabbed a HE-1000v2 and enjoyed it more, but REALLY enjoyed the Rosson RAD-0 until I realized that they were still missing some of the bassy parts of the song I could hear on other headphones or IEMs. Excellent detail can often lead to a loss of other areas of the music - bass and mids are constantly competing for presence. I have a couple of new sets on the way to try and see if I can fill the full-size hole in my currently-slim collection.

I sold off my Utopia 22, much happier now with my 2 ZMFs and HD800S. They sounded great, just didn't think they were worth the expense.

 

[HiFiWar]

I sold off my Utopia 22, much happier now with my 2 ZMFs and HD800S. They sounded great, just didn't think they were worth the expense.

Agreed, they went from being the king of the hill from 2018-2020 to more of an afterthought. I feel like the Susvara is more highly regarded over the last couple of years along with the Caldera and the Corina currently. Which ZMFs do you have? I have a Verite Open on the way - supposedly.

 

[texx2818]

Agreed, they went from being the king of the hill from 2018-2020 to more of an afterthought. I feel like the Susvara is more highly regarded over the last couple of years along with the Caldera and the Corina currently. Which ZMFs do you have? I have a Verite Open on the way - supposedly.

I have a pretty awesome pair of the Ash Ltd Atrium Closed, and the Bokeh (#003)!!! Love them both so much. Total endgame. I'd sell my LCD2s, but they aren't worth much on the secondary market.

 

[HiFiWar]

I have a pretty awesome pair of the Ash Ltd Atrium Closed, and the Bokeh (#003)!!! Love them both so much. Total endgame. I'd sell my LCD2s, but they aren't worth much on the secondary market.

I've heard really good things about the Atrium and the Bokeh's are a great price - anything you'd compare them to or how would you describe them? I haven't had the best of luck with Audeze as I find their products pretty underwhelming (LCD-X/XC/Maxwell). I haven't heard the LCD-4/5, etc. though. The one's I've tried have sounded thin or flat to me instead of the lush, enveloping presentation I prefer.

 

[Philimon]

@HiFiWar How are you a new Head-Fier that just joined Tuesday?

 

[HiFiWar]

@HiFiWar How are you a new Head-Fier that just joined Tuesday?

I made my account Tuesday. That doesn't mean I'm new to the hobby - I've been interested in headphones since 2014 or so.

 

[Philimon]

I made my account Tuesday. That doesn't mean I'm new to the hobby - I've been interested in headphones since 2014 or so.

I was wondering if and which account you were operating under previously.

 

[HiFiWar]

I was wondering if and which account you were operating under previously.

PM'd

 

[Luckyleo]

Really enjoying my HD660S2, via balanced out from the Jotunheim 2. In my opinion, this is the best of the 6xx line. I've listened to other, more expensive headphones, which in some cases are better than the S2. But as an all-rounder, they are great headphones.

Leo

 

[HiFiWar]

Really enjoying my HD660S2, via balanced out from the Jotunheim 2. In my opinion, this is the best of the 6xx line. I've listened to other, more expensive headphones, which in some cases are better than the S2. But as an all-rounder, they are great headphones.

Leo

The Jot 2 is excellent, I haven't gotten the chance to hear the HD660S2 yet, but the original HD600 underwhelmed me (the 700 was pretty good though, apparently it's related to the new 600's). I've heard the newer versions are much improved though and your feedback confirms that.

 

[Luckyleo]

The Jot 2 is excellent, I haven't gotten the chance to hear the HD660S2 yet, but the original HD600 underwhelmed me (the 700 was pretty good though, apparently it's related to the new 600's). I've heard the newer versions are much improved though and your feedback confirms that.

When I listen to the S2's SE, I use them on my Feliks Audio Espressivio, OTL amp. That combo is special.

 

[Terriero]

I sold off my Utopia 22, much happier now with my 2 ZMFs and HD800S. They sounded great, just didn't think they were worth the expense.

You should buy some Sennheiser headphones you tried at Canjam Dallas