[Exekuhtor]

Utopia from a tube amp hits harder imo ... but not by much.

I strongly disagree, it was very good, but not 1266 TC level. It was the best dynamic driver bass experience and my #2 best bass experience overall though.

is there something special about 1266 bass that separates it from other headphones?

It does sound like a 1k€ subwoofer next to your ears, it digs endlessly deep and hits extremely hard, unlike a normal headphone, it also doesn't bloat in any form into the midrange. You feel a sense of physicality that is unrivaled. For stuff like electronic music it is unbelievable, for metal it is still extremely enjoyable if you have the right chain.
The 1266 "cheats" with its design with intentionally breaking the seal, the downside is the shape, comfort, adjustment quirks and weight of the headphone.

 

[krude]

I strongly disagree, it was very good, but not 1266 TC level. It was the best dynamic driver bass experience and my #2 best bass experience overall though.

It does sound like a 1k€ subwoofer next to your ears, it digs endlessly deep and hits extremely hard, unlike a normal headphone, it also doesn't bloat in any form into the midrange. You feel a sense of physicality that is unrivaled. For stuff like electronic music it is unbelievable, for metal it is still extremely enjoyable if you have the right chain.
The 1266 "cheats" with its design with intentionally breaking the seal, the downside is the shape, adjustment quirks and weight of the headphone.

Ok, you disagree, but did you get trully synergising tube combos for the Utopia? I'm running Utopia for 3 years already on Cayins HA6a and now HA300MK2 and on both you can pick tubes that add incredible amount of weight to the bass. So much so that it overtakes the TC in sheer slam and pressure it can build. Again, not by much, but it can outslam the TC.

It's also logical, because for the TC to trully slam you need the gap, and it's just easier for Utopia to build pressure being a more regular headphone. But to get to that, you need a system that will work with the Utopia in that regard ... as with any other transducer.

 

[Exekuhtor]

I did run my OG Utopia on a Feliks Echo Mk2 with the best tubes possible (clean, more solid state like, not bloaty) and later on the Envy, also on extremely good upgraded tubes.
The bass of the Utopia is completely flat on a solid state amp and only has extremely good quality, but lacks in quantity.
That changes on a tube amp, the quality might drop slightly, but the quantity gets boosted a lot. You might get more bass with different (bloaty) tubes, but i would argue that it's not better.
It was very enjoyable, but not quite on the level of the 1266.

I have to say, i am also a sucker for planar bass, since you cannot get that transparent sounding bass experience in a dynamic driver, so i always prefer planars.

 

[krude]

I did run my OG Utopia on a Feliks Echo Mk2 with the best tubes possible (clean, more solid state like, not bloaty) and later on the Envy, also on extremely good upgraded tubes.
The bass of the Utopia is completely flat on a solid state amp and only has extremely good quality, but lacks in quantity.
That changes on a tube amp, the quality might drop slightly, but the quantity gets boosted a lot. You might get more bass with different (bloaty) tubes, but i would argue that it's not better.
It was very enjoyable, but not quite on the level of the 1266.

I have to say, i am also a sucker for planar bass, since you cannot get that transparent sounding bass experience in a dynamic driver, so i always prefer planars.

Yeah, with overall quality I have to agree TC wins, but when talking about slam and weight Utopia can take it. Not sure how that will sound with your Envy but try EML 300B XLSs with drivers that do quality bass, the best I've tried are Sophia 6SN7, but still exploring 300B + 6SN7 space. EML XLS has ridiculous bass, easily outmatches ER300B for example, which has great bass.

Anyway, agreed, as a total bass experience TC wins, but slam and dynamics Utopia can beat the TC. I have both for a reason and I'm also a sucker for bass xD

 

[pccmeph]

Ok, you disagree, but did you get trully synergising tube combos for the Utopia? I'm running Utopia for 3 years already on Cayins HA6a and now HA300MK2 and on both you can pick tubes that add incredible amount of weight to the bass. So much so that it overtakes the TC in sheer slam and pressure it can build. Again, not by much, but it can outslam the TC.

It's also logical, because for the TC to trully slam you need the gap, and it's just easier for Utopia to build pressure being a more regular headphone. But to get to that, you need a system that will work with the Utopia in that regard ... as with any other transducer.

That's exactly why I am currently chasing a Fostex TH 900 (red) as my 3rd headphone. It can just build up air pressure easier as it's closed and no gaps exist. You can also raise the bass by EQ a lot. But this will be very short listening sessions as this pressure will surely fatigue my ears a lot

 

[vonBaron]

I strongly disagree, it was very good, but not 1266 TC level. It was the best dynamic driver bass experience and my #2 best bass experience overall though.

It does sound like a 1k€ subwoofer next to your ears, it digs endlessly deep and hits extremely hard, unlike a normal headphone, it also doesn't bloat in any form into the midrange. You feel a sense of physicality that is unrivaled. For stuff like electronic music it is unbelievable, for metal it is still extremely enjoyable if you have the right chain.
The 1266 "cheats" with its design with intentionally breaking the seal, the downside is the shape, comfort, adjustment quirks and weight of the headphone.

I like to say that 1266 is like quality speakers (not headphones) on your head. I don't have quality speakers so 1266 is perfect for me. Only RAAL HP came close to that felling but they are not perfect.

 

[Ciggavelli]

is there something special about 1266 bass that separates it from other headphones?

Yes. It's like having a mini subwoofer for your ears. It is the best bass you can get in headphone form.

That's exactly why I am currently chasing a Fostex TH 900 (red) as my 3rd headphone. It can just build up air pressure easier as it's closed and no gaps exist. You can also raise the bass by EQ a lot. But this will be very short listening sessions as this pressure will surely fatigue my ears a lot

I still have my fostex th900s. I have the blue ones. They have the 2nd best bass of any headphone ever, behind the TCs. The th900s have amazing bass. They are great headphones, and they are the only mid-fi headphones I keep around. I dunno how Fostex was able to achieve such bass, but it's incredible.

 

[Exekuhtor]

I still have my fostex th900s. I have the blue ones. They have the 2nd best bass of any headphone ever, behind the TCs. The th900s have amazing bass. They are great headphones, and they are the only mid-fi headphones I keep around. I dunno how Fostex was able to achieve such bass, but it's incredible.

Hmm, i've never heard it and was often times very close to purchasing it, are the differences in the red / special (white, purple etc) big (are they worse)? Have you thought of Lawton modding it or are you very satisfied with its sound? I heard that the treble is extreme on some special variants...

 

[pccmeph]

I have only heard the pearl white and the treble was already too hot for my tastes. From what I have gathered is that the reds are the most extreme in bass and treble then the blue and then white. I don't know about the green and purple tunings

Still purchased the Reds yesterday for 400€ as for some songs I am sure they will be amazing. My plan is to purchase other pads and maybe down the road get the Lawton mod

 

[jh88]

It's really astonishing once you find the right fit. With my pads at 3 and 9 and a toe-out with the pads clamping in the back and a gap in the front. The acoustics are beautifully detailed with impactful yet harmonizing bass and that raw, live venue energy. I'm also using a neutral convolution filter with bass extension, which helps the mids sound more natural.

I am having an issue with the frame closing and not keeping tension at max width when putting them on my head. Is there a way to fix this?

 

[notofthisworld]

Is anyone using a phono preamp with built in headphone amp that is powerful enough for the 1266? Or alternatively a preamp with built in phono stage and headphone amp. My family is wanting to get into vinyl. I'm looking for away that i can listen to vinyl with the 1266. my current set up is the DCS Bartok with built in headphone amp. I enjoy the one box solution and therefore my preference is minimize the boxes needed to make vinyl work with the 1266s.

 

[sloomingbla]

Yes. It's like having a mini subwoofer for your ears. It is the best bass you can get in headphone form.

I still have my fostex th900s. I have the blue ones. They have the 2nd best bass of any headphone ever, behind the TCs. The th900s have amazing bass. They are great headphones, and they are the only mid-fi headphones I keep around. I dunno how Fostex was able to achieve such bass, but it's incredible.

I can confirm this! I ended up having to sell my 1266 for money reasons (I'm getting em back when I can, miss them dearly), but my th900s are still incredible for a bass head like me.

Quality wise the TC is EONS ahead of the th900 - makes the th900's sound bloated and congested in comparison. And, for the deepest rumbles, TC still has em beat quantity wise too. But for most bass frequencies, the TH900's have a reasonable (overkill, but uncontested?) advantage in terms of quantity and bass pressure, at least with the amping setup I had. And they still maintain pretty incredible clarity considering, and some very fun and warm tuning especially with the pad mods I've done. Great headphones.

That's for the reds, but I also own the blues and can say the differences are minor but noticeable - blue's tone down the bass a tad bit, and opt for a more dynamic and professional sound. I would say blues are about on par, maybe very slightly more in terms of quantity (besides sub bass) with the TCs. They also seem to have a peak in the treble at a different freq than the reds, which can be nice for certain edm but tends to make them sound a bit too bright to my taste.

@pccmeph You may find the reds a bit more pleasing to your ears treble wise because of this, but I definitely recommend looking into some pad swaps! Feel free to dm me if you are interested in hearing my setup. It's cheap!

 

[pofofo]

It's really astonishing once you find the right fit. With my pads at 3 and 9 and a toe-out with the pads clamping in the back and a gap in the front. The acoustics are beautifully detailed with impactful yet harmonizing bass and that raw, live venue energy. I'm also using a neutral convolution filter with bass extension, which helps the mids sound more natural.

I am having an issue with the frame closing and not keeping tension at max width when putting them on my head. Is there a way to fix this?

It`s probably because the O-rings get to tight and pull the frame together. Try with some bigger O-rings, but that will make the headphone ride lower though.

 

[slumberman]

Hi all!
Where I can buy replacement O-Rings in Europe?

Thank you!

 

[pofofo]

Regular hardware stores have them in Norway at least. I bought a box with a lot of different sizes to test.