Focal Utopia Review (collective stream of consciousness)

Maybe I should put more time on this headphone. Just tried it again recently and i have a different feeling. This headphone now sounds like a 4k worth headphone, very dynamic and smooth treble. Although I still prefer the bass of my LCD4.

Planing to order one for myself :/

 

Tempting, right? My hope is that the other manufacturers take their lead from what it does really well to bring some rationality into play. Focal has a long history of (with JMLabs previously as well) introducing flagship speakers in the stratosphere, and superceeding them a few years later. Goodbye value.

Two days later though, I'm not itching for them anymore. Short term aural memory loss has its advantages.

 

I have a Bryston BHA-1 and the Black Widow through heavily modded HD-800 . I actually liked the Utopias with the Bryston more, but there was a scrim of haze, the BW seemed more immediate (tactile).

 

Posted my CanJam Europe 2016 Utopia impressions here:
http://www.superbestaudiofriends.or...ressions-can-jam-europe-2016.2890/#post-81476

 

How was the Utopia midrange vs LCD4?

 

I am looking forward to your measurements and your review of the Utopia's design and construction. Focal really did its homework for the Utopia.

 

I heard the Focal Utopia when I heard the Schiit Jotunheim. The chain was Modi 2U AK4396 -> Asgard 2 in high gain-> Utopia.

- Dynamics are insane. I had a few noise scares with sudden cymbal hits and emphasized snares.
- Bass is textured, quick, and present but doesn't extend the deepest but who listens to headphones for bass?
- Instrument separation is great. Soundstage isn't artificially wide. Again these aren't speakers
- The treble spike is audible but isn't that big of a deal. THere's only one or so. EQ it down if you're going to be listening for more than an hour or so. But again, not that big of a deal. The region makes the headphone less painful than the HD 600's upper mid forwardness.
- The real tonality problems are the 1khz honk and occasional beryllium treble tweeterness. Yes the Beryllium timbre is there.
- The honk is worse than the treble spike. Yeah the honk is annoying as shit. You can probably eq it down though as this headphone is clean.

Good upgrade from the HD 600. This is the first "flagship" headphone that lives up to the hype and is a real improvement on the HD 600 with problems in hte mids in the different area. I only say HD 600 and not HD 650 as the Hd 650 is much more consistent tonally with various recordings and you can extrapolate back through hte HD 650's tonality to how the recording's tonality was. The HD 650's downward slope (similar to B&K and Euro Broadcasting curves) and lesser upper mid bumps than the HD 600 also do not f**k things up nearly as much as the Utopia's honk and the HD 600's screech. If you like the HD 650, keep hte HD 650. If you like HD 600/800, the Utopia is a real upgrade in technicalities.

Technicalities: Utopia >>> 800 >>> 650 > 600 >>>>>>> midfi dynamics >>>>>>>>> Playnars/stat garbage

Tone: HD 650 > HD 600 >= Utopia >>>>>>>>>>>> HD 800 S >>>>> HD 800 stock.

 

I would like to learn how to hear this honk. Could someone point out a specific track and a specific section of the track where this honk is readily apparent? Since I have HD600s, when My Utopes arrive, I could easily switch back and forth to hear the difference.

 

Don't learn, you can never go back! Haha

 

Can you provide a clear example of this honk in a song where a HD6x0 would render it differently? I'm impressed by this ability to pinpoint specific frequency aberrations in music, and would like to train my ears to hear this one.

@fierce_freak it doesn't sound significant enough to need to "unhear" it!

 

This is what I needed, now I can rest easy until the price drops.

 

To me the LCD4 mid sounds more forward. The Utopia might feel a bit less full compares to the LCD4 but more balance, and.....right? If have to describe.

 

Dam, you have a point..
I needed that.
Lol.

I been thinking I already used to my HD800,
Which has reduced it's soundstage with all the existing mods.
So I would NOT expect my HD800 to be much bigger than the Utopia.