Focal Elear and Utopia

Indeed. The Utopia's headband sucks (guessing the Elear has the same problem). It creates a thin pressure line along its long central axis, rather than distributing weight evenly through its full width.

 

Moon audio is selling open box Utopia for 2300 and Elear for 500.
Good new for focal fans!

 

If you mean this one, https://www.moon-audio.com/focal-utopia-headphones-open-box.html

it's $2500

 

Mint - 2500
Little bit fucked - 2250

hurry up!

 

$2,250 is a much more reasonable price for these cans, but even then I would call them over priced. Give me a HD800S any day.

I was one of those that lapped up the Tyll review, gargled the Inner Fidelity cool-aid, and rushed out to purchase a Utopia at the crazed full retail price. Sold it a few months later. I know all about the unusual circumstances regarding the test unit that Tyll received - that information doesn't help me, or anyone else that rushed out to buy a 4K Utopia in the early days. A foolish decision I have learned from.

A technically brilliant dynamic headphone in many ways, but a very forward and (to my ears) unbalanced headphone. Too bright. Too thin. Too much attack 24/7. I also had some comfort issues with the smallish ear space for my larger than average ears, but that is a quibble. It was the skewed tonality and forward nature that turned me off this headphone - and back to the HD800S / HEKv2.

So the HEKv1 and HD800S drop out of the WOF and the LCD-4 (with the fucked treble) and Utopia (bright + forward) are there. Even disregarding the price differences, I would not have either the LCD-4 or Utopia up there. YMMV.

I also get suspicious when the LCD-4 initially didn't make the cut, then Audeze have a f'ing whinge and *POOF* there they are, on the WOF. That is the sort of shit that points at a major manufacturer flexing its commercial muscles.

 

I wish I could get my Utopia measured or something... I loved my modded HD800 but always though it sounded thin and bright haha... Especially on rock music that is meant to sound more full HD800 sounded kind of wide but empty. I got the Utopia and loved it, thought it was much warmer and closer to my preferences. So it's cool to see the opposite perspective. I even used a warm amp and dac to try and tame the HD800, and still feel that Utopia is warmer on more "neutral" gear.

I'd love to know if my Utopia isn't normal or I just really disliked HD800. I haven't regretted it (although I paid far less than that 4k price tag).

 

I'm in the same boat as you @Galm. I much prefer the Utopia to the HD800/S as I too find them to have sucked out mid/lower treble and can be overly bright at times. However, EQed they are almost impossible to beat. I hope the Clear fixes the Elear suckout at a reasonable price, then I'm in.

 

What are you guys using as an amp/source? I'm in the same camp as @TonyNewman - Utopia's are long gone (and LCD4's) but the HD800's are still my #1 go to.

 

PC->Eitr->Metrum Pavane->Glenn custom 300B amp / Audio Gd Master 9.
The HD800S (and modded HD800 before it) sounds much better from a powerful tube amp than SS to my ears.
I wonder if the Utopia has continued to be quite variable in SQ, and some of us were unlucky enough to get a 'bright one'?

 

I would take utopia any day! It’s the most versatile HD that I have.
HD800, only with a nice tube buffer for me.

@bigfatpaulie , I’m using freya - ragnarok - utopia , hd 800

Ken-Rad 231 tubes

 

@bigfatpaulie Eitr>Gungnir Multibit>ZD or AHB2. Zana Deux sound the best to me. I can't use them on Jot, and AHB2 is pretty good as the treble is well controlled but the 4kHz deppression is more apparent. My HD800 has SDR and felt mod, which I prefer over cork or carpet liner mods. I think this comes down to a preference and presentation thing as some songs sound absolutely magical with a modded HD800 and a good tube amp. But I prefer a genre master headphone since I bounce around so much with my music choices. HD650 is my current neutrality king with ZD and Sophia Electric 6SL7. HD800 sounds best with a National Union grey glass 6SL7.

 

Yes, I read some news about that. And it is very disappointing.
Never had a chance to try another utopia. But the one I have isn’t bright at all. I bought near the launch day. I remember I was worried about some driver failures back there.
Maybe you should try another unit?
Cheers!

 

The one I sold has had a driver failure. Less then a year after purchase. The Focal retarded warranty only respects the original owner - if you sell them the new owner gets to suck it. Nice.

 

Yup, Focal warranty sucks... I imagine that's the reason for Utopia meteoric price drop, even when Focal is supposedly enforcing MSRP. I don't see LCD4 drop this low this quickly. Note to self: don't buy Focal HP on release ever again.

@TonyNewman I don't find Utopia bright at all, actually it's still one of the best HP imho.

 

Very common. Schiit warranty is also non-transferrable, see, e.g., http://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/gungnir_owners_manual_2_1.pdf, next-to-last page: "Schiit Audio warrants to the original purchaser..." Perhaps in practice Schiit honors the warranty for resold products, but I don't know. Never had to make a claim.

 

I believe Schiit will still do repairs for a small fee. I'm not sure about Focal.

 

Focal and small fee never go in the same sentence.

 

same here. I would never change my Utopia for an HD800. I have loved how detailed and razor-focused is the HD800, but to my ears Utopia it's just in another league, very neutral, fast, solid but not overwhelming basses, fantastic texture.... and I can go on.... there must be something really strange going on with different batches of Utopia out there. but I must be lucky, since the two Utopias I have tried (both in EU) were sounding the same......
you can see my gears in the sig, I use Utopia only with tubes.

 

That seems likely, given the very different user experiences out there. I would expect better QC from a 4K headphone.