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Originally Posted by PHC1
I have now spent an adequate amount of time to fully evaluate the Focal Utopia. This is not a review since god knows there are tons of very thorough reviews out there but all I wanted to say is that this pair of headphones, while being outrageously expensive (in my opinion) is by far the most impressive set I have ever heard or had the pleasure to listen to for an extended period of time. Clarity and resolution supreme without so much as putting a sour note forward unless of course it is the source or music itself.
They remain mystifyingly and mesmerizingly musical and engaging while reproducing the music with outmost detail and remaining pure in tonality and yet never sounding analytical. Hearing deep into the recording has been redefined for me.
Perfectly extended into the stratosphere on the high end of the frequency spectrum yet never sounding harsh or tilted up in frequency response, sounding wonderfully seductive and remaining pure in the midrange and digging deep into the lower octaves and fully resolving all the flavor of the bass harmonics is all I can ask for.
Being grossly engaged into music to this extent is also not something I have encountered before. These headphones remove all the veils, open the windows and let all the sunshine and fresh breeze in.
Provide them with quality amplification and I personally have no preference here tubes or SS as I have compared for hours on end, they tend to bring out the very best in both. I don't find them particularly hard to drive as all my headphone amps drive them stupendously well. Feed them a quality recording, drive them with a worthy amplifier and prepare for them to transport you into the musical event. As you drift into that state of bliss and leave everything around you behind, it's just you and your favorite music hours upon hours with no fatigue or disappointment. Goosebumps and total awe. Yeah, they are that good.
This is probably one of the very few times in my almost 30 years being involved with high end audio that I can say I have nothing to criticize about the sound. It is perfect or "perfectly to my taste" I should say.
Perhaps a touch heavy in weight on the noggin, perhaps the cables are also a bit too heavy, would be my small criticism but I got used to the heavier feel and these are not your walk around with headphones anyway.
As much as I subconsciously or perhaps consciously wanted to NOT like them due to price, the time has come to make a decision and they are staying.
Problem being, once you live with these headphones for a few weeks, there is no going back. Focal engineers have hit the ball out of the park with these headphones. Five out of five stars in my book. I will allow myself this bit of luxury.
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Serge Thanks for the very informative comparative review of the Utopia and the 600/650 headphones. A few months ago I decided to try a pair of headphones for the first time in more than 50 years of using only full size speakers for my listening pleasure. So I purchased a pair of Sennheiser 650, a Bryston BHA-1(instead of using the MC2300) and a WW silver Nano cord. For casual listening the setup sounded ok but I expected more. I think I was assuming that the headphones to at least duplicate what I was hearing from my full size speakers. Instead, there seemed to be a lack of detail and body to the music.I don't know if it is my 70 year old ears or that I am expecting more than the 650s or any headphone can deliver. But anyway, I am going to try and find a place to listen to the Utopia phones so I can see if its just me. Hopefully the Utopia headphones will give me what I'm looking for.
Again, that thanks for your review
Ed
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2 Channel - Esoteric KO3, VPI Classic, C2300, MS300, MEN220, Bryston 7b SST, B&W 802D, JL F113 (2), MDA 1000, Olive 4HD, Sonos w/Remedy, WW Silver Eclipse ICs , Stillpoints Ultra mini, MR85 tuner, Aurender A10 server
Headphone listening - Audeze LCD3 with Moon Audio Black Dragon Balanced cables, Sennheiser HD650, WW silver Eclipse Nano cable, Bryston BHA-1 amp
HT - MX135, OPPO 103D, B&W CDM7, B&W center, Sony 65" LCD
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