K3cT

Thanks to the great work from @Mirko and advice from @kevin gilmore we just finished retrofitting the GS-X MK2's power supply with a custom made GRLV. I haven't had the time to really sit down and listen to it but first impressions that the amp is quite a bit smoother and more detailed now. 😃

I feel that they are like modern interpretations of those Audio Technica woodies with their quirky sound signatures, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your taste. I would definitely try to audition them if you can because they are not for everyone.

I am currently running them through the GS-X MK2 and the treble is straddling that fine line between hotness and resolve. I have a DIY Beta22 and it's a bit better in this regard, the treble is not as resolving but the attack/edge/bite is softened a bit. Justin told me that the GS-X Mini is supposed to sound warmer and may be a better fit with the Utopia. There is also @dsavitsk's DSHA-3F that's supposed to be a great pairing with the Utopia but I haven't heard this personally.

I think Dekoni makes pads for Focal cans right? They could be a viable alternative. The Utopia pads last quite a bit longer than the HD800's that need replacing every 2 years or so.

I still rock a Parasound 1100HD with the now probably unobtanium Cetoole's discrete output stage as my primary DAC. Recently had a Schiit Gungnir for comparison and I thought the Parasound didn't embarrass itself. Sure, the Schiit sounds more detailed and airier but it lacks the dynamics and lusher tone that the Parasound has. The Gungnir also had an extremely hot output so it was a lot of pain to work with my sensitive speakers and headphone, even through its single ended output. I'll probably stick with multibit for now.

I had mine replaced earlier this year and it was a pretty straightforward process with the local dealer handling everything. The headphone had to be shipped back to France for repair so it took a couple of weeks but I didn't have to pay for anything.

The Utopias are a bit like the HD800, they can sound really edgy from the wrong upstream components. They really do shine with warmer sounding amp and source.

I think my journey went something like from various Lambdas to the HD800 to the SR-007 MK2.9 and finally to the Utopia. The Focal definitely have the least trade-offs and annoying stuff amongst the headphones that I've tried and owned.

Speaking of old DACs, I have an opportunity to jump on a pristine Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 complete with the original packaging. Is it still worth their rather high asking price in 2020? I still have a Parasound 1100HD that has that @cetoole discrete analog stage and it remains quite good these days.

I suggest saving up for the LCD-4 as it's a big improvement from the LCD-3 esp. in terms of tuning (not as warm) and clarity. Also, the LCD-4 seems to have minimal random driver failure issues unlike the LCD-3.

Thanks for taking the time to explain! Would you agree that the 3 or 3F is the more flexible amp?

I'm a bit out of the loop with audio lately so please bear with me, is the difference between the new beezar/ecp T4 and DSHA-3 is the tube input stage? Which one is the more ideal pairing with the Utopia? The Focal are amazing and made my previous headphone SR-007 pretty much obsolete but the amps I have at the moment, Beta 22 and Dynahi, seem to be less than an ideal match for them as they're too honest. I could definitely use a softer presentation.

The Chinese keep getting better and better at this R2R thing... heard the Holo Spring not too long ago and it was also seriously awesome. A nice alternative if one finds the Yggdrasil too aggressive.

I just heard the Holo Audio Spring DAC and it's definitely the real deal. I'm just not sure which version it is because the unit doesn't have the Kitsune branding and the owner said that he bought it from HK. Overall performance is in the same ballpark as the Schiit Yggdrasil but is less aggressive and has a sweeter tone. The DAC seems to "enhance" human vocal and I happen to like the colouration but YMMV. The Holo is definitely nice if you have a somewhat bright system and wants to tune it down.

It's not so clear from the pictures but I think it's possible to flash homebrew filters developed for the DIY 1021 into this unit right?