Focal Utopia headphones...with Beryllium driver

[Hopstretch]

Yes yes, but which portable amp should I get to power my new Utopias -- the minifartZ XT2.2 or the Happystyle Pooku Yay? Opinions appear to differ on HF.

[skullguise]

All amps sound the same, you could go Happy or Fart......

[purk]

3 hours ago, skullguise said:

All amps sound the same, you could go Happy or Fart......

According to Tyll, they are within 5% of one another.

 

Between amps not Fart.

Edited September 19, 2016 by purk

[Dusty Chalk]

6 hours ago, Hopstretch said:

Yes yes, but which portable amp should I get to power my new Utopias -- the minifartZ XT2.2 or the Happystyle Pooku Yay? Opinions appear to differ on HF.

Happystyle Pooku Yay just for the delightful name.  I mean, just think about "presentation" -- you'll be smiling before you even put them on.

[jpelg]

In all seriousness, I always wonder what headphone makers use as amplification (and source(s)) during the development of TOTL reference cans.

[EdipisReks1]

7 minutes ago, jpelg said:

In all seriousness, I always wonder what headphone makers use as amplification (and source(s)) during the development of TOTL reference cans.

Me too, this is an excellent question.  Amplification and source.

[stax fart]

Knowing Focal, probably Naim DAC-V1 (Focal and Naim merged in 2011, and Focal always use Naim gear to demo their speakers)

 

Edited September 20, 2016 by stax fart

[wink]

6 hours ago, jpelg said:

In all seriousness, I always wonder what headphone makers use as amplification (and source(s)) during the development of TOTL reference cans.

It would just have to be the Objectiv2 and ODAC.     

I mean, figures don't lie - do they.......?                     

[RudeWolf]

Only hips don't EVER lie!

[Craig Sawyers]

The guy who is electronics design director at NAIM is called Steve Sells. Way back, I recruited him from University into Cambridge Audio, when he was already a power amplifier designer of some capability. After a short while, we moved that into Wharfedale, where we planned to re-launch the LEAK brand. I asked him to design the best power amp he possibly could, price no compromise. I told him that we had to out-Krell Krell, and if he felt that silver wired mains power transformers were essential, he could have them (he didn't - phew!).  This was a superb animal, balanced input, bridged FET output monoblocks that would push 800W into 2 ohms, each with three mains transformers (two huge ones + and - for power transistors, and a single higher voltage one for the input amplifiers).

Fast forward three decades, and NAIM told him the same thing, best possible no holds barred - Statement was the result. Not for those with less than seven figure salaries. An awesome audio tour de force. Have a look at this:

 

 

[swt61]

10 hours ago, stax fart said:

 

 

What's in a Naim?

[wink]

An onion by any other naim smells just as volatile    

[jpelg]

22 hours ago, stax fart said:

Knowing Focal, probably Naim DAC-V1 (Focal and Naim merged in 2011, and Focal always use Naim gear to demo their speakers)

 

17 hours ago, wink said:

It would just have to be the Objectiv2 and ODAC.     

Whatever they use, could one presume that that particular combination yields the ideal sound signature they were striving for?

[wink]

A perfect amp and/or transducer would never yield an ideal sound signature to all us imperfect hearers.

[Craig Sawyers]

1 hour ago, wink said:

to all us imperfect hearers.

Pardon?

[Dusty Chalk]

1 hour ago, wink said:

A perfect amp and/or transducer would never yield an ideal sound signature to all us imperfect hearers.

But it would presumably impart their intent, I think was his point.

[wink]

At the end of the day the manufacturers produce the "sonic signature" that they believe is either "wire with gain" or of a colour/flavour they think will garner the most sales.

[Dusty Chalk]

Why even post that?  I think we all know that.  I think his point was that if you believe in the manufacturer's aural vision , then the best way to achieve it might be to find the same source and amplification.  The way you said it takes all the art out of it.  Now I don't personally believe that all manufacturers of high end audio are artists, but I think at least several of them succeed. 

[CarlSeibert]

Craig, I got to hear that amp a while back. It is what they say it is. Very, very nice.

[wink]

16 hours ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Why even post that?  I think we all know that.  I think his point was that if you believe in the manufacturer's aural vision , then the best way to achieve it might be to find the same source and amplification.  The way you said it takes all the art out of it.  Now I don't presonally believe that all manufacturers of high end audio are con-artists, but I think at least several of them succeed. 

FTFY.  

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Listen, chaff, blow elsewhere. 

[Craig Sawyers]

Oof!

[purk]

I don't have the Utopia but do have the Elear on loan.  This is a crazy good headphones for rock & roll.  Very dynamics, punchy, and powerful.  Not the last word on soundstage, transparent, resolving ability.  They do a lot right and very little wrong.  In a stock form, the bass is a tad much for me but that got tighten a bit after a moon audio silver dragon upgrade.  The Elear, to me, is quite a bargain at under grand.  I tried them with number of amps including the ECP DSHA-2, Oppo HA-1 and it sounded best out of the SuSy Dynahi for sure.

[Sherwood]

On 9/25/2016 at 2:11 AM, purk said:

 Not the last word on soundstage, transparent, resolving ability.  

Over a decade of dedicated headphone listening, I've decided that these are the things I most care about.  In your estimation, what's the last word on transparency and resolving ability among dynamic headphones today?

[n3rdling]

A properly fitted qualia?