Focal Utopia headphones...with Beryllium driver

[Hopstretch]

I wonder how the Utopias would pair with a GS-X MkII?

[gepardcv]

13 hours ago, johnwmclean said:

Instead of using a simple LM7815/7915 circuit feeding the LV lines it can be replaced with Kevins Golden Reference Low Voltage power supply (GRLV) which has much less noise.

Is the noise difference measurable? I have enough room in my Carbon to add a GRLV, but wonder if it's worth the hassle.

[Sherwood]

6 hours ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Isn't it ? Works for me . 

Says the man who owns one of the few headphones that can do it.

I want to hear these for a few weeks in my system, but this is the first dynamic since the HD800 I'm really excited about.  I thought I was beyond hype, but I ain't.  I wish they weren't $4000.

[Dusty Chalk]

15 minutes ago, Sherwood said:

I wish they weren't $4000.

So say we all.

[guzziguy]

43 minutes ago, Sherwood said:

Says the man who owns one of the few headphones that can do it.

I want to hear these for a few weeks in my system, but this is the first dynamic since the HD800 I'm really excited about.  I thought I was beyond hype, but I ain't.  I wish they weren't $4000.

I'd like to hear them, a little.  I have no interest in "upgrading" my very comfortable and great sounding HD800 for a tiny improvement that I might or might not really be able to hear.  I especially have no interest in paying around $3200 (cost of Utopia minus what I might be able to get from selling my HD800) for the privilege of "upgrading".

[mypasswordis]

You could buy 100 Le sacre du printemps LPs for $3200

[TMoney]

I will say that there are better deals than MSRP out there if you search. There is no way I would have spent $4,000 on the Utopia, good as it is.

It is quite a departure from the HD800/800S.

If you've been using the Senn as a daily driver, the smaller soundstage of the Utopia does take some getting used to. That being said, my Utopia "demoted" my 800S to office duty.

[guzziguy]

I could buy a lot of different things I'd rather have than a small increase in performance.

[mwl168]

6 hours ago, Hopstretch said:

I wonder how the Utopias would pair with a GS-X MkII?

Or the DIY mulitamp, aka SuSy Dynalo.

[johnwmclean]

3 hours ago, gepardcv said:

Is the noise difference measurable? I have enough room in my Carbon to add a GRLV, but wonder if it's worth the hassle.

Kevin measured 800picovolts from a screened room. Audibly a worthwhile outlay as well.

[kevin gilmore]

surprisingly the GRLV power supply makes a bigger difference than I had thought.

[gepardcv]

Interesting. And tempting.

I don't have room for another transformer in the case. Would the 16-0-16 VCT 500mA winding I currently use to power the 7815/7915 be adequate to drive the GRLV for +/-15V outputs?

[Dusty Chalk]

5 hours ago, Sherwood said:

Says the man who owns one of the few headphones that can do it.

Which one is that, by the way?

[sorenb]

26 minutes ago, gepardcv said:

Interesting. And tempting.

I don't have room for another transformer in the case. Would the 16-0-16 VCT 500mA winding I currently use to power the 7815/7915 be adequate to drive the GRLV for +/-15V outputs?

just populate the middle bridge and you'd be good

[gepardcv]

3 minutes ago, sorenb said:

just populate the middle bridge and you'd be good

I know, but I was wondering if the input voltage would be adequate.

[sorenb]

Just now, gepardcv said:

I know, but I was wondering if the input voltage would be adequate.

you need 6V for drop, and you have 22.6V

[Sherwood]

17 hours ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Which one is that, by the way?

PS1.  You've still got those, right?

[Voltron]

I don't think I would ever let go of my PS-1s.

[Dusty Chalk]

Apparently no one else would neither, eBay has zero history of them ever being sold.

I need to sell mine , I never listen to them.  But yes , as of yet , I still have them.

[purk]

9 minutes ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Apparently no one else would neither, eBay has zero history of them ever being sold.

I need to sell mine , I never listen to them.  But yes , as of yet , I still have them.

I think they are the rarest of any Grado beside that "free-style" system.  Should be able to bring in $3K to 4k.  I remember John Grado was listing them on ebay at $3500 couple of years back and he sold like five or six pairs of them.  I would rather keep the L3000 instead of the PS-1 however. 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah , exactly,  I still have the L3000, don't intend to let that go.

[purk]

13 minutes ago, Dusty Chalk said:

Yeah , exactly,  I still have the L3000, don't intend to let that go.

Still using them?  I miss mine.

[Dusty Chalk]

Not as often , I don't feel comfortable bringing them to work . 

[Hopstretch]

Plus they're awful!

Like getting fucked in the ear with a dog dick.

The PS-1s on the other hand I covet, as you know.

[Voltron]

Buy Dusty's pair. (Of PS-1s, not dog dick fuckers).