[groovyd]

Well said! Have you heard about Dekoni releasing new earpads for the 800 in a few weeks? They’ve got several choices from perforated leather to a hybrid. According to some who got to demo the at RMAF, they also alter the sound in a good way. They’ve said that the hybrid pads add a little more bass and reduce the 6K treble peak by a few decibels. I can’t wait to try them!

Ordered the dekoni perforated 650 pads off massdrop but have not heard anything about 800 pads... are you sure?

 

[MattTCG]

Yes, he's sure. I heard the same.

 

[casper3127]

When I received my HD800S back in July I sent an email to Sennheiser asking them about the possibility of coming out with some pleather or leather, and got no answer until today...

Well done Dekoni!!

 

[endgame]

Ordered the dekoni perforated 650 pads off massdrop but have not heard anything about 800 pads... are you sure?

Positive. I’ve been emailing with them. They’re going to be made available around November 15.

 

[joseph69]

and I have just started saving for utopia.

Have you even heard them long enough for a good evaluation? If not, I would definitely suggest doing this. Don't let their price and rave reviews sway you to buy the Utopia without listening to them.

Don't get me wrong, they weren't bad by any stretch, and impressive in some areas, but simply too overrated for their ridiculous high price.

+1
I had the Utopia out on a 16-day loan and was not impressed. As a matter of fact, I listened to them for only 10 out of the 16 days because I didn't even want to listen too them anymore.

 

[Swiftfalcon]

Have you even heard them long enough for a good evaluation? If not, I would definitely suggest doing this. Don't let their price and rave reviews sway you to buy the Utopia without listening to them.

I listened to the utopia at stores from chord hugo and blown away by the clarity and resolution. I m impressed but also afraid that the immediate wow factor might wear off with their kind of sound presentation.

 

[daltonlanny]

Have you even heard them long enough for a good evaluation? If not, I would definitely suggest doing this. Don't let their price and rave reviews sway you to buy the Utopia without listening to them.
+1
I had the Utopia out on a 16-day loan and was not impressed. As a matter of fact, I listened to them for only 10 out of the 16 days because I didn't even want to listen too them anymore.

Same here.
I listened to them for about 10 days, then kind of stopped listening to them due to listening fatigue or something.
I just kinda lost interest in them.

 

[SilverEars]

What EQ are others using here? I like everything else except the forward nature of sibilance and the cymbal gets really piercing. I need to tone down that part of the FR(if I get that reduced, I think it would be bearable).

$300 Monoprice Monolith M1060 preforms better than these. HD800 or the 800S are not so great performance per pricing.

 

[joseph69]

I listened to the utopia at stores from chord hugo and blown away by the clarity and resolution. I m impressed but also afraid that the immediate wow factor might wear off with their kind of sound presentation.

So if you listened to them for yourself, why would you let anyones comment turn you away from something that "blew you away"? I've found with anything and everything, the blown away factor will most likely always go away after time, but this doesn't mean you can't still enjoy whatever it may be. So buy what makes you happy. and take others (including mine because the Utopia just wasn't for me) impressions with a grain of salt, especially if you've heard them for yourself.

I actually follow the Utopia thread, and recently posted that I might want to re-visit the Utopia after continually reading the raves, and thought maybe I might have missed something my first time around, and especially after seeing their price decrease, but then I came to my senses!

 

[Swiftfalcon]

So if you listened to them for yourself, why would you let anyones comment turn you away from something that "blew you away"? I've found with anything and everything, the blown away factor will most likely always go away after time, but this doesn't mean you can't still enjoy whatever it may be. So buy what makes you happy. and take others (including mine because the Utopia just wasn't for me) impressions with a grain of salt, especially if you've heard them for yourself.

I actually follow the Utopia thread, and recently posted that I might want to re-visit the Utopia after continually reading the raves, and thought maybe I might have missed something my first time around, and especially after seeing their price decrease, but then I came to my senses!

Its just that my listening sessions were so brief. The details in your face presentation of the utopia wowed me in store but I suspect it can be fatiguing when you use it at home. Anyway by the time I save enough for utopia, I’ll have plenty more info

 

[joseph69]

Its just that my listening sessions were so brief. The details in your face presentation of the utopia wowed me in store but I suspect it can be fatiguing when you use it at home. Anyway by the time I save enough for utopia, I’ll have plenty more info

Your upstream equipment will also be a huge factor.

 

[TonyNewman]

Same here.
I listened to them for about 10 days, then kind of stopped listening to them due to listening fatigue or something.
I just kinda lost interest in them.

Too forward + too much treble energy = listener fatigue (at least for me). Technically brilliant - but not my thing.

It's an impressive headphone for detail, punch, speed. Living with it long term is not something I could contemplate - sold mine and bought a HEKv2. Much more to my liking.

The Utopia taught me the difference between a 'wow factor' headphone and a headphone I can enjoy hour after hour, day after day.

 

[ubs28]

So to summarize:
1. A plastic headphone has better build quality than a premium carbon fibre headphone with leather?
2. A darker headphone like the Utopia is too bright while the HD 800 S is thinner and brighter with no bass impact?

Honestly, the HD 800 S is not even in the same league. The driver of the HD 800 S is too unclear and too weak (has no dynamics what’s so ever). It’s soundstage isn’t good either. If some elements are playing within the soundstage, it’s not clear and vivid. You know it’s there somewhere in the soundstage but it’s a bit fuzzy. With the Utopia it’s all crystal clear and defined.

It’s more like comparing a 4K movie to a 1080p movie.

Also with a super resolving headphone like the Utopia, the quality of the equipment is crucial. If it sounds bad, the problem could be coming from the equipment used rather than the headphone.

I’m not saying the HD 800 and HD 800 S are bad headphones in their respective price range. But it’s not in the same league as the Focal Utopia which is a next generation headphone.

 

[Svatopluk]

Same here.tie
I listened to them for about 10 days, then kind of stopped listening to them due to listening fatigue or something.
I just kinda lost interest in them.

I've had the HD800S for almost two years and the Utopia for going on one. My experience has been unlike the HD800S, the Utopia falls short of it's true capabilities when the amps impedance level is too high. The bass is less focused, instrument separation falls off and the over all sound becomes overly warm and less detailed. I also believe, the depth of the Utopia's sound-stage may be effected in a negative way as well. If the amp, maybe even the DAC, tends to be overly bright or maybe a bit too warm, it can also play a role in the Utopia reaching it's full potential.

Not putting the HD800S down or anything, I plan on keeping mine for a long time but the Utopia on the right setup can be breathtaking in it's own way.

 

[daltonlanny]

So to summarize:
1. A plastic headphone has better build quality than a premium carbon fibre headphone with leather?
2. A darker headphone like the Utopia is too bright while the HD 800 S is thinner and brighter with no bass impact?

Honestly, the HD 800 S is not even in the same league. The driver of the HD 800 S is too unclear and too weak (has no dynamics what’s so ever). It’s soundstage isn’t good either. If some elements are playing within the soundstage, it’s not clear and vivid. You know it’s there somewhere in the soundstage but it’s a bit fuzzy. With the Utopia it’s all crystal clear and defined.

It’s more like comparing a 4K movie to a 1080p movie.

Also with a super resolving headphone like the Utopia, the quality of the equipment is crucial. If it sounds bad, the problem could be coming from the equipment used rather than the headphone.

I’m not saying the HD 800 and HD 800 S are bad headphones in their respective price range. But it’s not in the same league as the Focal Utopia which is a next generation headphone.

In your opinion ^ ...
Alot of people agree with my findings too...
Look how many have went up for sale lately, and look how the prices have come down...
Nothing is perfect...
The Sennheisers and Hifimans have many flaws as well.