hmmmm. Okay. Would you say the Stellias/Utopias are not huge improvements over the previous items in the line, just different, or are there just better items in their price range?
Also, initial impression of Elegias is realllllllllly good. Definitely had a bit of ear adjustments or just burn in for the first few hours. I’m thinking of the next high end thing I might get in the future and Focal has now jumped to a primary contender in that area.
Verite opens? Closed? Any particulars as to why the Verites over the Utopia?
So they are a bit different but def improvements, I personally just didn’t feel like buying the utopia right away, I was very satisfied with the clear and the elegia was impressive for being closed. I was planning on grabbing the utopia, but the verite interrupted that lol
So I actually don’t like the stellia tuning, I think it’s kinda unrefined and I don’t find that I enjoy it, but some really like it, the technicalities were there for sure, but the signature was a miss for me, I preferred the signature of the elegia to the stellia personally.
A direct upgrade is the clear, and they scale like hell with amps, the higher you go, the higher they go, the elegia is more happy on whatever. The elex would be a slight upgrade but sidegrade with a more exciting w shaped signature
I think both the closed and open. So the main difference between them and the utopia is that the presentation, focal have very unique staging and presentation and dynamics, they are very 360 around your head, and recreate an interesting sound, the dynamics help with this as well. Extremely open sounding for the utopia as well in terms of like not having a headphone on your head blocking the sound, the verite open sounds more semi open in that regard (as do most zmf open imo). The verite staging can depend on the stranger angled pads vs the flat pads with the angled pads giving a strange but interesting presentation (not focal like but artificially increased with strange but engaging positioning), but I prefer the flat pads here so I will be going off that. I think some similarities would be timbre, with a somewhat common timbre but I think with the right pads the zmf has more natural timbre. I think detail is similar but the presentation does make it sound a bit different. Speed is also similar. Both are more fun headphones but the utopia is fun bright neutral and the verite is more fun neutral or fun slightly warmer depending on the pads. The verite closed is more fun than the open is imo
Haha I can see why. Verite’s are definitely the sexier can imo (and also a bit more than half the price of the Utopias). Also ZMF.
That complaint about the Stellia seems pretty consistent with what I’ve read about them. I definitely need to try a pair in person at some point just to really get it.
With the history of QC issues with the Elex I just can’t really go for it rn. Would be cool to listen to though. Seeing the Clear is a direct upgrade to this on the other hand…time to add that to the deal hunting list.
If I do end up going that far I think, from what you’re describing them as (and what I’ve found my preferences to be so far), the verite closed is probably my go to. You think the wood really makes a big difference at all? Read all the stuff about the wood choices, but I’ve only heard my Eikon in Paduak, so I have no personal base comparison.
The angling the Elegias have is weird, but I’m finding I really like the way they’re staging, layering, and separating so far. Especially in comparison to my Eikon.
Used they actually go for similar prices, you can find both in the same price range
So from my experience that has mainly been from one batch, but perhaps you would want to step higher anyways lol. Although do plan on investing in a higher end amp in the future to get more out of the clear
So I haven’t tried enough wood types to say, but most of the different wood types have been a bit different in sound but relatively consistent. I had a vertie open, but sold it for the closed ltd leopardwood, mainly because it was a bit more fun sounding with really not many trade offs going closed so I could use it more easily at work (but I have my own office anyways so it didn’t matter that much)
For me it took a few days before the focal presentation really wowed me, it just kinda hit me and I understood it, I thought it was different and interesting at first but then I got really hooked
I didn’t for my nicer car (stock burmester was actually solid) but I do have a pretty nice system in my h3. It’s not totl nor is it competition ready, but it’s very balanced and really acoustically treated. A car isn’t the ideal place acoustically for a high end system in the traditional sense, but it is a place for great fun lol
Honestly the stock systems in most new mid-range cars are surprisingly good, they use dsp and correction that’s actually well done now and at least don’t use shit tier speakers and components
Yea. Seems to be the case. Regardless I agree, I’d definitely want to step a bit higher.
Next amp purchase is either a real mid-fi tube amp or a Phonitor E or X (if I wanna just skip the whole separate DAC thing). That’s after a long time saving though. Need to grab a Bifrost and/or Monoprice DAC before I even consider the E / tubes, as I’d feel kinda cruel feeding a phonitor with the enog (even though I love it).
Ahh makes sense. Cool.
It’s really starting to throw me for a loop. I think it’ll get even more noticeable when I switch back to the Eikons for a bit of time. Is quite pleasant.
Haha, I still got the stock Nissan Altima audio system from 2010. Is not atrocious when plugged into my iFi Nano. But the aux port is now loose cause of so much use. Gotta fix that.
So with the clears, I personally wouldn’t recommend a tube amp, and the phonitors are good but not great imo, I would personally prefer a violectric v280 at that price range (when they start popping up used again they are sub 1k)
Edited my post above. I think with the liquid platinum you already have a pretty solid amp, I think the next step would be a violectric or perhaps like a gsx mini imo amp wise. But first I would grab a nicer dac
So the violectric dacs are nice, but imo not on the same tier as the bifrost/ares, they aren’t holdover but they also won’t really get close to full potential with those amps, I would really recommend putting more into the dacs imo, as you go up dacs make an even larger difference imo
What would you recommend in the $1500-$2000 range then? If I’m willing to drop that on a DAC (which means keeping the current Eikon + Elegia duo and the Liquid Platinum + Erish for a long time after I pick up the DAC). Bifrost is still the primary choice unless I get a used or on sale ares ii.
Sorry to keep pestering you with these questions, and thank you for taking the time to answer them!
I think it depends on the amp, with the violectric v280 or v281 I like the soekris dac1541 (they are out of stock but apparently they have a new dac coming very soon to replace it) or a Berkeley alpha dac series 2. For the gsx mini, I think something like a holo audio cyan or spring 2 would be my picks there. The lampizator amber 3 is also real solid if you can find a good deal
Personally I would say stick with like the bifrost or ares first and then grab the higher end amp, I wouldn’t say go for this high end of a dac this early. Also look used for all of this of course
Personally not that high, I think sound wise, I would only pay half their msrp, you pay alot for the build, I personally don’t think they are worth based on sound, but the build and comfort are pretty nice, but at 3k it’s a tough sell imo. It is nice for a flagship to have a more warmer and fun tuning, but I think the technicalities are lacking for the price
I mean if you don’t mind a bit more neutrality, the clear is a great step up, and you have a violectric on the way which is an excellent pairing and works very well with the clear, very direct upgrade from the elex. I think if you wanted to go up from the sundara, this would be different, but going for a hifiman arya would be a really nice pick as well imo, would be different presentation from the sundara but a large step up in technicalities and also a more interesting presentation imo
A direct upgrade is the clear, and they scale like hell with amps, the higher you go, the higher they go, the elegia is more happy on whatever. The elex would be a slight upgrade but sidegrade with a more exciting w shaped signature