@HungryHalibut i am aware if this. For others, . The five foot and ten foot cables are not the same. The five foot cables are thinner and are intended for a mobile device. The cable that would beed to be compared to the Cardas is the 10 foot cable, which lacks the proper termination
The dealer did not recommend an adapter solution for the three meter cable. We discussed it.
On head-fi.org there are reviews of the Cardas cable with the Utopia. Not many, but generally raves. Based on those plus others from a google search, I decided on the Cardas.
I am not ruling out a better headphone amp. However, I donât understand the posts on here about how to connect one to a SN3. Moreover and more importantly, I lack shelf space. The only shelf possible would be the one that already has my HighcapDr as that device is relatively narrow. Are there narrow headphone amps that work well with the Utopia?
Then I would go back to your dealer and explain your dissatisfaction.
Personally, Iâd be suspicious of a recommendation to pair ÂŁ4.7k phones with the headphone amp on a SN3 and suspect you really need a very high quality dedicated head amp to do justice to those Utopias.
But the dealer surely has some responsibility to help you and, assuming the stock cable doesnât resolve the issue, thatâs where I would go next.
Maybe, but it doesnât really matter here. The cable will be fine for a quick test, and should throw some light on whether you donât like the phones, or whether the Cardas cable is causing your current dissatisfaction. They are top end, very expensive headphones, and should sound wonderful. That said, I do wonder if running them off the Supernait will get anything like the best from them. Iâd probably be looking at a top end headphone amplifier for them, or going for less illustrious headphones.
I really suggest you give the shorter cable a go. Just sit next to the Supernait to try it.
I think everyone on here is saying the same thing, but the OP does not seem to want to listenâŚ
The alternative is wait until after a couple of thousand hours of unhappy listening, and if not by then accustomed to the sound find it is too late to persuade the dealer to change the headphones.or cable.
The headphone output of the SN3 must be equivalent to that of the 272 (class A), when I bought the Focal Clear I found the output of the 272 not qualitative enough, I tried other headphone amp in 500 euros, they were no betterâŚ
I finally found my happiness at Topping with the A90D (600 euros), really excellent, it is compared to amps of several thousand euros without problems⌠I tried the Utopia on, it is much better than the Clear and with the Topping itâs perfect! The Utopia is a high class headset, you have to use an amp to match!
Last thing, the break-in is very important! it took the Clear about 50 hours to stabilize and no longer evolveâŚ
Itâs beginning to get better. Not as dull. Not as closed in. Slightly louder. Slightly more dynamic. I had to slightly increase the volume beyond what I would listen on speakers. Some on the post said that is not unusual. Four days in.
By the way, what has your dealer said? Have they agreed to a return/exchange if you are not satisfied? Worth having that option if the combination doesnât work out soon. Not cheap headphones if you are only partly happy.
I havenât read the full thread⌠(my laptop died), but from the first âquite a fewâ posts; seems blaming cable rathet yhan avknowledging Focal headphones need a SERIOUSLY LONG BREAK-IN period.
Only other headphones I have had that needed âmoreâ breakin time were some Ultrasone Edition 5, also with metal drivers.
I believe it is a function of the stiffness that takes awhile to find its ultimate stride.
out of the box, some Clears were crap to the point I was questioning taking them back, as they were a horrid mess with regards to positioning and lacked altogether any front to back stage etc âŚ
after around 800 hours were a different animal and Iâd actually be willing to put them on my head
listenable around 80hours, got proper âhifiâ sound rendering around 400 hours (started to stage better)âŚ
around 800 the treble started to become truly nice/âworthy of a price tagâ that placee them in a premium/âhigh qualityâ equipment category.
The cable upgrade on those Utopias would be recommended anyway, even if the OP didnât need 4.5metres.
play some prodigy fat of the land/pink noise/white noise/orchestral music/what you listen too on repeat at alightly varying âlowâ volume levels until they start to image front to back and left to right âwell beyond the cupsââŚ
cables too, take awhile to settle.
leave the cardas inplace, certainlyâŚ
good marriage would ve ny take! (Focal dont really believe in Cables, the included ones I use for VR gaming and some older sony MDRZ7âŚthe material sheath makes them appear potentially durable)
Or they design an d do listening tests on their headphones using whatever is the cable they supply as standard, so they are âvoicedâ to be how the designer intended and felt was right with those cables, so any other cabkes that have an altering effect on the sound would depart from the design intent (though of course some individuals might like the change - and others not). Not an uncommon approach amongst speaker designers, too.
@BruceW Who are you directing this to? If itâs me, my dealer raves about Focsl Utopia. He does not stock a range of headphones other than the upper end Focsl ones. I have known my dealer for 40 years, even though he was not always my dealer. He has been âspot onâ with his suggestions for my new Naim system so far, so there would be no reason not to trust his recommendations. My previous dealer, whose recommendations I also trust, is not a headphone guy and had nothing to suggest.