So, on the Utopia thread you say "I’d have to say that I definitely don’t think I can afford utopia, but when I listen to these I get to visit." - but you own both, might be an issue of expressing it precisely, but do you own both, or can't afford Utopia, because I guess these two would be mutually exclusive.
Ah, "objective listening" which is an oxymoron, and celestial which is a beautiful word, very nice, stylish language - and it's all it is.
Focal is overblown, overhyped and overpriced - everything from Elegia to these - but the industry is what it is, mostly marketing.
If someone likes them subjectively, kudos, enjoy them and rejoice. That means nothing for the average consumer, in an age where you can't possibly try everything yourself measurements even the playing field. If a person understands what they prefer they can narrow their decision making based on measurements which are not burdened by inconsistent subjective impressions.
Most reviewers out there get stuff for free, and earn money through the content they make - if they are not constrained by objective measurement (and some are starting to do so which is a good trend) then their impression is worth about as much as the marketing material that comes from the compony itself. And some are just deaf, like Zeos.
Well thanks for reducing my entire character to the lowest depths of the toilet. I don’t know what I’ve done to you (or to the honest hard-working folks who are providing these measurements for our benefit) to warrant such derision—although your vitriol does seem to be informed in part by a particularly passionate distaste with Focal’s offerings. I do resent your implication that those of us who appreciate them have deaf ears.
My comment about the Utopia being great to visit was a jocund one in the context of a light-hearted exchange. I do in fact own the Utopias, which I landed on after auditioning an obsessive array of cans. If I used the term “objective listening” then allow me to apologize and correct that to “subjective listening”, which is what I meant—and if the word “celestial” bothered you in its pretense, you’ll forgive me if I allowed some bit of nonsense rub off on me while I was studying English Literature at Oxford. I think you got what I meant, and my sentiments were sincere.
The implication for which I really wanna call you on the carpet is any suggestion that I’m a privileged buyer of high end audio who has no appreciation for the budgetary limitations of others on here. That is not me. This is a forum pertaining to the performance of extraordinarily exacting, premium audio components, which by their own design are often out of reach. I saved long and hard for the gear I purchased, precisely because music is such a foundational part of my life—I don’t have this stuff under glass as museum pieces to impress my friends.
There is a fair amount of snobbery on here—to gaslight me otherwise is unctuous to say the least. Many folks have their preferred brands and some judge other worthwhile manufacturers harshly in ways that are occasionally capricious. You have absolutely no authority to toss me off as a fraudulent, “deaf” Focal enthusiast for the joy I’ve received listening to my Utopias, measurements or no. Amir gave them a pan on here, and although I do have great respect and trust in his expertise, the suggestion that these exceptionally designed headphones are junk is preposterous. And as for you sir, your aggressive, gratuitous attack on me leads me to assume that either you’re a measurements snob who hasn’t stepped away from your calipers long enough to even appreciate music yourself, or you’re just sour grapes.
And in response to your “deaf” comment, I may be a physician by profession but my father was a professional jazz pianist, and my mom sat me down on our 1921 Conover grand piano at age five and insisted that I take lessons from the most celebrated teachers from that point on—until I graduated from college with a major in piano and electronic music (which amounted to synthesizer programming). And I’ve spent decades up to my ears in the most discriminating of audio components—not satisfied with the sound from a stock Fender Tweed Bassman, I built my own boutique one from scratch with point-to-point wiring and an obsessive journey with my tube tester on a quest for the ultimate in matched NOS Telefunken 12ax7s.
I wouldn’t ordinarily stoop to such a pretentious, agonizing review of my credentials if your comment hadn’t been such a personal attack on my inventory. I came to this forum for friendship—and if you’re here for grandstanding then let me assure you you’ve targeted the wrong guy. If you want to waste time and space on here getting into a contest of credibility I won’t engage—because what you’ve shown me of yourself thus far is a clear indication that it would be an embarrassment to attempt to take down someone who is so unsuited to the task.
Thank you for taking your time working out your family of origin issues here at my expense. Now I’m going to move on to more important matters, and you can kindly sit down.