Verite Cons - Tonality (not quite as ‘linear’ as I’d like, slightly warm), long lead time, not quite as detailed as Utopia
For me, I like both companies - and this really depends what you value. If you value the traditionally sturdy, high end reputable brand stuff from a well-known company, then go with the Focal. If you want the unique custom handcrafted wood design from someone who is just as passionate than we are (if not more so), go with the ZMF.
I think the bottom line for this should come down to whether you want a warmer sound or a more analytic sound. The technical performance for both trade blows but there isn’t really a shortcoming for either one, unless you really value soundstage - then go with the Verite. But if you want that extra tiny little bit of surgical precision detail, then go with Utopia.
The Utopias have sometimes been faulted for having a metallic nature to their sound (beryllium). The Verite uses less beryllium and it is more a thin coating on the driver diaphragm I, 20% (correct me if I am wrong).
Are there any consistent instances that the “beryllium sound” becomes apparent on the Verite? I was not considering the Utopia as a future purchase because of that potential zing, as I know I would have little tolerance of it; however, I am strongly considering the verite.
Its interesting to me that @TylersEclectic mentions Utopias as being superior for strings, acoustic, classical as thats my audiohphile wheelhouse and why I love my Auteur so much as its an acoustic music monster (at least to my ears). Makes me wonder if I should rethink my bias and perhaps try and sample a Utopia somehow. However, I could just have a Verite and an Auteur…
Apologies if this has already been addressed, Im on Covid decompression and I got another stretch coming so my noodle is kind of lazy at this time.
I was more referring to its strengths not as a comparison to the Verite in that comment. I honestly prefer the Vertie over the Utopia for all music, but like, that is just, like, my opinion on the matter =)
I think that the Verite both open and closed are exceptional and even when I have high end gear on hand I’ll find myself putting on my Verites subconsciously when I sit down to listen. @zach915m makes in my opinion, one of the best headphones currently on the market. For me it is tops, but I’m not everyone else just little ol’ me so I don’t want to speak for anyone else =) if your preference aligns with mine than you will be super satisfied with the Verites though. That being said the Focals are in my opinion just as quality and are phenomenal to listen to… it really comes down to what your preference is. Really can’t go wrong with either =)
In theory, beryllium is self-damping, and shouldn’t have any associated character to it, but people do say that the timbre isn’t as natural. Where this comes from I’m not totally sure, but I don’t think we can draw the conclusion that because the Verite uses 20% vapor deposited beryllium that it has 20% less natural tone. Remember that people say the same thing about some of the other Focal headphones as well, and these don’t use beryllium. Moreover, the Stellia also doesn’t have that same attribution and it does use beryllium. I really think that concern has been overblown in general, but at the very least it’s not something that can be directly attributed to other headphones that use similar materials for their drivers.
I imagine I would be happy with either the U’s or the VO/VC but I have faith in Zach so I will likely go ZMF.
It’s a purchase I got coming down the road a bit anyway as I got a Starlett on order and will probably pair that with a BF2. So I got that to look forward too and then maybe top that off with TOTL cans. Probably a 2021 purchase for me. By then Zach will probably have brought out something else magical that will consume my attention and cause analysis paralysis.
DNA amps are supposed to be absolute gems with either Focals or ZMFs and the BF2, at least from what I can gather, should synergize well with it. So I’m really looking forward to putting that chain together. The DNA amps are powder blue so your purple aesthetic may not jive with them but my listening station/office is blue so a happy coincidence.
The Utopia timbre being an issue does seem inconsistent and is perhaps pyschoacoustics coming in to play within the context of the beryllium, so they say it sounds “metallic”.
I was just more curious if people have come across instances where the purported beryllium sound ever comes in to play with the Verite. Personally I dont think I have come across anything suggestive of that.
Stelia it has speed, but it is a different beast from the Vertie, Hyper efficient, it best an Ananda at this that is a good trick. Verite is a great headphone, but I can take Stelia with me and anything I play through it sound great, iPhone lighting adapter, iPad, MacBook Pro, simple amp and SPL or Headamp. As you get more power I tone the bass down. But with SoundSource it is easy to tune your headphone with FF Pro Q 3 on MacPro with heavier hitting amps.
@Resolve At the price of the Utopia, would you role into Hifiman SUSVARA or Utopia
This is how I feel about my Elegia… I can take it anywhere and plug it into almost anything and it sounds great… I’m looking forward to getting some more head time with the Stellia. My only problem is the Stellia color scheme isn’t as blend into the crowd lol… but it has grown on me as far as color scheme… now I just need to listen to it for an extended period of time to buy one lol
Yes, I want a Stellia that looks like an Elegia. Yet another reason why the Elegia is the ideal work/office headphone. If I had rocked up at the office wearing a Stellia - I’d get some weird looks. With the Elegia, no second looks. Although I suppose these days I’d be more likely to run into @taronlissimore wearing a Stellia at the office haha.
I do not think Utopia sounds metallic at all. I think it sounds quite natural to me. The VO is also really good but more colored in that it has as slightly elevated bass response which gives it a warmer thicker sound, while also having a recessed upper mid-range and lower treble which gives it the laid-back easy-going sound, with an upper treble boost to give it some sparkle. Both are top class resolution, but Utopia is more forward and just slightly better and faster.
You can go either way, and it’s a matter of what I consider a more neutral sound vs a more warmer sound.
I think people say the Focal open-backs have a “metallic” sound because the have an emphasis in the upper-midrange and lower treble regions, which give some emphasis on instrumental harmonics.
Being someone who has an analytical bent. I think the Utopias would be at the top of my list if I could afford them. Though obviously there are the Stax and other Earspeaker designs like Raal and the HEDDphone (others too). Though with these options you need to factor in the Beefy Amps and extras to drive them.
but my listening station/office is blue so a happy coincidence.