Mr. Resolve,
You have noted the LCD has some of the best technical performance.
Does the Verite come close?
Also, what’s your daily Amp/Dac you prefer or use has a benchmark?
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By that do you mean LCD4? Yeah the LCD4 has better technical performance. But that’s also planar vs dynamic so it’s not a straightforward comparison. Currently I use the Pro iDSD, the Cayin IHA-6 and the SPL Phonitor X
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Some really fine photography on your Instagram. I was creeping, hope you don’t mind. Mad skill set.
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Other than what others have said, in terms of how the Utopia compare to the Verite I will add the following:
I listened to the Elear when they first came out, purchased the Clear and Elegia and listened to the Utopia at an audio show. I also own the Verite. While the new line of Focal headphones all sound different from each other in many ways I feel they do share a similar trait that some have called a house sound and which differentiates these headphones from most others. This trait, I think, is how pronounced transients are in the overall sound, which also makes these headphones very dynamic. By transients, I mean the attack or first loudest part of a note and how fast that note gets loud: “The sudden brief burst of signal energy characterized by a rapid rise and decay.”
This I think can best be heard or identified with steel stringed instruments and cymbal crashes, where the steel-like quality or steelyness of the string and cymbal really comes to life because the acoustic nature of metal when struck, compared to nylon for example, is more transient. I also think the decay of notes is a bit short with these headphones, adding to a perception of the sound being what some people call metallic but I don’t perceive it as metallic or having anything to do with beryllium drivers as only the Utopia have those.
Apart from what others have said, in comparison I find the Verite to express notes with a bit more decay and less attack, making them sound more round and smooth and as such, in my view the headphones sound less dynamic overall, keeping in my mind that this has nothing to do with detail or resolution. For me this is a more pleasurable but a less intense listening experience. When I fist heard the Clear and Utopia my first impression was, wow, these have so much energy and everything really comes to life but after a while, I find that intensity gets fatiguing. In comparison to the Verite I also find the transients to be somewhat exaggerated, adding to what others have described as less natural sounding. That’s why the Verite get most of my listening time.
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Stellia also use a beryllium driver.
I agree with your sentiments regarding fatigue. Their dynamic impact, compounded by the metallic drivers can get fatiguing.
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You pretty much put into words how I feel about Focal headphones thus far and what I have been struggling to say or figure out the why around why I prefer other brands over them especially as you said for longer listening sessions.
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I would agree. I think it is pure sophism to equate a metallic driver to a metallic sound, and I’ve never agreed that this was the cause of Focal’s grating nature. I’ve heard this in a few other headphones (Ultrasone comes to mind) who’s drivers are not metal.
What is Sophism? You can Google it, but to sum it up, it’s a way of thinking that easily misleads oneself into incorrect conclusions. For example, if I were to hold in front of you a magnet and a piece of metal, and told you two facts: 1) Iron is attracted to magnets. 2) This piece of metal is attracted to this magnet. … A sophist would conclude that this piece of metal was iron. Well, it’s not iron. It’s nickel. This type of logic permeates our hobby, and it drives me insane.
I think Focal can be good in small doses, but except for walking the dog with my Porta Pros, I’m usually a hour+ listener and just can’t take it. Add a healthy dose of treble sensitivity to the equation, and Utopias are just subjectively bad to listen to for long durations. The Verite are not.
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I’ve thought the same! Thank you for, you know, using the words and stuff.
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I talk words goodly sometimes. Mostly no.
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I agree, it’s like attributing a brighter sound to silver cables.
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O man I’m sorry, yes the LCD4, sorry typo.
I didn’t see the LCD4 listed in your review as a comparison. I was just wondering your thoughts.
Thank you again for your response.
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Running these off the crack at the moment. I cant describe differences for the life of me. It feels different to the SMSL SP200. Airier I guess. Bit more natural and relaxing. The differences aren’t huge, still very much the Verite sound, but (good) amps really are tailoring and extracting that last 10%.
Verite C hopefully this week to test against VO. I think I’m going to prefer them, but we’ll see!
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Are you running the BottleHead crack amp with the speed ball upgrade or standard?
Yeah, it’s Ballin’
It could use a gain switch and a better volume pot/knob IMO.
With DAC in exclusive mode (vol max on PC), I have the BH volume at around 15%, with some songs being louder and softer, it may need a tweak between 10-20%.
Would gladly have a low gain swich, or a super responsive fine tuning type pot.
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I just placed my order for a purple heart Verite. These are the model he will be sending me. They are b-stock, they are not doing a purple heart production at the moment.
Thanks man I really appreciate your help, super excited to get these.
Zach was super nice, he would respond very quickly to email.
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Grab the universe perf suedes too. I like them!
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I hope so 
I have a the following dacs/amps, RME ADI-2 (two outputs) paired with THX 789 and a Liquid Platinum. I have a Schiit gungnir (3 outputs) paired with the MJOLNIR 2, Ghessli laps 2.5 amp, and the Aune X7s. I also have, THX 788, Modi 3 paired with the liquid spark, and I have the M15 Fiio dap.
So, I will use them on all and see which pairs best.
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Really? What does it do to the sound signature?
It comes with two sets of pads already correct?
It comes with the Verite perf and the Universe perf in Leather.
The new pad guide on the website is neat.
I like Suede for the comfort. The extra “friction” on the skin of a suede gives it a snug feel and sits nicer with glasses on than the leathers.
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How does the universe perforated suede change the sound compared to the universe perforated leather? If you don’t mind me asking. Thanks in advance!