What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Todd]

It is commonly mentioned:  that you might not have heard of it doesn't diminish the fact.

You cite two entities.  It is not the standard.  You are misusing the word and concept.

Regardless of the graphs, these are very highly regarded headphones, they sound fantastic to me, and that's all that matters.  I made this post to share my joy in my new purchase, not to have you two piss in my pool. I'm done here.

They are not highly regarded.  A very small number of self-selected reviewers reinforce and, importantly, validate your taste.  Consumer audio is a small portion of the overall audio market, and the high-end segment of consumer audio is a niche market, with much snake oil being peddled.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Regardless of the graphs, these are very highly regarded headphones, they sound fantastic to me, and that's all that matters.  I made this post to share my joy in my new purchase, not to have you two piss in my pool. I'm done here.

Just enjoy them and let any naysayer's/critic's comments just drop by the wayside.... The most important thing is that you enjoy your music! 

Best wishes,

PD

[Klavierman]

They are not highly regarded.

They are by people who actually own them. There are hundreds of positive comments from owners in various headphone forums. Take a look. Wait...don't: You'd probably "piss in their pools" to paraphrase Bachtoven.

I own a pair of Focal Utopias, which are basically an open version of the Stellia, and I absolutely love them.

To feel validated, you'll probably have to attack this post, so knock yourself out.

[Klavierman]

Just enjoy them and let any naysayer's/critic's comments just drop by the wayside.... The most important thing is that you enjoy your music! 

Best wishes,

PD

Absolutely!

[Todd]

They are by people who actually own them.

I should hope so, otherwise they'd look foolish for purchasing Giffen goods, now wouldn't they?  I've spent some time on headphone forums and don't mind lambasting people for the ridiculous comments they write regarding sound quality.  Keep in mind, I purchased Focal Elears when they were new, and I don't use them.  Likewise, my Audeze LCD-2s are collecting dust.  I remember when, the stupid Sennheiser Orpheus and some slightly less stupid Stax headphones aside, $1000/pair was considered super-duper deluxe in the headphone market.  But then the companies determined that they could bilk people for even more.  Because technology!  They were right.

As your post and Bachtoven's demonstrates, many audiophiles can listen to something with incontrovertible measured frequency response and then claim that they hear something other than the frequency response can physically deliver.  Now, if you are using some type of EQ, then you can say that you addressed the distorted frequency response to achieve good sound.

As to a magazine reviewer making claims that dynamic driver headphones sound like electrostatic speakers, well, OK.  Sure.  I'll bet electrostatic headphones sound like angels singing. 

I'd sure like to know how much VerVent pays to advertise in the cited magazine, for Focal and/or Naim products.  Fortunately, audio magazines are mere entertainment journals, so perceived conflicts of interest are irrelevant.

[Klavierman]

This is my system:

Speakers:
Magico S5 MkII

Amplification:
Pass Labs XP-22 preamp
Pass Labs X250.8 power amp
Pass Labs XP-17 phono stage

Sources:
Oracle Delphi MkVI turntable/SME 309 tonearm
Koetsu Rosewood Signature phono cartridge
Esoteric K01XD CD/SACD/DAC

Misc:
Focal Utopia headphones
Woo Audio WA2 headphone amp

Update: I replaced the Pass Labs preamp and power amp with a tube Ayon Audio Auris II preamp and Ayon Audio Triton power amp. Wow--the tubes definitely put extra meat on the sound's bones! I'm going to keep using the Pass Labs phono stage--it's dead quiet and works great with the tube amps.

[Todd]

Wow--the tubes definitely put extra meat on the sound's bones!

What, pray tell, is "meat"?  Do you mean distortion? 

[Klavierman]

What, pray tell, is "meat"?  Do you mean distortion?

[Todd]

Distortion it is.

[Daverz]

Distortion it is.

It's not that hard to design a tube amp with inaudible levels of noise and distortion.  It's probably a higher output impedance of the amp that adds a bit of mid-bass warmth with these speakers.  At least that's my experience.

[Todd]

It's probably a higher output impedance of the amp that adds a bit of mid-bass warmth with these speakers.

Mid-bass "warmth" = Harmonic distortion,

or,

Mid-bass "warmth" = Frequency distortion

Distortion = distortion.  Audiophiles have a very hard time admitting that they like distortion and dislike flat frequency response.

[Klavierman]

Audiophiles have a very hard time admitting that they like distortion and dislike flat frequency response.

And you have a very hard time admitting that you are dead wrong, so let's call it a draw.

Don't bother responding. Discussing anything with you, as I'm sure countless other people will agree based on other subforums here, is like teaching a pig to sing: Don't bother. It only angers the pig and wastes your time.

Goodbye.

[Todd]

And you have a very hard time admitting that you are dead wrong, so let's call it a draw.

Don't bother responding. Discussing anything with you, as I'm sure countless other people will agree based on other subforums here, is like teaching a pig to sing: Don't bother. It only angers the pig and wastes your time.

Goodbye.

I do like the last-wordism stuff.  I do hope you post again.  Maybe about hi-res audio next time. 

[Mandryka]

I do like the last-wordism stuff.  I do hope you post again.  Maybe about hi-res audio next time.

OMG. You've pissed him off so much that he's just flounced out of the forum!

[Fëanor]

What, pray tell, is "meat"?  Do you mean distortion?

Whether he acknowledges it or not, he's meaning 2nd and/or 3rd order harmonic distortion.

IMHO and that of many folks, these particular distortion, (at less than, say, -60 dB), sound pleasant in themselves plus they mask unpleasant higher order harmonics and other "nasties" in down & upstream components including the recording itself.

[Spotted Horses]

OMG. You've pissed him off so much that he's just flounced out of the forum!

Maybe he should get a forum badge for that.

[Irons]

Maybe he should get a forum badge for that.

After spending that insane amount of money any criticism is going to hurt. I wouldn't pay those prices if I could afford to, which I cannot.

[Spotted Horses]

I took my Marantz SACD player to the county dump and they charger me $10 to recycle it.

[Bachtoven]

OMG. You've pissed him off so much that he's just flounced out of the forum!

And that's a shame. Klavierman and I became "friends" via PM. He's a concert pianist, teaches at a conservatory, and he has an audio engineering degree. He was generous with his time by giving me some playing tips. He had a lot to offer to this forum, but he couldn't "tolerate the self-important blowhards who persist in spewing misinformation."

[Spotted Horses]

And that's a shame. Klavierman and I became "friends" via PM. He's a concert pianist, teaches at a conservatory, and he has an audio engineering degree. He was generous with his time by giving me some playing tips. He had a lot to offer to this forum, but he couldn't "tolerate the self-important blowhards who persist in spewing misinformation."

Isn't that the effective definition of social media?