I;m in Florida and it is very swampy here. Have had no problems, altho the air never goes off haha. Unless you were going to use them outside for long periods of time so that sweat etc. (and bugs) got into the works, not a worry. If I were to leave for an extended period, I would make sure they were in a cool, dry part of the house.
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So most manufacturers do burn in the headphones during the QC process. Since BE drivers are so stiff Focal puts 150-200 hours of recommended burn-in time in their manuals however what you’re describing sounds like you’re actually just getting a better seal on the Utopia. Pads play a huge role in the sound of headphones and I imagine what has happened is the pads of now conformed to fit your head better giving you a better seal.
There’s also mental burn-in to consider as your brain becomes adjusted to the sound. It usually takes me a couple days after continuously listening to a different pair of headphones before I feel like the sound isn’t “weird” to me.
5 Likes
Pad seal is a good thought. Thinking about it, it may be a combo of this and reaching optimal burn in.
Thought I’ll share it here if it helps in any way for comparison between He1000v2 and Utopia.
My background is pretty much with headphones. I have spent the most time with them. The most memorable of 2 channel set up for me was in RMAF. I was quite awestruck by both the engineering aspect, fabulous gears, and the best sound I had heard in my life(baseline for my 2 channel experience). With headphones I had more opportunities to listen to mainstream gears - popular headphones like Audeze, Focal, Hifiman, Abyss, ZMF, etc., some popular DACs usually under 1k$ and headphone amps of similar range. I would try to go to local meets whenever I got the chance and try and understand what people thought about different gears and their opinions. On one such meet, I met @atomicbob and listened to his setup. It was the first time I was introduced to the concept of component matching. There were two systems at that meet where the concept of system synergy was put to display.
At that time I had (and still have), a Fir audio IEM and AK player(I got a good deal on both). I was fairly content but something from the RMAF listening experience kept haunting me. For some reason and I am not quite sure yet I decided to get a high-end headphone (maybe I wanted something more than I had). That’s when I bought a He1k v2 (again on a good deal). I had a used Violectric v200 that I paired with He1k and used AK Kann Cube as a source (streamer + DAC). I was mostly streaming from Qobuz and Amazon HD. The combination was pretty good. The warm sound of v200 and great toanlity for He1k (Ill come back to this later). He1k opened me to the possibility that I can have a good listening experience with headphones. For me listening is a little intimate affair. Despite revering the sound of very expensive 2 channel gear, I still prefer my listening over headphones. At this point, I did a couple of impulse buys - a Focal Utopia (again on a deal) and EC Studio Jr, now OOP tube amp.
Utopia vs He1k v2 with Violectric V200 and AK Kann Cube
The toanlity of He1k is pretty mellow. The resolution is very good. The most noticeable aspect of He1k is speed. It is faster than any planar magnetic headphone I have heard. I sometimes am amazed at how mellow it sounds at that speed. With V200 and KC He1k’s bass goes real deep (something I have not yet heard on other headphones I have listened to), the mids are a little forward and the top end sometimes feels a bit rolled off (could be the v200 or KC effect too). If I have to describe the sound as a visual image, He1K’s tonality is like a painting where you can very distinctly see each feature, but also each feature blends itself into its surrounding. The soundstage is pretty good on these. The layering of image separation with He1k is not good, and I really like that. For me, it gives a chance to connect with the music as a whole and not really take notice of each and every instrument coming from a different direction. Everything blends together, a presentation I really like.
The Utopia, I bought to have a different sound, when sometimes I would get bored with He1k. It happen with me. If I keep listening to the same chain, I crave some change from time to time. Now the Utopia, well, they are quite something. Highly resolving. Punchier than He1k, but the bass extension is not as deep. The image separation is something to really experience. Again if I were to give a visual analogy, it would be like an exceptional pencil-drawn picture where the edges are clearly seen, no overlap of the boundary between nearby components. The resolution is truly spectacular. The He1k is resolving but holds no candle to Utopia. A bit too hot to handle for a long time listen even with v200. Most of the stuff about Utopia is already written so I won’t repeat that.
Utopia vs He1k v2 with EC Studio Jr + VPI Prime Scout + Ortofon MC black S + Gold Note PH 10 phono
I do have a turntable. I gave up listening to it because I did not have a good headphone to listen with, till now. So I set up my turntable and gave it a go. Here I must really thank @purr1n for the suggestion of the amp synergy with Utopia. And this is where I have to say things made a difference. There was a reason I brought RMAF experience earlier. Listening to Utopia with this chain (more so the amp actually) revealed what I was looking for all along. It is possible to have good bass, mid and top-end with headphones (as good as your transducer can get) but I think for the first time I understood what a good amp could do. The most spectacular memory of RMAF I have is of an extremely quick transition from the muted part of the music to the loud part. Enough to suddenly hit you and almost wake you up. I have always wanted that experience more than anything else. That’s the experience I missed the most. It was when I was listening to Hugh Masakela’s record that I heard the difference. Earlier with v200 (and most of the SS amps I have experience with ), the sound profile was
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Notice the gradual rise in the loudness and the small dynamic range on v200 vs EC Studio Jr as shown below
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Not only is the dynamic range much larger but it is much steeper. In my listening with all the SS amps I have never had the second experience. Even with top of the line if Amps.
Now, on to Utopia vs He1k. The change in the amp has a big difference on Utopia’s tonality. With EC Studio Jr Utopia is like He1k on steroids. The tonality of Utopia is very close to He1k (the change in tonality is rally drastic, to the extent that I fell asleep with Utopia playing at a decent volume level I listen to). Utopia still has a massive edge over the image separation and He1k still holds the edge for bass extension.
My only gripe now is with my TT. Even with good recording and pressings, it is not as good in resolution as AK KC. Vinyl is more fun to listen to but I wish the presentation was a little warmer. Perhaps I need a better TT and tube phono (I think I am in the warm sound camp for now). It just never ends.
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Excellent post. You have some great gear. I think system synergy is very important too. Enjoy your music.
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Focal Utopia Review
This is my review of the Focal Utopia. Special thanks to Headphones.com in offering a loaner for extended evaluation. The Utopia was provided only on the condition that I submit my impressions or a review to their website. The views expressed below are my own alone and follow from direct experience with all products listed.
Personal focus with audio
I pay more attention to music than audio equipment. My hardware purchases follow a quest for: (1) neutral, high quality reproduction, and (2) low fatigue over long listening sessions. I’m treble sensitive and many products result in hiss, piercing pain, or growing discomfort over time. Some headphones or IEMs result in hiss or pain within seconds – these usually have jagged, random, or excessive treble.
I will seriously consider buying any product that improves sound quality and/or minimizes fatigue. However, I direct my spending elsewhere when my needs are met. At this point I heavily use the Focal Clear, but regularly use the Sennheiser HD-600 too. To my ears the Clear is very close to neutral on most amplifiers with a faint and pleasant gleam (e.g., metallic drivers). To my ears the HD-600 is smooth, slick, and close to neutral on an appropriate amp – but bright, harsh, and thin with limited bass on a weak amp or the wrong amp.
My buying and listening preferences:
- Neutral to barely warm tone – warm headphones don’t pair well with warm tracks.
- Narrow or standard soundstage – if a headphone starts wide it can never be narrow, nor does a wide stage match space-enhanced tracks (e.g., Beatles and Beach Boys stereo mixes, etc.).
- I easily hear differences between single-ended and balanced amps with many dynamic driver headphones. The same set of headphones literally transform from causing heavy hiss and rapid fatigue (i.e., ear pain), to becoming clean and pleasant with a balanced setup. Furthermore, a balanced setup usually reduces my perception of brightness and improves treble clarity. I hear no significant changes to planar headphones with balanced amps.
- I prioritize utility and function over style or luxury hardware.
Focal Utopia: Findings
Children, please eat my candy. My candy is so sweet. You’ll love my candy.
Introduction
The main strength of the Utopia is that it does everything it’s asked to do.
The main weakness of the Utopia is that it does everything it’s asked to do.
The Focal Utopia is a $4,000 headphone and considered by some to be the best on the market. As the Utopia has been available for quite a while, other reviews already provide photos, detail what’s in the box, and explain its fit, comfort, pads, etc. The present review doesn’t repeat such information.
This review compares my impressions of the Utopia to several lower priced neutral headphones. I was eager to evaluate it, as I already own the Focal Clear ($1,500) and Elex ($700), plus the Sennheiser HD-600 ($400). This loaner an opportunity to conduct A-B-C-D tests, and also see what one gets for the money in the Focal open-backed lineup. My primary considerations were technical performance and fatigue over long sessions. The evaluation process included my 50-track fatigue ramp-up playlist. It starts easy and ends with my 100% tinnitus-inducing tracks.
Out of box disappointment: The Utopia ships with two of Focal’s typical headphone cables, and they aren’t very good. These include a short 3.5mm single-ended cable with 1/4” adapter, and a very long XLR-4 balanced cable. Unfortunately, the wire portions appear to be identical to the Elex and Clear. They are very stiff and do not relax over time. To make matters worse, the Utopia uses a different cable connector so I was unable to swap them for my comfortable aftermarket cable. Finally, both of the Utopia’s connectors have red dots – these indicate snap-in orientation rather than left vs. right. Tiny “L” and “R” markings are present on the rubber cuffs, but hard to spot or read. Buyers will either need to live with the factory cables or perhaps spend hundreds of dollars for aftermarket cables.
Audio Quality, Presentation, Details, and Tone
The Utopia is technically superb. The depth, detail, and precision of the bass outclasses anything I own. It outclasses my beloved Clear on most every point. It reaches the highest highs and lowest lows with full control and ease. Effortless. Small effects, such as cymbals and percussion, are incredibly well localized and articulated. Panning moves smoothly and with clarity from point to point, while the volume ramps-up or fades away in the same nuanced fashion. These refined transitions result in a roundness, buttery feel, and fullness that most other headphones lack, and it delivers an experience they can never generate. Try for yourself to understand.
The Utopia has a neutral to bright tone profile. The bass and midrange sound natural and transparent to my ears. It can deliver neutral treble with mild sources, but is often quite bright. The drivers have (1) full frequency extension from deep bass to high highs, and (2) high sensitivity to any treble in the source. Full range extension isn’t brightness per se, but causes a lot of high notes hit the ear in a sensitive frequency range. The Utopia’s genuine brightness follows from drivers that reproduce treble more efficiently than most other headphones. Even the smallest input will be heard.
I perceive a slight metallic tone with the Utopia and other Focal products. Metal drivers avoid the fuzzy, flexing, dampened lack of precision present with the HD-600, but the trade-off is an elevated treble response. I’ve concluded that music can be calibrated for paper, plastic, planar, non-metallic drivers or metal drivers – but likely not calibrated for all driver technologies at once. Most music was seemingly produced and mastered for less-bright (not Utopia or Elex) transducers.
Utopia Defining Characteristic #1: Subtle Differences in Volume. The Clear delivers perhaps 80% of what the Utopia can do in distinguishing between source volume differences. Following my testing, subtle differences in volume underlie much of what is perceived as “details,” “nuance,” or “resolution” in reproduction. Both the Clear and Utopia present the large majority of what was recorded, but even cheap headphones do this too. Transducers with less nuanced volume control present a flat image of the source: details are either heard or not heard. If a detail is slightly softer than other elements it’ll end up buried under other sounds. You simply don’t know how much you are missing until you compare against the Utopia. But, after hearing content on the Utopia (or often the Clear) one can later spot subtle differences that were previously overlooked. The Elex and Utopia both have more intensity than the Clear. However, the Elex has nowhere near the nuanced control of the Clear or Utopia. If you want intensity, get the Elex or Utopia. If you want nuance get the Clear or Utopia. If you want (an often overwhelming) combination of intensity and nuance get the Utopia.
Utopia Defining Characteristic #2: Bass Definition and Extension. The Utopia’s bass outclasses the already good Clear by a wide margin, and outclasses both the Elex and HD-600. It extends deeper, has more authority, and provides high precision to location, shape, attack, and decay. It’s the polar opposite of one-note bass or rubbery bass. However, I’m not a bass-head nor is bass a priority – most of my musical content is in the mid range. The Utopia demonstrates what is possible.
Utopia Defining Characteristic #3: Extremely Responsive Treble. Treble is the Utopia’s doubled-edged sword, and the reason to fully understand your goals and taste before buying. With flat, controlled, smooth, filtered sources the Utopia presents pleasing reverberations, gloss, or a holographic three-dimensional presence. It’s not always bright, and does remain neutral with some content. However, any music with less-than-perfect or harsh treble tends to glare, become excessively bright, or result in piercing pain.
To my ears, most headphones can’t reproduce extreme highs with precision. In owning the HD-600 as well as the Elex and Clear, the highs are handled quite differently. The HD-600 generates gobs of shrill hissy noise on many single-ended amps, while the Elex generates piercing and peaky frequency bands akin to a trumpet. Only the Clear controls the highs and ‘fails’ in the direction of comfort. It combines strong details (Utopia Jr.) and environmental distinctions (e.g., air, room) with minimal fatigue. The Clear seems to convert ‘issue’ treble into general grain and background haze. Music will be heard with reduced dynamics and resolution, and with an elevated sense of ‘wind’ in the recording room. This is a very good thing for minimizing fatigue. I can listen for hours and walk away refreshed. Not so with the Utopia. In sharp contrast, it extends the treble to the highest highs and retains a very black background. So, poor quality or flawed productions result in piercing and harsh treble. There’s minimal grain and grayness, but boy oh boy you will hear every little high-frequency excess or mistake with the Utopia.
An underlying issue with highly technical playback hardware (i.e., the Utopia, and Clear to a lesser degree) is that most studio production uses speakers and less resolving, less extended, less dynamic, and less precise hardware. If the creators and production engineers could not hear the potential flaws, then users with more technical equipment are subject to unknown and never-heard production issues. Many recordings were made at the Sennheiser HD-600 or HD-650 level [or they literally used the HD-600 for critical mastering decisions]. So, the Utopia’s technical excellence creates endless and constant vulnerabilities to random glare, harshness, and piercing pain. Unless production shifts to Utopia-class hardware this danger seems bound to persist for the foreseeable future.
The Utopia led to unexpectedly harsh results with mild sources on my balanced setups (all played through Amazon HD). Before trying the Utopia I considered all of these to be very easy on the ears.
Good to my ears on the Utopia:
- Lorde Pure Heroine – great delivery, with full richness and clarity
Treble issues or fatigue with the Utopia but fine on the Clear:
- Norah Jones Come Away With Me – simple vocal peaks became shrill
- Vampire Weekend Father of the Bride – glares and stabs my ears
- Lana Del Rey Born to Die – even mainstream pop turns into glaring vocals
- Vance Joy Dream Your Life Away – harsh glare from his tenor voice and ukulele
- Tool Fear Inoculum – portions are piercing, have glare, or cause instant hiss/fatigue
During testing I repeatedly said to myself “This hurts. I want to stop listening now.” If I didn’t stop I ended up with a headache and hissing ears – much like the HD-600 on a bad amp. I tried to listen to the Utopia at my normal volume (70 to 75 dB), but ended up turning it lower to control the glare and minimize the random piercing blasts.
Not a Defining Characteristic for Me: Staging. I personally do not focus on staging with headphones. Most enthusiast-oriented headphones are acceptable. There’s only so much one can do with a standard headphone design, and all the Focal products improve staging beyond the HD-600. The Utopia delivers neutral staging and that’s exactly what I want.
Controlling treble with amplifier pairings and equalization
Crank it down!
The Utopia is prone to delivering too much treble. For me, very clean balanced solid state amps (e.g., Drop THX AAA 789) result in narrow piercing tones and mid-high glare with voices, while less resolving solid state amps (e.g., Schiit Magni 3+) result in unfocused hiss and broadly excessive brightness. Neither option is pleasant, nor can either be endured over long listening sessions. Therefore, either equalization or tubes would be essential for regular or heavy use of the Utopia.
I experimented with tube hybrid amps (e.g., Loxjie P20) and an equalizer (Schiit Loki) to soften the treble. This works, but it’s tricky to find a balance between preserving the Utopia’s technical advantages without over-smoothing the output. With too much processing the presentation resembles the Clear or Elex, while only the bass remains superior in all configurations. If one cannot use or enjoy the Utopia’s high frequencies why spend $4,000 instead of $1,500 on the more forgiving and mid-focused Clear?
Who should buy the Utopia?
Take care to avoid the needles in the butter
I see the Utopia as appealing to three types of buyers. Its high price suggests that Focal intends the product for dedicated and knowledgable users. The profiles include:
- Hobbyists who want to maximize dynamics and definition with (1) too flat, too gentle, dead, or very calm music, or (2) those who want to experiment with amps and DACs to find a way to control the treble needles and luxuriate in the Utopia’s buttery greatness. To my ears the Utopia is always a double-edged sword or akin to sleeping with a tiger in your bedroom. A tiger may be a good ‘watch cat’ to keep the burglars away, but may also eat you for breakfast.
- Studio engineers who need to hear potential flaws during production or mastering. Many albums likely sounded fine on the original studio equipment (e.g., 20, 40, 50 years ago), but not so good on recent and highly technical playback systems (beyond Focal’s products). If music sounds good on the Utopia then the treble likely won’t be harsh on other enthusiast equipment, and its brightness helps to detect other production flaws.
- Music enthusiasts who are either not treble-sensitive at all, or who suffer from hearing loss. The Utopia’s nuances are very enticing except for the energetic treble. So, it could be a perfect out-of-box solution for some people.
Average hobbyists with a big budget may pick the Utopia over the Clear based on price as the “better” product – that could be a serious mistake. For me the Utopia was unpleasant with all imperfect, energetic, or bright music. It shocked me by adding glare and harshness to even extremely mild vocals. Try before you buy. After the Utopia demo I returned to my Clear and routine listening habits. For the first few hours I noticed the Clear’s grain and relatively inferior bass. However, my ears recalibrated and it remains fully satisfying. I still want to use the Clear all day, but I don’t want to use the Utopia very much or in the same way.
Comparison Table: Neutral Headphones by Price, Performance, and Use
| Category | Focal Utopia | Focal Clear | Focal Elex | Sennheiser HD-600 | Dan Clark AEON Flow Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Price (MSRP) | $4,000.00 | $1,500.00 | $700.00 | $400.00 | (Discontinued) AEON RT is $500 |
| Experience Summary | Effortless – does everything it is asked to do. Full range, strong dynamics, subtle details, fine control over most aspects of the sound. Slightly glossy and resonant with complimentary sources; too much glare and harshness with many sources. | Details and definition, under control and smooth with most setups. Without hearing the Utopia it sounds fantastic, but does not offer “as much” technically. It still outperforms most studio equipment and music sources. | Clean and strongly dynamic, but often piercing. Very bright on a noisy single-ended amp. Random and uncontrolled content is channeled into exaggerated treble bands. Tone resembles a trumpet. | Accurate reproduction, but with limits to its range, speed, and dynamics. The drivers are plastic and indeed sound like plastic. On a clean balanced amp it becomes smooth and slick. | Closed, sealed cups provide the sensation of listening in a black hole. Accurate to the limits of the driver technology, but not very dynamic or precise. Diffuse. |
| Frequency Range (Useful performance) | (5/5) Deep bass to very bright | (4/5) Good bass to reasonably bright | (4/5) Good bass to very bright | (3/5) Okay bass to very bright | (3/5) Okay bass to pleasant highs |
| Dynamic Character | (5/5) Many perceptual steps between loudest and softest elements. Rounded and nuanced. Sounds emerge, peak, and decay in perfect order – more perfect order than the creators heard. The loudest content is punchy and intense. | (4/5) Many perceptual steps between the loudest and softest elements. The loudest content is typically smooth and comfortable, but can be edgy and unpleasant on some amps. More atmospheric and less punchy than Utopia or Elex. | (3/5) Three exaggerated perceptual steps: s-o-f-t, normal, and L-O-U-D. Has the Utopia’s tuning and tone without its nuances. Sometimes separates instruments from others by volume. | (2/5) Two perceptual steps only: louder or softer – results in a smooth slickness and relaxing listening. In my experience two steps exceeds the potential of most consumer-grade headphones. | (2/5) One to two perceptual steps given the limited potential of the folded planar drivers. Flatness is desirable in closed headphones as dynamics leads to rapid fatigue. |
| Clarity and Precision | (5/5) Beyond the technical capabilities of most sources; extreme accuracy clearly reveals panning and volume changes; clearly distinguishes between elements (e.g., cymbals and percussion occupy their own spaces). | (4/5) Beyond the technical capabilities of most sources; technically able to distinguish between intended recorded content (e.g., voice or instruments) and the room, air, or unintended artifacts. | (3/5) Clean tones and notes, but treble and dynamic exaggerations throw off the balance with some sources. | (3/5) Accurate tone. Slight dampened fuzziness and slickness seems to follow from the random flexing of its plastic drivers. | (3/5) Limited potential of folded planar drivers to reproduce details and nuances; overall presentation is diffuse or dithered. |
| Fatigue: My ears are my guide | (3/5) Average | (5/5) Very low | Worse than average on a single-ended amp (2/5); average (3/5) on a balanced amp | High fatigue, bright, and harsh on a bad single-ended amp (1/5), better than average (4/5) on a clean balanced amp | (2/5) Closed headphones can never be better than fair under any circumstances |
| I want to keep listening | (3/5) Average. Moments of sublime glory interrupted by glare and stabs of pain. | (5/5) Best I own | (2/5) Shudder. Not without EQ or tubes. | (4/5) Relaxing when sorted | (3/5) Pleasant until closed-cup air pressure fatigue begins (1-2 hours) |
| Value | (2/5) Fair | (4/5) Very good | (3/5) Average | (5/5) Excellent | (3/5) Average |
| Amps | Technical potential is a double-edged sword, and it’s ready to stab you in an instant. Often must turn down the treble somehow (EQ or tubes), but it can be tricky to do this without losing nuances and some of its advantages in the process. | Forgiving with less-than-edgy amps (e.g., other than THX), as it tends to convert noise into diffuse grayness rather than piercing treble. Balanced amps are blacker, more dynamic, and minimize the grain/haze vs. single-ended. | Balanced amps help to minimize its piercing shrillness, but any amp may not be enough. May also require EQ to control the treble. | Balanced setup very effective in controlling high-end noise; can work well with many amps; reaches its technical potential with inexpensive amps. | Requires a powerful amp to perform well – otherwise congested and shaky. Thick-toned Magni 3+ helps to smooth its (substantial) technical limitations. No noticeable improvement with balanced amps. |
| Who should buy it? | $5,000+ system budget and an interest in exploring amps, or using it for well-behaved “pleasing” source content. Studio engineers – it reveals even the smallest issues. | $2,000 system budget and an interest in all-around performance. Good for those who listen to harsher source material and want flexible amp options. | $1,000 system budget, into strong dynamics, and not treble sensitive. May improve on some amps (TBD). | $500 system budget and an interest in audio quality and accuracy. Go balanced for a clean top end. Get the HD-6XX to save money or have a warmer tone. | $750 system budget and a need for a stationary (non-mobile) closed headphone. Do not buy unless you NEED closed headphones. |
25 Likes
That was one of the best reviews I’ve ever read. 
It described the baseline (i.e. what you like/dislike) perfectly, so that I could make an educated guess at whether I would would like the headphone.
It looks like you put a tremendous amount of effort in. Thanks.
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Strong effort!!! Your findings describe the Utopia very well as I hear it. It can be glorious but at times also a real bitch.
I agree with your value assessment but might give it a 3/5 if paying full retail with the correct pairings. Used is where it’s at. Pay half price and it’s a 5/5 for me.
Your description of the micro dynamics is very well put.
You have correctly emphasized the need for proper system pairings. I’m surprised you tried it on the THX. Your review makes me even more curious about the clear now. I was under the impression it had a bit more bass emphasis than the U but maybe not!
Excellent review! Excellent review!
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This is without doubt the best Focal Utopia I’ve had the pleasure to read. You have a great way of explaining everything and put your points across very clearly. Even I can easily follow everything. Fantastic stuff. You need to do more reviews. Though I can understand they can be hard work if they aren’t something that interests you much (I don’t enjoy doing reviews. Much better writers out there than me.) But you have a real talent for it. Anyhow, thanks for the great read I really enjoyed it.
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Exceptional review. Setting a baseline. Comparisons. Who it’s for and not for. Gear recommendations. Value. Seasoned sound impressions. Entertaining image with caption.
I wonder what would be the ideal amp pairing - a warm side of neutral transformer coupled tube amp or parafeed/hybrid running British tubes maybe. Or Class A solid state.
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ECP T4 or the ECP 3F would both be fantastic pairings to bring the Utopia and other Focals into a more synergistic listening session! I really am enjoying my T4 with my Stellia… and the T4 really brought the Radiance more into a preferable listen (already a fantastic headphones but the T4 really fleshed them out inline with my preferences without losing what they do well).
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Do I really even need to answer this? 
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Thank you all. This is the product of several years of experience. At one point I thought HD-600 was all I would ever need and the maximum quality I could ever hear. Then I grew.
Here’s a secret: this wasn’t just a “review” per se. It was the first stage of a research effort to SCIENTIFICALLY EVALUATE SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES. Doing this isn’t news, isn’t controversial, and has been done in university and business settings for 100 years. It’s used every day in product design and development. The Utopia’s subtle volume differences made me realize exactly how to move forward with scientific perception testing. Look for a long methods post in a while.
I don’t do regular reviews because (1) my hearing is quite treble sensitive and I pursue a specific sound profile, so I’m not the best judge of many products, and (2) before COVID hit I was very busy and had no time for doing anything like this. Now with remote work and no commuting needed, I had the time.
Again, this wasn’t only a review. It was the first stage of a research process. One must execute systematic comparisons to have context and provide deep value in subjective experience research. Using the THX amp was an unpleasant benchmarking chore but it had to be done. I say this because I like the Elex on the 789 and but hate the Clear on the 789. Why? Same product family too? It’s therefore an essential test and helped me understand the “treble management” strategy for each product.
First-stage observational research like this needs to be followed by hypotheses, a test protocol, and the participation of people who do not expect an outcome (blind testing). My core skills are in research so I plan to contribute in ways beyond conventional reviews. Hobby audio has a lot of room for improvements to its test methods.
I knocked the Utopia down from 3/5 to 2/5 because of the absurd cables. A $4,000 product should have a better cable set than a $700 product, but it doesn’t. It should also not have oddball connectors that don’t work with the rest of the family. So, its true cost is $4,500 plus a lot of aggravation for loyal Focal buyers.
The Utopia new at $2,000 to $2,500 would get 5/5. I think the “utopia” name should be taken as the dictionary meaning – a fictional perfect place that does not actually exist. They may keep the price high because at a lower cost many buyers would return it due to the treble. They seem to keep it in a special-purpose and hardcore user niche. For value calculations, $4K would get you ten HD-600s at retail or 18 (and change) HD-6XXs. That’s true 5/5 value.
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That’s a good point. Accessories can enhance or lower the perception of a product. My Utopia was used and it came with aftermarket cables so maybe I came out ahead, although they are a bit short.
The connector thing is just an odd ball choice that probably came from some product marketer who likely supposed it to be a sales gimmick to say it has special connectors. That wasn’t the decision of a practical audiophile.
I look forward to further postings about your project.
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Thanks for a terrific review. I particularly agree with you regarding three issues:
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Cables - the cables are not acceptable. For headphones this expensive, I expected better. I ended up purchasing after-market cables as a result. (Transparent Ultra XLR)
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Value - I purchased the Utopias used for $2500, which I feel was a great value.
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Amplification - I believe that every headphone will have a wide range of performance based on finding the optimal amplifier to use with it. I tried several with the Utopia before finding the one I liked the best.
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Hi @generic, regarding the cables they aren’t the greatest (Owning the Focal Clears and am speaking from that perspective) I know but they haven’t been a deal breaker for me. With regards the Focal Utopia and the Cables I understand and agree with your view that at the price the retail for they should have substantially better cables.
I am truly looking forward to reading your ‘pet project’ writeup when and if you post it for our perusal. I’m sure it will be a fascinating read.
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I tried several amps and devices that didn’t make the review, as none changed the analysis or conclusions. For giggles I plugged the $4,000 Utopia into a $50 Bravo Audio V2 tube hybrid with a worn vintage Ken-Rad 12AU7. It generates the least treble of any tube I have for that amp. The V2 is educational for testing because it’s extremely sensitive to tube swaps and electrical interference (no external case, just open construction between a plastic sandwich). This is a worst-case-scenario amp, but can actually be okay too.
The Utopia is so sensitive that it produced loud tube tings just when plugging in the jack or moving the case. The Clear and HD-600 never did this – they sound pretty decent. The Utopia was still too bright. Its drivers are inherently bright and require a warm/veiled amp (or EQ).
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It’s kind of ridiculous isnt it. With the Auteur or the VO, I hear next to nothing related to tube noise, with the Utopia I can immediately tell if the amp and tubes need a bit more time to warm up!
The Utopia actually discovered a “noisy” tube for me, luckily all I had to due was give it a slight nudge in the socket to alleviate it.
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You run your Utopia’s from a DCS Bartok? Or is my memory off, I’ve had a busy morning so far.
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Good memory! Yes, I do run them from dCS Bartok headphone amplifier. The sound is sublime, a great pairing with the Transparent Ultra XLR balanced cable. I think it brings out the best in the Utopias.
I also listen to the Raal Requisite SR1a “earfield monitors” from the Bartok through an SPL s800 amplifier (185 Watts per channel into 8 ohms), another terrific combination. The SR1a’s are a different experience than the Utopias: with the Utopias I am 5th row center and with the SR1a’s I am on the stage! So I listen to each one depending on the music and my mood. I feel very fortunate to have the option.
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