My first questions are about the DAC and amp (plus equalizer, if any). Are you using the same setup as for the demo? What are you using? Many headphones are transformed in a good or bad way by changing the setup. The hyper sensitive Utopia will pick up on every small change.
Pad wear can be a major issue – beyond goop they flatten over time and bring the drivers closer to the ears. Alternative pad designs can be used to tune headphones too (see Dekoni’s products and @Resolve’s Focal Clear/Pad article on the main headphones dot com site). Switching from a smooth interior pad surface (e.g., leather) to a soft fuzzy one (e.g., microfiber) can have a big impact.
Finally, there is unit-to-unit variation and human time-point-to-time-point variation. Your set may be brighter than the average Utopia (but probably not; the OG Utopia is brightish). Regarding human differences, some headphones sound VERY different to me over time. This is most obvious with closed cups, as they lead to serious fatigue from air pressure. Many headphones sound great at first, but then harsh to me.
My setup has not changed compared to the previous Utopia OG.
I just plugged it into my Fiio K9 AKM as I did with the previous one, and they sound drastically different in the bass region.
This one is an almost 3-year-old unit. It may be because the pads are worn or the goops are seeping into the driver. I’m not sure, so I’m considering sending it to Focal and having it cleaned and inspected. The unit is still under warranty, do you think Focal will take care of it even if I’m not the original owner?
There was BIG gap between the Elex and Utopia for me, so it’s hard to comment.
About the only thing I remember thinking was the spatial presentation was similar, and while I thought the Elex was a terrible match with most tube amps, the Utopia’s best match was with some of those amps.
The Utopia certainly isn’t Bass light though.
It’s also VERY source chain picky, the top end can end up being overly aggressive, on the wrong chain.
The pads do make a big difference, and you should factor a new pair into the cost of a used unit, OEM pads aren’t cheap, I replaced mine this year, and they did make a significant difference.
That’s my takeaway from this years purchases generally, you really shouldn’t neglect the pads on your headphones, I replaced them on both the Utopia and Susvara, and there was a significant change form both.
Yes, I had a driver go out in my Utopia OG and Focal fixed it under warranty. Even better, they replaced BOTH left and right drivers, so they were matched. I love my OG, and it made it like new. Kudos to Focal!
I would also recommend looking into equalization to adjust the output to your preferences. Once I set up a Focal Utopia OG equalization profile in Roon, I am getting the most out of my Utopia OGs.
I had a goopy-pad issue with my Utopia OG, and Focal took care of the whole thing, all at no cost (under warranty). Replaced the pads, and made sure everything was neat and tidy. You should be good to go if it’s still under warranty.
I’ve been told that the goopy pad issue creates a lot of problems, get that cleaned up and sorted out and I think you’ll be set. If you don’t want to send them back to Focal, try [carefully] using alcohol swabs to clean up the goop and replace new pads.
But to answer your original question, I would say Elex has a similar amount of bass to Utopia, but Elex famously clips at higher volumes which really holds back the overall experience. Utopia does not clip. Elex’s bass is not, however, as tight & precise as Utopia’s.