Like any sane person I ignored the trolls below and went ahead and bought a pair. A day in here are my initial thoughts: 1) comfort - generally comfortable although the band sits a little tight on the top of my head compared to my HD800s say 2) sound - very engaging, very incisive, and very direct - the HD800s sound distant against them (not helped by their lower sensitivity) 3) bass extension - bass can seem a little lightweight (and no more so than the HD800s) but only on inferior recordings. With high quality digital for example (eg Qobus) they can be breathtaking. 4) upper mid - some evidence of upper mid congestion even resonance which is particularly noticeable with high sopranos (eg Lucia Popp) or upper register orchestral instruments at full tilt. I put this down to the need for them to burn in a little. Overall a distinct improvement on the HD800s except perhaps for late night easy listening (maybe just a tad too intense). Are they worth the extra money? Only if you are very serious about your music listening. Tested with both a Naim Uniti2 using a range of sources (Linn LP12, Esoteric RD-1 CD player, Naim HDX QNAP NAS, Youview TV box) and a Meridian Explorer USB DAC with Windows 10 PC (still waiting for my Chord Hugo TT to be returned from servicing), and with a range of genres from Kate Bush to Pierre Boulez!
*(¬‿¬)These are very nice headphones and I enjoy them everyday. They sound lovely and won't squeak unless you are a headbanger. Much love from beautiful Bangor, Maine where recreational marijuana is legal for all to enjoy, home prices are still some of the lowest in the entire nation, auto insurance is the lowest in the entire nation and the scenery is absolute nirvana. Please spread the word! BANGOR, MAINE.*
@@haruyamagucci4622 *"home prices are still some of the lowest in the entire nation"* Yikes! that doesn't like a place where many people want to live. LOL
always love your videos, you seem like a really genuine guy, love the real emotion you show and clear real enthusiasm for these headphones. wishing you the best in your retirement
I auditioned the Utopia yesterday with the firm intention to buy it, under the influence of hype explosion, but I was amazed to prefer the HD800S!!!!! I only tested them with classical music, and the Sennheisers felt much more relaxed and in tune with the natural airiness,pf the music. Felt to "closed" with the Utopia!!! I can't believe I prefered the humble Sens to the huge 5000$ Utopia. In a way I was disapointed, but on the other hand I saved a lot of money. All my biases were for the Utopias and I still prefered the Sennheiser. Incredible I think.
Brandon Brandon I think time will prove the HD800S to be the BEST headphone in the world in terms of cost/performance. I still enjoy the LCD-3f for a more relaxed fuller sound, but the HD800S is just incredibly transparent and well balanced.
I also have LCD-3s, I also just had a listen to the Focal Utopia yesterday and, I also was not impressed with what I heard to what I was hoping to hear from all the comments. I did like the 360 surround imaging but the speed, transparency and image size is just sub-par compared to electrostatics (STAX) At least I don't think they are worth the price difference (2-3X!!!) of my LCD3s, I will keep looking
I demoed these in a store, with decent amplification, and found the resolution to be weakest. While they were extremely detailed, they sounded thick to both me and the friend I was with.
There is no way in the world I would release a pair of headphones from my company costing $4000 with that bloody squeak. Incredible. That should not have passed the design stage, not when they are that expensive. That would be like getting in to a top of the range Porsche and finding the seats squeak when you get in and out.
I think once you get past $1500-$2000 for a pair of headphones you lose a lot of buyers even those that could easily afford it. I would buy a $4000 pair of headphones if they sounded great and lasted 20+ years but i'm not that confident in electronics. I will most likely purchase the Elear keeping the other 3k in the bank. I'm all for these new high price flagship headphones but I look at them more like prototypes and hope the technology will trickle down to more affordable headphones in the future.
Some electronics do last more than 20+ years, especially in the music equipment industry where nothing really gets outdated, but rather something different comes up. The best and most expensive electric guitars, guitar amps, are from the 60's and 70's. All the original orphues are 20+ years old, the sennheiser hd 580 are getting to that age and most are still going, there are other stax models in the same situation. My sennheiser hd 600 are a couple of years old but they are in equal conditions to some of the units that 10+ years old, and thats a $300 headphone so it isn't really fair to compare to this. Does that mean this squeaky bastard will last that long? HELL NO
+Santiago Flores exactly, right now I am wearing my Bayer DT250 studio monitor headphones, that are from 2002 and they have been in use every day for the last 14 years LOL, and my Mackie HR824 monitors from even further back 👍
There are plenty of headphones that last decades. Sony MDR-V6 are known for being long lasting and easily repairable. Heck, if we include electronics in general, my keyboard is older than I am.
These are amazing, and do they make noise when handling them? Yes if you actually physically twist the cups, do they squeak? No, do they sound like high performance machinery being ratcheted, yes oh yes they do and it is a wonderful sound IMO. They are perfectly, and I mean perfectly quiet when on head, which is where most people would use them I imagine so not sure what people are whining about here that they "squeak". If you can buy them, go for it, after all its the absolute perfection of sound you're striving for if you're considering this pair anyway, right? Well focal delivered, in spades!
I wouldn't be able to live with the squeaky sound when handling them. I think most people that like Hifi are generally sensitive to sound in their daily life. I know I buy a better product of most things because of how they feel or handle when being used. I'm going to assume that the carbon fiber is not an artisan build and is just injection molded resin. Which yes, is still carbon fiber but doesn't produce a high-quality manufactured component.
No, I think this is the real deal. You can see the underlying carbon fiber and see where there are imperfections in the mat as it's folded and mashed into shape.
I looked at the photos just now. You're right, it looks like woven carbon fiber. Yet it does look poorly thought out. When comparing the price it shouldn't look like patchwork construction. My road bike has a lot of carbon fiber components. I build it by choosing components from many manufacturers and it all fits together without squeaking and it's supporting my weight while being almost eight years old. Anyways, thank you for another great review.
+Cypeq are you talking about quality or weave? Yes, the weave should be different but the quality of the product depends upon whom built it not what they are building. I'm not an carbon fiber expert, just voicing my view.
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING YOURSELF...Save up these are the special ones. Very Punchy. Tonality. Small image. Confused a little. It's just not big. Bass response a tad low for you? Most audiophiles will be really happy. YOU ARE A GOAT! 10/10 Goat barrbarr
I own the Elear and many have spoken about the Focal lack of soundstage, I agree it's not wide and like you, I'm thinking it might be a reverse property, maybe all other dynamic headphones are creating soundstage through their design, perhaps in the baffle inside the cups. This makes sense to me, because the Focal are the most open design yet, with the baffle designed to get out of the way of the drivers as much as possible. My Beyer T1 has perhaps more sparkle and more soundstage, but adjusting the perforations on the inside of the earcups makes a dramatic difference to both tone and soundstage. The Elear and perhaps the Utopia just don't create this possibly false sense of soundstage that other headphones have.
I am lucky to own a pair. I have not heard any squeaks in 2 weeks. These are nice but the Elears are also amazing- more fun sounding and also noticeably lighter.
I just checked the price of the HD 800 S, and they retail at $1699.95 These headphones cost $2,300 more, and that doesn't even include the price of a headphone amp
I understand that comparing the sound and price to value when it comes to that it's looking at an ok price for everyone. But i don't understand why it has to be so expensive, i mean, yea, reasearch takes money and time, but not so much to sell a pair of headphones at 4000$! And then there's the build, carbon fiber, lamb skin, blablabla. Lamb skin for a first is not expensive at all, carbon fiber while yes it can be expensive, a tiny piece like that would be meaningless to add that price to the headphones. I just don't understand why they need to be so expensive when i'm more than certain that they only take a fraction of that price to be built. I'm not hating on the headphones, i'm hating on the fact that we're not all millionares and that we can't all afford it. Heck, i got myself a pair of HD700s for 310euros, fired up EqualizerAPO and added my own config which makes them sound nearly identically the same to an HD800 (except for soundstage since that's physical. If anyone wants the preset, let me know.), and i'm happy with it. So i got the 700s for 310 euros, now they sound even better, how does 4000$ justify this ? I'm sure that they sound mind blowing but do they sound over 13 times better ? Idk about that. All i'm saying is that price to what you get is not right when the prices rise, you'll literally have to pay 4 or like 5 times the amount of your headphones to buy another pair that sounds a bit better. It's unfair to all of us. Then there's also the new Orpheus model from Sennheiser. Oh wow, you used marbel, how cool, marbel is not an expensive thing guys and neither is a censor that initiates a little lever to make some tubes pop out on the top. And then the headphones, i don't even need to say anything about this, i mean, not matter how good a pair of headphones can be, heck, even perfection, i would never pay 50000$ for a pair of heapdhones because in the end of the day, those materials that make the headphones themselves don't even cost 1% of what you pay. And don't get me started on how it takes a whole day to build one, it also takes a whole day for a construction day to finish his day off, and if you think about it, the guy making it is not a fucking rocket scientist, yet he probably gets payed a stupid amount for building one of them and going through all the tests. I'm sorry for making this long and i'm sorry for my bad english, it's not my native language but i tried my best.
I think the reason you're not seeing the same sort of size of imaging or soundstage is because there appears to be a bump around the 1k to 1.5k range, that is likely causing a slight perceived contraction of size. This bump shows up in both your own and Jude's frquency charts from Head.Fi.
Add the tech and exotic materials used behind the Utopia and Elear alone is worth the price to own either or both. This will certainly become very highly valued collectible. Was thinking maybe Focal could produce/build in some replaceable/flexible gel-like material of some sort that can be placed on the slider/headband area to alleviate the squeaking noise made by the carbon fiber.
You can buy beryllium tweeters for $30 on ebay. Yes this is a premium product made by a premium company out of premium materials using premium labour, and premium engineering. However, they are not scarce, and AFAIK are not being made in limited quantities. They will devalue. Other better/competitive products will arise. This is no doubt an excellent product made by a very good company but it is very expensive, will not hold its value and will not be immune to competition.
I agree you are correct on some points there, but the end product surely speaks a lot I think.. also this is the world where there is a terrible truth about the prices of high end audio, where the economics are dictated by tastes'.
I was probably trying to talk myself out of these as much as anything, and live in hope for disruptive technologies or companies (arguably these are disruptive). Well I guess equilibrium theory still sort of holds in that these undercut/compete with two other (IMO) overpriced flagships. The people that are probably laughing are the ones that bought AKG K70X and are still enjoying $200 headphones despite all the better but more expensive models since. But for those crazy enough to spend so much money for The Best Right Now, someone needs to pay young Focal Jr's university tuition fees XD (and also keep engineers employed).
I should also probably add the price in a way makes sense. You have the $30 tweeter which probably uses very derivative technology and poorer materials, then intermediate competitor using better engineering and materials, and then high end product which requires a lot more development and leverages experience/skills from an established company and also uses cost no object materials. And the product is to a degree disruptive, and may not be feasible or attractive business proposal at lower price point. Having a statement product along with similar more affordable model is quite good idea. This price might just be what it has to be, and at least the performance is reportedly excellent.
Well, I didn't believe you first, but now omg, they sound outstanding, the best listening experience I ever had. On the fourth day I was addicted. If you find them for just over 2k it is a fantastic deal. I am blown away how good they sound, also they have perfect treble in my opinion, great punch, simply the best headphones!!
"BEST headphone ever" "worth every penny of $4000" but goes on to say "small imaging" "bass could be more pronounced" Ive heard the exact review, from Tyll, of $500 headphones.
That headphone is generating a gravitational field of their own as you can see it bends the light around them, pay attention to the FOCAL characters on the black box :P
I automatically knew that these had beryllium in them:p They use the same materials in these that they use in their flagship car audio line. It is probably what makes them so expensive. Me being from the car audio world, I never realized focal made headphones:p
Normally I would dismiss claims like "World's best headphones" instantly, but this coming from Tyll, they honestly must be the planets number 1. The only problem is the price tag :p I wonder if I ever be able to listen to them, since they are probably too expensive for shops to hang around to demo.
Stax and Orpheus are both electrostatic headphones. So it's a bit unfair to compare them to the Focal's dynamic drivers. Different quality, different league.
this review proves you can relay to people usable info they can understand. which makes your other reviews i spoke on previously make me smdh. the flip side is at 4k i'd wouldn't even consider buying them even if i could afford them. lol
You are probably asked this all the time, but what do you use your serious listening cans/amp for? Do you connect it to your computer and use them for everything, or do you only use it for serious listening to high quality audio like CDs/records? Do you burn audio to your computer and listen to it there? I have a very cheap (albeit pretty nice) setup which is an ATHM50x connected to a usb Scarlett 2i2 amp which is plugged into my computer. I use it for everything, including producing electronic music. While I'm at it, what music do you like listening to? :D
Focal is the best! I have the Spirit One S, and honestly, they're every bit as good as my Sennheiser HD 600. Can't wait to try the HD 800 and Utopia, though
most probably that image height problem could be the small hole on outside. need to be more open. planar cans always have height usualky due to large surface, so I'll probably wait for them to make bigger diameter driver..
Another Nice Review -- I have watched almost the reviews I can find before buying -- mine are on the way. As is a 2.5m braided copper cable from CustomCans with a 6.5mm jack. These will be driven by a Pathos Aurium Valve Headphone Amp.
sdf afasdf Not one reviewer says so.Dynamic drivers are simply not comparable to electrostats.Sr 009 beats utopia in every single way by a wide margin be it treble,bass,soundstage,resolution,mids,comfort build quality.You need to listen to them more, electrostats don't sound good at first or maybe the unit which you heard was defective.
Is it just me or is there some strange link between audiophiles and Diana Krall...Norah Jones gets mentioned a lot also. Is it that she has very well recorded albums?
Purchased a complete Naim CD/Pre/Power/Hi-Cap/Focal Aria speaker package for the same price! great 'phones though just shaved by the Stax 007 got the Elears to complete the package
After looking at your measurements and basing my thoughts solely on those alone, I would conclude that the base is a tad loose looking at the THD+noise and the impulse response. However I do acknowledge that these are open headphones so the impulse response compared to a closed headphone might look a little un-inspiring, along with the THD+noise measurements. I do have a question about this, does the base on these in any way sound loose or flabby? Also is this trend similar on most open headphones where the base (in the measurements) looks loose when to the ear is tight and punchy?
Is there any plastic in it's construction? I know there's carbon fiber but it looks like there's still plastic too on the sides. I would never drop $4k on a pair of headphones that aren't completely metal and/or carbon fiber. And for that kind of money they need to engineer out the creaking.
So with a Chord Dave, AK 380, HD Downloads only at say $500-$1K per year, around $17-19K should get you a nice tune or two. I'm slumming it with an $ 800 combo. Not to keen on divin' in to my rainy day money just yet.
Frequencies are frequencies, the quality of the frequencies cannot be represented in a graph.. if that weren't a factor then most headphones would sound more or less very similar with a little more of this and a little less than that. As you know, it's not at all that simple. I'm sure there's some sort of "magic" in the quality of the flow of electric current within the wires here..or something.. at least I would hope so at that price :P
Measurements are important to me. But I also want to listen to a headphone before I buy it. It takes time to get used to a new pair of headphones. Hence the sound seems to change over time. I would expect that this model is a carrier of technology for Focal and the name Utopia does not just refer to the price.
How much of a leg up r these from the Sennheiser HD 800 S or are they in a completely different league? Because we have to take into account a proper tube amp to go with these I take it.
1. Creaky build quality 2. Lacks bass 3. Narrow soundstage 4. $4000 While I know Tyll knows his shit when it comes to sound quality, man those shortcomings just aren't okay considering the price.
![โอ้เธอช่าง... - บี้เดอะสกา ft. ต๋อง เทวัญ (Prod. by ป๋าเพชร) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zbWhiLFmVL0/mqdefault.jpg)
Stunning, absolutely gorgeous. Please could you tell me where you purchased the shirt?
Nou
Like any sane person I ignored the trolls below and went ahead and bought a pair. A day in here are my initial thoughts:
1) comfort - generally comfortable although the band sits a little tight on the top of my head compared to my HD800s say
2) sound - very engaging, very incisive, and very direct - the HD800s sound distant against them (not helped by their lower sensitivity)
3) bass extension - bass can seem a little lightweight (and no more so than the HD800s) but only on inferior recordings. With high quality digital for example (eg Qobus) they can be breathtaking.
4) upper mid - some evidence of upper mid congestion even resonance which is particularly noticeable with high sopranos (eg Lucia Popp) or upper register orchestral instruments at full tilt. I put this down to the need for them to burn in a little.
Overall a distinct improvement on the HD800s except perhaps for late night easy listening (maybe just a tad too intense). Are they worth the extra money? Only if you are very serious about your music listening.
Tested with both a Naim Uniti2 using a range of sources (Linn LP12, Esoteric RD-1 CD player, Naim HDX QNAP NAS, Youview TV box) and a Meridian Explorer USB DAC with Windows 10 PC (still waiting for my Chord Hugo TT to be returned from servicing), and with a range of genres from Kate Bush to Pierre Boulez!
You are a lucky man. My best sounding headphones are monoprice retro with brainwavz xl paf
Terrific build quality. Squeak squeak.
*(¬‿¬)These are very nice headphones and I enjoy them everyday. They sound lovely and won't squeak unless you are a headbanger. Much love from beautiful Bangor, Maine where recreational marijuana is legal for all to enjoy, home prices are still some of the lowest in the entire nation, auto insurance is the lowest in the entire nation and the scenery is absolute nirvana. Please spread the word! BANGOR, MAINE.*
@Haru Yamagucci: Isn't Bangor, Maine the place where all the terrible stuff from Stephen King's books is happening? :D
timecage can u just quit typing if ur only spreadin negativity on every channel
@@haruyamagucci4622 *"home prices are still some of the lowest in the entire nation"* Yikes! that doesn't like a place where many people want to live. LOL
@@androcci You can be that negative guy that everyone hates. It's ok as I enjoy good music and family. That is all.
1:17 '''build quality is absolutely terrific'' while you can hear it cracking from all sides lol.
T Shak horrific he means
We miss you man!
For $4000 does it come with WD-40?
Carbon Fibre Resin + WD-40 is a bad idea. It would slowly eat the resin then release the fibre threads.
I think he was being sarcastic :)
+Neojhun depends on the resin.
try dupont dry teflon
HAahhahahhaha
I bought myself a pair for Christmas 2019. Stunning. I can't bring myself to use any of my other headphones. Money well spent.
How do you feel about them now? I’m considering these.
always love your videos, you seem like a really genuine guy, love the real emotion you show and clear real enthusiasm for these headphones. wishing you the best in your retirement
I auditioned the Utopia yesterday with the firm intention to buy it, under the influence of hype explosion, but I was amazed to prefer the HD800S!!!!! I only tested them with classical music, and the Sennheisers felt much more relaxed and in tune with the natural airiness,pf the music. Felt to "closed" with the Utopia!!! I can't believe I prefered the humble Sens to the huge 5000$ Utopia. In a way I was disapointed, but on the other hand I saved a lot of money. All my biases were for the Utopias and I still prefered the Sennheiser. Incredible I think.
bernamej That Is awesome how do you like your hd800 s after a month of use?
Brandon Brandon I think time will prove the HD800S to be the BEST headphone in the world in terms of cost/performance. I still enjoy the LCD-3f for a more relaxed fuller sound, but the HD800S is just incredibly transparent and well balanced.
Hey, how does the LCD-3f compares to the Utopia? Thank you!
I also have LCD-3s, I also just had a listen to the Focal Utopia yesterday and, I also was not impressed with what I heard to what I was hoping to hear from all the comments. I did like the 360 surround imaging but the speed, transparency and image size is just sub-par compared to electrostatics (STAX)
At least I don't think they are worth the price difference (2-3X!!!) of my LCD3s, I will keep looking
well, aren't you a special snowflake?
I don't know why, but I believe everything you say more with the beard. Looks solid!
Wish you were still reviewing headphones
Pretty impressive. For any company so new to headphones to start from scratch and create such awesome equipment.
Thank you for all the videos, I find your channel is the only one that I can trust on TH-cam.
These really are as good to me as Tyll says.
$4000.00 dollar headphone,,,still creaks lol
exactly what i thought^^
As he said, probably the CF.
it's part of the experience
Still better than using shitty Japanese headphones
Japanese headphones make it onto InnerFidelity's wall of fame all the time.
with this price, hope it blows me everynight..
hope? No man, expect....expect.
Hahahhaha
Pfft. Wives are way more expensive than $4000.
and then play some hiphop
....you forgot to say away again.
They are without a doubt one of the top 10 headphones in the world. I also reviewed them on my channel.
I listened to them the other day and love them.
You are holding and looking at the headphones like a mother does to her newborn baby
mic9check rather have headphones than a baby
I demoed these in a store, with decent amplification, and found the resolution to be weakest. While they were extremely detailed, they sounded thick to both me and the friend I was with.
considering my Focal Trio6 Be's are incredible.. I have no doubt that these are absolutely spectacular as far as sound quality goes
That squeaky sound though.
There is no way in the world I would release a pair of headphones from my company costing $4000 with that bloody squeak. Incredible. That should not have passed the design stage, not when they are that expensive. That would be like getting in to a top of the range Porsche and finding the seats squeak when you get in and out.
I know right? At first I thought it was his chair squeaking. Probably because the chair at my workdesk started squeaking a week ago.
The beard suits you Tyll, I expect Christmas themed shirts come December for that Santa vibe.
Oh, and great review of the Focal Utopia!
I think once you get past $1500-$2000 for a pair of headphones you lose a lot of buyers even those that could easily afford it. I would buy a $4000 pair of headphones if they sounded great and lasted 20+ years but i'm not that confident in electronics. I will most likely purchase the Elear keeping the other 3k in the bank. I'm all for these new high price flagship headphones but I look at them more like prototypes and hope the technology will trickle down to more affordable headphones in the future.
Some electronics do last more than 20+ years, especially in the music equipment industry where nothing really gets outdated, but rather something different comes up. The best and most expensive electric guitars, guitar amps, are from the 60's and 70's. All the original orphues are 20+ years old, the sennheiser hd 580 are getting to that age and most are still going, there are other stax models in the same situation. My sennheiser hd 600 are a couple of years old but they are in equal conditions to some of the units that 10+ years old, and thats a $300 headphone so it isn't really fair to compare to this.
Does that mean this squeaky bastard will last that long? HELL NO
+Santiago Flores exactly, right now I am wearing my Bayer DT250 studio monitor headphones, that are from 2002 and they have been in use every day for the last 14 years LOL, and my Mackie HR824 monitors from even further back 👍
There are plenty of headphones that last decades. Sony MDR-V6 are known for being long lasting and easily repairable. Heck, if we include electronics in general, my keyboard is older than I am.
My God can you imagine if they come out with a "second generation" next year LOL
These are amazing, and do they make noise when handling them? Yes if you actually physically twist the cups, do they squeak? No, do they sound like high performance machinery being ratcheted, yes oh yes they do and it is a wonderful sound IMO. They are perfectly, and I mean perfectly quiet when on head, which is where most people would use them I imagine so not sure what people are whining about here that they "squeak". If you can buy them, go for it, after all its the absolute perfection of sound you're striving for if you're considering this pair anyway, right? Well focal delivered, in spades!
I wouldn't be able to live with the squeaky sound when handling them. I think most people that like Hifi are generally sensitive to sound in their daily life. I know I buy a better product of most things because of how they feel or handle when being used. I'm going to assume that the carbon fiber is not an artisan build and is just injection molded resin. Which yes, is still carbon fiber but doesn't produce a high-quality manufactured component.
No, I think this is the real deal. You can see the underlying carbon fiber and see where there are imperfections in the mat as it's folded and mashed into shape.
I don't care about the squeaking or the looks. If it is $4000 it is not leaving my house :p
I looked at the photos just now. You're right, it looks like woven carbon fiber. Yet it does look poorly thought out. When comparing the price it shouldn't look like patchwork construction. My road bike has a lot of carbon fiber components. I build it by choosing components from many manufacturers and it all fits together without squeaking and it's supporting my weight while being almost eight years old. Anyways, thank you for another great review.
you think bike carbon fiber which has to take so much physical stress is the same quality as a headphone band?
+Cypeq are you talking about quality or weave? Yes, the weave should be different but the quality of the product depends upon whom built it not what they are building. I'm not an carbon fiber expert, just voicing my view.
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING YOURSELF...Save up these are the special ones. Very Punchy. Tonality. Small image. Confused a little. It's just not big. Bass response a tad low for you? Most audiophiles will be really happy. YOU ARE A GOAT! 10/10 Goat barrbarr
lmao
I own the Elear and many have spoken about the Focal lack of soundstage, I agree it's not wide and like you, I'm thinking it might be a reverse property, maybe all other dynamic headphones are creating soundstage through their design, perhaps in the baffle inside the cups. This makes sense to me, because the Focal are the most open design yet, with the baffle designed to get out of the way of the drivers as much as possible. My Beyer T1 has perhaps more sparkle and more soundstage, but adjusting the perforations on the inside of the earcups makes a dramatic difference to both tone and soundstage. The Elear and perhaps the Utopia just don't create this possibly false sense of soundstage that other headphones have.
I am lucky to own a pair. I have not heard any squeaks in 2 weeks. These are nice but the Elears are also amazing- more fun sounding and also noticeably lighter.
Still one of the best. Soundstage is not supposed to be so big as the HD800, that is something they did by removing a lot of the naturality.
I just checked the price of the HD 800 S, and they retail at $1699.95
These headphones cost $2,300 more, and that doesn't even include the price of a headphone amp
I understand that comparing the sound and price to value when it comes to that it's looking at an ok price for everyone.
But i don't understand why it has to be so expensive, i mean, yea, reasearch takes money and time, but not so much to sell a pair of headphones at 4000$!
And then there's the build, carbon fiber, lamb skin, blablabla.
Lamb skin for a first is not expensive at all, carbon fiber while yes it can be expensive, a tiny piece like that would be meaningless to add that price to the headphones.
I just don't understand why they need to be so expensive when i'm more than certain that they only take a fraction of that price to be built.
I'm not hating on the headphones, i'm hating on the fact that we're not all millionares and that we can't all afford it.
Heck, i got myself a pair of HD700s for 310euros, fired up EqualizerAPO and added my own config which makes them sound nearly identically the same to an HD800 (except for soundstage since that's physical. If anyone wants the preset, let me know.), and i'm happy with it.
So i got the 700s for 310 euros, now they sound even better, how does 4000$ justify this ?
I'm sure that they sound mind blowing but do they sound over 13 times better ? Idk about that.
All i'm saying is that price to what you get is not right when the prices rise, you'll literally have to pay 4 or like 5 times the amount of your headphones to buy another pair that sounds a bit better.
It's unfair to all of us.
Then there's also the new Orpheus model from Sennheiser. Oh wow, you used marbel, how cool, marbel is not an expensive thing guys and neither is a censor that initiates a little lever to make some tubes pop out on the top. And then the headphones, i don't even need to say anything about this, i mean, not matter how good a pair of headphones can be, heck, even perfection, i would never pay 50000$ for a pair of heapdhones because in the end of the day, those materials that make the headphones themselves don't even cost 1% of what you pay.
And don't get me started on how it takes a whole day to build one, it also takes a whole day for a construction day to finish his day off, and if you think about it, the guy making it is not a fucking rocket scientist, yet he probably gets payed a stupid amount for building one of them and going through all the tests.
I'm sorry for making this long and i'm sorry for my bad english, it's not my native language but i tried my best.
Squeaky clean audio for 4k sounds about right
Tyll, very good. Keep doing what you're doing, in precisely the way you're doing it. And keep growing and improving as you see best.
I think the reason you're not seeing the same sort of size of imaging or soundstage is because there appears to be a bump around the 1k to 1.5k range, that is likely causing a slight perceived contraction of size. This bump shows up in both your own and Jude's frquency charts from Head.Fi.
I would only spend this kind of money if Focal offers life long warranty
Add the tech and exotic materials used behind the Utopia and Elear alone is worth the price to own either or both. This will certainly become very highly valued collectible.
Was thinking maybe Focal could produce/build in some replaceable/flexible gel-like material of some sort that can be placed on the slider/headband area to alleviate the squeaking noise made by the carbon fiber.
You can buy beryllium tweeters for $30 on ebay. Yes this is a premium product made by a premium company out of premium materials using premium labour, and premium engineering. However, they are not scarce, and AFAIK are not being made in limited quantities. They will devalue. Other better/competitive products will arise. This is no doubt an excellent product made by a very good company but it is very expensive, will not hold its value and will not be immune to competition.
I agree you are correct on some points there, but the end product surely speaks a lot I think.. also this is the world where there is a terrible truth about the prices of high end audio, where the economics are dictated by tastes'.
I was probably trying to talk myself out of these as much as anything, and live in hope for disruptive technologies or companies (arguably these are disruptive). Well I guess equilibrium theory still sort of holds in that these undercut/compete with two other (IMO) overpriced flagships. The people that are probably laughing are the ones that bought AKG K70X and are still enjoying $200 headphones despite all the better but more expensive models since. But for those crazy enough to spend so much money for The Best Right Now, someone needs to pay young Focal Jr's university tuition fees XD (and also keep engineers employed).
I should also probably add the price in a way makes sense. You have the $30 tweeter which probably uses very derivative technology and poorer materials, then intermediate competitor using better engineering and materials, and then high end product which requires a lot more development and leverages experience/skills from an established company and also uses cost no object materials. And the product is to a degree disruptive, and may not be feasible or attractive business proposal at lower price point. Having a statement product along with similar more affordable model is quite good idea. This price might just be what it has to be, and at least the performance is reportedly excellent.
Well, I didn't believe you first, but now omg, they sound outstanding, the best listening experience I ever had. On the fourth day I was addicted. If you find them for just over 2k it is a fantastic deal. I am blown away how good they sound, also they have perfect treble in my opinion, great punch, simply the best headphones!!
"BEST headphone ever" "worth every penny of $4000" but goes on to say "small imaging" "bass could be more pronounced"
Ive heard the exact review, from Tyll, of $500 headphones.
I ain't dropping 4 grand on headphones that creak. I had an MSR7 which has the same problem.
That headphone is generating a gravitational field of their own as you can see it bends the light around them, pay attention to the FOCAL characters on the black box :P
Came for the review, stayed for the shirt.
I automatically knew that these had beryllium in them:p They use the same materials in these that they use in their flagship car audio line. It is probably what makes them so expensive.
Me being from the car audio world, I never realized focal made headphones:p
Normally I would dismiss claims like "World's best headphones" instantly, but this coming from Tyll, they honestly must be the planets number 1. The only problem is the price tag :p I wonder if I ever be able to listen to them, since they are probably too expensive for shops to hang around to demo.
Pipo Pasta He considers sr 007 and 009 to be the best.
Great review as always. Have any plans to review the hifiman edition s?
i thought the sennheiser orpheus was the worlds best headphone.
I just asked on the website for a comparison to the new version of the Orpheus. We'll see what he says. :)
$50,000... think about the SLIGHTLY better sound you MIGHT get outta the orphious and tell me how that makes them the best in the world.
+Charles Ramirez Oh, no doubt even if the Orpheus do sound better, these are the better value at this price.
stax sr 009
Stax and Orpheus are both electrostatic headphones. So it's a bit unfair to compare them to the Focal's dynamic drivers. Different quality, different league.
is it good for all genres? like the beloved hd 800s ...
I'm guessing the Focal marketing team weren't quite so taken with Bob Katz' take on the Utopia vs his preferred Stax combination, but that's showbiz.
Beautiful, magnificent! Can you tell me where to buy one of your beard trimmers
P.s. I bought a HD800 because of you. Best decision ever especially for a treble metal Adam Jones lover like me
this review proves you can relay to people usable info they can understand. which makes your other reviews i spoke on previously make me smdh. the flip side is at 4k i'd wouldn't even consider buying them even if i could afford them. lol
They are a statement for sure, a piece of art by all meaning but this comes at a price most of us can not afford
Just bought one I cant wait for it to arrive, any amp dac recommendations?
nice!
Smsl m500 mk2 is terrific with it.
Only 200$ nowadays
That excited face you make near the end though.
awesome review, but way out of my price range. Can you do a review on the Technics EAH-T700?
Auditioned this before and it didn't sound $3000 more compared to HD800S. They're better overall though.
Amazingly a year from now Sennheiser makes the best headphone ever the 800, in their German plant for less than half the price!
You are probably asked this all the time, but what do you use your serious listening cans/amp for? Do you connect it to your computer and use them for everything, or do you only use it for serious listening to high quality audio like CDs/records? Do you burn audio to your computer and listen to it there? I have a very cheap (albeit pretty nice) setup which is an ATHM50x connected to a usb Scarlett 2i2 amp which is plugged into my computer. I use it for everything, including producing electronic music.
While I'm at it, what music do you like listening to? :D
Focal is the best! I have the Spirit One S, and honestly, they're every bit as good as my Sennheiser HD 600. Can't wait to try the HD 800 and Utopia, though
For that money and being French I'd have expected more thought being put into design. Is the whole casing and band carbon fiber?
Quite a leisurely review.
most probably that image height problem could be the small hole on outside.
need to be more open.
planar cans always have height usualky due to large surface, so I'll probably wait for them to make bigger diameter driver..
I listened to these and IMO it's because the muddy midbass and not-so-extended treble.
Another Nice Review -- I have watched almost the reviews I can find before buying -- mine are on the way.
As is a 2.5m braided copper cable from CustomCans with a 6.5mm jack. These will be driven by a Pathos Aurium Valve Headphone Amp.
just received them. sound amazing, no squeaky sound. simply beat sr-009 imo.
Can you buy me stuff too? I'll do whatever you want, as long as it can be done over the web ;)
sdf afasdf Which amp did you use for sr 009?Stax is in a whole different league compared to Utopia.
M920+007tA I like the bright sound of Utopia more
sdf afasdf Not one reviewer says so.Dynamic drivers are simply not comparable to electrostats.Sr 009 beats utopia in every single way by a wide margin be it treble,bass,soundstage,resolution,mids,comfort build quality.You need to listen to them more, electrostats don't sound good at first or maybe the unit which you heard was defective.
I can buy you stuff IchBinEin. Don't worry, giving me your name and credit card number can be done over the web.
Merriam Webster's website definitions for "hyperbole" and "exaggeration" should just link directly to this video.
TimmyK916 well said
My pair is coming now in August 😊
I cant wait this man review the nura if thy come into market.
Is it just me or is there some strange link between audiophiles and Diana Krall...Norah Jones gets mentioned a lot also. Is it that she has very well recorded albums?
Purchased a complete Naim CD/Pre/Power/Hi-Cap/Focal Aria speaker package for the same price! great 'phones though just shaved by the Stax 007 got the Elears to complete the package
After looking at your measurements and basing my thoughts solely on those alone, I would conclude that the base is a tad loose looking at the THD+noise and the impulse response.
However I do acknowledge that these are open headphones so the impulse response compared to a closed headphone might look a little un-inspiring, along with the THD+noise measurements.
I do have a question about this, does the base on these in any way sound loose or flabby? Also is this trend similar on most open headphones where the base (in the measurements) looks loose when to the ear is tight and punchy?
What Amp/Dac did you use to test it? Any ones in paticular the headphones prefers?
I do all my testing and evaluations using the Simaudio Moon Neo HA430. It's a very neutral amp and comparisons seem very stable with it.
Is there any plastic in it's construction? I know there's carbon fiber but it looks like there's still plastic too on the sides. I would never drop $4k on a pair of headphones that aren't completely metal and/or carbon fiber. And for that kind of money they need to engineer out the creaking.
"Build quality is absolutely terrific" Ha. Ha.
Majestic beard.
Still would go with something that has planar magnetic drivers
Hey yo can you review the sennhiser orpheus??
(Sarcasm)
Worth every penny
Dynamic headphones rules!!
Can you do a review of audioquest night hawk and pioneer se-master1?
So with a Chord Dave, AK 380, HD Downloads only at say $500-$1K per year, around $17-19K should get you a nice tune or two. I'm slumming it with an $ 800 combo. Not to keen on divin' in to my rainy day money just yet.
I looked at the graph. They seem to be fairly recessed in the highs. The roll off is rather steep.
Frequencies are frequencies, the quality of the frequencies cannot be represented in a graph.. if that weren't a factor then most headphones would sound more or less very similar with a little more of this and a little less than that. As you know, it's not at all that simple. I'm sure there's some sort of "magic" in the quality of the flow of electric current within the wires here..or something.. at least I would hope so at that price :P
Measurements are important to me. But I also want to listen to a headphone before I buy it. It takes time to get used to a new pair of headphones. Hence the sound seems to change over time.
I would expect that this model is a carrier of technology for Focal and the name Utopia does not just refer to the price.
Are they electrostatic? I've never heard any moving coil headphone compete with a good electrostatic.
Off topic a bit here but @ 6:36 and again @ 7:37 there appears to be some paranormal activity happening.
It's his cat messing around in the background.
wind
*****
Cat ghost?
kvn864
But the window is closed
How do they compare to the Sennheiser Orpheus.
What are you plugging the headphones into? Curious about your signal chain for listening tests. Thanks!
How much of a leg up r these from the Sennheiser HD 800 S or are they in a completely different league? Because we have to take into account a proper tube amp to go with these I take it.
These or the new Beats Monster Boom Base 007 special edition in lipstick red?
The Meze empyrean also use carbon fiber and no squeaking in sight. And it's only 3000$ :P
He reviewed a pre production pair...
1. Creaky build quality
2. Lacks bass
3. Narrow soundstage
4. $4000
While I know Tyll knows his shit when it comes to sound quality, man those shortcomings just aren't okay considering the price.
Bryn Barker That's why i prefer beyerdynamic t1 and hd800. You can just eq them to get more bass without loosing any soundstage.
Have you heard them? On which dac/amp?
He says in the video the creaking comes from the Carbon Fiber.
My carbon fiber violin bow doesn't fucking creak.
Impressive review!
Did I just hear it creaking ?
God how I would have liked Tylls take on the Verite...
Would these pair well with a Luxman P-700u headphone amp or are they better suited with the SIMAUDIO Moon 430HA headphone amp?
Have you ever compared the Utopia's to the Focal Clear MG's? Are the Utopia's that much better?
For that price I should be able to hear angels sing.
for proper angelic tonality, tube amp is mandatory
Exactly.....They should be made out of diamonds that puke out gold coins
Try listening to a pair of really nice headphones while on LSD. Like another world of music.
+Tristin Hamilton Yeah man Pink Floyd that would do it for me.
Can you give a brief comparison of the Utopia with the sr009
Does it sound better then the Sennheiser HD 800 S?
Umm I guess not, i'm sure you feel guilty about purchasing them and that's why your not responding
How do they compare to the flagship Stax SR-009 ? Or would that be an unfair comparison?
have you ever reviewed JVV HAS40B? couple years old I know
it sounds funny when he is handling it