5:35 please note that formerless coils for headphones have been state of the art for decades because that was the standard for microphone capsules which were the basis of most headphone capsules/miniature loudspeakers. The unique characteristic about the Focal's coil is the single layer of windings. Formerless coils usually have multiple layers of windings to increase packing density and improve structural integrity. The only benefit of being single layer is less weight and lower inductance which results in more bandwidth. Imo reliabilty is more important than 80 kHz but ymmv.
The improvements of the Focal Utopia 2022 gets completely canceled out by the price increase though (1K more). If the stayed at the original price or "only" costed 500 USD more than the original the improvements would be worth it.
Lol, I don't think that those 500$ are going to be a dealbreaker for a real buyer. We all see these and dream about purchasing them. But that's just dreams. Those who can really afford to spend 4000$ on a pair of headphones, they have very expensive amps, dacs, turntables, collections. They are people that have devoted a lot of money into this hobby, so... No... 500$ are not going to make any difference in the real world of these headphones
More warmth, more air, & a wider soundstage - Almost all my gripes were addressed. Can't wait to hear these! One thing I am curious though is if they still have that infamous metallic character to the treble. Even if it is smoother the timbre was a pain point for me. Like you said though nothing is perfect, but if they fixed that it'll be damn close.
@@krisrudecki9477 Utopia prices will be tanking.. they are already at $2k with aftermarket cables. There will be more hitting the market for 1.5k to 1850 over the next month. Just beware of scammers they have infested the classified at headfi and usaudio mart.
I just hope they addressed the QC problems that the Elex had 🙄 i wanted to buy the elex but i saw too many people complaining of driver clipping and outright driver failures
The Elex and early Elears had QC issues. The Clear and up had next to no QC issues. I think the drop collab had something to do with the qc issues. I still think a product in this price range should come with 5yr warranty and the current warranty offered by focal is not good enough.
@@KirkLazurus yea it's a real shame i really liked the aesthetics of the elex i think it's one of the best looking focals to date and the utopia 2022 really reminds me of it looks wise, i just think they completely abandoned it on the quality and customer service side which on even a 700$ headphone is unacceptable let alone a 4K$ dollar one but im almost certain the new utopia won't have those issues it's just the price regular everyday audiophiles won't be able to swallow😰
My Elex are 4 years old with absolutely zero issues. They’re the reason why I never seriously considered getting an Utopia because from a timbre perspective, they’re very similar. It’s a “Prince & the Pauper” thing. I couldn’t justify the 6x price of the Utopia. Yes, it was more refined but I was getting pretty damn close with the Elex.
I have OG Utopias and love them DEARLY...these i want though. will be sad to have to wait however long until i can get a significant discount on the used market…
I would love a pair of these primarily for their sound and detail retrieval, I purchased the Focal Clear and Clear MG, Elegia and Celestee and read about and saw photos on Reddit and other such forums that Focal headbands easily snaps and cracks in half by gently placing on and off your head, it's a design flaw from Focal's part as the headband is mixed with metal and a thin layer of plastic, this has me really worried as these headphones are quite expensive and I'm not rich, I'm quite new to the audiophile world and have done a lot of research into getting resolving headphones that I can afford but am hearing driver clipping when listening to music even at low volumes, I just want people to be aware of these issues that Focal headphones have so people save their money.
Honestly this is the main reason I'm hesitant to upgrade. EQ works so well on the original Utopia that it's difficult to justify getting a new headphone.
what i want from a headphone is bass, because it is the big thing i like about my speakers system. i use tone generator for assessing that goal, but you could use a song like the "curtain shaker" i find on youtube. think its somewhere below 20hz and it shows me the capability of sub bass i could expect. anyone got the chance to listen for sub bass in the utopia?
The OG is available now at a reduced price new; do you think these improvements are significant enough that it’s a mistake to take the opportunity to get the og’s now?
My only issue with the original Utopia was its narrow soundstage vis-a-vis AKG and Sennheiser. All this techno-babble is interesting but doesn't mean much until an actual audition. Unlike other audiophiles, I judge headphones based on live concert sounds from 30 years of attending the symphony and opera. The same orchestra will sound different in different concert halls just like different sound signatures in headphones.
Sure, it's expensive, but we're not talking about $25,000 headphones or even $200,000 speakers. So you certainly can afford it, like any true enthusiast who spends their time and money on fewer but very expensive things (like almost everything was few years back) rather than, nowadays, wanting everything you can have/buy on earth (for as little money as possible and often ending with crappy things). But of course, you'll have to be patient and make concessions on the new top tier smartphone every year or two, the far too big car, the shiny new kitchen, the swimming pool, the trips around the world, etc... The best example are gears for high-level sportsmen/athletes whom often earn very little but are truly dedicated to their passion and spend everything in it rather anything else. You have the choice man. Passionate? Or not? 😊
For those commenting about how easy focal headphones bass clips is mostly true, except for the old Utopia, when measured it showed to be very well controlled even at 104 dB, but oh boy $5000!? and still you need EQ to get a good bass? I'll pass
I have the original Utopia and the bass is VERY responsive to EQ. It's more than enough for me, and I'm kind of a bass head. The HD800S, however, can't achieve decent bass even with EQ.
@@SpykerSpeed I have the same pair and agree. Also, The trend of cheap low distortion amps hasn't done favors to the utes. They're responsive to equipment and a lot of the common gripes imo come down to poor pairings w electronics
Jude, did they fix this clipping issue? Does it still have this ''feature" where headphones clip at lower wolume than competitors? Its strange that there is 0 presence from Focal themselfs on head fi, but there are dozens of reviews around the net. Did they even care about customers?
While Focal drivers are indeed innovative, their headband breaks easily, the earpads are very expensive and little to no consideration is given to repairability when designing the headphones. Their out-of-warranty repair also costs more than a new pair. I admire their driver design but wouldn't spend money on their product again after the headband of my Elex snapped and the only solution with reasonable cost is replacing it with HiFiMan headband.
It’s hardly a wonder if it has to cost that much to be one. I am not sure what to think of Focal. On one hand, they have some rather smart people there and I primarily mean the sales department and marketing folk. On the other hand, if you are a customer, you are the one paying for trips, accommodation, food and drinks for all the influencers they bring to their facility. Even folks from MI channel aren’t immune to it as they’re slowly learning the benefits of social media. One can hardly open a milk bottle without the name ‘Focal‘ jumping out. Also, I don’t appreciate the word ‘realism’ being used so prominently in this review. I don’t think it is realistic-sounding as the upper harmonics of a violin or sympathetic string resonance of a piano sounds slightly artificial in nature. It isn’t a big issue but it’s there nonetheless and for a hefty chunk of cash you are expected to pay for it, you should really expect spectacular performance with acoustic instruments like these. I’m not here to tell you whether you should buy it or not since everyone can do what they please. Think about it this way - for this kind of money you can buy an actual acoustic piano and learn how to play it, if you’re into that kind of a thing. You can also get a subscription for the philharmonic orchestra or theatre in your area and that can be a mind-expanding and humbling experience. This is coming from someone who spent a LOT (too much in fact) only to learn you don’t need to spend that much because, in case you DO spend too much, at some point it stops being fun. Cheerio!
People who describe og Utopia as bright and lean ... and then show the picture of running straight out of Dave 🤔😐😂 plug it into any good tube amp and it will be lush and full bodied, in fact for me its often too dark and I need to bump the output impedance for some tracks 🤫
IMO bump the OI was not really necessary. If you want it darker, try driving them out of transformer coupled tube amps. their OI is not that high. Neither do Utopia’s
Is it really that hard to make a headphone with a flat frequency response because that response looks like absolute shit. Whats up with the massive boost from 2 to 7k? And why measure past 20khz?
X9000 combo is more open and detailed, more transparent, but also can be fatiguing. Utopia + Luxman is a combo I’ve actually owned and is wonderful! Dynamic & engaging, natural sounding with more than enough detail even if somewhat short of X9000 potential. I recommend saving the $ and getting Utopia setup
![[TH]FFWS SEA 2024 Fall - Knockout Stage Day 5](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N2tl9xkQyyU/mqdefault.jpg)
5:35 please note that formerless coils for headphones have been state of the art for decades because that was the standard for microphone capsules which were the basis of most headphone capsules/miniature loudspeakers.
The unique characteristic about the Focal's coil is the single layer of windings. Formerless coils usually have multiple layers of windings to increase packing density and improve structural integrity.
The only benefit of being single layer is less weight and lower inductance which results in more bandwidth. Imo reliabilty is more important than 80 kHz but ymmv.
Yeah. Focal driver reliability is still scuffed.
I was ecstatic to meet you in person. Thanks for being such a cool guy! Until next year. 😊
Jude, pure class as always. Thank you for the video!
Thanks for this Jude, looking forward to hearing it soon
Very very excited to hear this one. Really nice review
The improvements of the Focal Utopia 2022 gets completely canceled out by the price increase though (1K more). If the stayed at the original price or "only" costed 500 USD more than the original the improvements would be worth it.
At least it was not a shrinkflation kind of change. 😄
Look up something called inflation. $4000 in 2016 is around $4500 in 2022. So it's a 10% price increase, for a better package...
Lol, I don't think that those 500$ are going to be a dealbreaker for a real buyer.
We all see these and dream about purchasing them. But that's just dreams. Those who can really afford to spend 4000$ on a pair of headphones, they have very expensive amps, dacs, turntables, collections. They are people that have devoted a lot of money into this hobby, so... No... 500$ are not going to make any difference in the real world of these headphones
Finally, the wait is over.
More warmth, more air, & a wider soundstage - Almost all my gripes were addressed. Can't wait to hear these! One thing I am curious though is if they still have that infamous metallic character to the treble. Even if it is smoother the timbre was a pain point for me. Like you said though nothing is perfect, but if they fixed that it'll be damn close.
Yeah, I could forgive air just a bit, and the soundstage...the added warmth would be really welcome though.
What amp did you use with it? A THX one or the A90?
Fantastic review and exactly what I was looking for. A great mix of data and observed listening.
Now let’s get a new focal Stellia in navy blue color
this needs to be the Utopia mk2 or Utopia rev 2... I'm excited to see the OG Utopia move down into mid fi prices that I can afford.
☝🏾all im thinking is, hmm….Hopefully this drops used utopia prices. Lol.
This is 1k more, used Utopia are around 2,5k and they will stay there I think 😑
@@krisrudecki9477 Utopia prices will be tanking.. they are already at $2k with aftermarket cables. There will be more hitting the market for 1.5k to 1850 over the next month. Just beware of scammers they have infested the classified at headfi and usaudio mart.
I just hope they addressed the QC problems that the Elex had 🙄 i wanted to buy the elex but i saw too many people complaining of driver clipping and outright driver failures
The Elex and early Elears had QC issues. The Clear and up had next to no QC issues. I think the drop collab had something to do with the qc issues.
I still think a product in this price range should come with 5yr warranty and the current warranty offered by focal is not good enough.
FWIW, I have a first-run Elex and it works perfectly fine
@@KirkLazurus yea it's a real shame i really liked the aesthetics of the elex i think it's one of the best looking focals to date and the utopia 2022 really reminds me of it looks wise, i just think they completely abandoned it on the quality and customer service side which on even a 700$ headphone is unacceptable let alone a 4K$ dollar one but im almost certain the new utopia won't have those issues it's just the price regular everyday audiophiles won't be able to swallow😰
@@KirkLazurus the Clear also had driver clipping issues
My Elex are 4 years old with absolutely zero issues. They’re the reason why I never seriously considered getting an Utopia because from a timbre perspective, they’re very similar. It’s a “Prince & the Pauper” thing. I couldn’t justify the 6x price of the Utopia. Yes, it was more refined but I was getting pretty damn close with the Elex.
Outstanding review. Great job. Really enjoyed listening to this.
Nice. Now to grab a great deal on the OG!
The atrium driver also moves pretty easily if you blow on it
Pretty sure that's the case for most good drivers. Maybe all.
I have OG Utopias and love them DEARLY...these i want though. will be sad to have to wait however long until i can get a significant discount on the used market…
the most beautiful review i ever saw
I have listened to two different Focal headphones and they both sounded dark -- veiled even. That was a deal breaker for me.
Nice railcar chore jacket!
I would love a pair of these primarily for their sound and detail retrieval, I purchased the Focal Clear and Clear MG, Elegia and Celestee and read about and saw photos on Reddit and other such forums that Focal headbands easily snaps and cracks in half by gently placing on and off your head, it's a design flaw from Focal's part as the headband is mixed with metal and a thin layer of plastic, this has me really worried as these headphones are quite expensive and I'm not rich, I'm quite new to the audiophile world and have done a lot of research into getting resolving headphones that I can afford but am hearing driver clipping when listening to music even at low volumes, I just want people to be aware of these issues that Focal headphones have so people save their money.
How does the new Utopia compare to an EQd old Utopia? It responds very well to EQ so I'm curious what the changes are above tonality.
Honestly this is the main reason I'm hesitant to upgrade. EQ works so well on the original Utopia that it's difficult to justify getting a new headphone.
what i want from a headphone is bass, because it is the big thing i like about my speakers system.
i use tone generator for assessing that goal, but you could use a song like the "curtain shaker" i find on youtube.
think its somewhere below 20hz and it shows me the capability of sub bass i could expect.
anyone got the chance to listen for sub bass in the utopia?
The OG is available now at a reduced price new; do you think these improvements are significant enough that it’s a mistake to take the opportunity to get the og’s now?
At this price I think I'll stick with my budget MDR-Z1R.
Yeah, that seems like common sense to me.
My only issue with the original Utopia was its narrow soundstage vis-a-vis AKG and Sennheiser. All this techno-babble is interesting but doesn't mean much until an actual audition. Unlike other audiophiles, I judge headphones based on live concert sounds from 30 years of attending the symphony and opera. The same orchestra will sound different in different concert halls just like different sound signatures in headphones.
So when is the new Stellia coming?
Yeah want a new Stellia in navy blue color
Finally, another amazing headphone normal people can't afford. Great job audiophile world! 😃👍
Sure, it's expensive, but we're not talking about $25,000 headphones or even $200,000 speakers.
So you certainly can afford it, like any true enthusiast who spends their time and money on fewer but very expensive things (like almost everything was few years back) rather than, nowadays, wanting everything you can have/buy on earth (for as little money as possible and often ending with crappy things).
But of course, you'll have to be patient and make concessions on the new top tier smartphone every year or two, the far too big car, the shiny new kitchen, the swimming pool, the trips around the world, etc...
The best example are gears for high-level sportsmen/athletes whom often earn very little but are truly dedicated to their passion and spend everything in it rather anything else.
You have the choice man. Passionate? Or not? 😊
For those commenting about how easy focal headphones bass clips is mostly true, except for the old Utopia, when measured it showed to be very well controlled even at 104 dB, but oh boy $5000!? and still you need EQ to get a good bass? I'll pass
yeah, having to EQ at half the price is insane, nevermind $5000...
I have the original Utopia and the bass is VERY responsive to EQ. It's more than enough for me, and I'm kind of a bass head. The HD800S, however, can't achieve decent bass even with EQ.
@@SpykerSpeed I have the same pair and agree. Also, The trend of cheap low distortion amps hasn't done favors to the utes. They're responsive to equipment and a lot of the common gripes imo come down to poor pairings w electronics
Jude, did they fix this clipping issue? Does it still have this ''feature" where headphones clip at lower wolume than competitors? Its strange that there is 0 presence from Focal themselfs on head fi, but there are dozens of reviews around the net.
Did they even care about customers?
The Utopia 2022 looks to be a new contender and I love the new looks too! But, $5K! Whew that’s a lot of top ramen
What about Focal's Clear MG, which is Magnesium, better or worse than Beryllium?
Now all they need to do is redesign the headband
Any change in the soundstage?
Why did the price increase so much for such little improvement.
This new version costs double the price of a pair of original version in good condition.
While Focal drivers are indeed innovative, their headband breaks easily, the earpads are very expensive and little to no consideration is given to repairability when designing the headphones. Their out-of-warranty repair also costs more than a new pair. I admire their driver design but wouldn't spend money on their product again after the headband of my Elex snapped and the only solution with reasonable cost is replacing it with HiFiMan headband.
Agree. Focal focuses on design and sound and not on durability and longevity.
You know it's bad when you use Hifiman parts for their superior reliability.
Mechanical clipping?
It’s hardly a wonder if it has to cost that much to be one. I am not sure what to think of Focal. On one hand, they have some rather smart people there and I primarily mean the sales department and marketing folk. On the other hand, if you are a customer, you are the one paying for trips, accommodation, food and drinks for all the influencers they bring to their facility. Even folks from MI channel aren’t immune to it as they’re slowly learning the benefits of social media. One can hardly open a milk bottle without the name ‘Focal‘ jumping out.
Also, I don’t appreciate the word ‘realism’ being used so prominently in this review. I don’t think it is realistic-sounding as the upper harmonics of a violin or sympathetic string resonance of a piano sounds slightly artificial in nature. It isn’t a big issue but it’s there nonetheless and for a hefty chunk of cash you are expected to pay for it, you should really expect spectacular performance with acoustic instruments like these.
I’m not here to tell you whether you should buy it or not since everyone can do what they please. Think about it this way - for this kind of money you can buy an actual acoustic piano and learn how to play it, if you’re into that kind of a thing. You can also get a subscription for the philharmonic orchestra or theatre in your area and that can be a mind-expanding and humbling experience. This is coming from someone who spent a LOT (too much in fact) only to learn you don’t need to spend that much because, in case you DO spend too much, at some point it stops being fun.
Cheerio!
All that is cool, but how does it sound lol
People who describe og Utopia as bright and lean ... and then show the picture of running straight out of Dave 🤔😐😂 plug it into any good tube amp and it will be lush and full bodied, in fact for me its often too dark and I need to bump the output impedance for some tracks 🤫
A high end headphone that need very specific amplification is flawed, period.
Your amp shouldn’t have to fix your pair of can.
IMO bump the OI was not really necessary. If you want it darker, try driving them out of transformer coupled tube amps. their OI is not that high. Neither do Utopia’s
Which tube that you mean makes Utopia sound even dark?
I’m sure it’s another clipping no bass and no soundstage headphone. 😊
2:49 - Am I famous now? 😅
1000 for the sound, 4000 for the name.
Wow, Jude is Asian. I'd always imagined you to look like Jude Law in AI 😂
Is it really that hard to make a headphone with a flat frequency response because that response looks like absolute shit. Whats up with the massive boost from 2 to 7k? And why measure past 20khz?
Should I go x9000 + t8000 or utopia + p750u
X9000 combo is more open and detailed, more transparent, but also can be fatiguing.
Utopia + Luxman is a combo I’ve actually owned and is wonderful! Dynamic & engaging, natural sounding with more than enough detail even if somewhat short of X9000 potential. I recommend saving the $ and getting Utopia setup
🙇♂️😊
Focal headphones do clip when listening a bit louder .
Try out and see/hear for yourself : listen to the song Traust from the band Heilung
Just listened to the song with my 2020 Utopia. Zero clipping on my end. The song is pretty good too
Anyone who wants to get rid of their utopia I will gladly drive to your place with a shiny 100 dollar bill that you can put towards your Utopia 2022
First Utopia was awful headphones for its price, worse than HD800s and ADX5000
First!
Only focal could out do themselves with an ugly design. Bravo
I don’t like it just another reskin