![]() At five grand, the Utopia are anything but budget conscious, and that’s just the entry price – you’ll also likely want to purchase an amp worthy of their performance. This question heavily relies not only on what you’re willing to spend but also how you listen. (Image credit: Future / Ryan Waniata) Focal Utopia headphones: are they worth it? They’re also as sumptuous to wear as they are beautiful, and relatively practical to take along.įocal's spacious, V-shaped carrying case is lined in velvety material. As with other Focal products, the headphones are remarkably accessible and smooth sounding, even as they reproduce stirring detail, articulation, definition, and clarity (I literally got goosebumps with the first song I played). So, that’s the science of the sound but the Utopia also practice what their design evangelists preach. With a nominal impedance rating of 80 ohms, they’re also relatively easy to power, though the better your headphone amplifier, the better the sound. The claimed frequency response is an astonishing 5Hz to 50kHz.įocal also says the drivers run with “zero active or passive correction” meaning they’re essentially unaltered within the driver chamber for naturally rich, clear, and smooth sound across registers. On the other end, the dynamic drivers help the headphones reach deep into the bass frequencies with reasonable authority and natural expression. ![]() It’s particularly useful when it comes to reproducing ultra-clear high frequencies without inducing ear fatigue.įocal’s “M-shaped” dome driver is used to increase rigidity and reduce distortion, and the similarly shaped grille is said to aid in linear treble reproduction. The Utopia’s drivers are crafted from “pure” Beryllium, a pricey and lightweight element prized for its rigidity and high-tensile strength. The Utopia instead employ dynamic drivers with the same basic voice-coil and diaphragm system found in the majority of speakers and headphones, from your car stereo to your AirPods. They’re also often large and heavy, and sometimes struggle to reproduce bass that’s as full and natural sounding as more traditional speakers. Planar magnetic speakers use a powerful magnetic circuit system that excites a micro-thin diaphragm layer to reproduce audio with incredible accuracy, articulation, and precision. Unlike a lot of headphones at this level, such as the brilliant Audeze LCD-X, the Utopia do not employ planar magnetic drivers. When speaking strictly of performance, it all starts with the drivers. They’re a synergetic blend of form and function, with opulent looks backed by high performance. The Utopia’s drivers are crafted from “pure” Beryllium (Image credit: Future / Ryan Waniata) Focal Utopia headphones: what makes them special?įrom a more existential point of view, I’d say what makes the Utopia stand out among their peers is artistry and craftsmanship. Each cable terminates in stereo, Lemo locking inputs that plug into the left and right earcups with a satisfying click. Inside you’ll find dual connecting cables, including a five-foot 3.5mm cable (with included quarter-inch adapter) as well as a 10-foot, four-pin balanced cable. But the flexible band conforms to your head, while the luxuriant leather along the memory foam earcups is perforated for a soft and relatively cool fit.Īccessories include a spacious, V-shaped carrying case lined in velvety material. You’ll still feel the ounces creep up over time, especially if you give your head a quick shake. (If that’s not to your taste, Focal also makes a remarkably expansive-sounding pair of closed-back premium headphones called the Stellia.)Įven with their hefty weight of over a pound, the Utopia sit comfortably on your noggin for marathon listening sessions. Focal says this also revamps the sound signature for even better neutrality, more powerful bass, and smoother, mellower treble.Īs mentioned, the Utopia follow many other top-rated headphones in using a fully open-back design to provide an airy and spacious soundstage, though of course this also means that exterior sound seeps in. The biggest interior change is the new voice coil, now made from a mix of copper and aluminum for reliability and lightweight respectively. The new yokes are also lighter, designed to better distribute the Utopia’s weight. The open screens along the earcups have more deliberate honeycomb perforations across the back of each earcup, while the new recycled forged-carbon yokes (the arms that hold the cups in place) are now speckled in random patterns for a distressed look. ![]() The most obvious change is the new Utopia’s funkier design.
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