[bcaulf17]

Hey everyone. I got a Utopia from the Classifieds on here at the end of last year and I absolutely adore them but ever since I got them I noticed something a little odd happening.

I know it’s common for the headband to make creaking noises, but what’s really strange is that the plastic of the left ear cup is creaking as well when pressure is applied to it, even if light. I’ve encountered this with some other plastic products before like controllers and remotes, but as far as I know it’s not supposed to be normal for the Utopia. Here’s a video of it and the sound it makes.

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/916305320

Does even feel like the plastic presses in a bit when I apply pressure but then rebounds, almost like the earcup is hollow. And it happens along the whole earcup too not just one specific spot.

Have any other Utopia owners encountered this and should I be worried about it? Doesn’t seem to be a problem really but I’m worried that eventually the plastic will just crack or something. Of course the fact that it’s a Utopia makes me even more worried. I did remove both earpads to see if there’s anything going on and ensure all screws are properly torqued, and everything checked out fine. Like I said this whole thing doesn’t seem to be a huge deal but it is a little annoying especially for someone with OCD like myself lol.

 

[HiFiWar]

Hey everyone. I got a Utopia from the Classifieds on here at the end of last year and I absolutely adore them but ever since I got them I noticed something a little odd happening.

I know it’s common for the headband to make creaking noises, but what’s really strange is that the plastic of the left ear cup is creaking as well when pressure is applied to it, even if light. I’ve encountered this with some other plastic products before like controllers and remotes, but as far as I know it’s not supposed to be normal for the Utopia. Here’s a video of it and the sound it makes.

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/916305320

Does even feel like the plastic presses in a bit when I apply pressure but then rebounds, almost like the earcup is hollow. And it happens along the whole earcup too not just one specific spot.

Have any other Utopia owners encountered this and should I be worried about it? Doesn’t seem to be a problem really but I’m worried that eventually the plastic will just crack or something. Of course the fact that it’s a Utopia makes me even more worried. I did remove both earpads to see if there’s anything going on and ensure all screws are properly torqued, and everything checked out fine. Like I said this whole thing doesn’t seem to be a huge deal but it is a little annoying especially for someone with OCD like myself lol.

Sort of a confusing question. The Utopia has metal ear cups, not plastic. Even the drivers have a metal housing covering them. If you're pushing on the driver, definitely don't do that. You can always contact Focal to see if they can repair it, but again...the Utopia is so heavy because its mostly metal construction.

 

[bcaulf17]

Sort of a confusing question. The Utopia has metal ear cups, not plastic. Even the drivers have a metal housing covering them. If you're pushing on the driver, definitely don't do that. You can always contact Focal to see if they can repair it, but again...the Utopia is so heavy because its mostly metal construction.

I'm not pressing down on the driver or anywhere near it. I'm pressing on the black ear cup along the side, which I'm pretty sure is plastic not metal (maybe the 2022 version uses metal instead, and I know that the grille is a metal frame, but on the 2020 it's black glossy plastic). If you take a look at the video link you can see where I'm pressing my thumb, and I'm not even applying that much pressure. It's kind of near where the headband yoke is.

 

[HiFiWar]

I'm not pressing down on the driver or anywhere near it. I'm pressing on the black ear cup along the side, which I'm pretty sure is plastic not metal (maybe the 2022 version uses metal instead, and I know that the grille is a metal frame, but on the 2020 it's black glossy plastic). If you take a look at the video link you can see where I'm pressing my thumb, and I'm not even applying that much pressure. It's kind of near where the headband yoke is.

Gotcha, my suggestion? Don't press there.

 

[bcaulf17]

Gotcha, my suggestion? Don't press there.

Yeah probably a good call. Doesn't seem to be anything problematic like I said. Sometimes I do have to put my hand there when taking the headphone off of my head and I can hear the creaking but other than that it should be fine.

 

[HiFiWar]

Yeah probably a good call. Doesn't seem to be anything problematic like I said. Sometimes I do have to put my hand there when taking the headphone off of my head and I can hear the creaking but other than that it should be fine.

You can just contact Focal and see if they'll repair it - the only other option really. I don't remember my Utopia having that issue, but it's been a few years.

 

[bcaulf17]

You can just contact Focal and see if they'll repair it - the only other option really. I don't remember my Utopia having that issue, but it's been a few years.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like it's very common at all (others I've asked state they don't have the issue). But I've had other plastic products behave like this so it could just be plastic being plastic. I assumed that since I got the headphone second hand and it's out of warranty they wouldn't be able to do anything for me. Plus I've heard less than stellar things in regards to Focal's customer service.

 

[HiFiWar]

Yeah, it doesn't seem like it's very common at all (others I've asked state they don't have the issue). But I've had other plastic products behave like this so it could just be plastic being plastic. I assumed that since I got the headphone second hand and it's out of warranty they wouldn't be able to do anything for me. Plus I've heard less than stellar things in regards to Focal's customer service.

They are the French