Utopia 2022 Impressions/Review
Firstly, I want to give a huge thanks to Todd at TTVJ for setting up this loaner program.
Before getting into the review, I want to add a disclaimer that this style of review is more of an unorganized stream of consciousness, and less of a formally written review. I wanted to include everything I came across with impressions and comparisons on the fly, to better explain how I got to my conclusions about the sound.
Setup:
RME ADI-2 DAC (AKM Version), both as DAC source and headphone amplifier.
Qudelix 5K (to test drive-ability in portable devices)
First impressions
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With no direct comparison just the Utopia by itself, this is a very neutral and dare I say “flat” sounding headphone. And by that I mean there is basically no warm/bright coloration to my ears. It just sounds so correct straight out of the box. That is a very good thing. Me being a longtime fan of the Sennheiser HD600, the Utopia 2022 reminds me of that headphone in regards to it's tonality. It is also very much like the HD650 and HD660S, both of which are of course very similar to the HD600. I will be comparing the Utopia to both the HD650 and HD660S later on in this review.
In terms of resolution and detail, it is very obvious in the first hour or so of listening that this headphone is incredibly detailed. I have not heard many high end headphones, but these are more detailed and realistic sounding than my Clear MG Pro, Hifiman HE-500, HD650, and HD660S. From memory, these are also more detailed than the HD8XX (and the HD800S I tried before it).
These were my quick first impressions within the first hour of listening. Now let us fast forward to a week later of listening impressions (also with comparisons of my other headphones)
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Main Review:
I don’t want to focus too much on build in this review, but I just want to say that the Utopia 2022 is one of the most incredible looking headphones I have had the pleasure of trying out. I love the understated black look with red accented drivers on the inside, and I love the addition of the honeycomb grill similar to the Clear MG Pro. For looks alone, this headphone gets a 10/10 from me.
I am happy to report the Utopia 2022 does not have any creaking of the headband, my Clear MG Pro has this issue. However, that creaking developed over almost 2 years of use, so it is too early to tell about longevity in the headband. As far as the rest of the build, the high quality plastic and unique forged carbon fiber throughout adds confidence. It is a very well built headphone.
Comfort, subjectively for me it is very comfortable despite the weight. It is on par with my Clear MG Pro, although slightly less comfortable as my Clear MG Pro pads have broken in and fit perfectly to my head. The Utopia pads are wonderful as well, but I feel like the clamping force on this particular unit is not strong enough to have the pads feel secure on my head. I have a fairly large and tall head, so I need to extend the headband adjustment one click from all the way out in order for it to feel secure and fit correctly.
Onto the sound section:
Summary:
The bass on the Utopia 2022 is very linear, maybe a little lean compared to the Clear MG Pro and the Sennheiser HD650. However, it is incredibly punchy and dynamic in the bass, and hits as hard as what you would expect from a Focal headphone. The clarity in the bass is incredible. You can hear every detail of the bass tones, and the texture is very lifelike. Aside from planars like the Hifiman HE-500, I have not heard bass this well rendered before.
The upper mids are neutral for the most part, but also elevated around 1.3kHz, leading to a tiny bit of shoutiness. Most of the time this is not an issue, and can easily be fixed with EQ. More importantly, the mids sound natural and lifelike.
The treble is the most realistic I have heard, ever. Not bright, not dark, just right. At the same time, it is incredibly revealing and will make bad recordings stand out. The treble texture is very smooth and does not have any noticeable peaks.
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Next, I would like to go into more detail with comparisons to my other headphones.
Below photo of headphones I tested against the Utopia 2022:
Left to right, Utopia 2022, Clear MG Professional, Sennheiser HD660S, Hifiman HE-500
The Utopia’s overall tonal character is a lot like the Sennheiser HD660S + HD650, but on steroids. More detailed, cleaner, clearer, better imaging + soundstage, much better dynamic punch, responsiveness, snappiness. The HD650 is only better at timbre, but honestly it's very close. The insane clarity, realism and detail retrieval of the Utopia makes up for the slight less natural timbre. It's like looking at the recording through a clean glass window, and I know that description is a bit overused but it is especially true with the Utopia. And what is even more amazing is that the Utopia does not have any harshness while still being this detailed. Even the original Clear has some of that metallic timbre to my ears, which is why I chose the Clear MG over it. The Utopia to my ears has none of that metallic timbre, it’s very smooth throughout. The Clear MG was the closest I had heard to a proper HD650 upgrade, but it lost out on the tonality a bit because it is a little too recessed around 4-5 kHz. The Utopia is balanced in this area, and sounds a lot more like the classic Sennheiser HD600 series tonality, but with insane technical ability. Actually, I would say the Utopia resembles the tonality of the HD660S a bit more than the 650. I prefer the 660S over the 650 nowadays, so the Utopia being close to that frequency response is very welcome.
The only part of this headphone I wish was a bit different is the bass. The Utopia’s bass does not stand out, that is to say it is not boosted, although it is very tight and quick. The Clear MG has more bass presence to my ears, with similar punch and impact. However, the Utopia does sound cleaner in the mid bass and sub bass. I just wish it was a few dB more boosted below 100 Hz. That being said, the Utopia also extends further down in the sub bass vs. the Clear MG.
This leads me to using EQ. I like to EQ a lot of my headphones, and this headphones takes to EQ extremely well thanks to the high quality driver. When the bass is boosted a few dB below 70Hz, the strengths of the Utopia over the Clear MG are more apparent. The bass tightness and resolution is better on the Utopia. Other than the bass, there is a small peak at 5.5 kHz of about 4 dB from the rest of the surrounding frequencies (similar peaks in this area are also on the Clear MG and Clear OG), and the typical Focal elevation around 1.3 kHz. This 1.3 kHz elevation makes vocals and midrange focused instruments just a little shouty and nasally, at least compared to the HD650 which is my tonal reference.
In terms of stock, unmodified sound directly out of my RME ADI-2 DAC, the Utopia has a more linear and more natural tonal balance compared to the Clear MG, with the added benefit of more resolution and slightly bigger soundstage. There is just more openness with the Utopia in general, leading to a more realistic image. The perforated leather Utopia pads I think play a part in shaping the response of the Utopia, and I will swap the Utopia pads on the Clear MG later on.
I also tested the Utopia with the Qudelix 5k portable DAC/amp. Even on the single ended mode, it has plenty of power for the Utopia. Of course, the RME ADI-2 DAC delivered more power and headroom, but this tiny amp was able to drive the Utopia perfectly fine.
Compared to the Hifiman HE-500 (tested with Focus-A pads and Sundara pads), the Utopia absolutely wins in the categories of dynamics and tonal balance, and resolution. The impact is punchier. The midrange is more even, and vocals sound more realistic. The HE-500 wins in terms of wider imaging and soundstage. Every Focal headphone I have heard (Elex, Clear OG + MG, Elegia, and now Utopia) has a smaller and closer stage than the HE-500, although the Utopia performs better in this area than any of the other Focal open back headphones. The HE-500 is said by many to have almost concert hall or movie theater-like imaging, and perhaps it is not a fair comparison against the Focal line up which has more intimate staging and imaging. I will say the Utopia does a much better job at instrument placement than the HE-500. In general, the instrument placement is more accurate on the Utopia, and is much easier to pinpoint where objects are in the soundstage space. While the HE-500 just has a sort of general direction off to the front left and front right in most recordings. On top of that, the Utopia just makes the details a lot more obvious. The bass sounds more true to life and dynamic on the Utopia, but more pleasing and immersive on the HE-500. With the Focus-A pads equipped on the HE-500, the timbre is improved a lot, and it sounds almost as natural as the HD650 to my ears. In comparison, the Utopia still has a sharper edge to the notes, and is not as mellow and relaxed as the HE-500. The fact the HE-500, which is a 12 year old headphone in 2023, can compete with the new cutting edge driver of the Focal headphones is remarkable and a testament to how well designed it was by Hifiman back then. Although I suppose it is not too surprising, as planar drivers have many advantages over dynamic drivers.
As I said before, the Focal Utopia, and to a lesser extend the Clear MG, is a great upgrade in general to the Sennheiser HD660S and 650. Specifically to the HD660S, as it takes the strengths of that headphone and improves upon them. The overall tonality is very similar on the Utopia, but it is noticeably brighter than the 660S, and the presentation is much more energetic. One of the main strengths of the HD660S is the natural midrange, and the Utopia is almost on par with it. That goes to show just how impressive the mids are on the Sennheiser headphones, they really do compete with TOTL headphones. The Utopia is also a lot more dynamic and punchy. The resolution and detail are obviously much better as well. Of course, you would expect these kind of improvements in the Utopia, which costs more than 10 times the 660S.
This is a scoring of a few categories with these 3 headphones in this comparison. This scoring is done with no EQ involved, with no other equipment except the headphone out of the RME ADI-2 DAC: (a score of 10 here means it is among the best I have heard, and may not be the best ever as I have not heard everything in the high end. This is a very subjective score, don't take it too seriously
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Hifiman HE-500 (no EQ):
Overall Tonality: 8.5
Timbre: 7.5
Bass Quality: 10
Bass Extension: 10
Bass Impact: 8.5
Midrange Quality: 7
Treble Quality: 8.5
Soundstage: 9
Imaging: 9.5
Resolution: 8.5
Dynamics: 8
Sense of realism: 9
Focal Clear MG (no EQ):
Overall Tonality: 8.5
Timbre: 8.5
Bass Quality: 9
Bass Extension: 8.5
Bass Impact: 10
Midrange Quality: 8.5
Treble Quality: 8.5
Soundstage: 7
Imaging: 8
Resolution: 8.5
Dynamics: 10
Sense of realism: 8.5
Focal Utopia 2022 (no EQ):
Overall Tonality: 9
Timbre: 8.5
Bass Quality: 9.5
Bass Extension: 9.5
Bass Impact: 9
Midrange Quality: 9.5
Treble Quality: 10
Soundstage: 8
Imaging: 9
Resolution: 10
Dynamics: 10
Sense of realism: 10
Sennheiser HD 660S (no EQ):
Overall Tonality: 9.5
Timbre: 9.5
Bass Quality: 8
Bass Extension: 7
Bass Impact: 7.5
Midrange Quality: 9
Treble Quality: 9
Soundstage: 7
Imaging: 9
Resolution: 8.5
Dynamics: 7.5
Sense of realism: 8.5
When we bring EQ into the comparison, things change a bit. With my particular EQ profile, the Clear MG and the HE-500 sound more pleasing and enjoyable than the Utopia in stock form. Adding EQ to the Utopia can improve the bass a lot in my testing. When equalized to the same bass level as the Clear MG, it becomes apparent that the bass is faster, more controlled, and more detailed on the Utopia, while the Clear MG has a little bit more weight and “wetness” if that makes sense. The Utopia’s bass does extend more into the sub bass, and produces the low rumble frequencies more accurately than the Clear MG. The details in the bass also come out much easier on the Utopia, while the Clear MG’s bass can mask the details occasionally depending on the track. Both Focal headphones lose to the planar bass quality of the HE-500, which is more enveloping and larger sounding, and has the extension planars are known for. However, the HE-500 has less impact in the bass as the Focal headphones, and looses in dynamics. When it comes to midrange, the Utopia brings out the details better, but the Clear MG is warmer in the whole midrange, taking away the harshness you might find some recordings. In general, with and without EQ, the Clear MG makes harsh recordings sound better. From the lower treble upwards, the Utopia easily beats out the Clear MG in naturalness and realism, both with and without EQ. The Clear MG’s treble sounds closed in and a little muffled in direct comparison to the Utopia, and the stage sounds a little closed in as well.
EQ cannot change everything about the sound profile, but it gets each of these headphones very close in tonality. With my EQ profiles that resemble the tonality of the HD650/HD660S, below is the scoring (everything soundstage and below did not change)
Hifiman HE-500 (with EQ):
Overall Tonality: 9
Timbre: 8.5
Bass Quality: 10
Bass Extension: 10
Bass Impact: 9
Midrange Quality: 8
Treble Quality: 9
Soundstage: 9
Imaging: 9.5
Resolution: 8.5
Dynamics: 8
Sense of realism: 8.5
Focal Clear MG (with EQ):
Overall Tonality: 9
Timbre: 9
Bass Quality: 9
Bass Extension: 9
Bass Impact: 10
Midrange Quality: 9
Treble Quality: 8.5
Soundstage: 7
Imaging: 8
Resolution: 8.5
Dynamics: 10
Sense of realism: 8.5
Focal Utopia 2022 (with EQ):
Overall Tonality: 9.5
Timbre: 9.5
Bass Quality: 9.5
Bass Extension: 9.5
Bass Impact: 10
Midrange Quality: 10
Treble Quality: 10
Soundstage: 8
Imaging: 8.5
Resolution: 10
Dynamics: 10
Sense of realism: 10
Sennheiser HD 660S (with EQ):
Overall Tonality: 9.5
Timbre: 9.5
Bass Quality: 8
Bass Extension: 8.5
Bass Impact: 8.5
Midrange Quality: 10
Treble Quality: 9.5
Soundstage: 7
Imaging: 9
Resolution: 8.5
Dynamics: 7.5
Sense of realism: 9
With EQ, I can honestly say the Utopia 2022 is truly outstanding. Keep in mind the amount of EQ I used was really not that much, I only addressed the few areas mentioned before, like adding a bass shelf and reducing 1.3kHz and 5.5kHz. Those are the only three main adjustments I needed to improve the tonal balance of this headphone. This is what I would expect of a headphone that costs $5k, however nearly every headphone I have tried benefits from EQ, and the Utopia is no exception no matter how expensive it is.
I also swapped the Utopia pads on the Clear MG just because I was curious how the sound would change. The Utopia pads on the Clear MG made the sound overall brighter, and really helped with the upper midrange recession. It brings the tonality closer to the Utopia, but the upper treble air region is actually brighter than the Utopia to my ears. I think this has to do with the larger peaks around 10 kHz and above that are bringing out more presence in this region. I personally think the entire treble region sounds better on the Utopia than the Clear MG with both stock pads and Utopia pads. The treble just sounds more lifelike, there are no dips and peaks making for a smoother yet more detailed treble. The Clear MG with Utopia pads still has some noticeable unevenness in the treble, it sounds less full and actually more V-shaped rather than the neutral character of the Utopia. I’ve also tried various other pads on the Clear MG: the Elex pads, Dekoni velour, and thicker generic perforated leather style pads (Chinese made). The stock pads sound best on the Clear MG in my opinion, while the Utopia pads make the Clear MG more balanced and slightly more detailed. With the right EQ, the Clear MG with the Utopia pads comes very close in performance to the Utopia. However as to be expected, the Utopia driver is more resolving and detailed. Not only that, but the Utopia just sounds smoother and more natural, more true to life. So the Clear MG with Utopia pads can give you a taste of what to expect from the actual Utopia, but it still does not have that Utopia “magic”. I did not try the Clear MG pads on the Utopia.
Lastly, I want to talk about the soundstage and imaging. Every review I have seen out there says the Utopia is an intimate headphone with a small soundstage. I think they are all comparing the Utopia to large planars or the HD800, because I do not hear the Utopia 2022 as having a small soundstage. It is bigger to my ears than the Clear MG and HD650, but not as big as the HE-500, which being a planar makes sense. I think the pads also have a lot to do with the more open imaging and soundstage compared to the Clear MG. In direct comparison, the Clear MG’s stage sounds like a small bubble right in front of you and surrounding all the way off to the sides of your head. The middle is less distinct and harder to pinpoint. With the Utopia, I do not hear any blind spots with the imaging, and the front-center is easier to hear. Also, the sound just feels like it has more room to breathe than the Clear MG. I think the Utopia pads really help here as they do not absorb as much sound as the microfiber Clear MG pads. The Utopia pads on the Clear MG (as I tested before) helps with this sense of openness, but also messes up the treble timbre by adding unwanted peaks. And even with the Utopia pads, the Clear MG does not sound as open as the Utopia.
Final thoughts:
After a week of testing with my home setup, these are my final conclusions of the Utopia. The Utopia 2022 is the most realistic, resolving, and detailed headphone I have heard, period. It is also the most neutral sounding Focal headphone I have heard, beating out the Elex, Clear OG, and Clear MG in regards to timbre. The Clear MG comes in second place with EQ and possibly a Utopia pad swap, but there is still that special something about the Utopia sound you cannot emulate with any other Focal headphone, at least the ones I have tried. The sense of realism, dynamics, and detail are the just the best I have heard. I suppose there is a reason why this headphone is the flagship of the Focal brand. Overall, I am very impressed by the Utopia 2022. It ticks nearly all the boxes for me, and with EQ, it is even better. I would love to have this in my collection one day.
