[Nomax]

@Whitigir

Sorry that I didn't go into the sound stage or mentioned it
Why?In my opinion, that doesn't really have anything to do with playback via headphones, that it's an offer that has nothing to do with recording
Depending on how the transducer is placed in front of and to the ear, it also affects someone
Does that have anything to do with the recording? Not for me
When describing the tonal performance via headphones, one could possibly still think of the actual recording, be it the separation between instruments or between the melody and voice in a song
I'll write something about that later

NOMAX

PS. But for you as a dap expert,you can look at it any way you want....both the old and the new Utopia are the only two that do a really good job on the DAP as they are very easy to drive
And that is also a main reason why I spoke to Focal that they should offer us a Pentaconn cable in the foreseeable future, because many people use their utopias on their mobile devices

There is one major minus point....they should have included one instead of the unbalanced cable for the advertised price because no one or not many
needs really this unbalanced in the long term use

 

[Whitigir]

@Whitigir

Sorry that I didn't go into the sound stage or mentioned it
Why?In my opinion, that doesn't really have anything to do with playback via headphones, that it's an offer that has nothing to do with recording
Depending on how the transducer is placed in front of and to the ear, it also affects someone
Does that have anything to do with the recording? Not for me
When describing the tonal performance via headphones, one could possibly still think of the actual recording, be it the separation between instruments or between melody and voice
I'll write something about that later

NOMAX

PS. But for you as a dap expert,you can look at it any way you want....both the old and the new Utopia are the only two that do a really good job on the DAP as they are very easy to drive

That is when you talk in general terms. When talking about soundstage in references, and between 800s VS Utopia. It is obvious that both is full-size and opened back headphones, but 800s was superior in soundstage presentation. I also have both speakers system and headphones systems. So, I know the points you are trying to make though.

 

[jlbrach]

I owned and liked the utopia, that with all the recent new models nothing yet has bettered the susvara and abyss TC IMHO

 

[velemar1]

I would rather go for the Meze Elite for 4K than pay an additional 1K for a Focal dynamic. Focal is overpriced and overrated. More of a fashion statement. ZMF seems more endgame dynamic.

 

[Nomax]

I

So, I asked my dealer when he is gonna ship my 2022 Utopia, and he said within 2 weeks. Are other places shipping it earlier? I looked at Headphones.com, but it's not clear when it ships there either

I hope you get your one soon

NOMAX

PS.Because I was asked by some how it looks like in the EU, one of the first addresses I know is the
https://kopfhoererboutique.com/
He still has three of the NEW Utopias in stock and also 2 of the Old Utopias

 

[helljudgement]

As much as I love the sound of the original I simply can't fathom paying that much more for a revision. There are claims of improvement in terms of reliability and durability of the drivers which is great though. Clearly it's not a product aimed at me and I can't ever see myself paying anymore than 2-3k for a headphone. The trend of 5-6k headphone has made me think it's probably time I move on from this hobby.

 

[silversurfer616]

I

I hope you get your one soon

NOMAX

PS.Because I was asked by some how it looks like in the EU, one of the first addresses I know is the
https://kopfhoererboutique.com/
He still has three of the NEW Utopias in stock and also 2 of the Old Utopias

You must be doing overtime…it’s 5 in the morning in Austria. That’s dedication and passion, isn’t it?

 

[Nomax]

You must be doing overtime…it’s 5 in the morning in Austria. That’s dedication and passion, isn’t it?

Today it will be a long day for me...because I am just on the way to Germany for opening of the Headphone Pleasuredome

https://headphone.shop/camp/

NOMAX

PS.since 24 years are Headphones my passion

 

[Gamerlingual]

This is what pretty much made me realize what a never ending Rabbit Hole this hobby will be. Even when you buy something wonderful for that high price, another one comes along to take the perch. I think for future audio funds, use the money for replacement pads or parts. That should be good. Never thought I would see a Utopia 2 considering how crazy expensive the first one is.

 

[Nomax]

@Gamerlingual

However, anyone who knows Focal does know that a new flagship will not be available in a short time, as is the case with many other manufacturers...short product cycles has no longer stand a chance in the high-price segment

In any case, I don't need to worry about the new Utopia as it will give me a lot of joy in its own way for a long time and not for 12-18 months as like at....and ....

NOMAX

PS.For some, it already fails because of the ear pads

 

[TheRudeDog]

Just saw the FR measurements of old Utopia vs new Utopia.

Guys, this looks like the exact same headphone with a slight reduction in treble. Very much a HD800 and HD800S situation.

I have nothing against Focal releasing an update after 6 years but I expected more than a slight tuning tweak, reliability increase and cosmetic tweaks.

The biggest news here is not the ''greatly improved bass'' claimed by some breathless ''pro'' reviewers (salemen). The biggest news is the greatly improved price.

$1000 extra for what can be achieved with a few db tweaks in EQ APO in a few minutes.

I'm sure a replacement cable is now $1500

$2500 for new in box original Utopias as dealers liquidate stock looks like a good deal now if you enjoy the Utopia sound.

Improved soundstage? with the same cup and driver dimensions? I'm not buying it without an engineering related explanation.
Improved bass? the FR looks exactly the same. Did they increase bass by 1 db? Even that would be valid if they stated that as a design goal.

I guess I'm being a bit harsh but with a $1000 increase in price they better bring something valuable to the table.

I think we've all forgotten that the HD800 was $1000 when it was launched in 2008. $1000 is now the price increase in flagships

Well done to marketing departments everywhere. You guys win.

I'll take a hard pass on the new one! It appears the original is more resolving on the top end and the 2022 is simply warmer. A quick ear pad replacement will provide the 2022 sound characteristic (without the $1000 increase). Plus I hate the new look.

 

[iDesign]

This is what pretty much made me realize what a never ending Rabbit Hole this hobby will be. Even when you buy something wonderful for that high price, another one comes along to take the perch. I think for future audio funds, use the money for replacement pads or parts. That should be good. Never thought I would see a Utopia 2 considering how crazy expensive the first one is.

Newer isn't always better. The updated Utopia exists for these two reasons: to address reliability issues and consumerism-- everything else is marketing. The original Utopia is an outstanding headphone and has certain tuning characteristics that will be loved by many for years to come. The YouTube videos saying it has more air, realism, and a wider soundstage are what they said about every headphone. They're just trying to sell you something new or stroke their board sponsor for sending a free unit. And the owners who post claiming it's better are the ones who fell for it.

 

[donkeywalker]

Why must headphone and speaker revisions need to go up in price v.s. staying the same as iPhone and MacBooks? Aren’t new technology supposed to be deflationary in general?

 

[Gamerlingual]

Newer isn't always better. The updated Utopia exists for these two reasons: to address reliability issues and consumerism-- everything else is marketing. The original Utopia is an outstanding headphone and has certain tuning characteristics that will be loved by many for years to come. The YouTube videos saying it has more air, realism, and a wider soundstage are what they said about every headphone. They're just trying to sell you something new or stroke their board sponsor for sending a free unit. And the owners who post claiming it's better are the ones who fell for it.

Which is why I went with the Sony TA-ZH1ES instead of the DMP-Z1

 

[thecrow]

That's the same price as my Funeral Plan....

And i presume your option comes in a wooden box at least