Focal Utopia General Discussion

[bcaulf17]

I've found distortion in test sweep tracks themselves.

There are several well known music tracks that have boosted bass and sub bass. Have you listened to them? Geoff Castolucci for example. Do you hear distortion when playing music?

I know one of the most frequently suggested bass tracks is Why So Serious by Hans Zimmer. The sub bass sounded so good that I cranked that bad boy up and thankfully I wasn't able to detect any rattling or anything. So no longer in a state of worry. Just so strange that those sine sweeps trigger it at even moderate volumes, while bass heavy music at loud volume doesn't. Shouldn't they, in theory, provide the same result at the same frequency?

 

[plumpudding2]

So today it also happened to me.. no sound from my 2020 Utopia's left driver

It is definitely out of warranty and since I bought it from a fellow headfier I don't even have a proof of purchase.

Does anyone have tips on getting a driver replacement from Focal out of warranty?

Finally got a proper quote from Focal's repair center. They have a single spare driver here in NL and replacing that one will cost me € 665. I think that's what i'm going to go for, a bit more expensive than I'd hope for but still reasonable. The new driver would get 2 years warranty which is also reassuring.

If both drivers would have to be replaced it will have to be sent to France with a total cost estimated north of € 1500, about the same what I paid originally for the headphones and that's definitely not worth it.
It sucks but it's a good lesson, i'm never buying a used headphone out-of-warranty again if the drivers are fragile and the repair costs exorbitant.

 

[noirceurfg]

I once did a comparative listening session between the Sennheiser HE-1 and the first-generation Focal Utopia, which was plugged into a headphone amp—I can’t remember the name of it.

I was struck by the punchy presentation of the Focal, which I clearly preferred over the HE-1.

I think the people who criticize the Utopia for having a very small soundstage are right, but they’re wrong about what headphone sound should actually be like.

Two drivers stuck to your ears shouldn’t sound wide and spacious like a listening room with two speakers. And when headphones do manage to sound that way, it always comes at the expense of something else.

I notice this a lot with headphones that sound very wide and spacious—there’s something artificial and hazy about them, with no weight. I hated the HD800 for exactly those reasons, and I get that same feeling with all headphones that have a wide soundstage… (like HE-1, some Estats and planar)

Yes, the Focal Utopia doesn’t have a wide soundstage, but that’s the direct result of an incredibly sharp, precise sound and outstanding imaging. If I want an enveloping sound with a wide stage, I’ll just buy speakers. From my point of view as a sound engineer, it’s honestly the best headphone ever made. So much precision, so much dynamic range—the sound feels like it’s inside my skull, it’s so tactile.

The Utopia is a headphone that fully embraces its identity as a headphone, with an intimate listening philosophy taken to its extreme. It doesn’t try to imitate a listening room and I love it!

 

[yrstruly]

I once did a comparative listening session between the Sennheiser HE-1 and the first-generation Focal Utopia, which was plugged into a headphone amp—I can’t remember the name of it.

I was struck by the punchy presentation of the Focal, which I clearly preferred over the HE-1.

I think the people who criticize the Utopia for having a very small soundstage are right, but they’re wrong about what headphone sound should actually be like.

Two drivers stuck to your ears shouldn’t sound wide and spacious like a listening room with two speakers. And when headphones do manage to sound that way, it always comes at the expense of something else.

I notice this a lot with headphones that sound very wide and spacious—there’s something artificial and hazy about them, with no weight. I hated the HD800 for exactly those reasons, and I get that same feeling with all headphones that have a wide soundstage… (like HE-1, some Estats and planar)

Yes, the Focal Utopia doesn’t have a wide soundstage, but that’s the direct result of an incredibly sharp, precise sound and outstanding imaging. If I want an enveloping sound with a wide stage, I’ll just buy speakers. From my point of view as a sound engineer, it’s honestly the best headphone ever made. So much precision, so much dynamic range—the sound feels like it’s inside my skull, it’s so tactile.

The Utopia is a headphone that fully embraces its identity as a headphone, with an intimate listening philosophy taken to its extreme. It doesn’t try to imitate a listening room and I love it!

The observation people make about the Utopia being having a small soundstage is also a bit misguided imo as it's nearly unrivalled in terms of soundstage depth (if not width...). It would definitely be fair to say it has an unconventional/quirky take on soundstage, but as you note that comes with some real benefits.

 

[kajetanjazz]

I notice this a lot with headphones that sound very wide and spacious—there’s something artificial and hazy about them, with no weight. I hated the HD800 for exactly those reasons, and I get that same feeling with all headphones that have a wide soundstage… (like HE-1, some Estats and planar)

Actually HE1 does have a small soundstage, quite flat and inside the head. I would agree Utopia on a great amp is far more preferable than he1, even with soundstage utopia gives far more depth hence more 3D sounding. I get that this expensive show piece system is hyped, but it is a low bar when it comes to sonics. At least compared to the other stuff out there, on the other hand Shangri-La Sr is super impressive (the headphone, without the matching amp)

 

[noirceurfg]

Actually HE1 does have a small soundstage, quite flat and inside the head. I would agree Utopia on a great amp is far more preferable than he1, even with soundstage utopia gives far more depth hence more 3D sounding. I get that this expensive show piece system is hyped, but it is a low bar when it comes to sonics. At least compared to the other stuff out there, on the other hand Shangri-La Sr is super impressive (the headphone, without the matching amp)

I personally didn’t find the HE1’s soundstage to be narrow, though of course, sound perception remains highly subjective.

I’ve had the chance to audition the Shangri-La S, the Stax SR-700, the Audeze LCD-2, 4, and 5, as well as the Stax SR-X9000. These are all exceptional systems in their own right, but in my opinion, they lack the sheer physicality and impact that the Focal Utopia delivers. Electrostatic designs tend to produce an ethereal, almost otherworldly presentation—immaculate in detail but somewhat disembodied. Planar magnetic headphones, on the other hand, offer a lush, expansive, and smooth tonal balance, yet often fall short in terms of dynamic slam and immediacy..

Electrostatics and planars tend to place you at a distance, like sitting in an acoustically pristine concert hall. The Utopia, by contrast, brings the performance right inside your head—hyper-detailed, intimate, and almost surgical in its resolution. It’s like examining the music through an audio microscope. I understand why this approach can be polarizing among audiophiles; in the high-end headphone world, lateral soundstage width is often a prized feature. The Utopia prioritizes depth, layering, and holographic imaging over exaggerated left-to-right spatial cues.

 

[thecrow]

A bit of a random post / thought:

I’ve owned the OG utopias for about 6 or 7 years and have mostly always enjoyed them to some degree during that time. Have had a various number of amps (eg cayin iha6, v280, auralic Taurus mk ii, niimbus us4) and a few dacs (eg metrum hex, matrix sabre x and holo may).

They have never really been my main driver - that was initially the hd800 and now the susvaras.
Susvaras have become my gold standard as they suit my preferences extremely well.

But for some reason at times I thought these utopias were just not quite right often enough - eg too shouty / lively, or as others have said, at times the sound would kind of “break down” or apart at certain volumes (NOT talking about clipping of bass that some say - i have never had that issue).

Recently I have played around with gain settings to get more from them in trying to have an audio “break through”. I even contemplated selling them but they are still enjoyable enough for me so that’s not happening anytime soon.

HOWEVER….tonight’s listening session (started with dark side of the moon, billy idol YouTube clips) has left me thinking that these are headphones for ACTIVELY listening to. Not, reading news, or headfi threads, doing sudoku. They need to be listened to to enjoy them. The susvaras, and their somewhat softer or laidback nature in my system (as well as their transparent nature) I can enjoy whilst doing other things, but the utopias have a different nature that only can shine when being paid attention to, our at least for me with my current system.

As i said, just a thought and an idea I shall continue to follow in my next session with them in the coming days.

Curious to know if others feel the same, or not

All the best
Peter T

 

[meomap]

A bit of a random post / thought:

I’ve owned the OG utopias for about 6 or 7 years and have mostly always enjoyed them to some degree during that time. Have had a various number of amps (eg cayin iha6, v280, auralic Taurus mk ii, niimbus us4) and a few dacs (eg metrum hex, matrix sabre x and holo may).

They have never really been my main driver - that was initially the hd800 and now the susvaras.
Susvaras have become my gold standard as they suit my preferences extremely well.

But for some reason at times I thought these utopias were just not quite right often enough - eg too shouty / lively, or as others have said, at times the sound would kind of “break down” or apart at certain volumes (NOT talking about clipping of bass that some say - i have never had that issue).

Recently I have played around with gain settings to get more from them in trying to have an audio “break through”. I even contemplated selling them but they are still enjoyable enough for me so that’s not happening anytime soon.

HOWEVER….tonight’s listening session (started with dark side of the moon, billy idol YouTube clips) has left me thinking that these are headphones for ACTIVELY listening to. Not, reading news, or headfi threads, doing sudoku. They need to be listened to to enjoy them. The susvaras, and their somewhat softer or laidback nature in my system (as well as their transparent nature) I can enjoy whilst doing other things, but the utopias have a different nature that only can shine when being paid attention to, our at least for me with my current system.

As i said, just a thought and an idea I shall continue to follow in my next session with them in the coming days.

Curious to know if others feel the same, or not

All the best
Peter T

In the end, I always going back to OG UTOPIA for true listening to music from my arsenals of HP....
It just something special about the OG UTOPIA. I just hope this OG will last forever without any dead driver again.....

 

[briantrinh86]

HOWEVER….tonight’s listening session (started with dark side of the moon, billy idol YouTube clips) has left me thinking that these are headphones for ACTIVELY listening to. Not, reading news, or headfi threads, doing sudoku. They need to be listened to to enjoy them. The susvaras, and their somewhat softer or laidback nature in my system (as well as their transparent nature) I can enjoy whilst doing other things, but the utopias have a different nature that only can shine when being paid attention to, our at least for me with my current system.

I agree with your opinion. I’ve recently owned utopia og and for those Rock album like “ darkside of the moon” or artist gipsy king , i much prefer utopia over sus or abyss 1266 tc. It’s energetic and excited to listen. Those others was so laid back and didn’t keep me focus on the track.

 

[songoku]