They redesigned the pads somehow in 2018. 2020 added carrying case. I'm not aware of any driver updates. I should say all Utopia OG are susceptible to driver failure. The latest version of the OG was the 2020.
Maybe they think there's someone reading this forum who has 2 matched working Utopia drivers with a busted headband that they just never bothered to get fixed?
They redesigned the pads somehow in 2018. 2020 added carrying case. I'm not aware of any driver updates. I should say all Utopia OG are susceptible to driver failure. The latest version of the OG was the 2020.
Would you guys avoid pre-2020 Utopia? I’ve seen some for sale with no visible goo issues. Is it pricey to replace a failed driver? Trying to decide between a few Utopia that I see for sale.
Would you guys avoid pre-2020 Utopia? I’ve seen some for sale with no visible goo issues. Is it pricey to replace a failed driver? Trying to decide between a few Utopia that I see for sale.
I think someone way back said Focal charged him $1400 to replace both drivers out of warranty. That was a few years back so the cost could be higher today. If you are unlucky and had to replace a broken driver down the line, you would have come out ahead if you had just bought new. I have also heard original owner got their out of warranty broken drivers replaced free of charge by Focal when they involved their dealer.
I think someone way back said Focal charged him $1400 to replace both drivers out of warranty. That was a few years back so the cost could be higher today. If you are unlucky and had to replace a broken driver down the line, you would have come out ahead if you had just bought new. I have also heard original owner got their out of warranty broken drivers replaced free of charge by Focal when they involved their dealer.
Yikes, this really makes me take pause! So, buying used means I’m opening myself up for a repair cost in the thousands!?! Do we know if a failed driver is a common or rare event?
Yikes, this really makes me take pause! So, buying used means I’m opening myself up for a repair cost in the thousands!?! Do we know if a failed driver is a common or rare event?
Hard to say, but it has to be considered a risk. I have had Utopia OG for 4 years and recall reading about failed drivers on here quite some time back. I thought then that it must be down to abuse/user error - like playing too high volume or connecting to speaker taps. Then, 3 weeks ago, I came to use my Utopia and there was no sound from the right hand driver. I swapped the left and right cable connectors over, same thing. Changed cables, same thing.
I was out of warranty period at 4 years, but I remembered reading on here that Utopia were covering drivers for up to 5 years, so I contacted the AD from where I purchased them and they were excellent. ‘Very sorry to hear that, please send them in to us for assessment’. So I did and 2 weeks later they were back with me with two brand new drivers installed by Focal. Excellent service from AD and Focal - can’t ask for better than that really. I don’t know whether they have made any changes to the drivers but, having run them in now, they are sounding more solid and meaty than I recall with particularly good bass definition.
Hard to say, but it has to be considered a risk. I have had Utopia OG for 4 years and recall reading about failed drivers on here quite some time back. I thought then that it must be down to abuse/user error - like playing too high volume or connecting to speaker taps. Then, 3 weeks ago, I came to use my Utopia and there was no sound from the right hand driver. I swapped the left and right cable connectors over, same thing. Changed cables, same thing.
I was out of warranty period at 4 years, but I remembered reading on here that Utopia were covering drivers for up to 5 years, so I contacted the AD from where I purchased them and they were excellent. ‘Very sorry to hear that, please send them in to us for assessment’. So I did and 2 weeks later they were back with me with two brand new drivers installed by Focal. Excellent service from AD and Focal - can’t ask for better than that really. I don’t know whether they have made any changes to the drivers but, having run them in now, they are sounding more solid and meaty than I recall with particularly good bass definition.
Focal actually changed their policy to 3 years for Utopia. I suspect you got free driver replacement not because of warranty but because you had a good AD. Focal is old school and rely on AD to make their clients happy.
I've had driver failures with my 2020 model which had to be sent away twice to be repaired . Apparently the 2022 version is supposed to be more reliable.
I've had driver failures with my 2020 model which had to be sent away twice to be repaired . Apparently the 2022 version is supposed to be more reliable.
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