[joseph69]

It have similar sound to WA33?

I can say that it sounded very good, especially for meet conditions and the short listening tome I had with it. It was paired with the Diana TC which sounded good, but was the first time I listened to that as well.

 

[vonBaron]

I really like the combination of the new Utopias with WA23. The bass is powerful and goes deep, the mids have a nice rough texture, the vocals are great and the treble is very nicely pulled up and clearer than on my Niimbus, the soundstage is very wide and holographic.

 

[Nomax]

The New Utopias is a leap to the side rather than a really better version. In fact, there is more bass and the treble is toned down compared to the first version. In my opinion, the use of a silver cable is a must. All the rest, that is, great dynamics, speed and resolution remained in the new Utopias. The scene remained the same but headband stopped creaking (finally...) . After all, I like them very much, thanks to their warming they are now more musical and you can listen to them all the time, the music is flowing. It is a pity that Focal has overdone the price so much. The appearance of the new Focals has also been clearly subdued and now they look ordinary and the yokes are ugly, all headphones looks too dark for me. The new Utopias are more musical headphones than the previous version, although not so good technically. Now, it would be hard for me to choose which version of Utopia I prefer, the more technical or the more colorful one.

Ludovic & Clément have tried to combine the European and the American preferences...and in my opinion they have succeeded very well
At the advertised price?
When I look at the competition?
What do we get?
Partially student-like designs at inflated prices....not Focal is too expensive...it's the others

NOMAX

PS.Construction-wise the only ones are the Stealth as well as the Empyrean/Elite/Liric/X9000 which make a very good impression...everything else where thousands of Euros are demanded I really ask myself who buys something like that?

It's about time that Vienna shows (in 2023) about how a headphone in the high price segment should be built and sound.



(I am already looking forward to seeing the faces of the competition in 2023 )

 

[up late]

^ i see that you own the diana phi. how does that compare?

 

[Nomax]

^ i see that you own the diana phi. how does that compare?

I had Diana Phi....was tonally a very good sounding model (the best sounding Abyss in my opinion)....but now this but...construction-wise a disaster for 5500 euros
Diana Phi is what Stax would like to be

NOMAX

 

[up late]

I had Diana Phi....was tonally a very good sounding model (the best sounding Abyss in my opinion)....but now this but...construction-wise a disaster for 5500 euros
Diana Phi is what Stax would like to be

NOMAX

to clarify, are you referring to the build quality?

 

[Nomax]

to clarify, are you referring to the build quality?

Diana is what real industrial designers build in 60 days

Adjustment mechanism, wearing comfort etc etc

(Would not like to know how many of the magnets have jumped out )

NOMAX

PS.A well thought-out industrial design costs quite a bit of time and especially money...and you need the right people
And who is negligent here in the future will have a hard time with his models
Why be complicated when you can do it easily?
In the high-price segment this will no longer find buyers in the future
Am I too strict?
Everyone must decide that for themselves

 

[up late]

Diana is what industrial designers build in 60 days

Adjustment mechanism, wearing comfort etc etc

(Would not like to know how many of the magnets have jumped out )

NOMAX

PS.A well thought-out industrial design costs quite a bit of time and especially money
And who is negligent here in the future will have a hard time with his models
Why be complicated when you can do it easily?
In the high-price segment this will no longer find buyers in the future

interesting. i was impressed by the build quality of the dianas' that i've auditioned but i've not owned one so i can't comment on how robust they are over time.

 

[Nomax]

interesting. i was impressed by the build quality of the dianas' that i've auditioned but i've not owned one so i can't comment on how robust they are over time.

Robust are others also for few hundrets of euros...oddly enough, these also have an adjustment mechanism and fit easily

NOMAX

Ps.Look at Raal..the approach is not bad...but at the implementation of these we are years behind for the proclaimed price of thousands of euros

Who would have bought an Hd800 or Utopia in the past if they had been designed like this?
At least not tens of thousands
Wish everyone a nice Sunday
(And sorry for my harsh words...It's just my opinion)

 

[HeavenlyD]

For what it’s worth I have owned the Diana V2 and Phi and loved the Phi. Clarity for me was off the scale with the super conductor cable, “but” it was just a horrific user experience for wear and I had to move it on. I’m wearing headphone 8 hours a day working and so the Utopia for me “personally” is like having air sitting on the head, it’s night and day for comfort. I did buy the small soft cushion for my Phi but I still feel it’s the let down from Abyss that they really should look at the build and design to complement the sound signature they give.
It does remind me of a home build project rather than an industrial process, they are brilliant at what they do, but just need a change to the overhead design..

 

[Nomax]

For what it’s worth I have owned the Diana V2 and Phi and loved the Phi. Clarity for me was off the scale with the super conductor cable, “but” it was just a horrific user experience for wear and I had to move it on. I’m wearing headphone 8 hours a day working and so the Utopia for me “personally” is like having air sitting on the head, it’s night and day for comfort. I did buy the small soft cushion for my Phi but I still feel it’s the let down from Abyss that they really should look at the build and design to complement the sound signature they give.
It does remind me of a home build project rather than an industrial process, they are brilliant at what they do, but just need a change to the overhead design..

NOMAX

PS.Joe needs to spend a lot of money on two or three industrial designers who can package his sound properly
But rather tries to generate sales with different versions...why? because it is easier and cheapier to do as an Industrial Design
If I take the Utopia/Nutopia to the Diana Phi...I would actually have to call France that they increase the prices again
As i said many of the others are too expensive
The small manufacturers want the prices of the big manufacturers?no problem...then they have to convince me(not only with the sound)

 

[up late]

For what it’s worth I have owned the Diana V2 and Phi and loved the Phi. Clarity for me was off the scale with the super conductor cable, “but” it was just a horrific user experience for wear and I had to move it on. I’m wearing headphone 8 hours a day working and so the Utopia for me “personally” is like having air sitting on the head, it’s night and day for comfort. I did buy the small soft cushion for my Phi but I still feel it’s the let down from Abyss that they really should look at the build and design to complement the sound signature they give.
It does remind me of a home build project rather than an industrial process, they are brilliant at what they do, but just need a change to the overhead design..

the diana's comfort or lack thereof was its achilles heel for me, which was disappointing because it's a compact design that is relatively light in weight. the v2 was an improvement but i still find the utopia much more comfortable despite it being heavier.

Robust are others also for few hundrets of euros...oddly enough, these also have an adjustment mechanism and fit easily

NOMAX

Ps.Look at Raal..the approach is not bad...but at the implementation of these we are years behind for the proclaimed price of thousands of euros

Who would have bought an Hd800 or Utopia in the past if they had been designed like this?
At least not tens of thousands
Wish everyone a nice Sunday
(And sorry for my harsh words...It's just my opinion)

no need to apologise for giving a candid opinion about exorbitantly priced headphones

 

[srkbear]

did u not like how the Utopia 22 sounds?

I only heard them once at a local audio show and didn’t have my own handy to compare, but honestly I really couldn’t tell much of a difference based on my memory of my own, which I’ve listened to for eons. I left feeling fairly certain that the difference was not worth investing whatever overage I would have to pay after unloading my 2020s—hence my being grumpy that Focal isn’t offering a trade-in/upgrade program. I do prefer the old school design better than the new version.

Did you have a chance to listen to your Utopias with the Stellia pads?

 

[up late]

one of the most comprehensive reviews of any headphone that i've read in quite some time. it even includes a teardown: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/focal-utopia-2022/

 

[ChJL]

Haven't heard them but from reading about them the old vs new model discussion of Utopia AND Clear sounds like the same. Some like the new better some prefer the OG versions. Both come with unacceptable cables and the Utopia has a questionable +1k price tag...