Over-Ear
Audio-Technica A990z
68Good
Price n/a
Full review dataAudio-Technica A990z vs Focal Utopia 2022: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Focal Utopia 2022 comes out ahead with an HearWiki score of 88. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Our pick: Focal Utopia 2022 - Outstanding overall at around $4999.
Over-Ear
Focal Utopia 2022
88Outstanding
$4999
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Audio-Technica A990z
Sound7.0
Value6.0
Focal Utopia 2022
Sound9.5
Value6.0
Specifications
| Spec | Audio-Technica A990z | Focal Utopia 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Price (USD) | - | $4999 |
| HearWiki score | 68 / 100 · Good | 88 / 100 · Outstanding |
| Released | - | 2022 |
| Audio | ||
| Driver | dynamic | dynamic |
| Driver size | 53 mm | 40 mm |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 1 |
| Frequency response | 5Hz-42kHz | 5Hz-50kHz |
| Impedance | 44 Ω | 80 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW | 104 dB/mW |
| Wireless | ||
| Multipoint pairing | No | No |
| Features | ||
| Active noise cancelling | No | No |
| Controls | buttons | - |
| Design | ||
| Weight | 330 g | 490 g |
| USB-C | No | - |
| Balanced connection | - | Yes |
What reviewers said
Audio-Technica A990z
The Audio-Technica A990Z is a closed-back, over-ear headphone that prioritizes home listening and light mixing over portability, offering a spacious and detailed sound with low fatigue. Its tuning is polarizing, however, with some praising its clarity while others find it too bright and bass-heavy, and it's best suited for stationary use given its wired design and lack of travel-friendly features.
- Pro:Spacious, detailed soundstage for a closed-back design
- Pro:Very comfortable for long listening sessions
- Pro:Strong passive isolation from ambient noise
- Con:Bright and bass-heavy tuning that may not suit all music genres
- Con:Not portable or travel-friendly due to wired-only design
- Con:Imaging can be imprecise in some listening scenarios
Focal Utopia 2022
This premium open-back flagship pairs a refined dynamic driver with a robust, luxurious frame, delivering exceptionally detailed and transparent sound. While it's an evolutionary step from its predecessor rather than a complete overhaul, the improvements in refinement and articulation make it a top-tier choice for discerning listeners. Its steep price and open-back nature, however, limit its appeal to dedicated audiophiles with deep pockets.
- Pro:Exceptional clarity and micro-detail retrieval
- Pro:Articulate, well-defined bass response
- Pro:Superb build quality and premium materials
- Con:Very expensive price tag
- Con:Open-back design leaks sound and offers no isolation
- Con:Included unbalanced cable is relatively short
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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