Image © AmazonThe Focal Utopia (2022) is a premium open-back flagship headphone that refines the original's celebrated sound with enhanced clarity, tonal realism, and a luxurious build. It delivers exceptional detail and articulate bass through its 40mm dynamic drivers, making it a top-tier choice for audiophiles despite its high price and open-back nature. The design is an evolutionary upgrade rather than a radical departure, retaining the core 80-ohm impedance and 104dB sensitivity.
Paraphrased from published reviews & specs - not an original hands-on test. Our AI disclosure.
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic |
|---|---|
| Driver type | dynamic |
| Driver size | 40 mm |
| Drivers per side | 1 |
| Frequency response | 5 Hz - 23 kHz |
| Impedance | 80 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB/mW |
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic |
|---|---|
| Driver type | dynamic |
| Driver size | 40 mm |
| Drivers per side | 1 |
| Frequency response | 5 Hz - 23 kHz |
| Impedance | 80 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB/mW |
| Active noise cancelling | No |
|---|
| Weight | 490 g |
|---|---|
| Detachable cable | Yes |
| Balanced connection | Yes |
4 source(s) feeding this product's score.
Video reviews we found, each condensed to its verdict. They do feed the HearWiki score, at a measured weight below what a published written review carries.
Reviewers agree the Focal Utopia 2022 is a technically superb dynamic headphone with excellent resolution, imaging, and transient speed, and they see it as a refinement of the original rather than a dramatic overhaul.
7:43The reviewer compares the 2022 Utopia to the original, finding it essentially the same headphone with a slightly warmer tuning due to a downward shelf above 1kHz. They conclude it's a sidegrade rather than an upgrade, recommending it only for those who found the original too bright, while noting the midrange quirks remain. It's still praised as a top-tier dynamic driver headphone.
27:27The reviewer finds the Focal Utopia 2022 to be a technically excellent and highly resolving headphone, but notes significant comfort and build quality issues, including a proprietary cable that limits aftermarket options and a spring-loaded headband that causes discomfort. The sound quality is praised, especially when paired with tube amplifiers, which the reviewer says transforms the headphone into something truly special, though it can sound dull on some solid-state amps.
18:37The reviewer considers the Focal Utopia 2022 the best dynamic headphone ever made, praising its unique beryllium driver and improvements over the original. They highlight the new voice coil alloy and overall engineering as key upgrades, concluding it is one of their favorite headphones of any type.
34:01The reviewer compares the Focal Utopia 2022 to the original, noting that while the build and comfort are similar, the new model has a tighter clamp and a reworked voice coil for durability. Sonically, the 2022 version is described as a refinement rather than a major overhaul, with improved dynamics and physicality, though it still falls short of the Susvara in technicalities. Overall, the reviewer finds the update successful and a worthy flagship, though not a dramatic departure from the original.
Summaries are AI condensations of each video's own conclusion, not transcripts. Titles, thumbnails and view counts belong to their channels.
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