Focal Utopia 2022 Review | 93 Data compared

The pt. AUDIO review identifies the Focal Utopia 2022 as a refined, elite-performing open-back headphone, boasting a new aluminum-copper voice coil for improved driver reliability and a warmer, smoother sound profile than its predecessor. The headphones are praised for delivering exceptional, low-distortion audio with punchy dynamics while maintaining a luxurious design that ensures comfortable long-term listening. Conversely, the review notes the soundstage is intimate rather than expansive, accompanied by a slight sub-bass roll-off under 150 Hz. Additionally, the stock cables are criticized for being stiff, and the completely open-back nature provides zero sound isolation. AUDIO.

The AVForums review hails the 2022 Focal UtopiaGo as a masterpiece and arguably the world's best headphone, highlighting its astonishing transparency, tonal realism, and exceptional comfort. It delivers a deeply resolving, articulate sonic experience with a more refined high-frequency response than previous iterations. However, the headset comes with an exceptionally high price tag and an aesthetic that some may find less appealing than the Focal Clear Mg. Despite these drawbacks, the review concludes that the unparalleled sound quality justifies the investment.

The Audioholics review of the Focal New Utopia 2022 highlights this flagship model as a refined iteration of the 2016 original, offering exceptional dynamics, lightning-fast transient response, and a more comfortable, lighter design. The headphones are praised for their luxurious aesthetics, featuring forged carbon fiber yokes and a warmer, less fatiguing midrange that, while retaining high-end detail, slightly tones down the previous generation's brightness. However, the review outlines key cons, including the massive $5,000 price point and a completely open-back design that offers zero sound isolation. Additionally, while bass is exceptionally tight, the Utopia 2022 is designed for sonic purity rather than absolute maximum volume, and it requires a high-quality amplifier to reach its full potential.

In his review for Future Audiophile, Steven Stone highly praises the Focal Utopia (2022) as a premier $4,995 open-back wired headphone built to compete with the world's finest flagship models. A major standout feature is its specialized M-shaped pure Beryllium dome driver and updated M-shaped internal grille, which deliver incredibly linear high frequencies, exceptional tonality, and knife-edge imaging precision. Unlike many high-end headphones that suffer from rolled-off or distorted sub-bass, the Utopia (2022) delivers clean, incisive, and effortless low-end extension below 80 Hz. Furthermore, it features an ultra-premium build—utilizing lambskin leather, forged recycled carbon, and aluminum—while remaining highly comfortable and easy to drive with modest amplification due to its 80-ohm impedance and 104 dB sensitivity. Despite its near-perfect performance, the review highlights a few practical drawbacks. Ergonomically, the included single-ended five-foot cable is stiff and permanently retains kinks from storage, making the more flexible balanced 10-foot cable the preferred option. The physical design also features prominent metal Lemo cable connectors that protrude over an inch from the earcups, presenting a vulnerability that could bend or snap if dropped directly on...

The original Focal Utopia and the 2022 revised version both stand as pinnacle premium open-back headphones, sharing a sturdy frame, an unrivaled soundstage width, accurate imaging, and fast, clear bass response. The original Utopia is highly praised for its exceptional aesthetic design, a less clinical, more intimate midrange, and a fine, airy treble texture. However, its primary cons include long-term driver durability issues that were heavily criticized over the years, a flatter spatial image, and a slightly unenergetic treble presentation for certain listeners. To address these shortcomings, the Utopia 2022 introduces a new aluminum voice coil that improves driver durability while keeping the headphones lightweight. Its prominent pros include a more immersive, holographic, dome-like soundstage, a warmer sub-bass texture, higher transparency in the upper midrange, and a crisper, more energetic shine in the treble. On the downside, the 2022 version features a higher price tag, a more familiar honeycomb grille design that some may find less exceptional, a hyper-detailed midrange with a somewhat metallic glow, and a sharp treble response that could feel too biting for sensitive ears.

The TechPowerUp review describes the Focal Utopia (2022) as a masterful open-back headphone featuring a stealthy black-and-red design, forged carbon fiber yokes, and exceptional comfort with premium lambskin pads. Performance-wise, it delivers arguably the best, most dynamic bass and high-speed resolution, with excellent channel matching and easy drivability. However, at $4,999, the high price point limits its market, while its soundstage is not the most expansive and custom Lemo connectors restrict cable options.

The Focal Utopia 2022 headphones ($4,999) are an open-back, high-end model featuring upgraded internal components designed to improve reliability and reduce internal sound reflections. Built around a highly compliant, 40mm beryllium diaphragm, they feature a high sensitivity rating that allows them to perform exceptionally well even when driven directly by a smartphone. In terms of performance, the reviewer highlights their nearly perfect tonal balance and natural midrange delivery, making them arguably the most neutral "get out of the way" headphones on the market. Instruments and vocals sound incredibly lifelike and uncolored, particularly when evaluating complex arrangements like classical and vocal-focused tracks. However, the headphones are not entirely flawless, as the reviewer identifies specific sonic trade-offs on the high end. A notable con is that the soundstage lacks the dramatic, wide-open sense of space found in competing treble-boosted planar-magnetic models. Additionally, the headphones are somewhat soft in the upper frequencies, to the point where a high-frequency splash cymbal went mostly missing on one reference track. Physically, they skew slightly heavy, though their soft foam ear pads and light clamping force prevent...

The Focal Utopia 2022 open-back headphonesGo are characterized in the review as a masterclass in craftsmanship, featuring an updated aesthetic with a glossy black enclosure, red accents, and a lighter, sturdy forged recycled carbon fiber yoke. Key pros include exceptional comfort, an ergonomic fit with memory foam, and authentic leather that ensures fatigue-free listening. Sonically, the headphones deliver clean, transparent, and lifelike audio with a highly precise, three-dimensional soundstage. While bass is described as tuneful and dynamic, a notable con is that it can become overwhelming and fatiguing on tracks with heavily boosted pop mixes.

The Focal Utopia 2022 is an ultra-premium, open-back circumaural headphone that delivers outstanding audio quality characterized by deep solidity, precise soundstage delineation, and excellent harmonic cohesion. It features a unique 40mm pure beryllium "M"-shaped dome speaker driver powered by a redesigned copper-and-aluminum alloy voice coil, offering a frequency response of 5Hz to 50kHz. Architecturally robust, the design eliminates plastic in favor of premium materials like a genuine leather headband, leather-covered memory foam earpads, and a forged recycled carbon yoke. Additionally, it proves remarkably versatile across various equipment, scaling excellently and sounding superb even when driven by modestly priced headphone amplifiers. The primary advantages of this model include its highly secure and comfortable fit, exceptional durability, and exemplary, tuneful low-bass response below 60 Hz. It also comes with a useful hard travel case and an easily swappable 3-meter balanced XLR cable. However, a significant drawback is its steep price tag of $4,999 (£4,699). On the ergonomic side, the included 1.5-meter single-ended cable is notably stiff and stubbornly retains packaging bends. Acoustically, the low bass can become overly dominant and fatiguing on...

The Headfonics review of the Focal Utopia 2022Go highlights these open-back headphones as a top-tier performer, praised for their gorgeous timbre, excellent resolution, and an intimate yet highly dynamic, punchy, and impactful bass performance. Featuring an intricate, forged carbon fiber design, the 2022 model is described as offering a warmer, smoother, and more coherent listening experience compared to its predecessor by reducing earlier sharp sibilance. Conversely, the review notes significant limitations, including an intimate soundstage that lacks the expansive spatial qualities of some competitors. Physical discomfort is highlighted due to the 490-gram weight, limited earcup articulation, and a narrow headband creating pressure points, while the included accessory package lacks a standard 4.4mm cable for balanced portable use, deemed an omission at its price point.

The Focal Utopia (2022) is an exceptional pair of open-back, wired over-ear headphones that sits comfortably among the finest audio products money can buy. Priced at a premium $4,999 / £4,699, this updated model features key cosmetic and structural upgrades, including a new hexagonal outer grille designed to produce a more spacious soundstage. Internally, the 40mm Beryllium 'M-shaped' drivers remain, but they are now equipped with a new copper/aluminium alloy voice coil to deliver a more neutral presentation, alongside a reshaped protective driver grille that successfully minimizes high-frequency distortion. Despite their substantial weight of 490 grams, the headphones offer luxurious comfort and an inviting fit due to memory foam ear pads wrapped in perforated lambskin and a well-padded, leather-bound carbon fiber headband. The primary advantages of the Focal Utopia (2022) include its exceptional detail resolution, superb dynamic finesse, and a wonderfully articulate and natural bass response. The angled drivers effectively deliver a spacious, speaker-like out-of-the-head presentation that easily reveals undiscovered nuances in complex music tracks. On the downside, the product suffers from a hefty 20 percent price increase over the...