FOCAL UTOPIA REVIEW. Melody through a microscope. 
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- čas přidán 11. 07. 2024
- When emptying your wallet with the French headphone company focal, this is their flagship, open backs. Let’s dive in.
Utopia
www.mimic-audio.com?bg_ref=dWvshwSvB1
www.mimic-audio.com/products/...
23R
www.mimic-audio.com/products/... Chaperone interconnects:
doublehelixcables.com/product...
Molecule elite cable:
doublehelixcables.com/product...
Early reviews and the link to the audio lounge private telegram chat can be found here:
/ convincemeaudio
The CMA Podcast:
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Edited by
bitwolf.film
M U S I C
Music by Andre Louis
www.andrelouis.com/shorts/
0:00 chapters
1:43 Intro and unboxing
09:27 Comfort and ergonomics
11:17 Sound
14:10 Equipment pairing
16:34 FR breakdown
23:38 timbre and instruments
26:32 system pairings
34:43 Caveats
37:51 Conclusion - Zábava
7:07 "Three fingers. Hmm. Hehehe. She's loose." LOL
Excellent review, very thorough and entertaining! I for one am glad you reviewed the now OG version, I just bought one of these recently at a massive discount. Now I need a tube amplifier..
As always, solid review! I like Utopia, but totally agree on your points. Looking forward for the new Utopia review
Love your videos. Hoping and expecting the stax s reviiews .
I believe it’s just pronounced En-lee-um. Great review!
A great review bro, I recently tried a D8000 Pro and it was lovely for metal and rock but had issues with EDM unfortuenately. I already have the Mojo 2 so might try the Utopia or Verite next.
D8000 pro tuned for listening at higher volume to bring the bass out.
I have an Arya SE as a new toy for EDM and switching between they are very similar but for much better resolution on the D8K. I hear bass light parts sweet tech to Arya and the bass sounds the same just muffled.
Different ears I guess and tastes too!
Thanks for another great review, do you think that the utopia og will sound great in a pure class a amp like the schiit mjolinir 3? people say that he have a tube like feeling
all the best!
wow great review.. you might want to see if you can eventually review the Holo Bliss hp amp if you're a fan of the Serene.
It’s already here in the uk mate, will be sent to me in the next couple of weeks
@@ConvinceMeAudio excellent, can't wait! I saw Golden had posted receiving his but wasn't sure if his was a pre-production unit for reviewers or not. I'm sure a Holo May -> Bliss KTE will be a special chain.
5 thousand dollars. Just thinking about the intro scene in Beverly Hills Cop when Eddie Murphy repeats that line 😁 thanks for reviewing
Very cheap VS Utopia loudspeakers
i'm getting these this Black Friday, great review ! also, when are you going to review the Monarch Mk2 IEM? I hear great things about it but I trust your ears lol
Fantastic, hopefully not too much longer, waiting for a unit to be sent,
I liked them at canjam
I use my Utopia with ALO Studio Six Tube amp.
Excellent pairing...
Organic, airiness, opens soundstage a little more, image is Excellent, luscious vocal.....
It would be awesome that you could also review the focal bathys 🤘🏻
It’s here m8
Fantastic review. How close are they to the Susvaras in terms of sound quality? I have an option of upgrading my HEKse to the Sus but am worried about then also having to find an amp that would actually make the Sus outperform the HEKse. And whilst my Utopias don't have the sound presentation of the HEKse, they do outperform them in terms of depth and precision with just a "normal" amp.
Utopia are excellent, but as US powered properly is in a different class of its own
Timbre, natural presentation speed is all better
Detail, retrieval utopia is exceptional, and that I would say it’s close
Transparency and resolution SUS takes it again
I just got the OG Utopia, and to my ears, it's just behind the HEKSE in terms of detail retrieval and the new 2022 Utopia is a little more detailed than the HEKSE. I will get the 2022 Utopia back on loan tomorrow so I will be able to confirm my thoughts.
I'm using the Cayin HA-3A with the Telefunken 12AU7 and Reflector 6V6 tubes so after your thoughts about the HA-6A, I'm sure I'm getting one of the better experiences with this headphone.
Hi, when it will be review of Utopia 2022, i can’t wait to hear your opinion Koji :) Cheers
Hiya, in the same boat as yourself, trying to get hold of it, it’s been rather difficult, as soon as possible is the answer
Great video! I have both the Utopia 2020 and the Utopia 2022. I’m going to sell one of these headphones. Which of the Utopias do you prefer overall and why?
I have 2022 on the table, finished the review.
I personally would pick 2022 because it works with everything, solid state tubes it’s a perfect Headphones genuinely in every way, the OG may be a little bit more detail forward a bit brighter sounding I can’t listen to unless it’s on tubes it’s glorious on tubes, otherwise it’s just gathers dust
Excellent review. I have clear mg with Utopia pads very good calble and mojo 2. Can you please tell is it a big difference between Utopia and clear mg with Utopia pads?
Thank you, it’s very much appreciated
Yes, they are tuned very differently, and utopia is definitely in another category of performance
It can be quite unbelievable, it’s resolving capability, punch and dynamics
I think it might still be the best dynamic head phone on the planet
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you very much for a quick response. For me putting Utopia pads on clear mg is a huge upgrade in sound. If Utopia is still a huge upgrade I should definately check them. It's also very happy that mojo 2 can drive Utopia well.
@@dreamstormPL just boost the 3K region by one dB to fill that little hole in, and it sounds fantastic
Hey man I’m not sure if you remember me but I bought the Stellea based on your recommendation. I hope you’re doing well. Now that you have more experience with the utopia could you speak on differences between the two in regards to detail retrieval, speed, clarity and tonality? I’m still really happy with my Stellea and Clear MG but I’m still really curious about the utopia. I really fall in love with Focal headphones over the past year. Cheers
Utopia is a full on open back, its use case is very different
But it has a higher resolution driver, a quicker driver, very different tonality. It is one step up.
It is enjoyable on the go with a touch of DSP correction from Mojo, but it does not have the versatility of STELLIA on the go not by a long shot
But if you throw it on a high-end system tubes, for example, it’s quite a remarkable headphone, this is not to say that STELLIA does not jump up in scale
They have very different tonality as well, they are very different headphones
But soon as you can buy both of them on the used market now for about £900, you can go either way
@@ConvinceMeAudio looks like I’m going to just have to purchase the utopia then. I have also been looking into the Susvara as you and others speak so highly of them but I’m turned off since they’re so ridiculously hard to power. I don’t mind trading a small bit of resolution due to the fact I can use the utopia on the go if I want to. As I’ve mentioned to you before I like to move around the house a lot and relax in the garden so I don’t think the Susvara would be the best choice for me.A little bit off topic but do you have any experience with the Celestee and Bathys headphones? I’m looking for something to use when working as I don’t really like to take my Stellea too far away from the house haha.
@@attomicrooster7823 I don’t recommend SUS for your use case at all, I’m using a pair of monobloc benchmarks LOL to power them properly with the control they require,
yes I have the new focal Bluetooth, they’re awesome. I recommend them full heartedly for now
I hope I get the opportunity to review it for you guys, but I’ve got a feeling I might have to leave CMA tonight or tomorrow and I might have to bring one in myself. This is one of the viewers from the channels unit that he lent me.
@@ConvinceMeAudio yeah exactly and I don’t particularly want to be throwing that kind of money at a chain to support the Susvara especially when everybody says the utopia is pretty close regarding technical performance. That utopia is very attractive to me because I can use it around the house and also on tubes if I want to. Looks like the best work option will be the Bathys then. It seems to be the better option over the Celestee due to it being wireless, noise cancelling and it’s built in DAC function is pretty cool.
@@attomicrooster7823 SUS is in a different league compare to utopia mate when it’s powered properly and chained up properly
But you’re looking at spending over 20,000 extra, I would set it aside for now
It’s a mugs game
You will thoroughly enjoy utopia, especially on tubes, it’s where it sings
If we forget about price, would you recommend the Stellia over the Utopia?
Both units have different sound signatures, if you fancy taking the headphones on the go, the STELLIA all the way, but if that is not a priority, I personally would go for utopia now I think if I have access to tubes
Great review, Thanks! Will you be reviewing the 2022 version?
Definitely, pretty soon
@@ConvinceMeAudio With the 2022 version already out, I appreciate that you took a look at the OG’s value from the perspective of the second hand buyer. The new model has seen a significant price increase for what some reviewers have described as subtle changes. I’m looking forward to your comparison.
I'm interested in your opinion about new 22 model
I’m so excited for those, waiting for those to come in for review
hope there's a comparison between the new version and the og, have the og one myself but unfortunately no local dealers around me has any demo units.
Most definitely, when it lands for review shortly I hope
I must contradict your HP comparison :
in regards to D8000pro, Utopia has more lively midrange and punchier midbase, it is also more engaging. When you want enjoying listening to music, then go with Utopia. When you are a fan of sensory deprivation and want to fall asleep while listening then go for D8000pro.
In regards to Susvara, Utopia is a steal. To drive the Susvara properly you need at least a 20K system. Utopia can be driven from a 500$ DAP.
While Utopia is not as technical as Susvara, it is more enjoyable. It has spectacular details, very good dynamics, better base, better midrange, while Susvara has better tamber, imaging and soundstage. Overall Utopia wins for me.
D800 pro, was definitely engaging, I purchased utopia again and run it on euphoria. It’s an incredible headphones, and far easier to drive, then a lot of things yes, the current SUS chain we had it on was 30 K which is ludicrous.
I don’t think you need to contradict me, having tested a lot of things with a lot more equipment. Since this point of this review, which was last year the channel has gone into insanity mode, I think I agree you should hear the 2022 variant as well, it was incredible.
And that is the problem. LOL, up to the show last year I think we were quite modest with the equipment and over the last year and three months. We are in insanity territory now
Unless I mention these headphones in other reviews and other headphones, I can’t keep reviewing things over and over
@@ConvinceMeAudio tbh, i like the Utopia OG more then the Newtopia. OG has more sparkle and a livelier midrange.
Euforia suits the Utopia well. To get the most of the Euforia, look for NOS tubes. 6080 driver tubes and VT231 KenRad Black Glas or Red Base output tubes.
Also HiFi Tuning Supreme fuse has a substantial impact on the performance.
If you like to go bonkers with Utopia, try Nitsch DSHA-3FN amp. This amp is specific made with the Utopia in mind.
The newer 2022 version was released in September
It’s coming for review 😉🐅
@@ConvinceMeAudio excellent. never connected to the Utopia personally, I wonder if the new ones would be better :)
Sunglasses 👌
Easily the best in breaking down a headphone you are .
Question below 500.00 what is a good amp/dac or just amp for zmf verite close ? Or can anyone answer ?
Maybe a tube dark voice not a fan of the topping
Something slightly warm if solid-state maybe a jot2 from schiit
@@ConvinceMeAudio thank you
@@ConvinceMeAudio did you get a chance to checkout the Cayin Ru7 ?
@@Angel-AbC9 that unit has not come in for review for an in-depth analysis yet, I might of come across it at Munich though
@ConvinceMeAudio ok , the Ru6 R2R was highly rated now new Ru7 1bit with line out us getting rave reviews . So check it out or look it up when u get the chance
Based on the comments here so far, I feel compelled to say there is a newer version of this headphone out. Did you know that? :D
Yes, it’s coming in for review
@@ConvinceMeAudio I was being sarcastic
@@bodythetan it makes sense now, I just saw the barrage of the new utopia being released comments LOL
There is a new version of Utopia.
Yes, should be coming in shortly
felix euphoria review pleeeeease
It’s coming, but we are waiting for a few more tubes to make it more comprehensive
@@ConvinceMeAudio that's great i have it running with stock tubes at the moment so will be nice to see what its like with different tubes . can i ask do you believe in power conditioners , interconnects and such like and what your take on streamers vs pc audio i never hear you talk about these things ?.
thanks again for the great content.
@@nick62876 I don’t talk about it, because it seriously brings the wrong crowd, and it becomes a toxic discussion, rather than intrigue
The cables, interconnects, power, cables and power station is like a 10k investment by itself LOL on the main reference system,
Supernova cables, double helix, interconnects, audio, quest, IFI
I’ve been planning to make a video about power, conditioners, interconnects et cetera. I just need to find the right way of doing so, it makes a difference, but on this true heightened systems, not on budget stuff.
When you at that level, everything seems to make a slight bit of difference, but always, drivers, first, then amplification, then DAC
@@nick62876 check the Community posts for powerstation interconnects et cetera
@@ConvinceMeAudio yes your right it does seem to attract the wrong crowd lol it's to be debated whether cables and power conditioners make a difference just depends on the scale of equipment I guess spending hundreds on an RCA cable for a budget system makes no sense all depends on how high end the system is just got to be sensible .
Good shout love your reply , I have the Felix audio just purchased so when you review please be gentle lol 😂 only joking it's a great amp best I have had anyway .