![]() ![]() ![]() While the overall design and packaging remain very similar, Brent emphasized that these headphones have been “upgraded in numerous subtle ways.” These improvements include a switch “from an aluminum voice coil to one made from a combination of aluminum and copper to make it more reliable,” as well as “a new grille design on the outside. Brent wrote: “The diaphragm has an ‘M’ shape, which makes it flatter.” He added: “Focal claims this design is stiffer than the usual ‘V’ shape.”īrent noted that the Utopia 2022 headphones “get the same luxe accommodations as the originals did: a carrying case made from formed plastic covered in gray tweed fabric.” He also mentioned that “two cables are included: a 10′ (3m) cable with a balanced four-pin XLR connector on the source end and snap-in LEMO connectors on the headphone ends, and a 4′ (1.2m) cable with a 1/8″ (3.5mm) plug on the source end and a 1/8″-to-1/4″ (3.5mm-to-6.35mm) adapter.” The beryllium diaphragm is a hallmark of Focal’s most expensive speakers, but the Stellia headphones ($2990)-one step below the Utopias-are the only other of the French manufacturer’s headphones to use the material. ![]() This includes the use of “an ultra-light, ultra-stiff, 40mm beryllium diaphragm” for the driver in each earcup. Since this is an evolutionary design that didn’t even get a name change, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that certain core features remain the same. Since the new version ($4999, all prices in USD) has the same name, Brent explained that he would refer to the new model as the “Utopia 2022.” We have done the same here, and in the measurements report. He began by praising the original Utopia headphones, which were released in 2016, stating that they were “probably as close as anyone’s come to perfection in headphones.” In fact, his June 2020 review earned Reviewers’ Choice and Recommended Reference Component awards for the original Utopia headphones. 2018-2019 EISA Awards Video Introductionīrent Butterworth reviewed Focal’s updated Utopia headphones in January 2023. ![]()
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