Being an open-backed design there isn’t the quantity or power of bass that closed alternatives usually offer, but equally, no closed-back we’ve heard can get remotely close to the articulation and insight on offer here. We’re particularly taken with the way these cans reproduce the lows. Here these Focals render the complex arrangements with ease, delivering an expansive soundfield that’s packed with dynamic contrasts and punch. This aspect comes to the fore when we listen to Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar OST. These headphones are even and open the angling of the drive units inside the earcup really does help to give a more spacious and speaker-like presentation than the in-your-head norm. We don’t have an original pair of Focal Utopia to hand, but from memory we think Focal’s claim of greater refinement for this new generation rings true. They’re great at conveying the rhythmic drive of the title track and also the pulsating ebb and flow of tracks like The Places You Find Love. All that information is presented in a composed and organised way, but importantly, these headphones don’t dilute the excitement in the music. The Focals take it all in hand, layering their presentation with a sea of fine detail that reveals instrumental textures and the passion in vocals superbly. It is as slick as they come, and at times dynamically challenging and densely packed. It’s easier than ever to appreciate the immaculate production on Quincy Jones’ Back On The Block. We listen to a wide range of music over our time with these headphones. Of course, with speakers you’ll also need a large, neutral-sounding listening room and suitably capable (and invariably very expensive) amplifier to match. You would have to spend many times the Utopia’s hefty price to get speakers that can even approach the level of insight and resolution on offer here. Even recordings that we know well surprise us with previously undiscovered nuances that, on occasion, make us appreciate the music in a slightly different way. They are wonderfully transparent and ruthlessly explicit about the differences in recording and production quality between our various test tracks. Given a partnering system of suitable quality there really is no denying that these Focal Utopia are truly exceptional performers. Our second system is made up of a MacBook Pro loaded with Audirvana software and feeding a Chord Hugo TT DAC/headphone amp. Our main set-up is Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer plugged straight into Burmester’s 088 preamp, which has a rather fine headphone amplifier circuit with an output that’s inconveniently positioned on the back. Of course, high-end turntables, CD players and streamers would all be fine sources, but you’ll need a top quality headphone amp at the very least. We suggest at least CD-spec music files, high-res would be preferable, dedicated music playing software such as Audirvana or Roon and a talented outboard DAC. That would be a waste, as you would never know how good they can sound. You also get a screw-on 3.5mm to 6.3mm adaptor.ĭon’t even think about plugging these headphones directly into your phone, laptop or iPad. Both these cables connect to the headphones with a pair of Lemo connectors and are generally good at resisting the transmission of noise when we move. But put the lovely packaging to the side – physically and metaphorically – and the important things are the inclusion of a relatively short 1.5m cable terminated by a conventional 3.5mm jack and a longer 3 metre balanced lead with a four-pin XLR. Unboxing them is every inch the feel-good luxury experience we would hope for. The Utopia come in suitably luxurious packaging as befits a product at this level. There have been cosmetic changes to the sliding yoke that holds the earcups, but it’s still made of carbon fibre and is sensibly shaped. The clamping pressure is nicely judged to hold the Utopia securely without being oppressive over longer listening sessions, and those soft ear pads feel pleasant to the touch, as does the nicely padded, leather-bound headband. Despite a fairly hefty 490g weight these Focals feel wonderfully welcoming.
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