Focal - Utopia

Realize that soundstage will be achieved through the spatial DSP of your particular game. There are aspects of headphones that can make them sound more expansive or airy, but you want a linear headphone like the HD560S, HD505, Fiio FT 1 pro and similar. It is these target reference curves that are used by sound engineers so if you want to get close to what was designed in the studio you will be absolutely happy. Best gaming headphones I’ve owned were Hd800 and Utopia but can confidently say the headphones you are looking at are near the best for what you want without breaking the bank. The planar especially will blow your mind. The Sennheiser are also great and comfortable

I was stunned at how amazing the Utopia sounds for a dynamic driver and it definitely made me reconsider my opinions on the "planar vs dynamic" debate, but that said I still think Susvara is overall superior in sound. And I'd hope so also, it's a neat bit more expensive than Utopia.

Dont try a focal utopia. I repeat do not try a focal utopia. Your wallet will thank you

Trust me neither was i. Until you put it on a good chain. Hoooooly does it scale like no other. I got a holo may dac and it literally transformed the utopia to the greatest headphone id ever heard. With tubes youll literally ascend to the heavens its that good

Yeah I think cuz they contribute value for money and i kinda agree too for $5k headphones it won’t transcend you to another audio realm compared to other cheaper options.

I like utopias for metal

My $4000 Focal Utopia pretty much sounds the same as my $200 Sennheiser 6xx for gaming, footsteps, sound whoring etc. that’s why we have “daily drivers” and “critical listening” categories of headphones. Gunshots and footsteps aren’t going to sound that much better or clearer on more expensive headphones. Directional audio is mostly software based. I don’t see how a normal stereo headphone can be tuned for gaming, that’s usually a part of the driver/firmware that comes on USB headphones that have their own dac built in. Personally, I think $200 open back headphones are the best for gaming.

That's your opinion everybody hears differently and $5,000 doesn't guarantee anything. I prefer the HD6XX/650 to the Focal Utopia. I got out of the 2 channel speaker game after$40,000 worth of speakers in 2 years that I never enjoyed until I got the Magnepan MMGs for $500. Price buys paranoia,not performance.

I won't argue, maybe some people like the sound of dynamic headphones, but I don't at all. They are not natural to my ears, they are blurry and slow (except, maybe, ADX5000 and Composer, didnt hear them), I can't stand it. The Focal Utopia sounded especially terrible, just disgusting. I also didn't like the Raal ribbons (single ribbon variants, had not listened to Immanis). I like the sound of the Sr Omega the most closely followed by X9000 and 007. I liked a lot Audeze LCD 4z but have no good amp for them. Given this, i judge, to my ears, IMO, dynamic drivers cannot offer me clarity, soundstage, speed, naturality and resolution of estats which is gives me top sounding to my ears.

Focal Utopia is the best I've heard. HE-1 is probably better.

Focal Utopia. I’ve stopped caring about audio equipment since getting them. To me they sound practically flawless and it’s hard to imagine there being much better.

What else have you heard? I have the Utopia too and it’s hard to imagine there being much better out there, but I’ve never heard the Susvara.

For me it’s the Utopia. But it’s probably the HE-1.