Focal - Utopia 2022

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

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.

Airpods Pro 2 are extremely hard to beat in terms of value. I own: * [Focal Utopia 2022](https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/focal-2022-utopia-how-does-it-compare-to-original) (for desk listening) * [Sennheiser HD 6XX (aka 650)](https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/sennheiser-hd650-vs-hd600-review-revisiting-classics-in-2020) (w/wireless mod for around the house) * [Sennheiser HD 560s](https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/sennheiser-hd-560s-review-better-value-than-the-hd6xx) (for gaming) * [Sennheiser IE 200](https://headphones.com/blogs/reviews/sennheiser-ie200-review) (for travel listening) * Airpod Pro Gen 1 (for general use) If I could have just a *one* pair of headphones for *everything* it would be Airpod Pro 2's no question. They do everything really well, like shockingly well for the size. The bass was a little too boomy for my liking (gave them to my wife and kept my gen 1 for general use) but that can be tapered off with the bass reducer EQ presets in iOS or the EQ hacks. They are genuinely nearly perfect for what they are. They're not as detailed or spacious as over the ear open back headphones but they're miles more versatile due to being tiny, wireless, having ANC, transparency mode, etc, etc. and for such a tiny package they're pretty amazing. The fact that you can have all that in your pocket 24/7 is wild to me.

I had the Clear Mg and liked them so much (EQ’d to Harmon target) that I bought the Utopia 2022 without even hearing them when a shop in Australia had them on a massive discount. I probably should have just stopped at the Mg but it was too good of a deal to pass up. Haven’t really touched another pair since then or had any desire to look. Other than going back to the 6XX from time to time to sort or cleanse my pallet so to speak but I always go strait back to the Utopia. Anyway just nice to meet another headphone enjoyer outside r/Headphones lol.

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.

Currently playing bf6 with focal utopia 2022 and schiit.

Just upgraded my amp on them and was surprised how much more I can hear. But it could just be placebo that I’m listening to it louder.