Focal Utopia 2022 Reference High End Dynamic Headphones
First launched in 2016, Focal’s Utopia headphones rank amongst the best headphones in the world. Under constant renewal, the French brand with a unique savoir-faire in acoustics, has given its iconic product a new design while adding acoustic enhancements such as a new voice coil, and a new complex ‘M’-shaped grille that ensures reference sound reproduction.
All the exclusive, high-end technologies that make the Utopia headphones so successful are still to be found in this new edition. The Utopia 2022 continues to bring sensational listening experiences to your home with even more sophistication and elegance.
A NEW LOOK, A REWORKED DESIGN
The design of the new Utopia is a combination of moderation and distinction. Taking the aesthetics of Focal’s latest hi-fi open-back (Clear Mg) and closed-back (Stellia and Celestee) headphones, the honeycomb grille on both the outside and inside of the earcups gives a unique and remarkable look. In addition to its Black Chrome rings – now attached on from the inside for a cleaner appearance – these headphones introduce new design language, which will also be used on Focal’s future Utopia products. Among them, the “Yin & Yang” featured on the outer case symbolises the perfect balance between design and technology, embodied by these highend, French headphones, as well as the black and red double grille on the speaker drivers’ motor unit.
THE BEST FOCAL TECHNOLOGIES
Constantly striving for reference performance, Focal’s engineers opted for a new voice coil made up of copper – to improve reliability – and aluminium – to make it more lightweight. This alloy provides a rejuvenated sound signature that lends even greater neutrality, with powerful bass and more mellow treble. What’s more, the grilles inside the earcups are now M-shaped, following the curves of the speaker drivers, to give improved linearity and even more precision.
In addition to these innovations, the new Utopia headphones still include everything that made the first editions such a success, such as full-range speaker drivers with pure Beryllium, ‘M’-shaped dome, and fully open-backed design for strikingly real listening full of neutrality, dynamics and transparency. Exclusive to Focal, the patented speaker drivers run with zero active or passive correction, from 5Hz to over 50 kHz. The headphones seem to totally disappear, leaving audio signal reproduction that is unrivalled in its purity.
PREMIUM MATERIALS DEDICATED TO SOUND AND COMFORT
Utopia is made from premium, sophisticated materials. The new yoke, made from forged, recycled carbon, is an elegant touch, whilst making the headphones more lightweight and distributing their weight more evenly. The genuine leather headband and perforated memory foam earcups— also leather-bound — provide unparalleled comfort and softness. And finally, exceptional headphones merit top of the range accessories: Utopia comes in faux-leather packaging with a black fabric thermoformed carrying case and two high-fidelity cables (10ft and 5ft / 3m and 1.5m) for using the headphones at home with an amplifier or on the go with Lemo® connectors and a Jack adapter.
- Genuine Leather Headband
- Perforated lambskin memory foam ear pads for comfort and open sound
- Unique 'M'-shaped Beryllium driver design, based on Focal's high end speaker drivers
- New 'M'-shaped grille that conforms to the driver design for lowest distortion
- Lemo connectors with locking mechanism
- Forged, recycled carbon earpiece yokes for user comfort and durability
- Made in France in the Focal workshops
FOCAL UTOPIA 2022: ULTIMATE LISTENING
Made in France, the Focal Utopia 2022 headphones are the fruit of over 40 years of acoustic innovation. Open-back, its Beryllium "M" dome drivers deliver the strikingly realistic listening sensations of the best Focal loudspeakers.
A PIECE OF ART
Innovations are complemented by aesthetics that make these headphones a work of art. The honeycomb grilles and Black Chrome rings highlight subtle design details, such as the Yin & Yang symbolism on the outer shell and the red reflections on the loudspeakers.
SOFTNESS AND COMFORT
For listening pleasure, the memory ear pads and genuine leather headband provide comfort and softness, while the recycled forged carbon yoke offers lightness and an even distribution of the headphones' weight on the head.
RUNNING IN
The Focal Utopia 2022 headphones need a running-in period to reach full performance. This will happen naturally after several hours of listening. If you wish to accelerate the process, we recommend that you play the headphones for at least 24 hours at a relatively high volume level, on tracks rich in low frequencies. This will stabilize the drivers and enable you to enjoy your headphones to the full.
SUPPLIED ACCESSORIES
Utopia comes with a black leatherette cabinet, a thermoformed case in the headphones' colors, and hi-fi cables for perfect, complete home use. A stand is available as an optional extra, allowing the headphones to be elegantly displayed in the home.
M DOME BERYLLIUM SPEAKERS
Unmatched purity and realism
Experts in high-fidelity speaker drivers, Focal engineers have applied their expertise to headphones. The patented, fully open-back, full-range drivers have an "M"-shaped dome made of pure Beryllium. They operate without active or passive correction, from 5 Hz to over 50 kHz: the headphones disappear completely, and the audio signal is reproduced with unparalleled purity, realism, and transparency. Contributing to the perfect design, the grilles are also "M"-shaped, to perfectly follow the shape of the drivers while providing better linearity in the treble.
UNPUBLISHED COIL
A no-compromise sound signature
Along with the diaphragm and magnet, the voice coil is one of the key components of a speaker. Its composition and materials play a vital role in sound reproduction. For the Focal Utopia 2022, Focal's engineers developed a new voice coil made from two materials: copper for reliability and aluminum for lightness. This evolution is synonymous with continuous innovation, but also with a renewed, uncompromising hi-fi sound signature.
The Utopia 2022 represents the very best of Focal's engineering and craftsmanship. Its fully open-back, full-range pure Beryllium M-shaped dome drivers operate without any active or passive correction, from 5Hz to over 50kHz, reproducing the audio signal with unparalleled purity, realism, and transparency. Every detail — from the materials to the tuning — is crafted without compromise. Focal switched from an aluminium-only voice coil to a new aluminium and copper combination for improved reliability, introduced a redesigned honeycomb grille to reduce acoustic impedance, and reshaped the inner driver grilles to minimise internal reflections. The yokes are now made from forged recycled carbon, making them stronger and lighter than before. Focal's new voice coil alloy delivers greater neutrality, with more powerful bass and a more mellow treble compared to the original. The Utopia DNA remains unmistakably strong — it's an incredibly resolving, nuanced, and articulate headphone that delivers a fantastic sense of image distinction, instrument separation, and precise imaging. With an impedance of 80Ω and a sensitivity of 104dB/1mW, the Utopia 2022 is relatively efficient and can be driven by a wider range of amplifiers than many of its high-end rivals. That said, at this level of performance it absolutely deserves a quality DAC and amplifier — a resolving source chain will unlock the full depth, imaging, and dynamics these headphones are capable of. The memory foam ear pads and genuine leather headband provide comfort and softness, while the recycled forged carbon yoke ensures an even distribution of weight on the head. The weight does not become fatiguing even after several hours of listening, and the design accommodates a wide range of head sizes comfortably.Frequently Asked Questions
| Type | Circum-aural, open-back headphones |
| Impedance | 80 Ohms |
| Sensitivity | Sensitivity 104dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz |
| THD | <0.2 % @ 1kHz / 100dB SPL |
| Frequency response | 5Hz – 50kHz |
| Speaker driver | 19/16" (40mm) pure beryllium 'M'-shaped dome |
| Weight | 1.08lbs (490g) |
| Cable provided |
1 x 5ft cable (1.5m) with 1 x 1/8" (3.5mm) asymmetric TRS Jack connector and 2 x Lemo® connectors 1 x 10ft cable (3m) with 1 x symmetrical 4-point XLR connector and 2 Lemo® connectors 1 x Jack adapter, 1/8" (3.5mm) point socket – 1/4" (6.35mm) point plug |
| Carrying case included | 9.8x9.4x4.7" (25x24x12cm) |
- Storage Box
- Carrying Case
- 1x 5ft (1.5m) mini-jack cable with 1/4” (6.35mm) jack adapter
- 1x 10ft (3m) cable with balanced XLR connector
See the Trustpilot reviews section below for customer reviews.
Focal Utopia 2022 Reference High End Dynamic Headphones
With its exclusive drivers, sleek design and noble materials, Utopia is an exceptional headphone. Its uncompromising design, combined with its comfort and Focal technologies, offers high-fidelity listening of unrivalled purity, at the pinnacle of performance that hi-fi headphones can provide. Its recycled forged carbon yoke gives it a modern, refined style, while ensuring greater lightness.
With its exclusive drivers, sleek design and noble materials, Utopia is an exceptional headphone. Its uncompromising design, combined with its comfort and Focal technologies, offers high-fidelity listening of unrivalled purity, at the pinnacle of performance that hi-fi headphones can provide. Its recycled forged carbon yoke gives it a modern, refined style, while ensuring greater lightness.
