![]() ![]() This came with Maroon 5’s Never Leave This Bed, which sounded almost completely different, in a good way, than any time I’d heard it before. 808 State’s In Yer Face sounded superb - rich, noisy, and aggressive - but didn’t demonstrate the Utopia’s party piece: spaciousness. Plugged into a Naim DAC V1 headphone amp, we listened to a variety of different tracks. There’s no pressure on the top of your head or over the ears, with no uncomfortable “hanging.” Instead, they almost feel part of your skull. Due to careful design of the headband, they really don’t feel heavy once they’re on. Put them on, and and you’ll find it hard to believe the Utopias weigh nearly 500 grams. We adore the carbon fiber hangers, the sleek weave showing through just enough to be seen, and the sci-fi influenced yet still traditional-looking woven mesh over the open back cups. ![]() Take them out, and admire the stunning design. It’s an event just opening the magnetic clasp holding down the top. The box they come in is massive, and contains not only the ‘phones, but also four meters of low-impedance OFC cable, and has a faux soundproofed lining. Focal says this low-mass, high-rigidity material has 2.5 times the sound velocity and 37 times the rigidity of titanium, and the resulting frequency response is 5Hz to 50kHz.Įven before you put them on, it’s obvious these are very special headphones.Įven before you put them on, it’s obvious these are very special headphones. The presence.” To replicate this, Focal used an entirely new manufacturing process to come up with a pioneering full-range 40mm driver, coupled with an M-shape dome made of Beryllium, that is capable of producing both low and high frequencies. “It’s hard to listen to a piece of music in a room, then get the same vivid experience using headphones,” Focal said at CanJam London 2016, where Utopia received its European unveiling. Hands on: Sennheisser’s $55,000 Orpheus headphones It took four years to realize, but now we have the Focal Utopia, a set of beautiful headphones packed with industry-first technology, to caress your eardrums with the sounds usually only associated with a sizable set of floor standers. French audio experts Focal think that’s all wrong, and believe that loudspeakers, or at least the audio experience provided by them, should be available from a set of really excellent headphones. ![]() They aren’t, commonly, strapped to your head. Beautiful to look at and silky smooth to listen to, the Focal Utopia headphones are worth saving up for ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |