With the Utopia, Focal has undoubtedly succeeded in creating an ambitious-yet-outstanding product for a demanding audiophile clientele. These headphones are also recommended for professional users in sound control rooms and editing suites. At the same time, evaluating a product in this price range presents me with a challenge. The Focal Utopia sounds outstanding and in many aspects audibly superior, compared to high-quality products from the high-end category. But the extent to which these improvements justify the significant surcharge is another question. The higher prices are often associated with significant additional development and design costs. This, in turn, has repercussions on the number of units produced, which leads to higher prices for smaller numbers. Also, the fact that production is completed in France as well as the high standards required for the processing of beryllium, are impactful cost factors.
Nevertheless, I would like to note the distinction of these headphones from competitors such as Ultrasone, Sennheiser, Audeze or Stax. Even given personal tastes, the Utopia definitely ranks at the top of its class.