If you know me even a little, you know how much I love the Focal Utopia headphone. I was head over heels shortly after our Focal rep handed it to me back in 2016. He explained that it was the world's first full-range and fully open-back loudspeaker built within a pair of headphones, using pure beryllium formed in a brand-new "M"-shaped dome. After slipping the Utopia on my head, my ears immediately began to smile. This was the best headphone I had ever heard. Years later, the Utopia remains one of my absolute favorites, one of my "desert island" headphones. In my book, it's simply unmatched in terms of detail, resolution, and musicality.
Needless to say, I had mixed feelings about listening to the Utopia 2022. On the one hand, I was super excited to see what Focal would do with my beloved Utopia. On the other hand, I feared (needlessly) that the new version wouldn't live up to my very lofty expectations. As it turns out, the Utopia 2022 has an updated look and a different flavor than the original, and I'm happily letting both headphones share real estate in my heart.