This is a short comparison between the Focal Utopia and the Focal Elex (and Elear) with Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads. Focal Elex is an Elear with different pads, but for this comparison, I use 3rd party pads so it doesn’t matter.
The Fenestrated Sheepskin pads make a significant difference. I am no huge fan of the standard Focal pads that are 50% fabric on the inside. They absorb the bass and make the headphones sound brighter. I much prefer sheepskin pads from either Dekoni or other manufacturers. I have used the Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads on the Utopia and I think they also make the Utopia better. It sounds warmer with a stronger bass presence. It sounds less bright, albeit at a slight cost of sound-stage width. For this comparison, however, I used the stock pads on the Utopia.
FOCAL UTOPIA SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Circum-aural open-back headphones
- Impedance 80 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 104dB SPL / 1mW @ 1kHz
- THD: <0,2% @ 1kHz / 100dB SPL
- Frequency response: 5Hz – 50kHz
- Loudspeaker: 40mm pure Beryllium ‘M’ shape dome
- Weight: 490g
- Cable connection to headphones: 2-pin LEMO
- Cables: 1 x 4ft OFC 24 AWG cable with 1/8″ (3.5mm) TRS Jack connector, 1 x 10ft OFC 24 AWG cable with 4-pin XLR connector, 1 x Jack adapter, 1/8″ (3.5mm) female – 1/4″ (6.35mm) male
- Storage box
FOCAL ELEX SPECIFICATIONS
- Open-back circumaural design.
- 40mm full-range dynamic driver with aluminium-magnesium “M”-shaped dome.
- 20mm-thick perforated microfiber memory foam ear pads.
- Perforated microfiber headband with length adjustment and cup rotation.
- Aluminium yoke.
- Impedance: 80 ohms.
- Sensitivity: 104 dB SPL / 1 mW at 1 kHz.
- THD: < 0.3% at 1 kHz / 100 dB SPL
- Frequency response: 5 Hz–23 kHz
- Weight: 450 g
- Cables: 6 ft (1.8 m) cloth-wrapped single-ended cable with ¼ in (6.35 mm) plug and 6 ft (1.8 m) cloth-wrapped balanced cable with 4-pin XLR plug
- Storage box
I used both the Mytek Liberty THX and the Rebel Amp amplifiers. The RME ADI-2 DAC FS was my source. Stock pads on the Utopia, Dekoni Fenestrated Sheepskin pads on the Elex/Elear.
TRACK-BY-TRACK COMPARISON
Aubade by Trio 3
The sound signature is remarkably similar and there is no doubt that these are both Focal headphones. The Utopia comes off as a bit cleaner across the board but they are surprisingly close. The Elex has a bit more bass.
Azelujos by Populous
Again the sound signature and soundstage are very similar. The Utopia is generally cleaner sounding. It especially has a cleaner treble but also the midrange is more nuanced and has better timbre.
Clocks by Erland Dahlen
Both the sound signature and soundstage are very similar, but not identical. The Utopia is more open-sounding. The other most immediately noticeable difference is that the treble on the utopia is cleaner. With the Elex the treble has a splashy and a bit dry quality to it. Generally, the Utopia again is cleaner sounding all over with noticeably less distortion, but the difference between them isn’t really that big at first listen.
Black Crow by Cassandra Wilson
Even though they might come off as similar at first listen the Utopia is again better in all regards and the vocals sound more effortless and natural. When you listen to this track several times it becomes very clear that the Utopia has better vocals and highs especially.
Bored by Deftones
The sound on this hardcore metal track is very similar but the Utopia is a bit cleaner and tidier in the presentation, with better layering and separation.
Can’t You See by Susan Wong
Truly beautiful sounding vocal presentation from the Utopia. With this song, the differences are a lot clearer than with many of the other songs. The Utopia is much more natural and organic sounding, more effortless and fluid. Especially in the mid-range and treble.
Carretera by David Brito/Julie Fahrer
Another female vocals-oriented track. Again it sounds quite a lot better with the Utopia. More natural and liquid.
Daddy Lessons by Beyonce
This track gets a bit shouty with the Elex. In direct comparison, it sounds a bit forced and edgy.
WRAPPING IT UP
With regards to sound signature and soundstage, they are very close and if you have the Elex or Elear with the Fenestrated Sheepskin pads you already know approximately what you get in that regard. The Utopia is however cleaner and has a blacker background and better separation and thus is more holographic. But the Elex is surprisingly close.
The treble is significantly more liquid and refined with the utopia. There is nothing left of the splashiness you can get with the Elex.
The midrange isn’t always too different but with vocals especially, there is really a class difference. The sound is more effortless and natural and flows with more ease.
When it comes to the bass they are quite similar, this is the part of the spectrum where they are the least different.
When it comes to the qualities of the timbre, it is always better with the Utopia. It’s more natural sounding, especially in the highs and mids.
CONCLUSION
First of all, I must again mention that I used third-party fenestrated sheepskin pads from Dekoni on the Elex/Elear. This makes a huge difference. The Elex Elear also needs a good amp to really shine.
That being said, the takeaway here is that the Utopia and the Elex/Elear are roughly speaking quite similar sounding in many aspects. However, the Utopia is better in all the small ways that together make it a substantial upgrade.
In other words: They are not very different but they are also very different at the same time. Anyone who is not an audiophile will presumably find the differences subtle and the price difference horrid. If you, however, have your head deep into the world of hi-fi headphones, you will definitely appreciate the upgrades to the sound. The difference isn’t big enough to justify the extreme difference in price for everyone, but that goes for as good as all high-end headphones in my opinion.
The Utopia might be the best dynamic headphones ever made, but in my humble opinion, the Elex brings you surprisingly close, at least with the right pads.
You can shop for the Focal Utopia here, or other Focal headphones here.
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