Comparing high-end headphones like the Focal Utopia 2022 and the Susvara Unveiled is always an exciting task for an audiophile like me. Both headphones represent the pinnacle of audio engineering, but cater to slightly different preferences and listening experiences. In this article, I will discuss their design, soundstage, bass, mids, and highs to help you decide which pair might be the best fit for your listening needs.
What is in the box
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Design and Comfort
The Focal Utopia 2022 stands out with its 40mm pure beryllium driver and 5Hz-50kHz-capable “M”-shaped dome. This design choice, coupled with an 80 Ohm impedance and 104 dB sensitivity, makes the Utopia easy to drive, offering an appealing balance between power requirements and performance. The honeycomb grille is a well-thought-out addition, providing openness and reducing compression, contributing to a more natural sound.
Lambskin ear cushions enhance comfort and ensure a degree of bass extension, while the leather headband feels comfortable and of premium quality. The wide headband design is ideal for audiophiles with larger head shapes, though those with smaller heads or larger ears may prefer the flat, slim design of the Susvara Unveiled. The inclusion of Lemo connectors and multiple cables speaks to the durability and versatility I appreciate in Focal’s design choices.
On the other hand, the Susvara Unveiled features a frequency response of 6 Hz to 75 kHz, an impedance of 45 ohms, and a sensitivity of 86 dB. This makes it easier to drive than its predecessor, but it still requires a powerful amplifier to reach its full potential. This is also a perfect example of how low resistance does not always mean high sensitivity. Weighing in at 430 grams, the Susvara’s headband design ensures even weight distribution, making it comfortable for long listening sessions despite its weight. It’s also 60 grams lighter than the Utopia, making it impressively comfortable.
One of the most striking features of the Susvara is its completely open design, which leaves the speakers exposed. This design, complemented by the magnetic veil for storing them, maximizes the natural soundstage, but at the cost of durability. The Susvara is not designed for listening to music on the move, but is a meticulously crafted piece for home use.
Sound scene
As far as the soundstage goes, the Utopia 2022 offers a wide and analytical experience, though it is a bit shallower compared to the Susvara. Crisp highs allow for pinpoint accuracy, making every detail of the music perceptible. While the Utopia offers premium sound in your head, it doesn’t quite mimic the Susvara’s expansive, room-like soundstage.
When listening to Freddie Hubbard's “Red Clay,” the Utopia manages to capture nuance and detail, but lacks the perception of distance that the Susvara provides. The Utopia's soundstage is excellent, but more intimate and less expansive.
The Susvara Unveiled excels at delivering a wide, expansive soundstage with a palpable sense of distance. These headphones offer a speaker-like quality that genuinely mimics a studio environment. Not only is the soundstage expansive, but it also manages to remain intimate depending on the recording.
With “Red Clay,” the Susvara captures the bell movement of Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet in a way that feels incredibly natural and realistic. The final reverberation seems to have no boundaries, offering a very natural and immersive listening experience.
Listening impressions: Utopia vs. Susvara uncovered
Low
Both headphones offer a flat, revealing bass response, but the Utopia 2022 offers a slightly more powerful but less warm sound. Bass isn’t the focus of either of these headphones, but the Utopia extends its low end less than the Susvara. Tracks like Thou’s “I Feel Nothing When You Cry” highlight the Utopia’s ability to respond well to EQ and bass-heavy amps, delivering a punchier low end without any muddiness. At times, the sub-bass roll-off can sound a little unnatural and remind you that you’re still wearing headphones.
With the FiiO K19, I took full advantage of the amp's excellent EQ. I often found myself in the “Hip-Hop” setting to complement the Utopia's bass. When listening with the Susvara Unveiled, the balanced bass worked very well with a flat EQ. Depending on your sound preferences and current setup, each headphone has its advantages depending on what you're looking for.
The Susvara’s bass is deep and warm, offering a dynamic, tight feel. With the Enleum HPA-23RM amplifier, the Susvara’s mid-bass and highs are more present than on the original model. Both models respond exceptionally well to EQ and different amplifiers, offering a flat but natural bass sound that is slightly warmer than both the Utopia and the original Susvara.
Listening to the same Thou track, Susvara's bass feels more resonant and dynamic, adhering closely to the recording without adding unnecessary clutter.
Media
The Utopia 2022’s mids are balanced and have a pleasant timbre. There is a noticeable low-mid boost, which gives a more throaty texture to bass sounds and fullness to the higher mids. However, the mids are not as balanced as the Susvara’s. The Utopia offers a crisp, textured mid-sound with less resonant transients, which can be appealing for certain genres, but may lack the natural balance that the Susvara offers.
The Susvara's mids are a standout feature, freed from the low mids and finely tuned to balance guitars, vocals, snares/toms, synths, and trumpets. The tone is exceptional, delivering a harmonic quality where midrange textures are clear and balanced without being fatiguing. Tracks like Obituary's “Cause of Death” reveal the Susvara's ability to reproduce crunchier guitar sounds with decisive fullness and excellent dynamics.
When listening to “There Will Never Be Another You” by Joe Pass, Andre Previn and Ray Brown, the Susvara’s mids convey every detail of Pass’s performance, capturing every nuance with remarkable clarity.
While the Utopia's timbre brings out great dynamics in most music, its lack of presence compared to the Unveiled makes it difficult to compete with in this realm. The Susvara's midrange vocals are full, clear, and dynamic. There's nothing wrong with the Utopia's midrange response, it's just not as exciting to me as the character of the Susvara's unique midrange approach.
Maximums
In the highs, the Utopia 2022 offers clarity and crispness with less balance but more airiness compared to the Susvara. The overall flat tuning helps bring out more crispness in the sound signature. Cymbal sounds, for example, come out with more clarity and crispness, making tracks like “Naima” by Jon McLaughlin, Elvin Jones, and Joey DeFrancesco feel palpable and detailed. However, the Utopia can sometimes have too much cymbal volume, resulting in a bright, airy sound that may not be as balanced as some listeners prefer.
The Susvara’s highs are fully extended yet neutral, offering fantastic detail with a more analytical quality than the Utopia. The electrostatic-type highs extend up to 75 kHz, producing clear, detailed highs without being fatiguing. The Susvara’s highs remain relatively flat, and the flat bass of both headphones generates more highs.
When listening to Naima, the Susvara's highs provide a detailed yet full experience, maintaining a balance that feels natural and unobtrusive.
Conclusion
Choosing between the Focal Utopia 2022 and the Susvara Unveiled comes down to personal preference and specific listening needs. The Utopia 2022 excel at delivering more powerful bass and a more intimate soundstage with crisp, clear highs. They are also more durable and easier to handle, making them a versatile choice for different listening environments.
However, the Susvara Unveiled offers a wider, more natural soundstage, with exceptional midrange timbre and warmer bass sound. It requires a powerful amplifier and is ideal for listening at home, where its delicate design can be properly appreciated.
In short, if you prioritize a balanced and expansive soundstage with natural mids and deep bass, the Susvara Unveiled is the way to go. If you prefer a more intimate soundstage with punchier bass and crisper highs, and need headphones that are durable and easier to handle, the Focal Utopia 2022 would be an excellent choice. If I had to choose between the two, I would still choose the Susvara due to its versatility and impressive sound signature.
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