Focal Utopia EQ settings for Mac
Measured EQ correction for the Focal Utopia, the specs that matter, and what changes when you use them with a Mac. Copy the settings and apply them in one click.
The short answer
- Adds about 9 dB of bass shelf.
- Adds about 5 dB around 9 kHz for treble presence.
- Cuts about 5 dB below 68 Hz to tighten sub-bass.
- Cuts about 3 dB around 1.2 kHz.
Utopia at a glance
Wired open-back planar-magnetic-driver headphone. Official specifications from Focal:
- Driver
- 40 mm pure beryllium M-shaped dome
- Impedance
- 80 Ω
- Sensitivity
- 104 dB/mW
- Weight
- 490 g
- Cable
- Detachable, 4 m (6.35 mm) + 1.2 m (3.5 mm)
Sources: AutoEQ (oratory1990).
Using the Utopia with a Mac
Wired, so no Bluetooth codec. The Utopia connect with a cable, so nothing is compressed on the way: plug them into the Mac's headphone jack, or a USB-C adapter or DAC.
Calls sound worse than music. As soon as an app uses the headphones' microphone (Zoom, FaceTime, a dictation shortcut), Bluetooth switches to hands-free mode, which has much lower audio quality. Pick your Mac's built-in microphone as the input to keep the Utopia in stereo music mode.
What the measurements show
This correction comes from AutoEQ, based on oratory1990's measurements of the Utopia. It shows how much to boost or cut at each frequency to bring the headphones closer to AutoEQ's neutral target:
- Adds about 9 dB of bass shelf.
- Adds about 5 dB around 9 kHz for treble presence.
- Cuts about 5 dB below 68 Hz to tighten sub-bass.
- Cuts about 3 dB around 1.2 kHz.
Fit, ear pads and your own ears all change what you hear, and neutral isn't everyone's favourite sound. Use this as a starting point, then adjust by ear.
Apply it in TuningMac (parametric EQ)
TuningMac's Advanced EQ imports this format directly. Copy the settings, then:
- Open TuningMac ▸ Settings ▸ Advanced EQ with your Utopia connected.
- Turn on Use Advanced EQ for Utopia (or whatever you've named them on your Mac).
- Choose More ▸ Paste from Clipboard.
TuningMac saves it for your Utopia and loads it whenever they connect.
Preamp: -6.4 dB Filter 1: ON LSC Fc 105 Hz Gain 8.5 dB Q 0.70 Filter 2: ON PK Fc 8972 Hz Gain 5.4 dB Q 1.61 Filter 3: ON PK Fc 68 Hz Gain -5.0 dB Q 0.37 Filter 4: ON PK Fc 1245 Hz Gain -2.9 dB Q 2.09 Filter 5: ON PK Fc 1946 Hz Gain 3.4 dB Q 3.68 Filter 6: ON HSC Fc 10000 Hz Gain -2.0 dB Q 0.70 Filter 7: ON PK Fc 5903 Hz Gain -3.1 dB Q 6.00 Filter 8: ON PK Fc 6765 Hz Gain 2.6 dB Q 5.89 Filter 9: ON PK Fc 2714 Hz Gain -1.7 dB Q 5.90 Filter 10: ON PK Fc 3557 Hz Gain 1.9 dB Q 5.99
| # | Type | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Shelf | 105 Hz | +8.5 dB | 0.70 |
| 2 | Bell | 8.97 kHz | +5.4 dB | 1.61 |
| 3 | Bell | 68 Hz | −5.0 dB | 0.37 |
| 4 | Bell | 1.25 kHz | −2.9 dB | 2.09 |
| 5 | Bell | 1.95 kHz | +3.4 dB | 3.68 |
| 6 | High Shelf | 10 kHz | −2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| 7 | Bell | 5.9 kHz | −3.1 dB | 6.00 |
| 8 | Bell | 6.76 kHz | +2.6 dB | 5.89 |
| 9 | Bell | 2.71 kHz | −1.7 dB | 5.90 |
| 10 | Bell | 3.56 kHz | +1.9 dB | 5.99 |
Preamp: −6.4 dB. It lowers the overall level so the boosts don't clip.
Prefer simple sliders? The 10-band version
No Advanced EQ needed: AutoEQ also gives values for a standard 10-band equalizer, the same bands as TuningMac's main EQ. In the menu bar popover choose Custom, set each slider, and set the preamp to about −6.0 dB.
Values in dB, at 31 Hz to 16 kHz. The parametric version above is more precise.
Questions
Do the Focal Utopia need a Bluetooth codec on a Mac?+
None: the Utopia are wired. Plug them into the Mac's headphone jack, or a USB-C adapter or DAC, and the sound reaches them without Bluetooth compression.
What are the best EQ settings for the Focal Utopia?+
AutoEQ's correction, based on oratory1990's measurements, adds about 9 dB of bass shelf, adds about 5 dB around 9 kHz, cuts about 3 dB around 1.2 kHz, with a preamp of -6.4 dB. The exact values are on this page, ready to copy. Treat it as a neutral starting point and adjust to taste.
Why do my Focal Utopia sound bad on calls on a Mac?+
When an app uses the headphones' microphone, Bluetooth switches from stereo music mode to a hands-free call mode with much lower audio quality. To keep music quality during calls, choose your Mac's built-in microphone as the input instead. TuningMac's Input list does this in one click, and its Device Info shows which mode you're in.
Should I turn off the EQ in Focal's app?+
For the most accurate result, yes. An equalizer set in Focal's app is applied inside the headphones, so it also affects your Mac and would add to this correction. TuningMac's EQ only changes sound from your Mac, so it won't affect your phone.
Tune your Utopia on your Mac
Parametric and 10-band EQ, noise control and battery in the menu bar.
EQ data from AutoEQ by Jaakko Pasanen (MIT licence), measurement by oratory1990. Specifications from Focal's published specifications. Focal Utopia is a trademark of Focal; TuningMac is not affiliated with Focal.