Sounds like perfection: headphones that are worth their hefty price tag

Some might think spending $7000 on a pair of headphones is crazy – but they probably haven’t listened to Utopia, from French brand Focal.

Focal's Utopia headphones. Source: Supplied.

I’ve long said that some things are worth spending the extra money on. You spend about a third of your life asleep, so get a quality mattress.

Office workers deserve a quality chair on which to sit.

And if you like music – well, if you love music – French audio firm Focal’s new flagship headphones, Utopia, are nearly impossible to resist, despite their $6999 price tag.

For audiophiles, music lovers, or anyone who wants possibly the best listening experience money can buy, the Utopia over-ear headphones represent audio perfection.

The soundstage on these headphones is remarkable. This is a sound that runs deep, wide, and generous. At a recommended retail price of $6999 you’d expect these to sound “good”, but this is a product that transcends even “great”, to something truly special.

Everything from the box and packaging to the headphone’s materials – leather, lambskin and carbon – screams premium quality, and it’s a quality that flows through to the listening experience, which is magical.

I’ve regrettably never witnessed Led Zeppelin live – and at this stage never will – but listening to How the West Was Won through Utopia is the closest I’ve ever come. Close your eyes and you can feel Robert Plant’s raucous wailing and John Bonham’s pounding drums right in front of you.

Without any hint of exaggeration, it was one of the best audio experiences I’ve ever had. And I’ve had some good ones.

Another “ultimate” in its category, Astell & Kern’s SP3000 is the perfect high-end audio player to pair with the Utopia, or other premium headphones.

Built with stainless steel 904L typically found in luxury Swiss timepieces, the SP3000 is expensive but somehow lives up to its price tag.

If you splurge on Focal’s headphones, you wouldn’t want to plug them directly into a laptop or smartphone; you’ll need a dedicated digital-to-analog converter, or DAC, like those found in the SP3000, which has four built in.

Astell & Kern’s SP3000 is the perfect high-end audio player.

Powered by a Snapdragon 6125 octa-core processor, the Wi-Fi-enabled player features support for a wide range of audio services, including Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music, and makes high resolution audio files dazzle, whether listening at home or on the move.

Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me – an audiophile staple – sounds lush and gorgeous, the perfect rainy day “working from home” listening experience.

The bass plucks in Dave Brubeck’s Take Five are stark and detailed, while Coteau Twins’ stellar 1990 album Heaven or Las Vegas reaches a whole new level of ethereal wonder.

Some purchases are, ultimately, just worth the price tag. These are one such example.

Some products are difficult to come back from. Like trying to drive a Mazda after driving a Maserati, Focal’s Utopia may have ruined listening for me. And that’s probably the highest compliment I could hope to give.

The Astell&Kern SP3000 is available via Addicted to Audio for $5,499. The new Focal Utopia headphones are available via Addicted to Audio for $6,999.