Focal has revealed one model in its flagship loudspeaker range, the Utopia Evo series, has received a price drop in the US, with some price changes expected for the range soon in Australia.
The top-of-the-line Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo delivers state of the art performance, however, has quite the hefty price tag. Considering not everyone in the company’s consumer base can afford this, there are also three other smaller models available.
The tallest is obviously the Grande, standing in at over 6 and ½ feet tall, whereas the smallest is the floorstanding Utopia model, coming in at just over 4 feet. In the US, this model has just received a $13,000 price reduction as well.
See below the list of Focal’s floorstanding Utopia Evo line:
- Scala Utopia Evo: costs between A$63K – $115K per pair, depending on finish, (from U$39,998 per pair).
- Maestro Utopia Evo: costs between A$124K – $150K per pair, depending on finish, (from U$75,998 per pair).
- Stella Utopia EM Evo: costs between A$264K – $320K per pair, depending on finish, (from U$149,998 per pair).
- Grande Utopia EM Evo: costs between A$490K – $540K per pair, depending on finish, (from U$279,998 per pair).
This speaker line uses Beryllium as the material for its tweeter dome, and the back of it, as well as its surround are open to be loaded by a quasi-infinite air volume.
In order to avoid air circulation disturbance, the jet engine magnet system is made up of 5 sections of Neodymium, which cancels the motor warm-up and the Neodymium demagnetisation risks, supplying a magnetic field of 2.15 Teslas, with efficiency reaching 95dB.
The drivers incorporate Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), which employs circular ‘beads’ moulded into the surround structure.
These stabilise the behaviour of the surround, and avoid deformation of the cone, or any negative impacts on dynamics.
The Neutral Inductance Circuit magnet (NIC) optimises the magnetic field so it’s not affected by the voice coil’s position, or the amperage / frequency of the current passing through.
Focus Time places the drivers in an arc, allowing all the frequencies to reach the listener’s ears at the same time.
A refinement of Focal’s Optimum Phase Crossover (OPC) was designed to go beyond a standard crossover, adapting the speaker’s response curve to the room’s acoustics.
It includes tonal balance, the nature of clear / mat surfaces, furniture, and/or sound preferences of the individual.
The “W” composite sandwich cone optimises the frequency response of the driver using rigidity, lightness, and damping. Two sheets of woven glass tissue are “sandwiched” onto the structural foam core.
Mid-range in the speaker range use an array of several double-stacked ferrite rings, on a circular open pattern regularly distributed around the voice coil.
A cooling effect comes from the free circulation of warm air in the open space between the magnet stacks, providing direct thermal ventilation, removing all driver compression.
Focal uses MDF (medium-density fibreboard) to produce sound with no coloration, making the speaker cabinet construction inert.
Additionally, there’s customisable sound via adjustable bass and treble levels.
The shortest loudspeaker, Scala Utopia Evo offers the most flexibility to work in smaller rooms.
All models should work with various amplifiers, and are power efficient, however, each one has been carefully designed to perform optimally with amplification from Naim Audio.
Shoppers considering Focal’s Utopia line may want to budget up to double the loudspeaker price for the amps, preamp, streamer, source components, and cabling from Naim Audio to unleash each loudspeaker’s full potential.
The Focal Scala Utopia Evo loudspeakers are available at Focal powered by Naim Store locations and select authorised dealers.
All lacquer finishes include Black, Ash Grey, White Carrara and Hot Chocolate. The upgraded wood finishes include natural (Noyer Naturel) or dark walnut (Noyer Foncé).
