Focal Diva Utopia Review

On October 2, the French manufacturer Focal unveiled to the public its first connected Hi-Fi speakers. With a very luxurious, resolutely High-End approach, the Diva Utopia aim to set a new benchmark in terms of acoustic performance and wireless models. Focal granted us the honor of lending us these $37,450-per-pair gems, in a sneak preview. We were able to spend several days with them. Here are our impressions.

By Pierre Stemmelin

The Focal Diva Utopia are exceptional active, connected, and wireless Hi-Fi speakers, entirely designed and manufactured in France. They are the most ambitious creations of this type that we have had the opportunity to try so far, on-site, at home, in our premises. Each Diva Utopia weighs over 60 kg. It operates on three ways using exclusive drivers produced by Focal in its Saint-Etienne factories, derived from the High-End Utopia series of Hi-Fi speakers.

At the top of the midrange is a pure Beryllium diaphragm tweeter, as on all of Focal’s high-end designs. This is a new IAL2 version (Infinite Acoustic Loading second generation) with a 27 mm M-shaped membrane, coupled to a larger voice coil and a more powerful motor than previous generations. This tweeter sits above a 16.5 cm midrange driver with TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) suspension and NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) motor. In addition, four 16.5 cm woofers, arranged in pairs on each side of the speaker, handle the low frequencies.

These woofers are bass-reflex tuned by a tubular port whose wide opening faces forward at the base of the cabinet. Both the midrange driver and woofers feature W-type cones (W composite): a foam and fiberglass sandwich structure. The entire system’s amplification is assigned to power units totaling 400 watts, spread over four channels with active filtering managed by a DSP.

An audacious design and an innovative structure with active multi-amplification by Naim on the inside Although their dimensions remain relatively reasonable for their rank, the Focal Diva Utopia are imposing speakers whose look doesn’t resemble anything seen so far in the realm of connected Hi-Fi.

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Their aesthetics may divide opinions, but they certainly cannot leave anyone indifferent. Their cabinets are largely dressed with curved gray felt panels and strips. These elements, over 5 mm thick and semi-rigid, are mounted floatingly like speaker covers. Weighted and firmly held by adhesive strips, they serve to dampen unwanted resonances. Beneath this covering, the main structure is particularly innovative, seemingly made from a material composed of wood powder and polymer binder (like medium or MDF) molded under low pressure. It has many visible cells and grooves that act as braces. Inside, the midrange driver’s enclosure is sealed and completely separate.

With a volume of about 5 liters, it has molded relief shapes on its internal back section to absorb unwanted reflections. The tweeter is also in a separate housing, fixed to the cabinet via a thick machined aluminum piece. As for the four woofers installed on the opposing sides, they share a common enclosure volume of about 50 liters. We took a peek inside it. We were able to see the solid molded braces and the woofers’ powerful motors, the very wide and curved tube of the bass-reflex port, as well as the large toroidal power transformer dedicated to the built-in amplifiers.

These amplifiers are designed by Naim Audio, Focal’s sister brand, which enjoys an excellent reputation in the high-end Hi-Fi world. They operate in Class AB using Sanken transistors (FSC1386 and FSC3519), delivering (for each speaker) 2 x 125 watts for the bass, 75 watts for the midrange, and 75 watts for the treble. Particular attention has been paid to their thermal regulation. The large aluminum heat sinks at the rear barely heat up, even when the speakers operate at high power.

A control method favoring simplicity over technicality Although the Diva Utopia’s design is complex, using them is, on the contrary, very straightforward. Once the speakers are delivered and unpacked in the room where they will reside—operations that require several people due to their significant weight—there are no particular difficulties. Each speaker’s heavy cast metal base includes four casters.

It is possible to move them into place until determining the correct positioning, then replace the casters with the supplied coupling spikes. Each of the two speakers must be plugged into a power outlet. A beautiful braided-sleeve RJ45-type cable is provided to link one speaker to the other. It allows playback at higher resolution, up to 24-bit (92 kHz instead of 24-bit/96 kHz), but it is not mandatory. Only the connections for wired inputs are grouped on the back of one of the two speakers.

Among other things, a noticeable feature is an HDMI eARC port. The set’s remote control, simple and refined, communicating via radio waves (Zigbee protocol), is used to select the source, adjust volume, and offers playback, pause, and track-skipping functions. For network functions, the Focal Diva Utopia rely on Naim Audio’s connected platform, which has the advantages of having been around for many years, being reliable, proven, and offering broad compatibility with AirPlay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, DLNA uPnP…

Its control app, with a clean and reassuring ergonomics, provides direct access to web radios as well as Qobuz or Tidal services. Within its settings menu, there is a calibration option for adjusting the Focal Diva Utopia’s sound according to the room’s acoustic characteristics. This fully automated calibration system first requires indicating the distances between walls and the speakers, as well as their relation to the listening position. It then emits two series of tones (one of six and one of eight) so that one can adjust by ear (or with the help of a sound level meter) the balance of different frequencies as well as the bass response curve.

A sublime definition in the high range and a wave of bass

We had the pleasure of testing the Focal Diva Utopia for several days in our space, as well as listening to them during their press presentation in a hotel’s royal suite in Paris on October 2. Their sound reproduction is truly spectacular. There is an impression of power, depth in the bass, and definition in the high range that immediately transports us into a sonic universe far from that of a traditional stereo Hi-Fi system. The midrange and treble registers are of very high definition. Their performance is extremely detailed and precise, without giving a feeling of overdefinition. Vocals have superb presence. The slightest mouth and articulation sounds, if they are in the recording, are perfectly audible. The Focal Diva Utopia manage to be ultra-analytical, sweet, and natural all at once. In this regard, it’s masterful work and proof of Focal’s technological expertise in driver design. The stereo soundstage also benefits from this definition. The positioning of the sound elements is exceptionally precise in both width and depth.

Again, the Diva Utopia deliver audio with the power to provide a very transparent, highly analytical image without it seeming exaggerated or artificial. The bass range is monumental. It goes very low with a lot of force and power. It is relatively round, and in a standard-sized room, it can quickly become overwhelming. In our listening area, which cumulatively has about 40 m² by its various spaces (Focal recommends 80 m²), we had to tame it a bit. Here we find the Diva Utopia’s limits. Their calibration system would benefit from being more advanced, with automatic microphone-based room analysis, high-precision parametric equalization, and possibly phase optimization, so that low frequencies integrate better with the other registers.

Specifications

1. Type & Drivers (per speaker): pair of floorstanding speakers, active, wireless, connected; 4x 16.5 cm W woofers, 16.5 cm W midrange, 27 mm pure Beryllium IAL2 inverted dome tweeter
2. Frequency Response & Low Cut: 27 Hz to 40 kHz (+/-3 dB), -6 dB at 24 Hz
3. Maximum Sound Level (per pair): 116 dB SPL at 1 m
4. Amplification (per speaker): 2 x 125 watts for the bass, 75 watts for the midrange, 75 watts for the treble
5. Power Consumption (normal/standby network/standby off): 280/20/5 watts
6. Inputs: HDMI eARC, digital optical and coaxial audio, USB-A, analog RCA, Bluetooth AptX Adaptive
7. Network Connections & Supported Audio Formats: WiFi, Ethernet RJ45; up to 24-bit/384 kHz and DSD256
8. Network Protocols: AirPlay 2, Google Cast, DLNA/uPnP, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qplay
9. Integrated Services: web radios, podcasts, Tidal, Qobuz, QMusic
10. Dimensions & Weight (per speaker): 121 x 42 x 56 cm, 64 g

In summary

Made in France, the Focal Diva Utopia redefine the concept of wireless, connected Hi-Fi speakers. It’s a bold promise that a major brand offers such a level of performance in models so simple to install and use. The technological challenge has been taken up, assuredly. The result is indeed High End, and although the effort is not perfect—it lacks a more advanced calibration system that would make these speakers even more versatile—the Focal Diva Utopia remain impressive creations, both in their luxury, seriousness, ergonomics, and extraordinary sound performance.

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