High-end audio brands Focal and Naim are joining forces to launch the Diva Utopia, a pair of active speakers that promises to redefine the standards of home Hi-Fi, but not at any price: count 35,000 euros per pair.
More and more people, including many audiophiles, are turning away from classic Hi-Fi systems in favor of active (amplified) and connected speakers. To meet this expectation, the Focal brand has just unveiled its first model of its kind. Called Diva Utopia, in reference to the passive Utopia series, showcase of the Focal brand, this new product is the result of an unprecedented collaboration and 5 years of research and development. It combines the acoustic expertise of Focal and the electronic know-how of Naim to offer an immersive sound experience. As a reminder, Focal and Naim are part of the same parent company, Vervent Audio Group.
A specially designed design
The Diva Utopia therefore wants to stand out from other models on the market thanks to an innovative design and the integration of the best technologies from both brands. Focal brings its expertise in loudspeakers, notably with the use of its famous pure beryllium tweeter and its carbon fiber mid and bass drivers. These transducers, known for their precision and dynamics, are the result of decades of research and development. Note the particularly specific work taking into account an internal design of the different parts to break the standing waves and produce an extraordinary sound.
This three-way model has a tweeter installed on the two speakers which is unique. It measures 27mm in diameter with an inverted dome. It is associated with a 16.5 cm diameter W midrange with damping suspension to limit distortions and optimize sound definition. There are also 4 W woofers of 16.5 cm each with membranes which go in the opposite direction of their magnet, the Push Push configuration.
For the exterior appearance, obviously, the visual aspect of the Diva Utopia has not been neglected. With a height of 1.21 meters, a width of 42 cm, a depth of 56 cm and a weight of 64 kg per speaker, these columns impose their presence in any interior. Each enclosure rests on an injected aluminum base with screen exhaust ramp to facilitate laminar air flow. They benefit from a characteristic shape of the brand’s speakers with a high-end finish in gray felt. Other finishes will be offered in 2025.
Cutting-edge on-board electronics
For its part, Naim contributes with its state-of-the-art amplification and digital signal processing. Each speaker is equipped with four class AB amplifiers, totaling an impressive power of 800 watts RMS (2×125 Watts + 75 Watts + 75 Watts per speaker). This configuration allows precise control of each speaker, thus optimizing frequency response and sound dynamics.
Connectivity is a strong point of these speakers. They include a network module allowing high-resolution streaming up to 384 kHz/32 bits. Users can enjoy services like Qobuz, Tidal, or Spotify Connect, as well as compatibility with AirPlay 2, UPnP, and Chromecast via Wi-Fi 6. Bluetooth 5.3 with AptX-Adaptive support is also included. An HDMI eARC socket is present as well as an optical input, an RCA input, a USB-A port and an Ethernet port. They support WAV, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, AAC and OGG codecs (up to 48 kHz/16 bits), even MP3 (up to 48 kHz/320 kbits), DSD64 or DSD128. The two speakers can operate wirelessly between the two (via an Ultra Wide Band UWB signal) with 96 kHz/24-bit resolution or through an Ethernet cable (included) to avoid any interference by plugging into the RJ45 Speaker Link input dedicated then offering a sampling rate of 192 kHz/24 bits.
A customizable sound experience
One of the major advantages of the Diva Utopia is that the sound is customizable. Thanks to the dedicated application, it is possible to finely adjust the acoustic parameters to adapt the sound to the room and each person’s needs. This flexibility helps optimize the listening experience in various environments.
The speakers are delivered with an accessories box including decoupling spikes, tail spikes and a wrench. Note that they also are mounted on casters. There is also a remote control to control them although this can also be done via the Focal app.
Availability and price of Focal Diva Utopia speakers
With an announced selling price of 35,000 euros per pair, the Diva Utopia are clearly positioned in the ultra high-end segment of the audio market. The Diva Utopia will be available from January 2025 in the network of authorized Focal and Naim resellers. This collaboration between two prestigious brands could well influence the future directions of the high-end audio market.
