Flagship loudspeakers like the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo deliver state-of-the-art performance with a rather serious price tag. For $280,000 — it would be shocking if it did not. Having listened to the Grande Utopia EM Evo Loudspeakers at CEDIA 2023, I came away convinced that they are in rather select company. Not every flagship loudspeaker delivers on its high price of admission.
Very few consumers can afford the Grande Utopia EM Evo that’s over 6-1/2 feet tall. However, Focal has several smaller sized loudspeakers in its Utopia line that may be perfect for your room and system setup. At just over 4 feet tall, Scala Utopia Evo is the smallest floorstanding Utopia model, and it has just received a $13,000 per pair price reduction.
Before you whip out the credit card — they are still $40,000 USD per pair.
Here is how Focal’s floorstanding Utopia Evo line stacks up:
- Scala Utopia Evo – Smallest Utopia floorstander (from $39,998 per pair)
- Maestro Utopia Evo – 2nd Level up (from $75,998 per pair)
- Stella Utopia EM Evo – 3rd Level up (from $149,998 per pair)
- Grande Utopia EM Evo – Flagship Level (from $279,998 per pair)
Tip: Each are 3rd generation loudspeakers of the Utopia line, which debuted in 2017. All models may also be labeled as Utopia III Evo.
Focal Utopia Technologies
Here is an overview of the technologies used in Focal’s Utopia Evo speaker line, including the Scala.
Beryllium: For optimal rigidity, Focal feels that Beryllium is the best material to use for a tweeter dome. Focal employs an inverted dome tweeter structure.
IAL2™ (Infinite Acoustic Loading 2): The back of the Beryllium inverted dome tweeter and its surround are open to be loaded by a quasi-infinite air volume. To avoid air circulation disturbance the jet engine-shaped magnet system is made of 5 sections of Neodymium, which cancels the motor warm-up and the Neodymium demagnetization risks. It supplies a magnetic field of 2.15 Teslas and its efficiency reaches 95dB.
TMD® Suspension: For midrange speakers, the drivers incorporate Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) technology. This technology employs circular ‘beads’ molded into the surround structure of the driver. They stabilize how the surround behaves to avoid deformation of the cone and any negative impact on dynamics.
NIC magnet: This technology (Neutral Inductance Circuit) optimizes the magnetic field generated by the voice coil so that is it not affected by the voice coil’s position or the amperage or frequency of the current passing through it.
Focus Time™: Focus Time places the drivers in an arc to orientate them towards the listening point. This enables all the frequencies to reach your ears at the same time.
Tip: The arc of drivers is only adjustable in the Grande Utopia EM Evo loudspeaker.
OPC+™: A refinement of Focal’s Optimum Phase Crossover (OPC). This component is designed to go beyond a standard crossover by adapting the loudspeaker response curve to the room acoustics. This includes tonal balance according to room reverberation time in relation to room size, the nature of clear or mat surfaces, furniture, and/or the sound preferences of each individual.
W™: The “W” composite sandwich cone is used to optimize the frequency response of the speaker driver using lightness, rigidity, and damping. Two sheets of woven glass tissue are “sandwiched” onto the structural foam core.
Power Flower™: Mid-range in the Focal Utopia speaker line use an array of several double-stacked ferrite rings, on a circular open pattern regularly distributed around the voice coil. Magnetic energy is considerable, but a greatly welcomed cooling effect comes from the free circulation of warm air in the open space in between the magnet stacks, providing direct thermal ventilation right outside of the coil, and removing any form of driver compression.
Gamma Structure™: To produce sound with no coloration speaker cabinet construction needs to be inert. To accomplish this Focal uses MDF (medium-density fiberboard). This may come as a surprise for buyers who are looking for some exotic material cabinet construction, but MDF has practical advantages that make it the optimum material from which to construct a loudspeaker.
Customizable Sound: Adjustable bass and treble levels.
Focal Utopia Comparison
| Scala Utopia Evo | Maestro Utopia Evo | Stella Utopia EM Evo | Grande Utopia EM Evo | |
| Size | Floorstanding | Floorstanding | Floorstanding | Floorstanding |
| Type | 3-way, bass reflex | 3-way, bass reflex | 3-way, bass reflex | 4-way, bass reflex |
| Woofer | 11″ (27cm) ‘W’ woofer | 11″ (27cm) ‘W’ woofer with a Magnetic Damping System (MDS) | Electro-Magnetic 13″ (33cm) ‘W’ woofer | Electro-Magnetic 16″ (40cm) ‘W’ woofer |
| Mid-Bass | Multiferrite 11″ (27cm) ‘W’ midbass | |||
| Midrange | Power Flower 6-1/2″ (16.5cm) ‘W’ drivers with TMD suspension and NIC magnet | Power Flower 6-1/2″(16.5cm) ‘W’ midrange with NIC motor | 2 x Power Flower 6-1/2″ (16.5cm) ‘W’ midrange drivers with TMD suspension and NIC magnet | 2 x Power Flower 6-1/2″ (16.5cm) ‘W’ drivers with TMD suspension and NIC magnet |
| Tweeter | 1″ (27mm) IAL2 pure Beryllium inverted dome | 1″ (27mm) IAL2 pure Beryllium inverted dome | 1″ (27mm) IAL2 pure Beryllium inverted dome | 1″ (27mm) IAL2 pure Beryllium inverted dome |
| Frequency response (+/- 3dB) | 27Hz – 40kHz | 25Hz – 40kHz | 22Hz – 40kHz | 18Hz – 40kHz |
| Low Frequency point (-6 dB) | 24Hz | 21Hz | 18Hz | 14Hz |
| Sensitivity (2.83V / 1m) | 92 dB | 93 dB | 94 dB | 94 dB |
| Nominal Impedance | 8 Ω | 8 Ω | 8 Ω | 8 Ω |
| Minimum Impedance | 3.2 Ω | 3.1 Ω | 2.8 Ω | 3 Ω |
| Filtering Frequencies (Crossover points) | 220Hz/2,400Hz | 280Hz/2,200Hz | 230Hz/2,200Hz | 80Hz/220Hz/2,300Hz |
| Recommended Amp Power | 50 – 500W | 50 – 600W | 50 – 1,000W | 50 – 1,500W |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 49-3/32 x 15-15/32 x 26-3/8″ (1247x393x670mm) | 57-7/8 x 17-29/32 x 30-5/16″ (1470x455x770mm) | 61-1/3 x 21-3/4 x 32-11/16″ (1558 x 553 x 830mm) | 79-13/16 x 25-3/4 x 34-5/8″ (2012 x 654 x 880mm) |
| Weight (each) | 187 lbs (85 kg) | 255.73 lbs (116 kg) | 374 lbs (170 kg) | 584 lbs (265 kg) |
| Price | $39,998/pair with Lacquer Finish $52,998/pair with Wood Finish | $75,998/pair with Lacquer Finish $79,998/pair with Wood Finish | $149,998/pair | $279,998/pair |
How to Choose
With pricing between $40,000 to $280,000 per pair there are a few reasons to step up to the next model. For instance, the shortest loudspeaker, Scala Utopia Evo offers the most flexibility to work in smaller rooms.
According to Focal’s Marketing Manager, Rejean Bedel, “The difference will be the precision, the impact, the dynamic capability… the overall performances. It is also important to have good seating distance, a good acoustically treated room and hi-res streaming services.”
All models are extremely power efficient and should work with a wide range of amplifiers. However, each Focal loudspeaker has been carefully designed to perform optimally with amplification from their sister company, 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.
Where To Buy
The Focal Scala Utopia Evo loudspeakers and other Utopia models are available for audition and purchase at Focal powered by Naim Store locations and select authorized dealers. All lacquer finishes include Black, Ash Grey, White Carrara and Hot Chocolate (new). The upgraded wood finishes include natural (Noyer Naturel) or dark walnut (Noyer Foncé). Focal additionally offers the option for any color and or finishing material for a nominal charge that’s only available in the Utopia range.
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