The goal from the beginning, says Boutonet, was to create the best possible sound, without any compromises, which is what brought the speaker to Focal’s high-end Utopia range. Engineers were given free rein to do whatever they needed to ensure the speakers sounded their best. “The goal was not to make the most compact speaker. The focus was completely on the sound,” adds Boutonet.
The first is certainly clear. The Focal Utopia Diva takes pride of place in the Parisian listening room where I find them, with each speaker measuring 47 x 16 x 22 inches and weighing 141 pounds, or 64 kilograms. They make quite a statement, sitting on a thick aluminum base and adopting the familiar rearward tilt of the Utopia range which makes their footprint even larger.
While there’s something distinctly space-age about them, there’s also a softness to them, literally. The panel that wraps around each speaker, which is floating and removable for future customization, is made of a light gray felt material. At the front, the panels meet but do not meet, leaving a gap in the middle that houses the backlit Focal logo and allows a view of the molded polymer cabinet beneath.
naim check
Utopia Diva brings together for the first time the acoustic expertise of the Focal team with the electronic knowledge of its sister brand Naim. Each speaker features a 1-inch beryllium tweeter, a 6.5-inch mid-bass driver, and four side-mounted 6.5-inch woofers, with a hefty 400-watt Naim Class AB amplification inside. Remember that’s per speaker, meaning this setup is capable of 800 watts of power.
Getting Utopia Diva up and running is as easy as any other wireless speaker. Simply plug each speaker into power, launch Naim’s excellent control app (a remote is also included, but the app will be easier for most), and stream directly to them via Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Tidal Connect, Qobuz or Spotify Connect: Additionally, there is integrated Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Adaptive support.
Utopia Diva also supports UPnP, meaning you can stream from connected NAS drives and computers, and access Internet radio. They’re even capable of working in multiple rooms, either with other Naim products via the Naim app or via built-in AirPlay 2 or Chromecast capabilities. Sonos, eat your heart out.
