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A sonic UFO<\/strong><\/b>… that’s how you might describe the Diva Utopia, the latest creation from Focal, a specialist in luxury loudspeakers, member of the Comit\u00e9 Colbert<\/strong><\/b> since this year, and preferred partner of the biggest recording studios.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And listening to the new loudspeaker system leaves you wondering. With a demonstration performed on 43 kbits (CD quality), the Diva Utopia loudspeaker can easily reach 96 kbits<\/strong><\/b> and even go beyond, all without altering the final rendering.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But where the prowess commands respect is in the minimalism of the innovation<\/strong><\/b> perfected by the Focal and Na\u00efm Audio<\/strong><\/b> teams – with a combined century of audio expertise behind them<\/strong><\/b> – which makes it possible to offer an amplified system<\/strong><\/b> that is both ready to use and wireless<\/strong><\/b>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Diva Utopia is a modernized version of the 1995 loudspeaker that gave rise to the Diva Utopia BE in 2002<\/strong><\/b>. One of the icons of Focal’s catalog, the model was beginning to look dated, due to its size and finish<\/strong><\/b>, not to mention the amplitude of its<\/strong><\/b> wired connectivity<\/strong><\/b>, which alone was capable of dissuading many a listener.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The latest model<\/strong><\/b> is the brand’s first wireless, active and connected loudspeaker<\/strong><\/b>, combining high-fidelity sound, elegant design and cutting-edge technology.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Generally speaking, to feel the bass, you have to turn up the volume.<\/em> But even at very low volume, the Diva Utopia has a very distinct way of catching the treble.<\/em> And that’s what ACTIVE technology, the components and the secret of master Steve Sells, provides<\/em> \u201c says Focal CEO C\u00e9drick Boutonet<\/strong><\/b>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In charge of electro-acoustic systems development at Focal for over 13 years, Raoul Bauer<\/strong><\/b> sums up the product as \u201cunprecedented performance in an almost reasonable volume.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The name<\/strong><\/b> Diva refers to the power of opera singers and their crystalline sound. As for Utopia<\/strong><\/b>, it refers to Focal’s own<\/strong><\/b> label of acoustic excellence<\/strong><\/b>, which is very difficult to obtain.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The new model also revisits the design of the Diva Utopia BE<\/strong><\/b>, reducing its height to fit contemporary interiors. Its felt covering<\/strong><\/b> contrasts with the rustic wood trim of its predecessor. While the speaker’s cheeks<\/strong><\/b> are an attractive anthracite gray<\/strong><\/b>, its entirely custom-made panels<\/strong><\/b> can be easily disassembled for maintenance and even customized<\/strong><\/b>. Other combinations of materials and textures are expected in the near future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Diva Utopia stands out for its ease of installation and use<\/strong><\/b>. No cables between the two speakers and no external amplification solutions<\/strong><\/b> are required. The pair of speakers can be controlled via the Focal & Naim app, its remote control or voice assistants<\/strong><\/b> (Google Assistant, Siri).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started working on the Diva Utopia project 5 years ago, <\/em>many of our customers had given up on high acoustic performance in favor of systems that were certainly less powerful but much easier to use<\/strong><\/em><\/b>,\u201d said Focal’s CEO. He added : \u201cIn order to avoid cutting ourselves off from part of the market, and to catch up with all those customers who had left, we had to simplify.<\/em> Simplify without giving up high performance.<\/em> It’s a hell of a thing to do without cables in our business.<\/strong><\/em><\/b> Our teams rose to this challenge with panache<\/strong><\/em><\/b>, appetite and a fierce determination to succeed.<\/em> But above all, we redefined all the Hifi specifications without giving up our heritage and know-how.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, as a connected loudspeaker, the system is compatible with music streaming platforms<\/strong><\/b> (Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, QQ Music…) as well as the main wireless protocols<\/strong><\/b> (Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, UPnP).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n With a rich history in the manufacture of luxury audio systems, Focal has always claimed to be the champion of high-fidelity sound<\/strong><\/b>, a claim that has won over many recording studios.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Its founder, Jacques Mahui, was also an unconditional Pink Floyd fan<\/strong><\/b>, hence the presence of an extract from Robert Water’s Lockdown Sessions in the demonstration.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the Diva Utopia, not only does Focal not depart from the rule, but it also takes the precision of its sound productions even further.<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It offers better-than-CD-quality reproduction<\/strong><\/b>, equivalent to Hi-Res Link (96 kHz\/24-bit). The system suffersno signal loss or compression<\/strong><\/b>: sound is exceptional and detailed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The brand stands for artistic creation with the full spectrum of sound nuances. All works<\/strong><\/b> can belistened to in the final version intended by the composer<\/strong><\/b> (emphasis on a particular orchestral instrument, location of musicians in the room, effects deliberately sought by the creators, etc.).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Precision such that the demonstration LUXUS PLUS took part in included the sound of a bubble!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A feat made possible by the latest technological developments, and in particular the unrivalled mastery of beryllium<\/strong><\/b>. More expensive and lighter than gold, the material is even more rigid than titanium. Focal<\/strong><\/b> is “the only company in the world to shape it<\/strong><\/em><\/b> \u201d, says the CEO. We find it on the tweeters that adorn the top of the Diva Utopia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The choice of material is explained by the 20,000 vibrations per second<\/strong><\/b> the loudspeaker has to withstand. As the acoustic engineer points out, \u201d <\/em>the tweeter has to be rigid enough not to deform, and light enough to allow the sound to move quickly<\/strong><\/em><\/b>.<\/em> At Focal we don’t make tuning forks or bells: when the vibration stops, the sound has to stop too.”<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Originally geared towards jazz and blues<\/strong><\/b>, Focal is now offering a product that can also be used to listen to electronic, hip-hop and pop music, as the demonstration session proved<\/strong><\/b>. In short, it’s ideal for travelling from Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns to Worakls via Pink Floyd, all for 39,999 euros… all the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \t\tRevamped and corrected<\/h2>\n
A companion for demanding audiophiles<\/h2>\n\n