Preview: New Focal Diva Utopia Integrated Speaker System Preview

How that price fits with your budget is something I can’t know. But if it might be within reach, I think it starts to make sense when you consider this as analogous to a $20,000 pair of speakers and $20,000 worth of electronics and cables. Or some mix like that.

For clarity, the idea here is that you unbox the speakers, roll them into place, plug them into AC power, plug in one ethernet cable and connect them to your phone which runs a FocalNaim control app. This is relatively easy, but more importantly minimizes the equipment and wiring footprint. The app can then be used to select streaming services and albums, particularly from Qobuz and Tidal which are able to deliver high-resolution music. The proprietary UWB wireless connectivity between the speakers was developed to allow high-res streaming (up to 24/96) to happen reliably (Wi-Fi has sketchy data rates especially in dense environments) and with the timing accuracy needed. With a wired connection, streams up to 24/192 can be used.

The Divas also support HDMI or optical in from a TV. There are analog line inputs too, though these go through an A/D conversion process to integrate with the core signal architecture. The line in is primarily intended for a turntable plus phono preamp (which is necessitated to limit noise and impedance issues of a pure low-level cartridge signal running over long cables). Finally, they can be connected by Wi Fi 6, and they can be operated by a variety of home control systems like Crestron and HomeKit as well as Google Assistant and Siri (Alexa in early 2025).

Focal also assumes that you may use the Divas at parties, and levels may be high. They’ve designed the circuitry so that you can’t blow them up, or so they say. This is possible because they know the input and output and thermal parameters of the whole system and can auto-adjust levels to keep things from melting or coming unglued. A managed “Safe Operating Area” is the term of art, something that isn’t possible with separates.

It is interesting that Focal felt the audio bias against class D amps was a bigger issue than the bias against DSP or digitizing analog signals. While these biases have highly debatable merit, they have been a drag on progress for many manufacturers, so it is reasonable for Focal to take them into account. I suspect the decision, despite these concerns, to use a full digital signal path to the amps was because they couldn’t achieve their lofty performance goals for this market without it.

We’ll see how this applies in an SQ evaluation, but I think DSP also has special merit in the likely set up for systems like this. What I mean is that the envisioned customer wants the Divas to work in a living room, which tends to mean speaker placement to fit with existing furnishings (not the other way around) and tends to mean zero room treatment. Focal has invoked DSP to adjust for speaker placement, listener location and, to some degree, the impact of reflective environments. The system can also do tuning for listener preferences.

Focal has paid some attention to appearance. The initial finish is a distinctive soft fabric material, which seems intended to signal “residential décor” rather than “man cave”. The side panels are separate pieces, allow Focal to eventually release a series of finishes, understanding that blending with tastes and furnishings is important in this usage scenario.

Sound Quality

This is just a preview, based on a 90-minute listening session. Andy Quint, who also attended the launch, will have a full review once he takes delivery of the Divas and can do his full suite of listening tests.

The demo was in a standard urban living room with attached kitchen space. The speakers, as you can see, were placed on the window wall and we sat on a large sofa. Just like the imagined ownership scenario. The speakers were aligned with the sofa, which meant one speaker was much closer to a side wall than the other. Credit Focal for situational realism if nothing else.

I was surprised and impressed by what I heard. I am fearful that integrated system reviewer SQ comments are de-rated by readers because of assumed handicaps of the architecture and dismissive thoughts about “the kind of people who buy lifestyle products”. Forget that stuff, if what I heard holds up over longer listening: the Divas are competitive with separates. And maybe superior at some things.

Let’s start with one of those potential superiorities. The natural transient attack and decay of the Divas appears to be outstandingly realistic. This is a weakness of many audio systems, even above this price level. The leading-edge snap or explosiveness of the Divas comes close to what I sometimes hear with electrostatics or horns. And like electrostatics, but very few horns, the Divas do transients like real instruments in a good performance venue. “Natural” in my usage here doesn’t mean soft or mushy, but it also doesn’t mean ice pick sharp and overblown.

It is speculation, but when you hear both delicate and punchy transients sound right, you wonder if the Divas use of electronic crossovers helps. It might be that the amps face a less complex load, and fewer passive losses, when a complex passive network isn’t between the amp and the driver.

Another potential area of superiority is imaging. Regular sweet spot imaging seemed fine, and this needs Andy’s evaluation on familiar recordings. But we had the good fortune, as it turns out, of sitting away from the center seat for the first part of the demo. This happens a lot at shows and launches.  I was essentially on the left speaker axis. What surprised me was that the image was spread across the virtual stage defined by the speakers more coherently than is normal with stereo in this listening position. It was more like being in a concert venue, where I prefer the center position, but being 10 seats left or right of center isn’t a tragedy.

The point here involves listening in small groups. A system that is in your living room invites being shared with others, and we’ve talked to a lot of audiophiles who want this capability.

The upper midrange and treble balance is in no way unique, but I’d count it as a strength because of the way it is executed. Output in this region is not shy or rolled off, but it isn’t strident or aggressive either. It seems clear, with very low distortion. I did hear one track where violins seemed a bit edgy, but this happens on enough recordings that I’d bet the recording was the issue and the speaker just served it up.

Bass seemed well judged, but I have to add the caveat that talking about bass in a room you’ve never been in before can lead to a review of the room more than the speaker. Anyway, bass seemed punchy and ample, with excellent control for a ported design. I am not sure, because of the musical selections we heard, if the low frequency dynamics can match what I heard with midrange and treble oriented transients.  I also sensed this probably isn’t the ideal system for EDM, based on the very low frequency roll-off, but many speakers at higher prices have a similar restriction in the 30-40 Hz range. And there’s that “indestructible” feature of the Diva which may compensate a bit.

Summary

The Focal Diva Utopia system, judged purely on sonic merits, has a lot to recommend it. At least as far as could tell in a short session. It does things that are hard for many conventional systems to match. When you add the ease of integration with the real living environments of many people, the Divas seem seductive.