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Focal and Naim Debut Diva Utopia: A Fully Active, Wireless, High-End Loudspeaker Lands in the US

Ken Micallef  |  Oct 10, 2024

The Focal Diva Utopia loudspeaker made its US debut in New York City this past week, showcasing the combined expertise of French and English partners Focal and Naim in their first fully active, wireless, and connected loudspeaker.


Focal and Naim Audio CEO Cedrick Boutonet and Réjean Bedel sit down with Stereophile's Ken Micallef.

Focal and Naim Audio CEO Cedrick Boutonet and group marketing manager Réjean Bedel were on hand to introduce the Diva Utopia at Manhattan’s Par Excellence store located in NYC’s fashionable East Village and the Bowery, where the city’s derelict community once held sway, now replaced by hip cafés and bars.

Priced at a dollar under $40,000, the 141lb, three-way, bass-reflex loudspeaker features Focal’s pure beryllium “M”-shaped inverted dome tweeter reaching up to 40kHz, a “W” 6½" midrange with TMD surround and NIC motor, and four “W” 6½" woofers—two per side—in push-push configuration. “W” is Focal’s patented cone material. The speaker stands 47⅝" high by 16½" wide by 22" deep and claims a frequency response of 27Hz–40kHz.

Where most speakers would leave it at the specs, the Diva Utopia has only just begun. It's the result of five years of intensive research and development, aiming to redefine the high-end sound experience by making it both simple and accessible. Fully powered by three onboard class-AB Naim amplifiers (LF: 250W, MF: 75W, HF: 75W), packed with the latest streaming platforms, and fully wireless, the Diva Utopia is marketed at listeners who want it all, though the speaker’s onboard offerings don’t include a phono stage.

Including the latest streaming platforms and if fully wireless, the Diva Utopia supports multiple inputs—including HDMI eARC, optical, RCA—and offers Bluetooth connectivity. The speaker's ultra-wideband (UWB) technology provides high-definition audio transmission between the speakers with no losses or compression and imperceptible latency at 96kHz/24-bit resolution; a supplied cable can boost this to 192kHz/24-bit.

Users can control the Diva Utopia effortlessly using a dedicated app, the included remote control, or their preferred voice assistants, enhancing user experience.

In this video, Focal's Rejean Bedel goes over various features and demos music on the Diva Utopia system.

The cabinet is constructed of a high-density molded polymer body with structural reinforcement optimized using finite-element analysis, finished with four detachable grey felt-covered panels—a sophisticated and modern material with minimal environmental impact. Spikes are included.

The Focal Diva Utopia is exclusively available at qualified stores within the Focal Powered by Naim network. You can read more about the Diva Utopia at Focal's official site.

COMMENTS
georgehifi's picture
Submitted by georgehifi on October 10, 2024 - 4:06pm

From what they usually do. More along the smaller studio designs they do.

Are we going to see a full review on these??

Cheers George

ken mac's picture
Submitted by ken mac on October 11, 2024 - 11:49am

In the works.

Glotz's picture
Submitted by Glotz on October 10, 2024 - 4:47pm

Very interesting. Diffraction of reflected sound? Absorption?

Mark Henninger's picture
Submitted by Mark Henninger on October 11, 2024 - 1:16am
It is felt, it is replaceable with other materials, but Focal insists the panels have no effect on sound.
Glotz's picture
Submitted by Glotz on October 12, 2024 - 6:36pm

I would love to see and hear a whole array of those panels in different aesthetics as well as materials to experiment with. (Or at least hear how Focal experimented with a variety of materials and their findings sonically.)

Subwoofers (and whatever DSP or analog manipulation one prefers to use w/ it) allows one to control warmth from an original position of 'neutral' or 'transparent' (for me). Actives have a ton of advantages, though.

Depending on the sound I'm shooting for in room, +14db at 32Hz (for both stereo subs) bring weight and no warmth-clouding of my mains (MG-1.7i modded). +13db setting for louder volume sessions.

I would love a DSP like BACCH4Mac for digital only, but the full chain is beyond impressive. Too expensive rn.

cognoscente's picture
Submitted by cognoscente on October 11, 2024 - 4:00am

"Wireless" means one cable less but not "without cable".

"Lossless music(files)" means less less (information so detail) but still LESS (so not without lost).

If there is a cable to each speaker, what does the second one matter? Either you don't want a cable at all (speaker on a battery) or it has still (a) cable(s).

I had a discussion with a music and audio friend about active speakers (receiver, dac, amplifier and speaker all in one). He said that everything is then well-tuned to each other. Yes ... but according to whom? Not according to me. Because where would be my freedom and creativity to create my own desired sound (by combining components of my own choice)? That makes the sound of my set so unique (no one has this combination, I'm almost certain). No one has "my" (self-composed) sound. Isn't that what audiophiles do and want? Create the sound to your own taste?

Mark Henninger's picture
Submitted by Mark Henninger on October 11, 2024 - 5:16am
Some audiophiles pursue a unique tonality while others pursue transparency and neutrality. The main thing is preference beats reference in the eyes of the beholder. But as a design goal, a device like this will aim for reference.
Kal Rubinson's picture
Submitted by Kal Rubinson on October 11, 2024 - 5:27am

Actually, the superficially-explained DSP setup is quite unusual since it is based on the user's own ability (not with a microphone) to match the levels of test signals at different frequencies and conditions and there is the ability to tweak those settings, as well.

I wish I had more details but it seems to allow for you to "Create the sound to your own taste."

zimmer74's picture
Submitted by zimmer74 on October 11, 2024 - 9:11am

the felt covering automatically disqualifies all cat owners from the potential market.

ken mac's picture
Submitted by ken mac on October 11, 2024 - 11:50am

to come. Even custom finishes.

Glotz's picture
Submitted by Glotz on October 12, 2024 - 6:38pm

You know it. And love it.

jebster101's picture
Submitted by jebster101 on October 13, 2024 - 1:27am

Which proves the superiority of dogs, who are audiophiles and would never scratch your precious speakers!

David Harper's picture
Submitted by David Harper on October 13, 2024 - 8:22am

I have Maggie LRS speakers and a cat so I made sleeves out of the cardboard boxes the maggies came in. When I'm not listening I just slide the sleeves over the speakers. I would rather have a dog but it would not be practical in my situation. I used to have Doberman Pinchers back in the day.I loved them. I miss them.

tonye's picture
Submitted by tonye on October 13, 2024 - 9:28am

Are the DACs and wireless transmission components upgradeable and/or replaceable?

Integrated components such as this actually offer a good measure of value since they pretty much are the entire audio chain downstream of the source. You could use a web interface to communicate with the controller and have everything ( web interface, Internet access, local file access, DAC, preamp, amp, speaker ) all in one place.

But the way digital hardware and processing standards are moving, I give that part of the system five years at most. After that, it will be obsolete.

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