Напольная акустика — Focal SCALA UTOPIA EVO

The Scala Utopia Evo is the latest version of the Scala column in the Utopia range from Focal, a three-way bass-reflex floorstander that the maker describes as very high-end yet moderately sized and 100% made by Focal. A new terminal board now allows bi-amplification. In 2024 its US price was cut by USD 13,000 per pair, putting lacquered versions at USD 39,998 and wood versions at USD 52,998 per pair.

Key specs that matter

A 27 mm pure beryllium inverted dome with IAL2 loading forms the tweeter. A 16.5 cm W midrange with a Power Flower magnet and NIC motor sits below it, and a 27 cm W woofer covers the bass. Crossover points are 220 Hz and 2,400 Hz. The response is rated at 27 Hz to 40 kHz within 3 dB and reaches 24 Hz at -6 dB. Sensitivity is 92 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, nominal impedance 8 ohm and minimum impedance 3.2 ohm, and Focal advises amplifiers of 50 to 500 W. The speaker is 124.7 cm high on a footprint of 39.3 by 67 cm and weighs 85 kg.

Engineering and use context

IAL2, or Infinite Acoustic Loading, lowers the tweeter resonance to 528 Hz. The W cones use a sandwich construction, now laser cut with greater precision. In the midrange, TMD suspension and the Neutral Inductance Circuit are aimed at lower distortion. Focus Time is a mechanical phase optimisation that angles the drivers towards the listener. The Gamma Structure cabinet is built from dense MDF panels as thick as 6 cm, with an anti-vibration layout refined through vibration mapping. An extra-wide streamlined port is designed to avoid air-flow noise. The OPC+ filter lets the owner shift bass and treble by 1 dB either way, uses heavier internal wiring of 4 mm2 for the tweeter and midrange and 8 mm2 for the bass, and ends in four exclusive WBT connectors that accept bi-wiring or a bi-amplified connection. Lacquer choices include Black, Ash Grey and Carrara White, and wood versions come as Noyer Naturel with an Oyster White face or Noyer Fonce with a Sepia Brown face. Focal lists the woofer for high power handling. The new midrange technologies were introduced to reduce distortion compared with the earlier Scala.

Pairing

Given the low impedance minimum, any amplifier used has to stay stable into low impedance, and the four terminals let two stereo amplifiers, or separate channels, drive the bass and upper sections independently.

Alternatives

Higher in the Utopia line, the Stella Utopia EM Evo has 94 dB sensitivity and crossovers at 230 Hz and 2,200 Hz, with an electromagnetic 33 cm woofer, two midrange drivers and a weight of 170 kg.