Напольная акустика — Focal SOPRA N°3

Focal introduced the Sopra N°3 in 2016, a three-way reflex-loaded column joining the N°1 standmount and the N°2 tower. Its main change over the N°2 is a pair of bigger woofers giving 40% more cone area. At launch a pair was listed at USD 19,999, and British buyers paid GBP 15,750.

Key specs that matter

Drivers are a beryllium tweeter of 27 mm with an inverted dome and IHL rear loading, a 16.5 cm W cone midrange and two 21 cm W cone woofers, all three of the cone drivers using NIC motors and the midrange adding a TMD surround. The crossover divides the band at 250 Hz and 2.2 kHz. Response runs from 33 Hz to 40 kHz within 3 dB, and output is 6 dB down at 26 Hz. Sensitivity is 91.5 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, with 8 ohm nominal and 3.1 ohm minimum impedance and an amplifier range of 40 to 400 W. The cabinet measures 1,264 mm high, 402 mm wide and 595 mm deep, and one speaker weighs 70 kg.

Engineering and use context

Focal builds the enclosure from MDF following its Gamma Structure, and internal Helmholtz resonators are tuned to absorb specific cabinet resonances. The tweeter chamber behind the beryllium dome is a wide horn packed with damping material, so the rear radiation is soaked up rather than reflected back through the thin diaphragm. The bass reflex port opens downward toward a tempered glass base, which spreads the port output around the foot of the speaker instead of firing it forward. W cones are a sandwich of glass fibre skins over a foam core. TMD on the midrange is a pair of small tuned rings on the surround that stop it from resonating, while NIC motors hold their field constant as the coil travels, lowering distortion at large excursion. The three cabinet sections are angled relative to each other so that the output of each driver reaches the listener at the same instant. Finishes listed at launch were Carrara White, Black Lacquer, Imperial Red, Electric Orange, Nogaro Blue and Dogato Walnut, and later options include Light Oak and Macassar.

Pairing

The high sensitivity allows moderate amplifier power, while the low minimum impedance favours amplifiers that double their output into lower loads. Its high power tolerance leaves headroom for large stereo or mono power amplifiers.

Alternatives

For less floor space the series also includes the Focal Sopra N°2, fitted with two 18 cm woofers and weighing 55 kg.