It is not the first active loudspeaker of its kind on the market, but it is the first for the French high-end loudspeaker manufacturer Focal and its British partner Naim. The two legendary hi-fi companies have been working hand-in-hand since 2011 and have now presented the Diva Utopia, a product with which the company intends to further develop, modernize and expand.
Focal Diva Utopia: The ultimate all-in-one streaming speaker?
Focal is known for its comprehensive range of passive loudspeakers up to the size of telephone booths, which previously bore the name Utopia. And British electronics specialist Naim has a legendary reputation, especially when it comes to amplifiers. With this illustrious union of two iconic brands, it made sense to combine their expertise not only organizationally, but also in one product. The Diva Utopia now presented is the result.

The makers of the French-British collaboration have not reinvented the wheel here. The Diva Utopia are – soberly speaking – digital-active speakers with network functionality and steaming capability, as is also available from other providers. For example, KEF’s LS60 floorstanding speakers for around 7,000 euros, which also have a similar chassis structure in the bass. Even with their price tag of a good 35,000 euros a pair, the Diva Utopia are by no means the tip of the iceberg. Linn’s 360 model and Meridian’s DSP9 digital active loudspeakers are even more expensive. However, the latter do not have internal streaming, which is why the Diva Utopia can be considered one of the most expensive speakers of its kind. The French company has also made a stylistic statement with the design of the Diva Utopia. Typical Focal design elements such as the division of the housing with a kink can also be found here, but overall the design looks hyper-modern, fresh and elegant.
Housing, drivers and electronics
The housing is made of high-density polymer and is covered by curved, removable side panels lined with high-quality, OEKO-TEX certified felt. The system rests on an elegant and also very organically shaped base made of black anodized aluminium, which also forms the reflective opening for the cabinet. The latest generation of Focal’s famous beryllium dome tweeter is protected by a double grille and framed by a “yin-yang symbolism”. Below this sits a 16.5 cm bass/midrange driver with a “W cone”. The bass range is covered by two side-mounted 16.5 cm woofers in a push-push configuration. The frequency range extends from 30 Hz to 40 kHz ±3 dB (24 Hz at -6 dB). The whole system is designed as an actively equalized 3-way bass reflex construction.

Naim is responsible for the entire electronics. Three Class A/B power amplifiers with a total of 400 watts are used for amplification. 250 watts are available for the bass and 75 watts each for the mid and high frequencies. The so-called “Pulse Platform” from Naim is precisely tailored to the needs of the drivers in the Diva Utopia.
DAC, connectivity, network and streaming
The system accepts digital audio signals in PCM up to 24Bit/384kHz. (DSD64 and 128 are also supported). However, a maximum of 192 kHz sampling rate is processed internally. For this, the secondary speaker must be connected to the master using an RJ45 cable. If a wireless connection between the master and slave is preferred, ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology is used for the connection. Although this has a fairly high bandwidth, it only has a range of a few meters, which is of course sufficient for a stereo pair. With the UWB connection between master and slave, the maximum sampling rate is limited to 96 kHz. The Focal Naim app is available for control and streaming in the best possible quality. There is also a wireless remote control (Zigbee compatible).

The AirPlay 2, Google Cast, UPnP and even Bluetooth (AAC, aptX Adaptive) protocols are still available for connecting to external sources for direct connections with smartphones & co. There are various connections at the rear for local, wired sources: HDMI eARC/CEC, TOSLINK, RCA/Cinch analog, Type A USB 2.0 and RJ45 Ethernet for the wired network connection. However, as Focal does not use an external hub to connect sources, cables must always be laid from the source to the master speaker with this concept. A disadvantage that the Diva Utopia shares with technologically similar speakers, such as the aforementioned KEF LS wireless speakers. Of course, the speakers can also connect to the network via WLAN (Wi-Fi 6). If two speakers are paired wirelessly and no wired sources are connected, each speaker only needs a power cable to operate. Thanks to Naim’s streaming platform, the Diva Utopia offers access to music services such as Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, QQ Music via QPlay, as well as Qobuz, Internet radio and podcasts. Multiroom functionality is also offered. Up to 32 Focal and Naim streaming devices can be controlled together. One conspicuous gap in the list of supported services is Roon. Presumably the makers have not yet been able to agree on sending a Diva Utopia to New York for the necessary certification process. But what is not yet is still possible.

Prices and availability
Early November is the expected delivery date for the Diva Utopia on the Focal Naim Germany website. Interestingly, the speakers can be ordered individually at a price of 17,000 euros each, with the manufacturer offering both a “Primary” and a “Secondary” speaker. Both at the same price. But this indicates that the speakers have different connection panels. An accessory pack with remote control, spikes and high-quality LAN cable can also be purchased separately for 999 euros. A complete set with two speakers and all accessories costs a total of 34,999 euros. So you save nothing when you buy the complete package. By the way: The Facal Naim Diva Utopia will make its first appearance in Germany at HiFi Tage Darmstadt on October 19 and 20, 2024, where it can be found in room 2.06 Argentum.
Technical data
FOCAL NAIM DIVA UTOPIA | |
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Concept: | Fully active streaming floorstanding speaker with many source options. Supports AirPlay 2, Google Cast, UPnP, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth |
Features: | 1 x beryllium tweeter with M surround, 1 x woofer/midrange driver 16.5 cm with W cone, 4 x 16.5 cm basses, 400 watts amplifier power per speaker; Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, QQ Music, Internet radio, podcast |
Special features: | Housing made of high-density polymer, side panels felt-coated and removable, remote control |
Inputs/outputs: | HDMI ARC, Coax, Toslink, analog RCA, wireless or wired network, Bluetooth |
Dimensions (H x W x D): | 121 x 42 x 56cm |
Weight: | 64 kilos |
All technical data |
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