30/06/2009 Focal Scala Utopia now at Len Wallis Audio

Tagged under Focal, Hi-Fi, Scala Utopia
Posted by Len | 2 Comments

Focal Scala Utopia

We have now taken delivery of the new Focal Utopia ‘Scala’ loudspeakers.

The earlier release of the Grande Utopia 111 EM created a huge amount of interest, but their sheer size and the price made them an unrealistic dream for many. The Scala stands1.247m high, and weighing in at 85Kg each they are still an imposing speaker; large enough to pack a real punch in the bass department, down to 28Hz from the 11”/27cm woofer.

Like all of the Utopia range the drivers are designed and made in-house, and are adapted to suit each model. Midrange and woofer cones are built up in multiple foam and glass-fibre layers to give the requisite response curves. The beryllium tweeter has been redesigned as well. By making the tweeter an open-back design, with the magnet structure arranged around a tubular former, then putting the tweeter in a separate enclosure tuned as a Helmholtz Resonator, the response has been increased downwards to 2.2kHz. This means that the critical 2-5kHz frequencies are handled with more accuracy than they were when the bass-midrange driver had to cope with them, right at the top of its frequency range.

This all translates into a very close approach to the actual sound of musicians playing, with the leading edge attack you expect to hear only from live performances. Colouration from the cabinetry is absolutely minimized, while balance is beautifully maintained throughout the frequency range due to the impeccable 3-way crossover design and superlative drivers.

The Scala is very efficient at 92dB, enabling it to be used with a wide range of amplifiers from 40w to 500w per channel.  Priced at $45,000/pair, it will be within the reach of more people than the Grande.

Like the Grande the Scala will require many hours of running in, so we probably will not hear them at their best for some weeks. However it is already apparent that, as you would expect, there are many similarities between the two models. I believe that even at $45,000 the Scala will become accepted as something of a bargain.

Combined with the Krell Evolution pre and power amps you’d have one of the best systems money can buy.

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