Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- The Grande Utopia EM features a uniquely shaped articulated enclosure which Focal calls Focus Time
- The speaker allows for fine-tuning the position of the tweeter relative to the midrange and bass drivers
- It has a series of jumpers for fine-tuning the speaker in situ
- The Grande's sub-bass woofer employs an electromagnetic motor system, whose separate power supply unit furthermore has six level-settings for balancing the overall performance to taste
- The company's 27mm IAL2—'infi nite acoustic loading'—inverted dome tweeter is mounted on a precision-machined metal sub-baffle, and the rear of the dome and its surround operate into free air behind, loaded by a tuned cavity
Product Considerations
- With certain music, the Grande Utopia EM can sound a little too sharp-edged, even 'stark'
- The frequency response is highly uneven, with errors of ±4.2dB (200Hz-20kHz)
- Pair matching over the same frequency range was poor at ±1.8dB, but the largest disparities were narrow-band between 5kHz and 6kHz—everywhere else the matching was to within ±1.0dB
- Cumulative decay waterfall reveals a series of modes above 3kHz, presumably from the mid drivers
- Focal claims a very high 94dB sensitivity for the Grande Utopia EM, but a measured pink noise result of 90.7dB suggests that this is around 3dB optimistic
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Grande Utopia EM overshadows the Wilson Alexandria XLF, and has a slightly larger footprint
- The Grande Utopia EM weighs only 20 kilos less than a Steinway Model O living-room grand
- It stands in comparison with the Wilson Alexandria XLF and Sonus Faber's Aida
Takeaway: The Focal Grande Utopia EM is a statement loudspeaker with an imposing presence and innovative design that allows for customized sound. With proper setup and high-quality source material, it can deliver a grand and immersive listening experience.
All
Grande Utopia Em Evo
reviews

Manufacturer details
- Product type: Bass-reflex 4-way column
- Woofer: Electro-Magnetix 16" (40cm) "W" woofer
- Medium: 2x Power Flower 6.5" (16.5cm) "W" midrange drivers with TMD suspension and magnet
- Tweeter: IAL2 pure Beryllium inverted dome 1" (27mm) tweeter
- Response at -6dB (Low frequency point): 14 Hz
- Frequency response (+/- 3dB): 18 Hz - 40 kHz
- Minimum impedance: 3 Ω
- Nominal Impedance: 8 Ω
- Recommended amplifier power: 50 - 1,500 W
- Sensitivity: 94 dB
- Height: 2012 mm / 79.81 in
- Width: 654 mm / 25.75 in
- Depth: 880 mm / 34.62 in
- Weight: 265 kg / 584 lb
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Focal monitors are noted for their "mid-forward" sound, guiding users toward balanced mixes, particularly in the midrange frequencies, which aids in crucial EQ and dynamics decisions.
- They integrate an inverted dome tweeter crafted from Aluminum/Magnesium or Beryllium, optimizing high-frequency dispersion and minimizing distortion through back wave absorption.
- Focal frequently employs flax or "W" composite sandwich cones in their mid-bass drivers, providing a lightweight yet rigid diaphragm construction that delivers exceptional definition and controlled bass.
Select products
Theva
- Positioning: The entry-level series in Focal's high-fidelity lineup.
- Description: Features Focal's signature technologies like the TNF tweeter for clear treble. Compared to the Aria Evo X, offers a more budget-friendly option with simpler cabinet designs. While it lacks the advanced materials found in the Kanta series, still provides a solid performance for its price range, suitable for basic home audio setups.
Aria Evo X
- Positioning: Sits in the mid-range of Focal's lineup, offering a balance between performance and affordability.
- Description: Features flax cone technology, providing natural sound and excellent dynamics. More refined than Theva, offering better build quality and soundstage.
Kanta
- Positioning: A premium series, offering advanced technology and design.
- Description: Known for their innovative design and use of materials like the Flax sandwich cone and Beryllium tweeter, delivering precise and detailed sound. They offer a more sophisticated sound profile than Aria Evo X, with enhanced clarity and warmth.
Sopra
- Positioning: A high-end series, just below the flagship Utopia line, focusing on compactness and performance.
- Description: Excels in sound transparency and precision, featuring technologies like the Infinite Horn Loading system for improved treble. They offer a richer harmonic experience than Kanta.
Utopia III Evo
- Positioning: Focal's flagship series, representing the pinnacle of their speaker technology.
- Description: Renowned for their exceptional sound quality and luxurious design, incorporating technologies like the Beryllium tweeter and W composite sandwich cone. They surpass Sopra in every aspect, offering groundbreaking soundstage and detail, ideal for large dedicated listening rooms and those with no budget constraints.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Used
Focal
What if you spend more?
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Detailed, exciting, dynamic, and transparent sound
- Vanishingly low cabinet coloration, contributing to speed and detail
- Lung-emptying, bowel-clearing, demolition-grade bass
- Bass integrates well with the rest of the frequency range for an integrated musical performance
- Voices have breath and contour, yet the result always retains a minimum of warmth
Product Considerations
- Room acoustics should be a strong consideration, as the BC150 reveals room issues
- Needs a lot of quality electronics upstream
- Requires firm control and ample current capacity from the amplifier
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The BC150 sounds more like a Burmester B38 with greater abilities to scale
Takeaway: The Burmester BC150 is a high-precision audio instrument that is both musically communicative and musically analytical, offering a detailed and transparent listening experience. It offers clarity and purity of sound, and brings music to another level.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The M3 presents music with an unprecedented degree of individuality and specificity, without sacrificing tonality, texture, or body
- Remarkable level of resolution
- Astonishing transparency and is resolute
- Accurate tonality and represents timbre faithfully
- Exceptional high-frequency detail and speed due to a planar tweeter
- Accepts only banana terminations
Product Considerations
- The planar tweeter misses the very last measure of extension, shimmer, and effortlessness accomplished by the very best available today
- Low-frequency extension was limited to the high 20 Hz, low 30 Hz range
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Magico M9, the M3 has recalibrated the resolution yardstick by which all other loudspeakers must be measured and compared
- Compared to Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA 9s, the M3 has recalibrated the resolution yardstick by which all other loudspeakers must be measured and compared
Takeaway: The Børresen M3 loudspeakers boldly represent the realization of striking potential in audio and push known boundaries. People who choose the M3 will enjoy a specific level of playback that is unavailable from other loudspeakers.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Sublime image size and expansiveness, coupled with an ability to be driven as hard as your ears or your amps can take
- A sense of balance to the sound of the Alexx V makes renewal possible, expressive and articulate from the deepest bass to the highest treble
- Trickle-down benefits from the WAMM Master Chronosonic and Chronosonic XVX
- Bass performance is otherworldly
- The Alexx V has the ability to uncover and continue to deliver micro-details at extremely high SPLs, even after that slam of a transient
Product Considerations
- Some power behind the throne is needed, because the loudspeaker's impedance plot drops to two ohms at 250Hz
- The dome tweeter does sacrifice the last ounce of micro-detail, compared to the insane resolving power of the best diamond and beryllium drivers
- The choice of finish needs to be considered with care
- Cable management can impact performance
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the original Alexx, the Alexx V is a massive improvement—closer to a baby XVX in so many ways
- Compared to the Alexia 2, the Alexx V was more than a mere additive sum, a step-function improvement
- Compared to the Wilson XVX and WAMM Master Chronosonic, the tweeter is effortless and resolving by normal standards, but no match for the extraordinary levels of detail retrieval
Takeaway: The Alexx V offers a sublime listening experience with excellent balance and dynamic range that allows the listener to get closer to the music. It is a worthy contender for those looking to upgrade their listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Excellent imaging, providing a strong stereo image for multiple listeners due to wide dispersion and Space Optimisation+
- Flexible and capable of playing all kinds of music, getting out of the music's way, and suitable for both large and smaller rooms
- Dynamic, detailed, and can play at a wide range of volume levels, from quiet listening to near PA levels
- Features a new driver array, including a Beryllium dome tweeter, thin-ply woven carbon fiber midrange (used on NASA's Mars Rover), and aluminum-magnesium alloy bass units
- Incorporates new amplifier technologies—'Power DAC' for the lower bass and 'Adaptive Bias Control' for the mid and treble—reducing distortion
Product Considerations
- The midrange dome is exposed, which might be a concern with children
- Owners of previous Linn systems may find the price difficult to accept
- Some audiophiles may prefer Linn to trawl its past rather than building its future, and they will want an Isobarik
- Some audiophiles may not be able to see past the LP12
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The 360 offers significantly improved imaging and soundstaging compared to the Klimax 350
Takeaway: The Linn 360 is a high-end loudspeaker that provides excellent sound quality and flexibility, making it a great choice for enjoying music with friends or for personal listening sessions. Its innovative design and technology deliver a detailed and immersive audio experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The Magico M7 delivers the highest sound quality by the reviewer's metrics
- Described as 'vivid' due to a comprehensive lack of distortion, low compression, rich texture and detail, and coherence across the spectrum and image
- Soundstaging hangs in space with a realistically large soundstage window and deeper stage depth, approximating real sound in a real performance hall
- Superb instrumental definition with a tonal density that removes a filter, revealing the believable richness of each instrument combined with high definition and low etch
- Voicing is resolutely flat in terms of frequency response, so well-balanced recordings sound impressively right
Product Considerations
- The M7 might require bigger amplifiers to reach the dynamic levels of the best horn speakers
- It will not be a good fit for listeners who need frequency colorations to reassure them that their expensive speakers are doing something
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs MBL 101X, the M7 does a more believable simulation of the stage because it's rather clear about performer locations, but the MBL-101X gets the image off the speakers more reliably, but at the price of some placement precision and air
Takeaway: The Magico M7 speakers deliver a rare and significant sonic achievement with a focus on distortion minimization. These speakers set a benchmark across almost all important sonic dimensions, making them worth considering for serious audio enthusiasts.
Video review
Our take on the brand
How to buy
Speakers
Search all hifi products
Explore our database of 10,000+ new and 25,000+ used hifi products.


































































