Focal Sopra N°1

The Sopra N°1 is a high-end bookshelf speaker from Focal, designed for compact integration into a living room while aiming for performance close to the Utopia III line, the brand's most accomplished reference. It is intended for demanding stereo listening, paired with quality electronics.

The woofer-midrange benefits from a TMD suspension and an NIC magnetic circuit, while the tweeter relies on an IHL horn loading. These three technologies, inherited from Sopra developments, contribute to a reduced distortion level that promotes precise definition and extended spatialisation across the entire spectrum, including in the bass register.

The cabinet is manufactured in France, at the Focal cabinet-making facility in Bourbon-Lancy, using methods similar to those employed for Utopia. The front baffle, known as Gamma Structure, is machined from solid material out of an assembly of MDF panels 69 mm thick, providing the inertia needed for a stable mechanical reference. The absence of parallel walls in the lateral direction and the addition of Helmholtz resonators in the lower section limit internal standing waves. The glass base ensures high propagation-speed coupling to the floor via the spikes, reducing halo effect in the bass.

The design, entrusted to the Pineau & Le Porcher agency, is built around an intermediate injected polyurethane piece that allows the upper and lower cabinets to be tilted according to the Focus Time principle, acoustically converging the drive units towards the listening point. The lacquered or satin wood finishes suit refined interiors, without the aesthetics taking precedence over the acoustics.

This speaker suits an enthusiast seeking detailed stereo listening in a bookshelf format, with the option of adding the dedicated Sopra Stand floor stands for optimal positioning.