The change isn’t major, but it reassures us that, following continuous development of the new Diva Utopia connected line—recently expanded to include a third model, the Alta—the French manufacturer is still committed to its passive models.
On paper, almost nothing has changed for this new Scala Utopia Evo M, the entry-level model and—for now—the only one in the Utopia lineup to be updated, although we expect the three higher-end speakers to follow suit.
The weight therefore remains at 85 kilograms per unit, with dimensions of 124.7 by 39.3 by 67 cm. And this bass-reflex floorstanding speaker retains the 27 cm (10.6”) woofer with the proprietary “W” cone, though here it features a dual 16 cm (6.3”) ferrite magnet. But upon closer inspection, we see that not only is the fiberglass “W” midrange reinforced with a 13-cm (5.1’’) “M” profile, but also—and perhaps most significantly—the tweeter no longer features the beryllium that Focal has cherished since 2000.
Thanks to its new PRISM (Photon Refined Intelligent Structured Membrane) construction, this multilayered, microstructured diaphragm is said to be both even stiffer and lighter. The rationale behind its design likely also stems from the fact that, in some countries, beryllium was considered a hazardous material—even though its use in hi-fi diaphragms protected by a grille posed no such risk.
Despite its two new diaphragms, the Scala Utopia III Evo M retains both its already very wide frequency response (27 Hz – 40 kHz) and its sensitivity of 92 dB. However, its nominal impedance has been reduced from 8 to 6 Ω. The color options have changed slightly, from six to five, as chocolate brown, white, and gray have been replaced by “Off White” and “Warm Taupe” finishes. And one last piece of good news: the price remains unchanged, keeping these speakers at 40 000 € per pair.