Born in France, Focal Release Sopra No3 Loudspeakers

Posted on 13th September, 2016

Born in France, Focal Release Sopra No3 Loudspeakers

From October this year, Focal's Sopra range of loudspeakers will be complete with the release of the No.3, the large Floor Standing model.

Following on and building upon the success of No.1 (Stand Mount) and No.2 (Medium Floor Standing), Sopra No.3 is the biggest in the range, availably locally for $31,000 RRP.

The Sopra range all share the same technologies and the same core R&D as the $285K Grand Utopia loudspeakers, the difference is size and scale. There are also three additional models intended for a complete Sopra home cinema solution.

Chris Murphy, N.A. Distributors and Focal's Australian distributor told StereoNET:

The N°3 is dynamic, musical and can deliver astonishing levels of sound, a prodigious yet controlled bass and all the clarity and delicacy that complex music demands. The unique modern design continues the Sopra visual identity and with a wide range of finishes, it is ready to integrate smoothly into interiors old and new. 

Sopra No.3 is a 3-way loudspeaker featuring Focal's famous Beryllium tweeter, one 165mm midrange and two 210mm woofers. Focal say they've achieved defined treble from IHL technology (Infinite Horn Loading), a refined midrange using the TMD surround (Tuned Mass Damper) and bass and mid controlled with NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) magnetic circuits/

Focal Sopra No.3 Released in Australia

Focal's Sopra range is entirely made in France.

In order to ensure quality, consistency and retain the ability to design unique products, Focal controls all elements of their manufacturing. Sopra cabinets are designed & made in a company facility in Bourbon-Lancy and the speaker drivers are all made in-house at St Etienne, which is where final assembly and QC are carried out.  

Finally, the Sopra cabinet's machined front panel is manufactured from  69mm sandwich using the ‘Gamma Structure’ principle to provide inertia and damping. This is said to provide a stable mechanical reference for the drive units. The inside of the cabinet has no parallel side panels, and small Helmholtz resonators have been added to the lower section to prevent vertical standing waves. Glass is used for the base of the loudspeaker to provide floor coupling, using spikes for stability & grounding. 

Focal says the overall result is a loudspeaker that is all about the music. Focal's obsession is the listening result: a transparent and precise reproduction of the original piece of music, with all the emotion and passion intact.

Focal Sopra No.3 will be available from Focal specialist dealers from October 2016.

Focal is distributed in Australia by N.A. Distributors.

    Marc Rushton's avatar

    Marc Rushton

    StereoNET’s Founder and Publisher was born in England and raised on British Hi-Fi before moving to Australia. He developed an early love of music and playing bass guitar before discovering the studio and the other side of the mixing desk. After a few years writing for audio magazines, Marc saw the future in digital publishing and founded the first version of StereoNET, known at the time as Planet Audio, in 1999.

    Posted in:Hi-Fi
    Tags: focal  sopra  n.a distributors 



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