The Brief

• A premium speaker system designed and crafted by hand at Focal’s workshops in France.

• Available in a variety of high-grade solid colour and real-wood veneer finishes.

• Delivers a lifelike performance through its pure Beryllium tweeter and W-sandwich cone drivers.

The Style

Soft curves make this speaker, which stands at just under four feet tall, seem smaller than it is. From every angle the Focal Sopra No. 2 tapers in towards itself, a design that makes it as much a work of art as a luxury loudspeaker. The beautiful handcrafted cabinet can be had in luxurious high-gloss paint or real-wood finishes. The glass top and base add the final touch of sophistication. Magnetic black cloth grilles conceal the main speaker drivers for a sleek appearance.

The Creative Audio Review

Commanding. That is our favourite word to describe the sound of the Focal Sopra No. 2, though not in the way you may expect. Yes, play ‘The Battle’ from the Gladiator soundtrack and these speakers will certainly command your attention, throwing you into the back of your seat. With dual 7” bass drivers you would expect a commanding bass performance, and the Sopra No. 2 does not disappoint. Remember, though, that these are Focal speakers and so there is never even a hint of excess boom in the bottom registers. The bass is fast, controlled, and defined. This is important, as we wouldn’t want the bass to spoil the magic at the top end; Focal’s legendary pure Beryllium inverted dome tweeter is definitely a showstopper. Ridiculously detailed, exposing new insight into our favourite songs at every turn, and yet never bright, never fatiguing. This is a remarkable achievement in tweeter design. The handoff to the W-sandwich cone midrange is seamless. Here you will experience a thrilling immediacy that brings the musicians right into your listening room. When we are listening to a speaker, what we are often focusing on is how a given design handles the transitions, the crossover points, between drivers. With the Focal Sopra No. 2, we are hard-pressed to hear the joins. Their performance is so cohesive, it is hard to believe we are listening to a speaker, rather than the actual music. It plays with such reverence, refusing to force itself on the music. That is what is so commanding about the Focal Sopra No. 2. You won’t want to stop listening because to do so would seem like committing a grave sin. But go on then, just one more song…

Based in Saint-Étienne in France, Focal have been designing and handcrafting award-winning high fidelity speaker systems since 1979. Every speaker driver and every cabinet is built by Focal in their workshops in France. This gives them incredible control over every detail, and if you’ve ever heard one, you know that Focal speakers are all about detail. Creative Audio is proud to be Winnipeg’s authorised Focal dealer.

Tech Specs*

Dimensions (HxWxD):
46 27/32" x 14 3/32" x 21 17/64"

Configuration:
Three-way bass reflex (ported)

Drivers:
2x 7” bass driver
1x 6.5” midrange driver
1x 1” tweeter

Bass port:
Downward-firing

Frequency Response:
34 Hz - 40 kHz (+/- 3 dB)

Low Frequency Extension:
28 Hz (- 6 dB)

Impedance (nominal/minimum):
8 ohms / 3.1 ohms

Sensitivity:
91 dB

Connections:
Binding post (single wired)

Weight:
122 lbs. (each)

Finish Options:
Black lacquer, Carrara White, Electric orange, Smoked oak, Macassar ebony, Brown concrete (premium)

*We provide this information from the manufacturer for those who want to know or who find it interesting. In our opinion, however, you shouldn’t pay too much heed to technical specs. How a speaker reacts to test tones in a lab is one thing. How it sounds playing music, a far more complex and nuanced signal than any test tone, is another. Knowledge is power and the best knowledge is not how a speaker ‘sounds’ to a microphone, but how it sounds to you.

Creative Audio Pro Tips

• Focal Sopra requires a minimum of 200 hours of break-in before delivering its best performance.

• Experiment with placement for the best results. We recommend at least 24” from the back of the speaker to the back wall. Adjust the toe-in (angle of the speakers towards the listening position) for the sharpest soundstage.

• A speaker of this calibre will reward you when paired with high-performance sources, amplification, and cabling.