Focal Sopra N°1 Bookshelf Loudspeaker Review

This was mostly so I could experience what a full Focal/Naim system could do. The SW-1000 BE subwoofer proved itself to be a stellar performer in its own right. As a pleasant surprise, both the Naim amp and the Sopra N°1 speakers performed well enough to warrant reviews of their own.

Focal is an iconic name in the world of loudspeakers. They make products priced from under $1,000 to over $280,000, along with a line of headphones that could be a separate company in its own right. The company also has a complete line of professional products for studio use, in-wall speakers, and even car audio. If you have a need for a transducer, Focal has one for almost any imaginable scenario or whim.

In my 48 years of being an avid audiophile, I have read about Focal during most of this tenure. Outside of hearing their products at various audio shows, I had never spent any meaningful time with Focal products until this year (2025). My first extensive test here at Secrets was with the wonderfully simple Diva Utopia connected speakers in the winter of 2025.

It was in conversations with Focal-Naim America that the formation of having a trio of Focal-Naim products for what was originally going to be a test of the Focal Sopra SW-1000 BE subwoofer evolved.

The Diva Utopia speakers are truly an ‘all-in-one’ design with the streamer, DAC, amplifiers, and speakers all housed within the two cabinets. It is a belief at Focal-Naim that components have a symbiotic relationship, with the SW-1000 BE having been developed with the Sopra N°1 speakers as a way of taking that Focal sound and making it into a true full-range system.

Rounding off the numbers, the Sopra N°1 speakers have an MSRP of $13,000 per pair. The SW-1000 BE is $5,500, and the Naim Uniti Nova Power Edition is $10,000. The system total is $28,500 in contrast to the $40,000 for the Diva Utopia. These are both systems that the same audiophile might consider in terms of a purchase decision. One could even add a second SW-1000 BE to this system and come in at $34,000 versus the Diva Utopia’s $40,000. We love having choices!

We are going to explore the Sopra N°1 speakers in two ways. The first will be as a holistic system with the Naim Uniti Nova PE and Focal SW-1000 BE subwoofer as a ‘family’ system. Think of this as a ‘lifestyle system’ of total simplicity. The other approach will consist of a Michi Q5 DAC/CD player driving a Rogers High Fidelity integrated tube amplifier, which delivers 100 WPC of pure Class ‘A’ tube power. This DAC/CD Player/Tube amp setup is pure high-end audiophile and will test the absolute limits of the Focal monitors.

• Focal Diva Utopia Connected Loudspeaker System Review
• Focal SW 1000 Be Subwoofer Review
• TAD-ME1TX Monitor Speaker Review

The focal point (pun intended) of the Sopra N°1 speaker is the 6.5-inch woofer-midrange. It covers almost six octaves from 40 to 2,200 Hz (the crossover point), which means it will handle well over 90 percent of what we are hearing. This unit features the “W” Membrane cone, which is proprietary to Focal and completely designed and built in-house. The “W” Membrane cone is constructed with a central foam body sandwiched between two sheets of glass fiber. The emphasis is on lightness, rigidity, and damping. Focal claims this construction leads to an optimal frequency response curve with high output and low distortion, along with strong macro-dynamics while retaining detailed micro-dynamics.

Focal’s Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) cone surround is designed to control the cone breakup that occurs when a diaphragm begins to demonstrate out-of-control resonances. Two tubular rings are designed and added to the surround to provide additional mass to vibrate at 180 degrees out of phase with the cone’s resonant frequency. The effect will be to stabilize the dynamic motions of the surround, which, the company claims, avoids deformation of the cone without impeding dynamics. A less sophisticated example in audio is dual opposing woofers in a speaker or subwoofer, which help to dampen vibrations in the cabinet. In the Focal Sopra N°1, this dampening takes place within the driver assembly itself.

The Beryllium tweeter is an inverted dome with considerable efforts being made to allow higher macro-dynamics, clarity, and soundstage. The rear wave from the inverted dome feeds into a chamber, which is damped and improves the signal by minimizing the effect of air behind the tweeter. From this chamber (and after considerable damping is realized), the rear wave feeds the exit through a horn into the listening environment. The listening sessions showcased an excellent treble response, both on and off axis, demonstrating that this is not marketing hype. As with the 6.5-inch woofer-midrange, the Beryllium tweeter is designed and manufactured by Focal in France.

The cabinet in which these drivers are housed is something special. This starts with the slightly downward-facing tweeter and upward-facing woofer, the angles of which help create the point source sound at which the Sopra N°1 excels. All vertical panels and edges are curved with the purpose of further refining the whole point source ideal. The almost 42-pound weight is remarkable for such a compact speaker, and it shows when one tries the ‘knuckle’ test. The Sopra N°1 is as inert a cabinet as I have ever tried to punch.

In terms of sheer beauty, one must see a Focal high-end speaker in person to appreciate it. The N°1 has elegance galore, with each finish deep and rich. It’s the style of speaker that one can display with pride in the most upscale of homes. One might look at the $12,998 price tag for a pair of these stand-mounted speakers and wonder where the value is. Pick up a pair and put them on appropriate stands, and you will quickly discover that these are no ordinary bookshelf speakers. They are more akin to works of art.

Setup (System 1)

The overwhelming majority of purchasers of a pair of Focal Sopra N°1 speakers will purchase them from a local dealer. Our review pair was shipped to us on a pallet along with the Sopra SW-1000 BE subwoofer and Naim Uniti Nova Power Edition amplifier. The packaging on the speakers was excellent and would likely even survive a trip on a UPS or FedEx truck.

This ‘system 1’ consisted of the Naim Uniti Nova Power Edition, the Focal Sopra SW-1000 BE subwoofer, and the Sopra N°1 monitors. We did not include the optional (24-inch-tall) Sopra stands, but we do have a pair of Sound Anchor stands that are 24 inches tall. The N°1 stand-mounted speakers were placed on the Sound Anchor stands. The Naim amp was connected to the Focal speakers with a pair of Clarus Cable Aqua speaker cables. The subwoofer output from the Naim amp was attached to the subwoofer via a pair of RCA cables from Wireworld. Clarus also provided power conditioning to the Naim amp and the subwoofer via their Concerto power conditioner and Duet power conditioner, respectively. All power cables were Clarus Aqua high-current cables.

The Sopra N°1 monitors were spaced 10 feet apart and 12 feet from the listening position. The back wall was 30 inches from the rear of the speakers. The SW-1000 BE subwoofer was positioned next to the right speaker. Both speakers were angled at 10 degrees towards the listening position. We were locked, loaded, and ready to listen!

Moving on to ‘Hands Clean,’ we have a totally different sound. Morissette’s vocals are much softer and seductive. She’s getting into an affair, wants to present her more feminine side, and it works. The N°1s showed how flexible they are in delivering female vocals with a clarity that matches active studio monitors. The fact that Focal has its own line of active studio monitors may have something to do with this. Her silky voice on this track draws one into the song, and one realizes she is conspiring with her lover to keep this affair a secret from everyone.

‘So Unsexy’ combines the raw guitar work from ’21 Things,’ the more silky side of her voice from ‘Hands Clean,’ and adds percussion in a six-minute story about the difficulties of being female in a world she perceives as demanding perfection. Morissette has a knack for being almost an actress when she’s singing and immerses herself into each ‘role’ as each of her songs demands. In ‘So Unsexy,’ she is sadly desperate to get the attention of society in general, and her performance wrings out all this emotion. The Focals bring her to life on this track (which this reviewer has heard on dozens of speakers over the last 20 years) in a palpable way that is downright endearing. One really feels terrible for this young lady who is having a difficult time believing in her own beauty.

The final track for discussion is much more upbeat and positive. ‘Surrendering’ is her singing her appreciation to a man who entered into a relationship with Morissette with as much trepidation as she has. She readily acknowledges that she is as conflicted as he is, and Morissette showcases her abilities in terms of taking on the role as embodied in her lyrics with aplomb. The N°1s delivered every ounce of love and acceptance that she poured into this unusually positive song. They actually brought a smile to this reviewer’s face.

‘Before You Accuse Me’ gets the audience going with its sublime blues and lots of audience participation. The Sopras were again natural, dynamic, detailed, and musical. Focal doesn’t talk much about the crossover networks in their speakers, but it was abundantly clear that this upscale two-way speaker’s dividing network is among the best in the industry. Clapton’s use of the body of the Martin acoustic guitar brought in the toe-tapping inspiration that ‘Before You Accuse Me’ has in droves. One can even ascertain the mischief in Clapton’s explaining to this unnamed woman that she’s the problem, not him.

‘Tears in Heaven,’ his tribute to his young son who tragically lost his life after a terrible fall, brought out all the emotion that Clapton was feeling. There is real grief in this song, and every time I hear it, I marvel at his ability to get through it without a total breakdown. The N°1 pair delivered all the emotion that this song deserves, with Clapton feeling almost as if he was performing live in our listening room. These talented speakers do a highly credible job of getting out of the way and letting the music happen.

The totality of the performance is evidence of a well-recorded event, and the Focal Sopra N°1s did everything one could want in terms of an honest presentation of a terrific show. One final track of note is ‘San Francisco Bay Blues.’ Bringing guitar, piano, percussion, and a lot more energy into the arena, ‘San Francisco’ showed off the dynamic abilities of the Focals. Clapton’s vocals are rock solid, the weight of his guitar and the percussion are close enough to perfection to call it perfect, and the piano sounds natural, and its undertones are handled with ease.

This album has 15 tracks, all of which are worthy of mention. Space (and your patience) precludes discussing all 15, so let’s look at three more. His cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ will take one back to the original while showcasing a different take on the raw feelings of a friend who will do anything to ease one’s pain. The Focals are so wonderfully transparent on ‘Bridge’ that one would not be criticized for having a tear in one’s eye. It is beautifully presented with depth and raw power.

The third track we will explore is ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,’ and it is spectacular as a ballad to his lifelong love. His voice is deep and solid, with the Focal N°1 pair again placing Cash centered in the listening space. The soft organ and his guitar work were ‘oh-so-clear’ and added to the intensity of his love for June Carter Cash. Yes, it is another cover. But Cash makes it his own, and the Focals will bring him into your living room.

The ultimate track was ‘Desperado,’ and I would be remiss for not mentioning that Don Henley brought his talents (and percussion) to this album. The opening guitar brings the Eagles into the room through the Focals, only to have Johnny’s baritone voice reminding us that this is his show. Unlike the other tracks, ‘Desperado’ is almost upbeat in its presentation, and Focal again nails all the energy Cash can muster. These are special speakers, folks. They make music regardless of the genre. By the time I finished with the Qobuz portion of the review, this reviewer was already saddened by the fact that he would need to eventually return these outstanding transducers.

System 2: The Focal Sopra N°1’s venture out on their own

We have thoroughly vetted the Focal stand-mounted gems as part of a Focal-Naim holistic system. How would the speakers fare if we removed the subwoofer and Naim electronics and replaced them with a $7,000 Michi Q5 CD Player / DAC and a Rogers High Fidelity pure class A tube amplifier (the $16,500 KWM 88)? On hand in our reference system, we have available an array of fine speakers, including the Legacy Focus XD, Sonus faber Maxima Amator, Harbeth SHL5 Plus XD, and Vaughn Line Array Major. Let’s delve into the Focal speakers as singular components in this exceptionally powerful and revealing system. Cables will be our usual Clarus Cable Aqua line as previously listed.

Starting with ‘Whole Lotta Love,’ Jimmy Page LEAPT into the room with his searing, menacing introduction to all things Zeppelin. The Focals were not polite, they were SAVAGE! The weight was that of a tower speaker, the width and depth of the stage were without limit, and I had a huge smile on my face as the inherent need to air guitar immediately took over. The thought was “Can’t Rock? My ASS they can’t rock!!” Then Robert Plant was urging us to ‘coolin’, and the concert was on. Bonham’s drums, Jones’s bass, Plant’s vocals, and Page’s guitar were pure, clean mayhem.

The instrumental section had all the “wrap around one’s head” effect that larger towers are known for. Anyone who thinks these guys can’t rock needs to be sent back to ‘schoolin.’

‘Immigrant Song’ was next, jetting us off to the land of the ice and snow, and Plant’s infamous opening call was visceral while Page’s driving guitar gave further credence to the ability of these modest in size but large in ability monitors to bring greatness to life. ‘Kashmir,’ with its asymmetrical rhythm, was no challenge for the Focal’s talent in the arena of pacing.

‘Fool in the Rain’ is one of the more pristine recordings from the Zeppelin era, with Bonham’s drum work as one of his final acts with the band being as well recorded as any during his tenure. The N°1 pair remained constant in their larger-than-life macro-dynamics. One of my favorite things to do is to let my family experience different types of music with the lights off during a review session and ask them to give their impressions. To a person, they all decided that the performance on all things Led Zeppelin was the work of tower speakers, all while having no idea they were experiencing a two-way speaker with a 6.5-inch woofer and a single tweeter.

We wrapped up the Zeppelin session with ‘Battle of Evermore.’ It’s a song of glory and sacrifice with haunting vocals that, when presented properly, place Plant in the center of the stage with the other vocalists panning around the sound stage. The Focals stretched this stage to outside the speakers, through the ceiling, and back/forth in an almost hypnotic manner. I was so transfixed that I immediately hit ‘repeat’ just to hear this again. The Focal Sopra N°1s are nowhere near the top of the Focal line. They still will thrill almost anyone who wants a speaker that can bring any performance to life.

‘Limehouse Blues’ leads off the performance with 10 minutes of light percussion, clarinet, and vibraphone. When rendered properly, the clarinet is center/front while percussion is center/back. The vibraphone is off to the right and back of the clarinet. The N°1s bring the stage to life with a natural ease that is symbiotic with a well-balanced high-end speaker pair. The pacing is spot on, the light touch on the snare accurate and tuneful, and the feel that one is in the audience is most palpable.

Limehouse Blues, through a great system, will put the listener in a mood to stop thinking and to start relishing a respite from the real world. The Focals did this in spades. Before I knew it, my eyes were closed, and I was able to drift into relaxation. For the next hour, all thoughts of business issues, stock market ups and downs, and politics were forgotten. It was just music and a lowering blood pressure.

As the performance ended, it was firmly planted in this reviewer’s mind that Focal has created something truly special with the N°1s. Don’t let the fact that they have been on the market for about a decade dissuade you from putting these on your audition list.

Focal has packed a lot more into this modestly sized speaker than one can imagine. The Sopra N°1 is a music-making machine aimed at the well-healed audiophile who values accuracy and quality above all.

When Focal-Naim America asked to include the Sopra N°1 pair as part of the review of the SW-1000 BE subwoofer, they did so because it was designed to augment the bass of the stand-mounted N°1 speakers. One might think the Sopra N°1s need this subwoofer to be satisfying. One would be quite in error for thinking this.

The Focal Sopra N°1 speakers are exceptional in every sense. Other than that last octave below 40 Hz, they bring flawless reproduction of any music genre into one’s home. In the four months we have had them here, they have not only pleased with rock, jazz, country, and classical music, but these stand-mounted marvels have also thrilled with movie soundtracks. If anyone is interested in proper fidelity and can afford the reasonable $12,998 per pair price, they are more than worthy of being on one’s audition list.