Focal Sopra N°1 Bookshelf Speakers

Description

Focal Sopra N°1 Bookshelf Speakers

The compact and powerful Focal Sopra N°1 Bookshelf Speakers are a concentration of technological innovation.

It features ‘NIC’ magnetic circuit, ‘TMD’ surrounds for the midrange woofer and Infinite Horn Loading (IHL) of the tweeter. It is a true ‘demonstrator’, corroborating the contribution of the new technologies implemented on Sopra.

First, the very low distortion gives it incredible clarity and very high definition combined with the spectacular spatialisation typical of bookshelf loudspeakers…

Beyond this attractive first impression, what’s astonishing is the texture and smoothness of its sound. It provides a solid, ‘fleshy’ sound with full and articulated bass. Precious is by no means artificial, nor is the limited to the treble. The overall coherence and harmonic richness gives the listener a surprising understanding of the music.

FAQ’s

1. What makes the Focal Sopra N°1 unique compared to other high-end bookshelf speakers?
   The Sopra N°1 stands out due to Focal’s pure Beryllium inverted dome tweeter (IAL2 technology) and the 5” “W” cone mid-bass driver, which combine to deliver exceptional transparency, speed, and micro-detail retrieval. The Beryllium tweeter extends up to 40 kHz, offering extraordinary air and precision, while the “W” cone provides tight, articulate bass and natural midrange tone. Its Time Coherence system (TMD surround + NIC motor) minimizes distortion and improves phase alignment.
2. How does the Beryllium tweeter affect the listening experience?
   Beryllium is extremely light and rigid, allowing the tweeter to move faster and with less distortion than aluminum or titanium domes. For audiophiles, this translates to:

• Ultra-detailed treble without harshness
• Exceptional imaging and spatial cues
• Greater dynamic contrast
• More realistic cymbals, strings, and vocal overtones
• It delivers a highly resolving top end while maintaining smoothness when paired with quality amplification.

3. Do the Sopra N°1 require high-power amplification?
   While rated at 8 ohms nominal (with impedance dips) and around 89 dB sensitivity, the Sopra N°1 benefits significantly from high-current, high-quality amplification. They are revealing speakers, so upstream components matter. Solid-state amps with strong current delivery or refined Class A / high-end tube amplifiers pair beautifully. For optimal control and dynamics, many audiophiles use amplification in the 100–200W per channel range.
4. How well do the Sopra N°1 perform in smaller listening rooms?
   The Sopra N°1 is ideal for small to medium-sized rooms (roughly 15–30 m²). Their controlled low-frequency response and front laminar porting help with placement flexibility compared to rear-ported designs. For full-range performance in larger rooms, pairing them with a high-quality subwoofer can extend bass below their ~45 Hz range while maintaining their remarkable midrange purity.
5. What kind of sound signature can audiophiles expect?
   The Sopra N°1 offers:

• Highly transparent and revealing midrange
• Lightning-fast transient response
• Expansive, holographic soundstage
• Precise imaging with strong center focus
• Tight, articulate (not overly warm) bass
• They lean toward a neutral to slightly forward presentation, emphasizing clarity and resolution rather than warmth. For audiophiles seeking emotional engagement with analytical precision, they strike an exceptional balance.

Features

• New mid-bass driver with “TMD®” suspension (Tuned Mass Damper) and “NIC” magnetic circuit (Neutral Inductance Circuit)
• New “IHL” Beryllium tweeter (Infinite Horn Loading)
• Drivers developed and manufactured by Focal in France

INVISIBILITY REVEALED

Sopra frees the entire essence of music to such a point that you’ll seem to be hearing certain sounds for the very first time. It’s Sopra which makes this magical moment possible, for an intense emotional experience.

KNOWLEDGE SERVING MUSIC

New desires in terms of musical fidelity led to the creation of Sopra. It excels in reproducing the entire audio spectrum thanks to the extensive research and studies which led to three innovations, two of which are patented. Knowledge entirely serves music for ensuring maximum listening pleasure.

A PURE DESIGN

Inspired by the obvious, the design is a pleasure for the eyes and the ears. Each aesthetic detail serves the acoustics, to reveal every nuance with finesse. Voices and low frequency sounds will flow around your room like never before.

INFINITE HORN LOADING

The Beryllium tweeter features an incredibly light and extremely rigid dome, that deliver a transparent and dynamic sound. Its main limitation comes from the compression of air in the cavity behind it.

But the requirement for Sopra to be compact meant that as much of the cabinet as possible had to be used for the bass.

They had to explore other options for loading the tweeter, which led us to come up with the IHL system. The “IHL” system enables to load the Beryllium tweeter respecting the compactness demand of the speaker. The rear wave of the tweeter is delicately and gradually absorbed to avoid any distortion. The treble definition is pushed to the maximum.

NEUTRAL INDUCTANCE CIRCUIT

Since the beginning, Focal have always had a great interest in the magnetic circuit, an essential aspect of a speaker drive unit.

The precision and detail of audio reproduction depends on the stability of the magnetic field. NIC technology (Neutral Inductance Circuit) permits to control the magnetic field and finally enables to master it in order to limit distortion. It decreases the effects of distortion and give the sound a very high-definition and an unprecedented dynamic.

TUNED MASS DAMPER

Their teams have revealed resonances which alter definition in the suspension which connects the cone to the basket.

The solutions already known for increasing the damping properties of the suspension all result in an increase of the mass which consequently alters definition.

The answer came from a technology used in earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and which is also used for the suspension on racing cars. “TMD” technology consists of optimising the suspension profile which controls the resonance in order to drastically reduce distortion and increase the definition of bass and midrange.

Design

MASTERING THE CABINET AND CHOICE OF MATERIALS

Made in France Sopra’s cabinet was designed in their cabinet-making facility in Bourbon-Lancy (Burgundy, France) using the same manufacturing process as for Utopia The 69mm sandwich-machined front panel uses the same principle as ‘Gamma Structure’ to provide inertia and damping.

Its density gives it the inertia necessary to provide a stable mechanical reference for optimal definition.

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.

They chose glass as the material for the base of the loudspeaker to provide floor coupling, using spikes, which enabled the fastest propagation time possible, thus eliminating all halo effects in the bass.

NO SACRIFICE OF PERFORMANCE TO AESTHETICS

The sleek design of the line naturally favours its performance, whilst the combination of high-end materials with an array of finishes provides real character and sophistication:

• coloured varnished finishes: Electric Orange, Carrara White, Black Lacquer.
• wood finishes: Light Oak, Macassar.

DETAILS

The main theme of Sopra is deliberately uncluttered, though it still offers connoisseurs the opportunity to enjoy all the small details.

The grille with an incremental meshing motif protects the Beryllium tweeter and gives it a strong identity. This motif is repeated for sealing the curved back panel of the middle section.

The terminal board, the thumb nuts and the adjustable spikes have all been specially designed for Sopra, as have the few visible screws, all of which were manufactured by watchmaking experts.

Specifications

• Type 2-way bass-reflex bookshelf loudspeaker
• Speaker drivers 61/2″ (16.5cm) “W” bass midrange with “TMD®” suspension, “NIC” motor 11/16″ (27mm) “IHL” Beryllium inverted dome tweeter
• Frequency response (+/- 3dB) 45Hz – 40kHz
• Low frequency point – 6dB 41Hz
• Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) 89dB
• Nominal impedance 8Ω
• Minimum impedance9Ω
• Crossover frequency 2 200Hz
• Recommended amplifier power 25 – 150W
• Dimensions (HxWxD) 425 x 279 x 396mm
• Weight 19kg
• Optional Stand 18.5kg