Focal Sopra N1 Black Bookshelf Speaker (Pair)

Full Description

10 Audio Perfect 10

"The coherence of the single driver covering the entire midrange is readily apparent. There is a wonderful clarity and continuousness for all vocals, male and female. There is a warmth and fullness to the midrange that is apparent..."

Compact and powerful, Sopra N°1 is 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 it limited to the treble. The overall coherence and harmonic richness gives the listener a surprising understanding of the music.

Sopra clearly inaugurates a new era for the 'Premium High-End' by taking into account new performance criteria. Compact, modern, a pure design, character... all these are essential factors to ensure perfect integration into your interior.

Infinite Horn Loading

Focal's 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 them 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

Stabilising the Magnetic Field

The accuracy and detail of audio reproduction relies on the stability of the magnetic field. 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

Focal's 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.

Its all in the Detail

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.

• 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