Equipped with best midrange drivers ever developed by Focal, with the NIC and TMD technologies, Sopra n°2 pushes back the limits of sound reproduction in terms of transparency in a very compact enclosure. Indeed, unlike Utopia, which is extravagant by essence and where size is by no means a constraint, Sopra aims for maximal compactness to ensure easy integration into reasonably sized rooms.
The midrange register is no doubt the most complicated to control in a sound system.
Thanks to the power of finite element analysis, the Focal team have revealed resonances which alter definition in the suspension which connects the cone to the basket. The answer came from a technology used in earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and which is also used for the suspension on racing cars. This technology is called a “Tuned Mass Damper”: an additional mass oscillates in opposition to the resonance frequency to control it.
Sopra’s Tuned Mass Damper consists in simply two tubular rings on the suspension to avoid deformation of the cone without afflicting the dynamics. It reduces drastically the distortion and increase the definition.
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, that create interference with the incredible definition. To overcome this, the ideal would be to have a nearly infinite volume. But the requirement for Sopra to be compact meant that as much of the cabinet as possible had to be used for the bass. Focal had to explore other options for loading the tweeter, which led Focal to come up with the IHL system.
The two 7” (18cm) woofers for the bass register equipped with natural inductance magnetic circuits benefit from a substantial volume thanks to the tweeter’s IHL, allowing us to take full advantage of the cabinet’s capacity. Indeed, unlike Utopia, which is extravagant by essence and where size is by no means a constraint, Sopra aims for maximal compactness to ensure easy integration into reasonably sized rooms.
All Sopra’s speaker drivers are manufactured in France for an optimal products control and the guarantee of a unique sound quality.