In this review, we will be comparing Grande Utopia EM Evo and Chronosonic XVX, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and Wilson Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo and Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo | Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Wilson Audio
United States · founded 1974 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | 2 x 7" |
|---|
| Woofer | 16" W sandwich | 12.5" Paper pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 18-40k Hz | 20-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-1500 watts | from 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 265.00kg / 583lbs | 310.71kg / 683.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 79-3/16" x 25-3/4" x 34-5/8"
2012.0 x 654.0 x 880.0mm | 73-5/8" x 16-9/16" x 33-1/16"
1870.0 x 420.0 x 840.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo and Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Grande Utopia EM Evo and Chronosonic XVX are 4-way speakers.
Focal Grande Utopia EM EvoWilson Audio Chronosonic XVX
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
2 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 16-inch
|
1 x 12.5-inch
|
Grande Utopia EM Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 16" W sandwich Woofer. On the other hand, the Chronosonic XVX features a 1" Doped silk fabric Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 12.5" Paper pulp Woofer.
Frequency Response
Grande Utopia EM Evo has a frequency range of 18-40k Hz whereas Chronosonic XVX has a frequency range of 20-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Grande Utopia EM Evo can go slightly deeper then the Chronosonic XVX's min frequency of 20Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Grande Utopia EM Evo is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Chronosonic XVX which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Chronosonic XVX can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Grande Utopia EM Evo sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Chronosonic XVX's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo a more sensitive speaker compared to Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Grande Utopia EM Evo can handle a max power of 1500 watts RMS, whereas Chronosonic XVX has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 1500 watts less than the Grande Utopia EM Evo.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo
Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Grande Utopia EM Evo features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Chronosonic XVX has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo's and Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX's external dimensions. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo has external dimensions of 2012.0 x 654.0 x 880.0mm (79-3/16 x 25-3/4 x 34-5/8inch) whereas Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX has external dimensions of 1870.0 x 420.0 x 840.0mm (73-5/8 x 16-9/16 x 33-1/16inch).
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 234mm wider, 142mm taller and 40mm deeper than Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo needs about 63% more floor or shelf area. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is 40mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is 142mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is approximately 5755.2cm2 / 892.1inch2 and base area of the Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX is approximately 3528.0cm2 / 546.8inch2. The Grande Utopia EM Evo requires 63% more surface area than the Chronosonic XVX which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo weighs 265.00kg / 583lbs and the Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX weighs 310.71kg / 683.6lbs. This makes the Chronosonic XVX 17% heavier than the Grande Utopia EM Evo.
Here is a comparison of how Grande Utopia EM Evo and Chronosonic XVX's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo
Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
16 inches
vs
12.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
20 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
30k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
299998USD
vs
400000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Height |
1870mm
vs
2012mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
3528cm2
vs
5755cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX |
| Brand |
Focal |
Wilson Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-1500 watts |
from 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
1.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
18-40k Hz |
20-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
16" |
12.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
Paper pulp |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
7" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
2012.0mm (79.2") |
1870.0mm (73.6") |
| Width |
654.0mm (25.7") |
420.0mm (16.5") |
| Depth |
880.0mm (34.6") |
840.0mm (33.1") |
| Weight |
265.00kg (583lbs) |
310.71kg (683.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (18Hz vs 20Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size | depends | Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX is easier to place; Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo: bi-amping. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is cheaper - $299,998 against $400,000, about 25% less. |
A Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo B Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. In a large or open-plan room, Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.