In this review, we will be comparing Scala Utopia Evo and Grande Utopia EM Evo, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Scala Utopia Evo and Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Scala Utopia Evo | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1.1" Inverted Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 10.5" W sandwich | 16" W sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-40k Hz | 18-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-500 watts | 50-1500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 85.00kg / 187lbs | 265.00kg / 583lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-1/8" x 26-3/8" x 15-1/2"
1247.0 x 670.0 x 393.0mm | 79-3/16" x 25-3/4" x 34-5/8"
2012.0 x 654.0 x 880.0mm |
|---|
Scala Utopia Evo and Grande Utopia EM Evo are members of Focal's Utopia III Evo series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Utopia III Evo Series
History
What size room are the Focal Scala Utopia Evo and Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo 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 Scala Utopia Evo |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Scala Utopia Evo is a 3-way design whereas the Grande Utopia EM Evo is a 4-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Focal Scala Utopia EvoFocal Grande Utopia EM Evo
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 Scala Utopia Evo |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10.5-inch
|
1 x 16-inch
|
Scala Utopia Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 10.5" W sandwich Woofer. On the other hand, the Grande Utopia EM Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 16" W sandwich Woofer.
Frequency Response
Scala Utopia Evo has a frequency range of 27-40k Hz whereas Grande Utopia EM Evo has a frequency range of 18-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Grande Utopia EM Evo can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Scala Utopia Evo's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
Scala Utopia Evo and Grande Utopia EM Evo have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Scala Utopia Evo sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Grande Utopia EM Evo's is at 94 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Scala Utopia Evo, 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 Scala Utopia Evo has a max power handling value of 500 watts RMS, 1000 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
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Scala Utopia Evo and Grande Utopia EM Evo features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or 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 Scala Utopia Evo's and Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo's external dimensions. Focal Scala Utopia Evo has external dimensions of 1247.0 x 670.0 x 393.0mm (49-1/8 x 26-3/8 x 15-1/2inch) whereas 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).
Focal Scala Utopia Evo is 765mm shorter and 487mm less deeper than Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo but it is also 16mm wider.
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 119% more floor or shelf area. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is 487mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is 765mm 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 Scala Utopia Evo is approximately 2633.1cm2 / 408.1inch2 and base area of the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is approximately 5755.2cm2 / 892.1inch2. The Scala Utopia Evo requires 54% less surface area than the Grande Utopia EM Evo which gives it a small advantage 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 Scala Utopia Evo weighs 85.00kg / 187lbs and the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo weighs 265.00kg / 583lbs. This makes the Grande Utopia EM Evo 212% heavier than the Scala Utopia Evo.
Here is a comparison of how Scala Utopia Evo and Grande Utopia EM Evo'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
 Height |
1247mm
vs
2012mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2633cm2
vs
5755cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
49999USD
vs
299998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
1500 watts
vs
500 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
16 inches
vs
10.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Focal Scala Utopia Evo |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-500 watts |
50-1500 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-40k Hz |
18-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10.5" |
16" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
W sandwich |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Dome |
Inverted Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1247.0mm (49.1") |
2012.0mm (79.2") |
| Width |
670.0mm (26.4") |
654.0mm (25.7") |
| Depth |
393.0mm (15.5") |
880.0mm (34.6") |
| Weight |
85.00kg (187lbs) |
265.00kg (583lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Focal's Utopia III Evo series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo digs deeper - 18Hz against 27Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo takes more power (1500W vs 500W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Focal Scala Utopia Evo is easier to place; Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Focal Scala Utopia Evo: bi-amping; Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Focal Scala Utopia Evo is cheaper - $49,999 against $299,998, about 83% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal Scala Utopia Evo B Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo
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?
The usual trade-off: Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo measures better, Focal Scala Utopia Evo costs about about 6x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 27Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal Scala Utopia Evo much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.