In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Focal. Focal Scala Utopia Evo is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Viva Utopia Colour Evo is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Scala Utopia Evo and Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Scala Utopia Evo | Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1.1" Inverted Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 10.5" W sandwich | 2 x 8.25" W sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-40k Hz | 39-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-500 watts | 50-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 85.00kg / 187lbs | 57.00kg / 125.4lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 15-1/2" x 52-15/16" x 26-3/8"
394.0 x 1345.0 x 670.0mm |
|---|
Scala Utopia Evo and Viva Utopia Colour 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 Viva Utopia Colour 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
No way |
(* 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 Scala Utopia Evo and Viva Utopia Colour Evo are 3-way speakers.
Focal Scala Utopia EvoFocal Viva Utopia Colour 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10.5-inch
|
2 x 8.25-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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.25" W sandwich Woofer.
Frequency Response
Scala Utopia Evo has a frequency range of 27-40k Hz whereas Viva Utopia Colour Evo has a frequency range of 39-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Scala Utopia Evo can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Viva Utopia Colour Evo's min frequency of 39Hz.
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
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Scala Utopia Evo and Viva Utopia Colour Evo have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 dB.
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.
Viva Utopia Colour Evo can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Scala Utopia Evo has a max power handling value of 500 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Viva Utopia Colour 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Scala Utopia Evo and Viva Utopia Colour 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 Viva Utopia Colour 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo has external dimensions of 394.0 x 1345.0 x 670.0mm (15-1/2 x 52-15/16 x 26-3/8inch).
Focal Scala Utopia Evo is 675mm narrower and 277mm less deeper than Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo but it is also 853mm taller.
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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo needs about 242% more floor or shelf area. Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo is 277mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Scala Utopia Evo is 853mm 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo is approximately 9011.5cm2 / 1,396.8inch2. The Scala Utopia Evo requires 71% less surface area than the Viva Utopia Colour Evo which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.