In this review, we will be comparing Sopra No.1 and EVO5.2, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Focal and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Sopra No.1 and Wharfedale EVO5.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Sopra No.1 | Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1.375" AMT (Ribbon) |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" W sandwich | 6.5" woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-40k Hz | 44-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 25-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 15.05kg / 33.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 16-3/4" x 11" x 15-9/16"
425.0 x 279.0 x 396.0mm | 19.6" x 10.2" x 15.4"
497.0 x 260.0 x 391.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Sopra No.1 and Wharfedale EVO5.2 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 Sopra No.1 |
Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* 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 Sopra No.1 is a 2-way design whereas the EVO5.2 is a 3-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 Sopra No.1Wharfedale EVO5.2
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 Sopra No.1 |
Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.375-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 2-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Sopra No.1 features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" W sandwich Woofer. On the other hand, the EVO5.2 features a 1.375" SilentWeave cotton and felt damping fiber AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter, a 2" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" woven Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800 Hz and 4.3 kHz.
Frequency Response
Sopra No.1 has a frequency range of 45-40k Hz whereas EVO5.2 has a frequency range of 44-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the EVO5.2 can go slightly deeper then the Sopra No.1's min frequency of 45Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Sopra No.1 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the EVO5.2 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 EVO5.2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sopra No.1 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the EVO5.2's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Sopra No.1 a more sensitive speaker compared to Wharfedale EVO5.2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Sopra No.1 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas EVO5.2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the Sopra No.1.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Sopra No.1 features Binding post type posts and EVO5.2 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale EVO5.2's Binding post terminals
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 Sopra No.1's and Wharfedale EVO5.2's external dimensions. Focal Sopra No.1 has external dimensions of 425.0 x 279.0 x 396.0mm (16-3/4 x 11 x 15-9/16inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO5.2 has external dimensions of 497.0 x 260.0 x 391.0mm (19.6" × 10.2" × 15.4").
Wharfedale EVO5.2 is 19mm narrower and 5mm less deeper than Focal Sopra No.1 but it is also 72mm 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 Sopra No.1 needs about 9% more floor or shelf area. Wharfedale EVO5.2 is 72mm 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 Sopra No.1 is approximately 1104.8cm2 / 171.2inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO5.2 is approximately 1016.6cm2 / 157.6inch2. The Sopra No.1 requires 9% more surface area than the EVO5.2 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 Sopra No.1 weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs and the Wharfedale EVO5.2 weighs 15.05kg / 33.1lbs. This makes the Sopra No.1 6% heavier than the EVO5.2.
Here is a comparison of how Sopra No.1 and EVO5.2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Wharfedale EVO5.2?
Here are the items that come with the EVO5.2:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-bars (pre-installed)
- 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
- Pair of white cloth gloves
- User Manual
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
425mm
vs
497mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
1016cm2
vs
1104cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1799USD
vs
6499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Sopra No.1 |
Wharfedale EVO5.2 |
| Brand |
Focal |
Wharfedale |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
25-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.2 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-40k Hz |
44-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.375" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Dome |
AMT (Ribbon) |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
2" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
800 Hz and 4.3 kHz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
425.0mm (16.7") |
497.0mm (19.6") |
| Width |
279.0mm (11") |
260.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
396.0mm (15.6") |
391.0mm (15.4") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
15.05kg (33.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut, Grey. Black, White |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
No |
| Recommended Stand Height |
n/a |
18-22" |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Focal Sopra No.1 costs roughly 3.6x what Wharfedale EVO5.2 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (45Hz vs 44Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Focal Sopra No.1 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Sopra No.1 takes more power (150W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | B | Wharfedale EVO5.2 is cheaper - $1,799 against $6,499, about 72% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal Sopra No.1 B Wharfedale EVO5.2
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 Sopra No.1 measures better, Wharfedale EVO5.2 costs about about 3.6x 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. Match it to your room: we rate Focal Sopra No.1 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Wharfedale EVO5.2 for a mid-size room and a large room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Focal Sopra No.1 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.