In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Focal. Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Diablo Utopia Colour Evo is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo and Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.1" Inverted Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 8.25" W sandwich Woofer
- 39-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-600watts
- Weight:57.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 15-1/2" x 52-15/16" x 26-3/8" ( 394.0 x 1345.0 x 670.0mm )
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" Inverted Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" W sandwich Woofer
- 44-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:39.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 16-15/16" x 10-3/16" x 16-13/16" ( 431.0 x 258.0 x 427.0mm )
Viva Utopia Colour Evo and Diablo 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo and Focal Diablo 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo |
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo |
| Near-field |
Good |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo and Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Viva Utopia Colour Evo is a 3-way design whereas the Diablo Utopia Colour Evo is a 2-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.
| Driver |
Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo |
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Viva Utopia Colour Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.25" W sandwich Woofer . On the other hand, the Diablo Utopia Colour Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" W sandwich Woofer .
Frequency Response
Viva Utopia Colour Evo has a frequency range of 39-40k Hz whereas Diablo Utopia Colour Evo has a frequency range of 44-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 39Hz, the Viva Utopia Colour Evo can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Diablo Utopia Colour Evo's min frequency of 44Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Viva Utopia Colour Evo and Diablo Utopia Colour Evo have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Viva Utopia Colour Evo sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Diablo Utopia Colour Evo's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Viva Utopia Colour Evo can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Diablo Utopia Colour Evo has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 400 watts less than the Viva Utopia Colour Evo.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Viva Utopia Colour Evo features Binding post type posts and Diablo Utopia Colour Evo has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo's and Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo's external dimensions. 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) whereas Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo has external dimensions of 431.0 x 258.0 x 427.0mm ( 16-15/16 x 10-3/16 x 16-13/16inch) .
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo is 1087mm narrower and 243mm less deeper than Focal Viva Utopia Colour Evo but it is also 37mm 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 Viva Utopia Colour Evo is approximately 9011.5cm2 / 1,396.8inch2 and base area of the Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo is approximately 1101.7cm2 / 170.8inch2. The Viva Utopia Colour Evo requires 718% more surface area than the Diablo Utopia Colour Evo which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.