The Focal Vestia no.1 Speakers

After spending a day with staffer Earle’s Focal Sopra 3s, simply earlier than firing up their new Vestia no.1 at my place, the extent of sonic excellence they create to a $1,198 pair of audio system appears wonderful. Listening to the identical handful of tracks that I shuffled by means of at Earle’s home, not an excessive amount of sonic reminiscence was misplaced within the 25-minute drive on the I-5 to my place.

Playing the Vestia no.1s by means of the principle reference system actually exhibits off what they’ll do, but it surely’s not likely a good comparability, so my Naim Uniti Atom ($3,599 and obtainable out of your Naim/Focal vendor) makes for an ideal match. However, like all the opposite Focal audio system we’ve used, they’re simply as straightforward to drive along with your favourite tube amplifier as properly. Swapping the Uniti Atom for the PrimaLuna ProLogue One and the Naim CD5is in for overview is equally attractive.

Queuing up a MoFi copy of Santana’s Caravanserai is beautiful and room filling. Placed on 24” Sound Anchor stands about 10 ft aside on the 24-foot wall in my listening room (sofa about 10 ft again) the small Focals produce a big soundstage, however in a big room, their horizontal dispersion, particularly from the highest is barely restricted. The treatment for that is stands that enable the tweeters to be near ear top as attainable, or the power to tip them again barely. The extra fashionable devoted stands from Focal just do this, and are fairly priced, at $249 a pair. Thanks to their entrance ports, you may obtain almost the identical impact on a bookshelf. The Vestia no. 1 is unquestionably person pleasant.

All within the household

The Vestias make the most of some new and current Focal know-how. You can learn the total story on the Focal web site right here; suffice to say Focal places a whole lot of experience into their entry stage audio system. The solely factor that’s actually compromised between the Vestias and the upper vary Focals, is the simplicity of the cupboards. The end and form is a extra easy field form, missing the advanced end of Sopras and Kantas. Yet what’s delivered is of high quality. Compare the Vestias to a number of the opponents made in China, and you may see the Focal distinction. A fast rap on the cupboard reveals strong building and lack of resonance. Impressive for this value level.

A two-way design, the compact cupboard solely measures 8 5/8 x10 1/4×15 1/4″ (21.9x26x38.7cm) and weighs solely 15.4 kilos, so they’re straightforward to unbox and set up. They make the most of a 1-inch inverted dome tweeter with Focal’s TAM materials. (aluminum and magnesium composite) The 6 1/2- inch woofer is constructed from recycled carbon fiber, permitting added stiffness at a decrease price than commonplace, woven carbon fiber – a really distinctive method. The Vestias can be found in mild wooden like our overview samples, darkish wooden and a black excessive gloss end. All characteristic a “leather-based impact” entrance panel.

Further listening

Moving on to Lloyd Cole’s new album, On Pain (in addition to a couple of LC traditional tracks) reveals the clear, pure midrange the Vestias ship, which paradoxically hits me close to the center of the third monitor, “I Can Hear Everything.” Sometimes the soundtrack of your life is synergistic. Going by means of the gamut of favourite vocal tracks confirms the preliminary pleasure. The Undertones’ “More Songs About Chocolate and Girls” demonstrates the Vestias potential to tug element from dense, compressed recordings. This is a horrible sounding (however enjoyable) monitor, exhibiting you may have excessive finish audio system that play every part with ease.

When you’re beginning to construct a system, each little bit of efficiency you may get for the greenback is essential and that is what makes the Vestias such a terrific worth. If you could possibly see what goes on day-after-day on the Focal manufacturing facility in France, it’s straightforward to see how they do it. Focal performs each side of design and manufacturing in-house; cupboards, crossovers, and drivers. The stage of engineering expertise is unbelievable, equally so with execution. Focal positively takes the excessive highway on the Vestia no.1 when it comes to general stability. Many audio system on this value vary hinge their fame on a single characteristic, the place the Vestias sacrifice an over exaggerated frequency response to ship easy and resolving sound.

Changing program materials to bass heavy tracks from Thievery Corporation, Massive Attack, and Tosca reveal that the Vestias handle to go down pretty low, and the bass that’s delivered is of excessive tonal high quality. Moving them again right into a extra acceptable sized room (12 x 18 ft, and 10 x 12 ft respectively) and taking care to position them to allow them to make the most of a little bit of room acquire supplies great sonic rewards. It’s straightforward to listen to the lineage all the best way as much as the Utopia collection right here.

Different companions

Swapping the Naim Atom for the T+A Caruso R, and PrimaLuna amplifier is enjoyable, and once more proves that these little audio system have greater than sufficient decision to discern distinct variations between amplification and program sources.

The no.1s are a good way to start out constructing a system, and like a number of the different Focal audio system, they provide a full vary of floorstanding audio system, and a middle channel choice so you may construct a multichannel system having the identical voice.

Focal claims a sensitivity of 89dB/1-Watt, and so they proved straightforward to drive even with our 12 Watt per channel Lab 12 Mighty (vacuum tubes) amplifier, so they need to work properly with no matter you could have available. Around again is a single pair of 5-way binding posts to make connection to your speaker cables equally straightforward.

At current, Focal doesn’t provide a subwoofer within the Vestia lineup, however they do counsel their SUB600P, for these wanting to maintain all of it Focal. To get a greater probability of what they’ll do in a 2.1 system, they have been mated to an SVS 3000 Micro ($899) subwoofer and alternately with a REL T5/x ($699). Thanks to the strong bass basis that the Vestias ship, including a sub makes for a terrific full vary system do you have to so need to take this course.

Constant innovation, great worth While a number of the names is likely to be somewhat complicated at occasions, Focal continues to innovate and apply new applied sciences and building strategies on each speaker of their vary. That their dedication to excellence is simply as critical with the Vestias as it’s with their prime vary Utopia audio system is nice information for the start audiophile. We are joyful to provide these considered one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2023. This is a superb pair of audio system to construct a system with.

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Original article: The Focal Vestia no.1 Speakers

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November 20, 2023 at 04:59AM