Florida Worldwide Audio Expo 2023: Naim & Focal Unleash The Warmth

CES is lifeless for high-end audio and it’s greater than obvious that producers are completely wonderful with that actuality. Our coverage of CES 2023 made it fairly clear that only a few distributors view the world’s largest CE showcase as being related anymore and that smaller regional reveals are the easiest way to fulfill with media and potential prospects in a much less frantic surroundings.

Munich and Warsaw have change into the premier audio reveals in Europe and demographic shifts in N. America have compelled firms to go the place persons are shifting. New York Metropolis has misplaced its luster with regards to high-end audio commerce reveals; with CanJam NYC being the lone exception and centered on headphones and private audio.

Florida is the place to be in early 2023 and the pandemic accelerated that in a really possible way. Editor in-Chief, Ian White, has spent the higher a part of the previous 12 months touring backwards and forwards between NJ and Florida due to an ailing mother or father and has witnessed the expansion of the housing market and CI class all throughout Palm Seaside and Broward Counties first-hand. Tampa may be on the opposite aspect of the state, however the development there was exponential and a whole lot of it has been youthful households and the 45-55 crowd seeking to escape California, New York, and New Jersey.

Simply in its 4th 12 months, the Florida Audio Expo held in Tampa is a present that’s getting a whole lot of consideration, and this 12 months guarantees to be even higher. The 2023 Present will happen from February seventeenth via the nineteenth.

Naim/Focal have introduced that they are going to be readily available on the Florida International Audio Expo to showcase a number of key merchandise that attendees can expertise.

We’ve got coated these merchandise beforehand and in addition had an opportunity to expertise a few of their merchandise hands-on throughout CES 2023. Here’s a temporary peek at what they are going to be exhibiting in Tampa.

Tip: Focal and Naim merchandise could be bought via Focal/Naim Stores and Authorized Dealers.

Focal Vestia Loudspeakers

The Vestia collection is Focal’s “reasonably priced” speaker line. The 5 speaker fashions are Vestia N°2, Vestia N°3, and Vestia N°4 floorstanding fashions. As well as, Focal contains the Vestia N°1 bookshelf loudspeaker and Heart channel speaker.

Vestia Core Options

• The Vestia line incorporates a visually pleasing design that blends in with any decor.  

• Slatefiber cone for the midrange and bass drivers. The Slatefiber is made out of recycled carbon fibers. 

• Focal additionally incorporates its progressive ‘M’-shaped dome TAM tweeter to optimize treble response. 

• Vestia loudspeakers embody a front-directed port for impression and a rear port for prolonged low-frequency bass response.

Vestia end choices embody Black Excessive Gloss, Darkish Wooden, or Mild Wooden for the aspect panels and a black or white leather-based impact for the entrance panels. Added end particulars embody metallic rings that encompass the drivers. An identical grill is supplied with every speaker for people who don’t prefer to have the cones uncovered.

Vestia Loudspeaker Costs: 

• N°1 2-Way Bass Reflex Bookshelf Speaker: $599 every 
• N°2 3-Manner Bass Reflex Floostanding Speaker: $1,399 every 
• N°3 3-Manner Bass Reflex Floorstanding Speaker: $1,799 every
• N°4: 3-Manner Bass Reflex Floorstanding Speaker: $2,199 every 
• Vestia Heart 2-Manner Bass Reflex: $699 every

For extra function and specification particulars, learn our earlier report: Focal’s Vestia Loudspeaker Lineup Delivers Affordable High-End Performance

Focal Littora

The Focal Littora 200 OD Collection Loudspeakers are designed to ship a greater sonic expertise outdoor and in addition survive the climate.

The Littora line comprised three fashions: OD Sat 5, OD Stone 8, and OD Sub 12.

The OD Stone 8 loudspeaker has a novel design, “pebble”-shaped and with modern finishes.

The  OD Sat 5 is a discreet and versatile loudspeaker equipped with brackets for in-wall or in-floor set up. 

The OD Sub 12 is a semi-buried subwoofer providing highly effective and enveloping bass to programs. 

Littora audio system can use individually or collectively as a whole system, these three fashions promise harmonious set up and a high-end outside sound.

Littora Costs

• OD Sat 5: $679 
• OD Stone 8: $799 
• OD Sub 12: $1,999 
• Bundle 4.1: 4x OD Sat 5’s + 1x OD Sub 12: $3,999 

For extra particulars, learn our earlier report: Focal’s Littora 200 OD Series Loudspeakers Will Survive Your Outdoor Listening Experience

Naim New Traditional Collection

Naim Audio launched in 1973 with the straightforward purpose of permitting music listeners to expertise music in its purest kind; that quest additionally included a robust emphasis on tempo, rhythm, assault, and timing. That ethos has been on the core of each Naim element and continues with the New Traditional Collection.

The New Traditional Collection contains three parts:

NSC 222 Streaming Pre-amplifier

The NSC 222 incorporates configurable inputs (sensitivity pre-set, naming, AV bypass mode, and unused enter disabling).

The NSC 222 supplies entry to Spotify, Tidal (together with Tidal Join), Qobuz, Apple Music, web radio, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, UPnP servers, USB connected storage, and helps bitrates as much as 32-bit/384kHz. Bluetooth (aptX) can also be supported. Multi-room functionality with different Naim streaming merchandise can also be included. The NSC 222 can also be Roon Ready.

For vinyl followers, the NSC 222 features a devoted MM phono stage. 

The NSC 222 additionally contains Naim’s newest headphone expertise as featured within the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition. It doesn’t matter what headphones you utilize, you’ll get the most effective listening expertise doable. 

NAP 250 energy amplifier (new technology)

The NAP 250 two-channel Class A/B power amp is designed to ship extra energy, higher efficiency, and extra system-matching flexibility.

The brand new NAP 250 incorporates a 100W per channel dual-mode design, with full energy regulation, and quantity responsive heatsink.

NPX 300 Energy Provide

NPX 300 energy provide can be utilized as an instantaneous improve for the NSC 222 streaming pre-amplifier or NAP 250 energy amp. It disables and bypasses the inner energy provide of the appropriate Naim element it’s linked to – instantly decreasing the noise ground additional nonetheless – offering superior clear energy.

The NPX 300 additionally supplies an instantaneous energy provide improve for Naim 200 & 300 Collection sources and pre-amplifiers.

The NPX 300 contains two inside energy provides. 

• One: Audiophile linear sort, based mostly on a big toroidal transformer. 
• Two: Extremely environment friendly SMPSU (Change Mode Energy Provide Unit)  for 0.5W energy consumption when in standby mode. 

Costs for Naim’s New Traditional Elements are:

• NSC 222 – $8,999 USD 
• NAP 250 – $8,999 USD 
• NPX 300 – $8,999 USD 

For extra particulars, learn our earlier report: Naim’s New Classic Series Unleashes Reference Quality Streaming And Power

Demo System for the Florida Worldwide Audio Expo

Whereas the Focal Vestia, Littora, and New Traditional Collection are being exhibited, the large star of the present goes to be an ultra-high-end demo system consisting of the Focal Maestro Utopia EVO audio system and Naim Assertion Amplifier system. 

Focal Maestro Utopia Evo Loudspeakers

The Maestro Utopia Evo loudspeakers combine a spread of improvements and important detailing, making them fully distinctive. Focal’s Utopia audio system are on the prime of the hill. 

Key options

• 3-way column loudspeaker (bass reflex)

• Excessive effectivity, excessive energy dealing with

• Applied sciences carried over from the Utopia III: Beryllium, IAL2™, TMD suspension, NIC magnet, Focus Time™, OPC+™, W™, Energy Flower™, Gamma Construction™

• MDS (Magnetic Damping System), for adapting the bass to the listening room

• Customizable sound with adjustable bass, mid-range, and treble ranges

Maestro Utopia Evo Worth: $37,999 every / $75,998 pair

For extra particulars, go to the Official Focal Maestro Utopia Speakers Product Page.

Naim Assertion

The Naim Audio flagship Assertion Amplification System contains one preamplifier (mannequin NAC S1) and two mono energy amplifiers (mannequin NAP S1) for essentially the most demanding high-end loudspeakers (hopefully you’re utilizing Focals!). 

Every mono energy amplifier is rated at an enormous 746 watts (one horsepower) into 8 ohms, 1450 watts into 4 ohms, and over 9000 watts burst energy into 1 ohm.

Tip: What’s attention-grabbing is that the Assertion system was launched in 2014 and remains to be going robust. 

The NAC S1 preamplifier and NAP S1 mono energy amplifiers are priced: at $99,999 every or $299,997 for all the Assertion System.

For extra detailed data on options and specs, learn out the earlier report: Naim Statement Amplification System

Naim NDX 2 Community Participant

To offer content material for the Focal Maestro Utopia EVO and Naim Assertion System demo, the Naim NDX 2 Community Participant is getting used. 

The NDX2 can entry content material from a wide range of sources, together with high-res UPnPTM streaming, AirPlay, AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Bluetooth (aptX HD), Spotify Join, TIDAL, Qobuz, Roon compatibility, vTuner web radio, in addition to digital and USB inputs.

The NDX community participant is designed to offer wonderful efficiency from its DAC and discrete analog levels. These options enable the NDX 2 to offer extremely immersive and full of life music listening high quality.

The NDX2 is priced at $8,799.

For extra particulars, go to the official Naim NDX2 product page. 

The overall system worth is $384,794.

Nonetheless, one may select to pair the Focal Maestro Utopia Evo Loudspeakers with Naim Audio’s New Traditional Collection for a complete system worth of $102,995.

Associated Studying: Orchard Audio to Serve PecanPi and Starkrimson Pears at Florida Audio Expo 2023