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Focal’s new Sib Evo speakers make it easy to dive into Dolby Atmos

Brendan Hesse
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Since it first hit the scene a few years back, Dolby Atmos (and its counterpart DTS:X) has revolutionized surround sound, both in the theater and in the home. Atmos-enabled A/V receivers are popping up everywhere, so it’s no wonder companies are pushing Atmos-enabled speakers more and more. And while it’s difficult to build an entry-level setup without draining your bank account or moving the furniture, Focal’s new Sib Evo Dolby Atmos speakers aim to change that.

Focal’s all-new lineup includes two speaker models and a subwoofer, which combine to create a slim surround sound setup for your Atmos receiver in either a traditional 5.1 configuration, or a Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 configuration with overhead sound channels for full immersion.

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The more affordable of the two satellite speakers, the Sib Evo, is a small, two-way shelf speaker with a bass-reflexive design. The speaker boasts a 5-inch Polyflex woofer and 1-inch silk tweeter, offering a claimed frequency response of 65Hz to 25kHz.

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The next step up, the Sib Evo Dolby Atmos speaker, tacks on a 3-inch full-range driver on top, aimed at bouncing sound off the ceiling for Dolby Atmos surround. The Sib Evo Dolby Atmos has been designed with more space for a deeper sound than its Sib Evo sibling, and is positioned as an easy solution to help you build a full Atmos home theater setup, or simply supplement what you’ve already got.

The third and final piece of the Sib Evo line is the Cub Evo subwoofer. The Cub Evo sports an 8-inch driver powered by a 200w Class D amplifier, reaching down to a claimed 35Hz on the low end.

Focal pushes the Evo package for its minuscule profile and easy installation. The speakers connect to amplifiers with push-button terminals, while the Cub Evo subwoofer features standard LFE inputs. The black matte finish of all three models should also make it easy to inconspicuously add the speakers to your home theater.

While we haven’t gone hands-on with the Sib Evo speakers yet, we are interested to see how well they can achieve an Atmos effect at such a small scale.

Focal envisions the Sib Evo line as both a full Dolby Atmos setup, as well as an enhancement for existing setups. Focal is offering a few different packages depending on your needs:

  • Sib Evo Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 system, black, $1,300. Includes five Sib Evo bookshelf speakers, a Sib Evo-powered subwoofer, two Sib Evo Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers, soft bases, and wall mounts.
  • Sib Evo 5.1, black, $1,000. Includes five Sib Evo bookshelf speakers, plus a Sib Evo-powered subwoofer, soft bases, and wall mounts.
  • Sib Evo Dolby Atmos 2.0 system, black, $600. Includes two bookshelf Dolby Atmos speakers with ceiling-directed speakers with soft bases
  • Sib Evo 2.0, black, $300. Includes two bookshelf speakers with soft bases.
  • Cub Evo Subwoofer, black, $380.
  • Pack of two Evo stands, $200.

Each of these packages will be available when the line launches in August. Check out Focal’s page for the Sib Evo for more information, including a list of retailers, as well as our list of the best Dolby Atmos-enabled Blu-ray discs.

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Brendan Hesse
Brendan Hesse
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
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