Focal Sib Evo Dolby Atmos Home Cinema System REVIEW

A good investment for future technology.

Several years ago, my fiancé and I decided to upgrade our home theater set-up. We invested in a large TV and a surround sound system. My fiancé has high-end hearing loss and unless we have a very high-quality speaker system he can’t enjoy television programming – even with hearing aids. There are a lot of subtleties in television and movie audio that get lost in the mix for him and so we spent a lot of time trying out speakers and finding the ideal set-up for his hearing loss. We finally settled on a 5.1 system by Klipsch and until recently, it’s been wonderful. A few months back we upgraded our theater system again to include compatibility with 4K video and we started looking into Dolby Atmos for audio. We decided to hold off on upgrading the speakers until the ‘right’ set came along and it did with the Sib Evo Cinema System from Focal. 

DETAILS

The Focal Sib Evo Home Cinema System is designed to bring the authentic sound of cinema into your home. It is a 5.1.2 system equipped with Dolby Atmos. The front loudspeakers are designed to push audio vertically toward the ceiling so that you get the effect of 3D sound. The system includes two loudspeakers with an additional speaker driver on the top of the unit, which makes the Dolby Atmos technology possible, three satellite speakers, and one subwoofer. The system is ideal for spaces measuring 100ft2 to 540ft2. 

SPECS

Sib Evo Dolby Atmos Loudspeakers

• ¾” soft dome tweeter
• Large 5” Polyflex speaker driver
• 4” full-range speaker driver for Dolby Atmos effects
• Rigid material with high-gloss finish
• Double connector system with push button
• Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 65Hz to 25KHz (front) 90Hz to 20KHz (Atmos)
• Low frequency point -6dB: 60Hz (front) 75Hz (Atmos)
• Sensibility (2.83V/1m): 90dB (front) 90dB (Atmos)
• Nominal impedance: 6 Ohms (front) 6 Ohms (Atmos)
• Crossover Frequency: 3.5kHz
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 25-200W

Sib Evo Satellite Speakers

• ¾” soft dome tweeter
• Large 5” Polyflex speaker driver
• Large streamlined port for using the speaker driver to its full potential
• Rigid material with high-gloss finish
• Double connector system with push button
• Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 70Hz to 25kHz
• Low-frequency point -6dB: 66Hz
• Sensibility (2.83V/1m): 90dB
• Nominal impedance: 6 Ohms 
• Crossover Frequency: 3.5kHz
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 25-200W

Cub Evo (subwoofer)

• Black MDF finish
• 200W Class-D amplifier
• Anti-vibration stand
• Streamlined port for enhanced power handling in the low end
• 8 ¼” Polyflex cone woofer
• Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 35Hz – 150Hz
• Cutoff frequency -6dB: 30Hz
• RCA Input: Right, left LFE
• Phase adjustment: Phase inverter 0 degree/180 degrees
• Power mode: On/Autopower (0.5W)

USER EXPERIENCE

Normally, the set-up for this type of system would require a large amount of wiring and cable organization, but thankfully for us, we were able to use our existing set-up and wiring with the new speakers. Each speaker requires a connection with standard speaker wire. The Sib Evo speakers have a push button connector, which is really quite convenient for a quick set-up. As described above, the system consists of 3 satellite speakers, 2 Sib Evo Dolby Atmos loudspeakers and the Cub Evo subwoofer. One thing I want to point out here is that in order to take full advantage of the Dolby Atmos system, you have to have an a/v receiver that is compatible with that audio format.

Since we already had a 5.1 system set-up, I simply disconnected our current speakers and replaced them with the Sib Evo speakers. It was a pretty simple install for us. After I had the speakers set-up and connected, I searched for a variety of Dolby Atmos demos on YouTube. I specifically looked for ones that I had seen in the movie theater so that I could compare it to the cinema’s set-up of the audio system. Now, I want to point out that what you experience at home is similar to, but not the same as what you would have in the theater. The reason for this is because movie theaters actually mount speaker arrays on the ceiling so you get a ‘true’ surround sound experience. What you have at home is more like Dolby Atmos-light. It does sound very close and it’s more than surround sound, but not quite what you get in a movie theater setting. 

I was impressed with the clarity and superior definition of sound that the Focal speaker provided. I was in awe of how easy it was to upgrade our system from standard surround sound to a Dolby Atmos system with a simple equipment change. I did feel as though our viewing experiences were enhanced by the Dolby Atmos speakers. 

CONCLUSION

I can recommend the Focal brand as a premium sound system. I’ve used more than one set in the past and I have been happy with the set-up process and sound quality I always get from Focal systems. The Sib Evo Atmos system is a great choice for an upgrade. It is an investment (retails for around $1,300), but not because it includes a subwoofer, I think it’s comparable to other systems – even ones that aren’t compatible with Dolby Atmos. If you are in the market for a good home theater audio system, I would put the Focal Sib Evo Atmos system on your list. 

For more information, visit focal.com.

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