First Listen: Focal’s Mu-So Hekla Isn’t a Soundbar and It May Be the Wireless Speaker Solution for a Lot of People

We had a first look and first listen at CES 2026, and Focal was very clear about one thing right out of the gate: don’t call the Mu-So Hekla a soundbar. After spending time with it, that pushback makes sense. Yes, it sits under a TV and replaces the usual clutter of boxes and speakers, but the intent here is different. The Mu-So Hekla is an all-in-one wireless speaker built around performance first, not simply convenience.

Tuned by Focal and powered by Naim’s Pulse platform, Hekla delivers a wide, immersive Dolby Atmos presentation, deep and controlled bass, and intelligent room calibration that adapts to real spaces instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all sound. It clearly targets the same high-end buyer looking at premium “soundbar alternatives” like the KEF XIO, but Focal’s argument is simple and valid: this isn’t about dressing up TV audio—it’s about delivering serious sound in a single, elegant enclosure, without the setup drama in your room.

Focal Mu-So Hekla Wireless Speaker

Named after Iceland’s Hekla volcano, Focal’s Mu-So Hekla is designed for listeners who want immersive audio without the usual cable clutter. Using the Focal & Naim app, users can access Sphere Music and Sphere Movie modes—sound profiles developed by Focal and Naim engineers to tailor playback for music or home cinema use. This goes beyond simple virtualization, combining multiple discrete front-firing, up-firing and side-firing drivers (15 drivers in total) with Focal’s ADAPT (Adaptive Acoustic Personal Tuning) room correction, first developed for the Focal DIVA Utopia wireless speakers, in order to create a true dome of sound, optimized for the customer’s specific room.

Focal’s ADAPT room correction process is incorporated into the Focal & Naim mobile app. It involves entering some simple room and speaker placement measurements into the app and cycling through a few audio test sequences in order to optimize the sound for the room. Once optimized, the customer can engage “Sphere Music” or “Sphere Movie” mode in the app. And our first impressions are that these modes are very effective at creating an immersive surround sound field without the need for rear speakers. Movies and music encoded in Dolby Atmos sounded full and enveloping, making us double check to make sure there were no rear speakers. And the unit’s bass response is said to be down only 3 dB at 30 Hz, so adding a subwoofer (or two) is entirely optional.

Once the ADAPT calibration is complete, the remaining set-up is simple and straightforward, with intuitive day-to-day operation. The Mu-So Hekla connects easily to common sources, including high-resolution streaming services, and internet radio stations, and can be controlled via the Focal & Naim app, compatible Apple and Samsung smartwatches, supported voice assistants, or integrated home-automation systems. A large, tactile volume dial offers direct access to playback and key functions without forcing users into menus or screens.

The enclosure is crafted from brushed, anodized aluminum, pairing a minimalist form with precise detailing. Alternating brushed and bead-blasted finishes borrow cues from fine watchmaking and echo the design language seen in Focal’s Diva Utopia. The raised proximity-sensing circular control panel subtly references the shape of the Hekla volcano — complete with white snowcap — while maintaining a clean, balanced aesthetic.

A finely perforated front grille completes the design, balancing acoustic transparency with understated elegance. Around back, Naim’s signature heat-sink structure serves a practical role in thermal management while discreetly housing Wi-Fi connectivity—reinforcing that the Mu-So Hekla’s design choices are driven by performance as much as appearance.

The Bottom Line

For more information about the Focal Mu-So Hekla, make sure to also watch Chris Boylan’s in-depth video, which lays out exactly why this is very much not a soundbar. The Mu-So Hekla will sell for $3,600 USD and $4,000 CAD, with availability beginning in Q1 2026 (March for North America). U.S. audiophiles will get their first public hands-on opportunity at the Florida International Audio Show in Tampa this February, marking Hekla’s American debut.

Sold exclusively through the Focal Powered by Naim retail network, Mu-So Hekla combines the technical DNA of Focal and Naim, though it isn’t without compromises. There’s no DTS support, and while a subwoofer output is provided, no subwoofer is included. The industrial design leans more toward Naim than traditional Focal, and a future finish lineup that includes gloss walnut or white lacquer would likely broaden its appeal (though no alternate finishes have been announced).

Bluetooth functionality is receive-only, allowing pairing from phones, tablets, or computers, with no transmission to headphones, no Auracast and no support for aptX Lossless. Within the Focal & Naim ecosystem, however, users still benefit from Multiroom and Party Mode across compatible streamers via the Focal & Naim app. The latest App 8.0 update adds an integrated radio player with thousands of internet stations, including Naim Radio. Focal’s Bathys and Bathys MG headphones can also access those stations by streaming from a smartphone over Bluetooth, extending the ecosystem beyond the living room without pretending this system is something it isn’t.

For more information: focal.com