Following Barco’s acquisition of VerVent Audio Holding, parent company of Focal and Naim, the three brands are bringing their combined expertise to CEDIA Expo 2026 in Denver with a high-end home theater demonstration built around premium projection, loudspeakers, electronics, and custom integration.

The showcase provides an early look at what Barco had in mind when it acquired VerVent: combining its expertise in premium visualization with Focal’s loudspeaker engineering and Naim’s high-end electronics to create a more complete luxury home entertainment platform.

Barco, Focal, and Naim will participate together in one demonstration, while Focal will take the spotlight in a separate second demo. The two systems offer integrators and home theater enthusiasts different examples of how the newly combined companies intend to compete at the upper end of the residential AV market.

A 7.0.4 System With Subwoofers? Yes, There Is an Explanation

The first demonstration brings Barco, Focal, and Naim together in a 7.0.4-channel home theater system built around the Barco Runar LED Wall, Focal Astral 16 AV processor and amplifier, Focal 1000 Series integrated loudspeakers, and Naim CI Series amplification and source components. The Astral 16 supports 16 channels, including 12 amplified channels and four balanced preamp outputs, making it particularly well suited to ambitious custom home theater installations.

At first glance, the 7.0.4 designation suggests that no subwoofers are being used. That is not actually the case, and Focal provided some useful clarification about how the system is configured.

The seven bed-layer channels are reproduced by eight loudspeakers: one left front, two center speakers reproducing the center channel, one right front, one left surround, one right surround, one left rear, and one right rear.

The reason the system is listed as 7.0.4 rather than 7.1.4 is that the passive subwoofers are integrated with the main speaker channels rather than assigned to a dedicated LFE channel. In other words, the system delivers seven full-range channels with low-frequency reinforcement built into the speaker configuration instead of routing bass to a conventional “.1” subwoofer channel.

Four in-ceiling loudspeakers complete the system, providing the overhead channels required for the Dolby Atmos portion of the 7.0.4 configuration.

Focal 1000 Series Goes Inside the Walls

The loudspeakers used throughout the home theater demonstration come from Focal’s 1000 Series, the French manufacturer’s high-end custom-installation lineup. Designed to disappear into walls and ceilings, the 1000 Series provides an alternative to conventional freestanding loudspeakers without abandoning the performance expectations of a serious music or home theater system.

And Focal is not exactly being shy with the speaker count.

• 8 x Focal 1000 IWLCR Utopia ($8,499 each) — Three-way in-wall loudspeaker
• 10 x Focal 1000 IWSUB Utopia ($3,299 each) — Passive sealed in-wall subwoofer
• 4 x Focal 1000 ICLCR5 ($2,699 each) — Two-way in-ceiling loudspeaker

The 1000 IWLCR Utopia is the flagship in-wall model in the series and incorporates seven drivers, including four woofers, two midrange drivers, and a Beryllium tweeter. It can be installed vertically or horizontally and used for left, center, or right-channel duties.

The 1000 IWSUB Utopia uses three 6.5-inch W-cone woofers in a passive sealed enclosure. Multiple units can be combined with the 1000 IWLCR Utopia, which explains how this particular CEDIA system can employ 10 subwoofers without using a dedicated LFE channel.

Four 1000 ICLCR5 in-ceiling loudspeakers handle the overhead channels. Their adjustable design allows the drivers to be aimed toward the listening position, making them particularly suitable for Dolby Atmos installations.

Barco Runar Brings 171 Inches of MicroLED to the Party

For the visual half of this home theater demonstration, Barco is bringing out the Runar LED Wall, a 171-inch direct-view display designed specifically for luxury residential cinema installations.

Runar uses Micro LED in Package (MIP) technology with a 0.9 mm pixel pitch and offers a native DCI 4K resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels across a 3.84-meter-wide image. Unlike a conventional projection system, there is no projector, screen, or light path involved; the enormous LED wall is the display.

Barco claims a contrast ratio of up to 200,000:1, an ultra-low black level of 0.005 cd/m², and full DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. The Runar is also engineered to handle both cinema and consumer HDR formats, with DCI-grade HDR at 300 nits and consumer HDR content at up to 1,000 nits.

That combination is especially interesting in a dedicated home theater because it attempts to deliver some of the attributes associated with professional cinema presentation while also producing the considerably higher brightness expected from premium consumer HDR displays. Barco also offers a larger 205-inch Cinemascope version with 5,120 x 2,160 resolution for those who find a 171-inch screen somehow insufficient.

And the price?

Barco does not publish one. The Runar is sold through authorized dealers and custom installers on a quotation basis. If you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it. And if your installer casually suggests the 205-inch version instead, you might want to check whether the kids still need that college fund. Or if your attorney handles divorce cases.

Barco Runar LED Wall Specifications:

For complete specifications and additional technical information, refer to the official Barco Runar product page.

Focal Astral 16 Takes Control of the Home Theater

Focal Astral 16 ($23,999) is a high-end 16-channel AV processor and amplifier designed for custom home theater and multi-room installations. Developed in partnership with StormAudio (Immersive Audio Technologies), the Astral 16 combines Focal branding and system integration with StormAudio’s multichannel processing platform.

The Astral 16 incorporates Pascal Audio Class D amplification and supports 16 audio channels. Twelve channels are internally amplified, while four additional channels are provided through balanced XLR preamp outputs for connection to external amplification.

It also supports Dolby Atmos, DTS, and Auro-3D, along with filtering, equalization, and bass-management tools for configuring more complex theater systems. Dirac Live room calibration is included to help compensate for speaker placement and room acoustics, while compatibility with Control4, Crestron, ELAN, Savant, and RTI makes the Astral 16 particularly well suited to professionally installed systems.

Astral Specifications

Naim CI Series Adds Power and Streaming

Providing additional amplification and streaming support, Naim is contributing two products from its CI Series to the CEDIA demonstration.

The Naim CI Series was developed specifically for the custom installation market and to complement Focal’s integrated loudspeakers. The range combines compact rack-friendly designs with high-output amplification, system configuration tools, and integration with professionally installed audio systems.

4 x Naim CI-NAP 101 ($1,999 each) — The CI-NAP 101 is a rack-mountable mono power amplifier capable of operating with conventional low-impedance loudspeakers or 70V/100V distributed audio systems. It delivers up to 500 watts into 8 ohms and 800 watts into 4 ohms, with outputs of 150 watts on a 70V line and 240 watts on a 100V line.

That flexibility is particularly relevant to this installation. Naim specifically identifies the CI-NAP 101 as suitable for driving Focal’s 1000 IWLCR Utopia together with two 1000 IWSUB Utopia passive subwoofers, which closely mirrors the configuration being demonstrated at CEDIA.

The CI-Uniti 102, discussed below, can work alongside the CI-NAP 101 as a streaming source, amplifier, and system-control component, but it does not provide 70V/100V amplification itself.

1 x Naim CI-Uniti 102 ($1,499) — The CI-Uniti 102 is a compact streaming amplifier designed for custom installations, delivering 150 watts into 8 ohms while adding network streaming, DSP, HDMI, Dante, and flexible system control.

As we found in our recent Naim CI-Uniti 102 review, its strengths are speed, clarity, system integration, and the ability to drive a wide range of loudspeakers without taking up much rack space. In this CEDIA system, it provides streaming access and works alongside the CI-NAP 101 amplifiers to support the larger Focal installation.

Additional Components Used in the Home Theater Demo

Kaleidescape Movie Player (model not specified) — Provides downloaded 4K HDR movies at very high bitrates, with picture and sound quality that can rival or, depending on the title, exceed Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Apple TV 4K — Provides access to additional video and music streaming services, giving the system a more conventional streaming source alongside Kaleidescape.

Focal Diva Alta Utopia Brings Four-Way Active Wireless Audio to CEDIA 2026

Focal will also showcase $210,000 Diva Alta Utopia, the company’s flagship active wireless speakers, which combine Utopia-derived acoustic engineering with integrated Naim streaming, amplification, DAC, and DSP technology.

This is not simply a larger and more expensive version of the Diva Utopia formula. The Diva Alta Utopia pushes Focal and Naim’s active wireless concept into true ultra-high-end territory with a four-way architecture, new PRISM tweeter, M-profile “W” midrange driver, Ultra Wideband inter-speaker connectivity, extensive streaming support, and 600 watts of Naim-developed Class A/B amplification inside each loudspeaker.

And then there is the $210,000-per-pair price, which makes the word “wireless” feel rather less casual than usual.

The Bottom Line 

The real significance of this CEDIA 2026 showcase is not the individual hardware, but the fact that Barco now owns Focal and Naim and can present video, loudspeakers, amplification, streaming, and custom integration as one luxury AV ecosystem.

The first demo shows that strategy at full scale with a 171-inch Runar LED Wall, Focal 1000 Series architectural speakers and subwoofers, and Naim CI electronics. The second takes the same Focal and Naim partnership in a different direction with the $210,000 Diva Alta Utopia active wireless system.

For luxury integrators and clients who want high performance with minimal visible hardware, that combination is the real differentiator. The products are expensive, but the larger story is how much of the system can now come from three brands under the same corporate umbrella.

Price & Availability

All products available through Authorized Barco, Focal, or Naim Dealers:

• Barco Runar LED Wall – Consult with Dealer/Installer
• Focal 1000 IWLCR Utopia – $8,499 
• Focal 1000 IWSUB Utopia – $3,299 
• Focal 1000 ICLCR5 – $2,699 
• Focal Astral 16 – $23,999 
• Naim CI NAP-101 –  $1,999 
• Naim CI Uniti-102  – $1,499 
• Diva Alta Utopia (2 speaker set) – $210,000

The Barco. Focal, Naim demos will be in Booth 3123 in the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado from Sept 2-4, 2026.

Related Reading

Photo credit: inb4ohnoes
Sophia Tung spent a year turning Nintendo’s orange boombox-on-wheels into a street-legal machine she could actually ride. The YouTuber and engineer, already known for deep dives into robotaxis and emerging tech, became so hooked on Mario Kart World that she decided the Tune Thumper had to exist in real life at full size. Everything on it works: speakers play music, buttons click and pause tracks, headlights and taillights fire up, the antenna stands tall, and a Nintendo Switch 2 dock sits inside the cassette-door section so you can play the game on the very bike it came from.

Game screenshots and photogrammetry provided her with a starting point for creating a 3D reference, but when she attempted to scale the in-game model 1:1, it proved to be far too long and high for someone to sit comfortably and ride securely.Instead, she installed the body on an old FTO frame, which proved to be an excellent choice, and flipped the front fork to reduce the wheelbase from 84 cm to 77 cm, making it more manageable.

Nintendo Switch 2 System

• The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
• One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
• Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps

That way, she could preserve the cartoon-like proportions while also making it safe for people to sit and steer. A friend suggested going with wood after they received a price for a $10,000 3D print, which is a lot of money for a print that takes ages to complete. So cabinet builder Joe DiMaio spent weeks working with her to build the speaker shell out of MDF sheets, stacking and cutting them into the curved shape before hand-applying all the features such as the black grilles, colored buttons, volume knob, and cassette embellishments. She had her partner handle the most of the late nites and frustrations that followed.

An 84-volt battery pack provides power to the motors via a unique speed controller, with a top speed of approximately 65 mph on 13-inch wheels. A MOSFET switch and DC converters handle the illumination, so the head and tail lights appear to belong on a real vehicle, which they now do. The speakers are positioned where the game’s black speaker cones would be, and they are actually playing audio, which is a really great touch. And you can see the cassette door, which hides the Switch 2 dock internals as well as some extra ports, not to mention Apple CarPlay. The whole weight came to roughly 70 pounds.

Halloween night proved to be the first real-world test, and let me tell you… the dashboard reset on every bump, a printed tail piece flew off, and one of the tires ran flat, but folks on the street just stopped and stared when they saw it, which provided plenty of Instagram worthy moments. After that ride, she was able to replace a shorted controller by hand, secure the electronics against vibration, and eventually resolve the dock integration issue.

Later, she took the bike to a Nintendo store and demonstrated that the buttons functioned, the music played, and the dock could power up a screen. The entire endeavor took her a year of evenings, splinters, and 4 a.m. sessions, but the end product is a wooden radio bike that appears to have stepped straight out of the game and onto the pavement.

OFFBEAT

At last, somewhere comfy to sit while your PlayStation 5 game loads

Microsoft’s latest Xbox merchandising deal means at least you can sit on an IKEA cushion while you wait for your PlayStation 5 to boot.

IKEA has announced YXSTABY, a nine-piece collection of items aimed at the XBOX completist who has to have every possible piece of merchandise associated with their beloved game console. Need a stool? How about one modeled on a controller’s thumbstick? A cushion? There’s a D-pad to throw on the sofa.

And a tariff refund for Xbox customers? Ah, well, the IKEA deal only goes so far…

IKEA has long had a reputation for being that place where relationships go to die, thanks in part to the occasionally labyrinthine layout of its store. Xbox has, under the leadership of Asha Sharma, acquired a similar rep as far as staffers and game studios are concerned. Thousands of workers were laid off in recent months as Sharma “reset the business” to improve the platform’s standing in a market dominated by rivals.

In the UK, IKEA charges £12 for a cushion or platter, and up to £115 for a side table on wheels. The Reg suspects Xbox branded stuff will be a little pricier but considerably less than an Xbox itself. 

Microsoft Store shows the comparatively weedy Xbox Series S retailing for £429.99, while the beefier Series X goes for £669.99. When launched in 2020, the Series S cost £249. “Unfortunately,” wrote Microsoft, “console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027.”

It is far from alone. Price rises have become a way of life in the tech industry in recent months as demand for memory outstripped supply.

This is not the first gaming-related wares that IKEA has sold. The BRÄNNBOLL collection predates the Xbox collaboration and features “everything to improve your gaming adventures, from a rug that helps you hit the enemies, not the table, to gaming bolsters that boost your comfort and play.”

The YXSTABY range was unveiled at Gamescom this month, but eager buyers have a little longer to wait for that Xbox-inspired stool. The range will be in stores and available online from October 1. ®