Focal/Naim’s Mu-so Hekla isn’t a “soundbar” so much as a one-box home-cinema system that happens to sit under a TV. It’s a 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos brute with 15 drivers shoving out 660 watts, and it’s already picking fights with separates before it’s even shipped worldwide. Launch started November 6 in Seoul with initial availability in South Korea and China; the global rollout lands in early 2026. Pricing is set at about $3600 / £3000 / €3300.
Design: the “please clear your credenza” aesthetic
Hekla is big. The footprint stretches a little over a meter wide and nearly 30 cm deep, and it’s tall enough that you won’t be balancing a TV on top of it. The chassis is milled aluminum with a refined, Mu-so-style rotary control dial on the deck. At 15.5 kg, it’s dense and planted in that high-end-hi-fi way, not the plastic wand vibe most bars give off.
What’s inside: 15 drivers, 660 watts
Under the grille are 15 drivers powered by 660 watts of Class-D amplification. Focal’s layout mixes dedicated woofers with midrange and tweeter arrays plus full-range units aimed to work the room, pushing a claimed 7.1.2 Atmos bubble from a single cabinet. Focal says the system is comfortable filling spaces up to roughly 40 m², and max output is quoted up to a head-turning 108 dB with extension down to about 27 Hz. Translation: it’s built to sound big, even before you add a sub.
Connectivity and streaming
The platform is Naim’s latest Pulse streaming board, giving you hi-res playback and app control. Inputs cover HDMI eARC and optical TOSLINK for TV duty, plus Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6 for network stability. Formats are unusually broad for a bar: multichannel Dolby support up to TrueHD and MAT, and music files up to 384 kHz including WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, DSD 64/128. There’s an RCA output for an external sub if you want more low-end authority.
Room smarts and limitations
Hekla uses onboard tuning and the Focal & Naim app to tailor response to your room. Early hands-ons praise the sense of wraparound space from its side and up-firing arrays. One notable omission: there’s no DTS decoding on the spec sheets and previews, which won’t matter for streaming-centric users but could annoy disc collectors who lean on DTS tracks.
Early listening impressions: cinematic shove without the spaghetti
The first wave of demos points to a wide, tall stage with unusually convincing height effects for a single-box solution. Reviewers also call out its sheer scale and dynamics compared with typical premium bars, while warning it’s physically larger than most living-room setups expect. Think “mini separates” presence, “one power cord” simplicity.
How it fits in the real world
- Rooms and placement: Designed for medium-to-larger lounges. You’ll want a sturdy bench with depth to spare and nothing blocking those side/top drivers. If you routinely watch loud or sit far from the screen, this is more appropriate than compact bars.
- Use cases: Movies and prestige TV benefit most from the Atmos layout, and the Naim streaming platform makes it a credible hi-fi hub when the screen’s off. If you crave more slam under 40 Hz, add a sub via the RCA out and let the Hekla focus on scale and height.
- Who should skip it: If your source mix leans heavily on DTS discs, or your cabinet can’t accommodate a bar that’s deeper and heavier than average, check alternatives. Also, if you already own a multichannel AVR and speakers, this is more a lifestyle pivot than an upgrade.
VS the premium class
On paper Hekla aims above the fancy-but-skinny crowd and toward high-end one-box solutions that try to replace separates. It’s notably larger than other premium bars singled out by early coverage, which is partly how it earns that broad, tall soundstage without rear speakers. Its price also plants it at the aspirational end of the market.
Bottom line
Hekla looks like the rare soundbar that courts home-theater obsessives without asking them to accept toy-ish compromises. You get real power, a driver count that means business, credible height, and the polish of Focal metalwork paired with Naim streaming. The trade-offs are the sheer size, the ask on your wallet, and the probable lack of DTS. If your living room and budget can handle it, Hekla may be the cleanest path to “separates energy” in a single box when it starts rolling out globally in early 2026.
