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https://www.ecoustics.com/news/barco-focal-naim-cedia-2026/
Focal Naim Barco Shows 171-inch LED Wall and 7.0.4 Home Theater at CEDIA Expo 2026
What happens when Barco Focal Naim combines a 171-inch LED wall and 7.0.4 Focal Utopia home theater and Naim electronics at CEDIA 2026?
After Barco acquired VerVent Audio Holding, the parent company of Focal and Naim, these three brands are participating in CEDIA Expo 2026 in Denver based on their combined expertise. They plan to showcase high-end home theater demonstrations built around premium projection and speakers and electronics with custom integration.
This exhibition is a preview of what Barco envisioned when it acquired VerVent. It combines expertise in premium display visualization technology with Focal's speaker engineering and Naim's high-end electronics to build an even more perfect luxury home entertainment platform.
Barco Focal Naim will participate together in one demonstration, while Focal will stand out alone in a separate second demonstration. These two systems present different examples to installers and home theater enthusiasts of how the newly combined companies will compete at the top of the residential AV market.
A Subwoofer-Equipped 7.0.4 System Needs Explanation
The first demonstration brings together the three brands in a 7.0.4 channel home theater system built around the Barco Runar LED Wall and Focal Astral 16 AV processor and amplifier, and Focal 1000 series in-wall speakers and Naim CI series amplifiers and source devices. The Astral 16 supports a total of 16 channels, including 12 built-in amplified channels and 4 balanced preout outputs, making it particularly well-suited for ambitious custom home theater installations.
At first glance, the 7.0.4 designation might appear to indicate no subwoofer is used. Actually, that's not the case, and Focal provided a useful explanation of how the system is configured.
The 7 bed layer channels are played back through 8 speakers: one front left, two center speakers playing the center channel, one front right, one left surround, one right surround, one left rear, and one right rear.
The reason this system is designated 7.0.4 rather than 7.1.4 is that the passive subwoofer is not assigned to a dedicated LFE channel but rather integrated with the main speaker channels. In other words, instead of sending bass to a traditional .1 subwoofer channel, it employs a method of delivering 7 full-range channels with built-in bass reinforcement within the speaker configuration.
Four ceiling in-ceiling speakers complete the system and provide overhead channels above the head for the Dolby Atmos portion of the 7.0.4 configuration.
Focal 1000 Series That Goes Into Walls
The speakers used throughout the home theater demonstration are the 1000 series, Focal's high-end custom install lineup from the French manufacturer. Designed to disappear into walls and ceilings, the 1000 series provides an alternative that can replace traditional stand-alone speakers while not compromising on serious music or home theater system performance expectations.
And Focal is not skimping on the number of speakers
-- 8 x Focal 1000 IWLCR Utopia $8,499 per pair 3-way in-wall flush mount speaker
-- 10 x Focal 1000 IWSUB Utopia $3,299 per pair passive sealed in-wall flush mount subwoofer
-- 4 x Focal 1000 ICLCR5 $2,699 per pair 2-way ceiling flush mount speaker
The 1000 IWLCR Utopia is the flagship in-wall flush mount model of the series and features 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 channels.
The 1000 IWSUB Utopia uses three 6.5-inch W cone woofers in a passive sealed enclosure. It can be combined with multiple 1000 IWLCR Utopias, which explains why this CEDIA system can utilize ten subwoofers without using a dedicated LFE channel.
Four 1000 ICLCR5 ceiling flush mount speakers handle the overhead channels. Its angle-adjustable design allows the drivers to be directed towards the listening position, making it particularly suitable for Dolby Atmos installations.
Barco Runar 171-inch Micro LED on display
For the visual part of this home theater demonstration, Barco presents the Runar LED Wall, a 171-inch self-emitting display specially designed for luxury residential cinema installations.
Runar uses MIP technology with a 0.9mm pitch pixel and delivers DCI 4K base resolution of 4,096 x 2,160 pixels across the screen's 3.84-meter width. Unlike conventional projection systems, there are no projectors, screens, or optical paths involved; the massive LED wall itself acts as the display.
Barco claims a maximum contrast ratio of 200,000:1, an extremely low black level of 0.005 cd/m², and full coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Runar is also designed to handle both cinema-grade HDR and consumer HDR formats, consuming cinematic HDR at 300 nits and playing back consumer HDR content up to 1,000 nits.
This combination is particularly interesting for dedicated home theaters as it aims to deliver the characteristics of commercial professional cinema screenings while achieving a significantly higher brightness than what is expected from premium consumer HDR displays. For those who feel that a 171-inch screen is somehow lacking, Barco also offers a larger 205-inch cinemascope version with a resolution of 5,120 x 2,160.
So, how much does it cost?
Barco doesn't disclose pricing. Runar is sold on a quote basis through authorized dealers and custom installation companies. If you have to ask for the price, you probably can't afford it. And if your installer casually suggests the 205-inch version, you might want to double-check if your child's college tuition is still covered. Or maybe consult with your lawyer about handling a divorce lawsuit.
Barco Runar LED Wall Specifications
For full specifications and additional technical information, please refer to the Barco Runar official product page.
Taking Control of Focal Astral 16 Home Theater
The Focal Astral 16, priced at $23,999, is a high-end 16-channel AV processor and amplifier designed for custom home theaters and multiroom installations. Developed in partnership with StormAudio Immersive Audio Technologies, the Astral 16 combines Focal's brand and system integration expertise with StormAudio's multi-channel processing platform.
The Astral 16 includes Pascal Audio Class D amplification technology and supports 16 audio channels. 12 channels are amplified internally, and 4 additional channels are provided through balanced XLR pre-out outputs for external amplifier connection.
It also supports Dolby Atmos, DTS, and Auro-3D, and offers filtering, equalization, and bass management tools for more complex cinema system configurations. Dirac Live room calibration is included to compensate for speaker placement and room acoustics, and it features compatibility with Control4, Crestron, ELAN, Savant, and RTI, making it particularly well-suited for professionally installed systems.
Astral Specifications
Naim CI Series Adds Amplification and Streaming
To provide additional amplification and streaming support, Naim is showcasing two products from the CI series at this CEDIA demonstration.
Naim Audio CI Series
The Naim CI series was specifically developed for the custom installation market and to complement Focal's in-wall speakers. This lineup combines a compact rack-friendly design 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-mounted mono power amplifier that can operate with standard low-impedance speakers or 70V/100V distributed audio systems. It delivers up to 500 watts at 8 ohms and 800 watts at 4 ohms, and 150 watts on 70V lines and 240 watts on 100V lines.
This flexibility is particularly useful for this installation. Naim specifies that the CI-NAP 101 is suitable for driving one Focal 1000 IWLCR Utopia speaker and two 1000 IWSUB Utopia passive subwoofers, which closely matches the configuration being demonstrated at CEDIA.
The CI-Uniti 102, described below, can work alongside the CI-NAP 101 as a streaming source, amplifier, and system control component, but does not provide 70V/100V amplification on its own.
1 x Naim CI-Uniti 102 $1,499. The CI-Uniti 102 is a compact streaming amplifier designed for custom installation, delivering 150 watts at 8 ohms while adding network streaming, DSP, HDMI, Dante, and flexible system control capabilities.
As confirmed in our recent Naim CI-Uniti 102 review, the strengths of this product are its speed and clarity, system integration capability, and its ability to drive various speakers without taking up much rack space. In this CEDIA system, it provides streaming functionality and works alongside the CI-NAP 101 amplifiers to support a larger-scale Focal installation.
Additional Components Used in the Home Theater Demonstration
Kaleidescape Movie Player (model unspecified) delivers very high bitrate 4K HDR downloaded movies with picture and sound quality that matches or, depending on the title, exceeds Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Apple TV 4K provides access to additional video and music streaming services, adding more common streaming sources to the system alongside Kaleidescape.
Focal Diva Alta Utopia 4-Way Active Wireless Audio Showcased at CEDIA 2026
Focal will also be showcasing its flagship active wireless speaker, the Diva Alta Utopia, priced at $210,000. This product combines Focal's Utopia-derived acoustic engineering with Naim's integrated streaming and amplification, as well as DAC and DSP technology.
This is not simply a larger and more expensive version of the Diva Utopia. The Diva Alta Utopia features a 4-way design with new PRISM tweeters and M-profile W midrange drivers, along with wideband speaker connectivity and extensive streaming support. Each speaker also houses a Naim-developed 600-watt A/B class amplifier, elevating Focal and Naim's active wireless concept to the true high-end realm.
And with a price tag of nearly $210,000 per pair, the word "wireless" takes on a significantly heavier meaning.
The true significance of this year's CEDIA exhibition lies not in individual hardware but in Barco's ability to now offer Focal and Naim under its umbrella, presenting video, speakers, amplifiers, streaming, and custom integration as a single luxury AV ecosystem.
The first demonstration showcases this strategy on a grand scale with a 171-inch Runar LED Wall, Focal 1000 series in-wall speakers and subwoofers, and Naim CI electronics. The second demonstration takes the same Focal and Naim partnership in a different direction, highlighting the $210,000 Diva Alta Utopia active wireless system.
For luxury installation professionals and clients seeking exceptional performance with minimal visible hardware, this combination offers a true differentiator. While the price tag is high, the bigger picture is that numerous elements of this system now originate from three brands under the same corporate umbrella.
Pricing and Availability
All products are available for purchase through authorized Barco Focal Naim dealers.
-- Barco Runar LED Wall dealer and installer inquiries
-- 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 demonstration will take place at booth 3123 in the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado from September 2nd to 4th, 2026.
▶ Source: https://www.ecoustics.com/news/barco-focal-naim-cedia-2026/
