There are a lot of ways to sound great in 2025; talk about soft masculinity, play new music from Chapell Roan, or use the many cracking speakers or soundbars that you’ve probably seen splashed across your targeted Instagram ads, Amazon, and Currys. But amongst all the choices, it can be hard to know what is the right and best one to go for. Luckily for anyone who gets bewildered scrolling through the Richer Sounds homepage, two powerhouses in the HiFi industry have collaborated, giving us one of the best all-in-one sound systems in a long time.
Naim and Focal unveiled their second-ever collaboration product since merging in 2011: The Mu-so Hekla. Whilst it’s been positioned as a soundbar, the Mu-so Hekla is designed for both the home cinema fanatic and the hifi lover, making sound not just something you hear but something you can actually feel. And we got a sneak preview at it at an exclusive press preview.
Naim and Focal are two class-leading HiFi brands with an extensive range of seriously high-quality audio products and expertise between them, so you can imagine what happens when the two collaborate. Naim has been behind some of the best speakers of recent years, including the Naim Mu-so and Mu-so 2. Hekla is the latest iteration in this range, but firmly under the sophisticated Focal banner, with an elevated wireless stereo core, better integration options as part of a system, and wholly immersive sound. The reason behind this subtle shift, according to Focal, is that the latter dominates the audio-visual world with its focus on home-cinema (like Dolby Atmos), whereas Naim is known for its hi-fi prowess.
Here's the three key takeaways from our time with this sonic tour de force.
1. Power under the hood
The Hekla delivers Dolby Atmos sound through 15 individually amplified drivers, meaning you get some seriously immersive surround sound, with each layer of sound perfectly blended and balanced. It has 660 watts of class D amplification, which means that in practice, the sound is rich and, critically, room filling. Well, that’s depending on how big the room is - if you’re in a huge, open-plan mansion, then it might be a tiny bit thinner.
It uses Focal’s technology and expertise with subwoofers and integrated Dolby Atmos to deliver the punchy bass and impact across films, music, and gaming.
2. Explosive sound
You’d expect any tech product named after an Icelandic volcano to deliver some pretty explosive audio, and Hekla truly does. Its Dolby Atmos compatibility means film audio is delivered at a cinema-worthy level, taking you deeper into the whole experience - all the technological perks of going to the multiplex with all the comfort that your own sofa brings, although neither a gangly teenage usher nor a Tango Ice Blast is included. Another place it shines is with video game play; want to not just hear but feel the explosions, shots, and action from your onscreen play? Connecting the Hekla soundbar will make you feel like you’re not just playing the game, but in it.
We tested the soundbar on a wide range of musical genres, partly in the name of product testing, and mostly in the name of everyone on the team getting their turn to play their favourite tracks. Whether softly lilting jazz or rocking metal, it never failed to deliver an impressive performance.
3. Simple to use
For anyone who is used to multiple wires, tech manuals thicker than a Russian novel, and generally the feeling that you need a master's in engineering to set up and control anything more sophisticated than a Bluetooth speaker, you’ll be glad to know that the Hekla is super easy to use. We’re talking one level up from a Tamagotchi / could ask your mum to load up a song. You can use the app to control the sound, and connect it to your smartwatch and any voice assistants for hands-free DJ-ing. You can also stream music wirelessly via AirPlay, Google Cast, and Bluetooth, so it’s compatible with almost every device, no matter whether it’s Apple, Android, or other.
The verdict
From what we saw - and most importantly, heard - the Mu-so Hekla is a powerful product whose main selling point is its versatility. Whilst it has been designed to please home-cinema audiences, it’s very life-style friendly, meaning that if you wanted to use it solely for music whilst entertaining friends and family (think: Christmas), it has all the best technology behind it to deliver high quality sound. And that's without any of the technical expertise needed to power something super complicated, or multiple wires, inputs, or elements. It’s an all-in-one best-of-both-worlds slick product that’s seriously going to be music to your ears.
The only cons are its size; as you can imagine, anything powering this many drivers is going to take up a fair bit of space, even if it's as compact as the Hekla. The whole design is tidy and sleek, but it’s fairly long and deep in size, meaning you’ll need a fair bit of space, ideally in front of your TV. However, thanks to its adaptive room calibration, you should be able to place it anywhere in your chosen room and get the same sonic experience.
Availability
The Mu-so Hekla is launched in South Korea and China first on 6th November, rolling out across the UK market in Q1 2026, retailing at £3,000.
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