I never expected a soundbar to sound this good, but the Naim Mu-so Utopia blew me away

I have been testing and writing about home cinema and audio products for more than two decades, so it's rare that I can be surprised by a new product. But that's exactly what happened with the new Naim Mu-so – the company's first all-in-one sound system to carry the Utopia branding.

I had no clue what to expect when I sat down in a listening room at Focal's headquarters in France, only that I was to listen to something new. And when the demo started, I thought I was experiencing new surround sound separates.

I was wrong.

It soon became apparent that the fully spatial audio bubble was being provided by a single-box solution, and I was blown away. The sides and rears were so pronounced that I was sure there was some kind of Wizard of Oz hoodwinkery going on. And the Dolby Atmos playback on multiple video clips had real height – as it should.

The least surprising part of the reveal was that Naim and Focal collaboration is the first to adopt "Utopia" – the latter's flagship audio labelling. The Mu-so Utopia is at the pinnacle of the range and offers safely the best soundbar-style performance I've experienced to date.

That's perhaps unsurprising considering it costs £4,500 / $5,500, but I actually think that's reasonable for what you get – both technically and in quality terms.

The Mu-so Utopia contains 15 speakers in total, with seven ranged along the front. There are two on each side, plus a further four on the top.

Each driver is powered by either class D or class A/B amplification, depending on the frequency ranges. And there is a total power output of 720W.

The two midrange speakers ranged left and right on the front are Focal's trademark W drivers, and they are joined by a tweeter apiece, featuring the audiophile brand's new PRISM technology. This is instead of the beryllium drivers that are usually synonymous with Focal products, but are no less precise.

There are three six-inch woofers too, which negate the need for a separate sub, and the speakers at the top and sides are full range.

I've had a lot of experience with the Yamaha YSP-1 in the past – one of the first soundbars to use beamforming technology to bounce audio off walls and the ceiling to create a surround sound effect, and the same philosophy is employed here. Only tenfold.

The directional effect is astounding. It depends on the room, of course, and I was told that it works best in a room up to 50 metres square. But considering I was in a 60-metre room, it sounded pretty darn impressive to me.

The demo consisted of some Dolby Atmos clips, including a scene from the 2014 war film Unbroken and the wildfire sequence from Game of Thrones. Both rocked me to my socks, with superb spacing and a grunt that punched in a truly cinematic way.

On top of this, I got to hear how capable the all-in-one is with spatially arranged music, such as Billie Eilish's Bittersuite in Dolby Atmos (via Apple Music).

As with last year's Mu-so Hekla, the Utopia supports both Atmos and Focal's own Sphere Music and Sphere Movie spatial audio platforms. These provide complete bubbles of sound that helps immerse you more into the experience – as if playing through ceiling and wall-mounted drivers.

It is also compatible with a wide array of wireless streaming services and standards, such as Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Google Cast, and AirPlay 2. There's Bluetooth on board too, as well as internet radio support.

Hi-Res Audio is supported, of course, with playback up to 32bits/384kHz (via WAV). All manner of other formats can be decoded too.

It is a 7.1.2 channel system and features HDMI eARC on the rear. You feed the Mu-so from a TV or amplifier, rather than the other way around. And there's an optical audio input available for good measure. A sub/aux out is offered as well.

Wi-Fi 6 is on board for wireless connectivity, although you might be best using the 1-gig Ethernet port if you want the best connection to your home network. It certainly deserves it.

As with all of Naim's Mu-so collection, you can even use the Utopia as part of a multiroom setup and sync its playback with other speakers. But this is a real centrepiece statement device that deserves to be at the hub of your home.

Music sounds crisp and accurate, even at high volumes, while movie and even game soundtracks are emotive. Yes, you are paying for the pleasure, but pleasure is the operative word.

Even from just a 30 to 60 minute test, it's clear that this is an all-in-one for audiophiles – and could even convert those who would never dream of ditching their separates.

It's available through the Focal Powered by Naim network of shops, priced at £4,499 / $5,500 / €5,000. You should arrange to have a listen yourself, if you can.