The best speaker I've tried in years was hidden away at CES 2026 – Focal's Mu-so Hekla is the real deal

This year's CES – the world's largest tech show, based in Las Vegas – was such a big deal (as documented in T3's CES 2026 live blog) that I feel I'll be writing about more of what I saw, heard and experienced for days to come.

But while CES 2026 has huge official show floors and spaces, they're bustling with people, noise and distractions. That's why many high-end brands choose to pay for a hotel suite and set up their latest gear there for private one-to-one sessions.

That's exactly what Focal did, presenting an opportunity for me to hear the Mu-so Hekla for the first time – no distractions, just me and the music. Which I was particularly excited for, because I've long followed the Mu-so line – reviewing the first (then Naim-named) model over a decade ago.

When I first wrote about the Focal Mu-so Hekla back in November last year I was very excited by the prospect of this wireless speaker. It's a very different beast from its forebears – larger, more immersive, capable of Dolby Atmos output, and offering a 7.1.2-channel output.

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While I'd originally called the Hekla a soundbar – mainly because it features an HDMI eARC port (although Focal's official release does call it an "all-in-one immersive home cinema system, in my defence) – having sampled the product, I can see it's far more than that.

It's absolutely immersive, though, with 15 drivers – seven on the front, two per side, and four on top – arranged in a way that can do Dolby Atmos three-dimensional output justice. And in a big way, given the 660W of power on board here.

With the Dolby Atmos mix of Rüfüs Du Sol's On My Knees playing (a track which I own in good ol' stereo), the added intricacies of the three-dimensional mix delivered a wholly different experience. And that's what the Hekla felt like: an experience, not just a listening session.

If you're looking for one of the best wireless speakers then there are lots of options available right now, but the Hekla is the best one that I've heard this year. Focal has history, of course, with almost five decades in the game, so I can't say I'm surprised.

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But it's much more than just sound. The Mu-so Hekla's industrial design and heft is distinctive as ever; a nod to its forebears – but with even more refinement. The blasted aluminium exterior is a joy to look at – even if my pictures aren't the best, given the TV's illumination in my shots.

The control wheel on top of the product, however, that's art in motion. The weighting of it, the delicacy of the illumination around the circular design – which follows along as you twist it – it's all just, well, perfect. Details like this really do make all the difference.

Details like this also add to the price. While I wouldn't call the Mu-so Hekla's asking price a downfall, per se, it might be a hurdle for some people. At £3,000 / €3,300 / $3,600 it certainly costs a pretty penny. But if I were to buy one – March 2026 is the anticipated on-sale date – I think it'd be a treasured object that would be pride of place for years or decades to come.

All of which is why the Mu-so Hekla was a no-brainer for one of T3's Best of CES 2026 Awards. Only 21 products can earn such an accolade, but given the private preview location away from the main halls of CES 2026 – meaning a true experience and understanding of what it could do – I was sold on this immersive speaker system from the moment I entered the room.