Loudspeakers

Nicolas Debard, Home Audio & High-End Headphones Product Manager for Focal, says the Kanta series is more than just about snazzy paint jobs. It's the first time any of the company's loudspeakers have run the beryllium tweeter and flax mid/bass drivers together. 'It represents the continuation of the innovations launched with Utopia, Evo and Sopra,' he explains. 'The new pure beryllium IAL 3 tweeter is used, combining our principles of "Infinite Acoustic Loading" and "Infinite Horn Loading", both techniques improving the absorption of sound waves to reduce the resonant frequency of the tweeter.' Two and a half times lighter than titanium, but seven times more rigid, 'beryllium is the only metal able to scratch glass,' he points out. Meanwhile the Flax sandwich coned mid/bass claims low mass, high rigidity and excellent damping. 'It has our "Tuned Mass Damping" and "Neutral Inductance Circuit" technologies, all developed to improve the behaviour and bass extension of the driver." All drive units are custom-designed and made in the Focal factory in Saint-Étienne, celebrating 40 years in 2019.