Focal
Company profile[edit]
1980 Jacques Mahul started with the ambition to build the best loudspeakers in the world. He left the well-trodden paths of previous engineering work, questioned everything - and created new techniques. The first loudspeaker chassis he developed quickly gained international recognition thanks to its appealing and original design. Within a few years, the company developed into a successful chassis specialist. Both for self-build and on behalf of some of the world's most famous loudspeaker manufacturers. A first compact loudspeaker was named DB 13 and already contained the legendary double voice coil. The competition was shocked (and warned): the "small" DB 13 outperformed several more expensive floorstanding speakers.
In 1985 Mahul produced his first masterpiece: the first three-way floorstanding Opal 706 from Focal (then still JMLab: Jacques Mahul Laboratorium). The Vega followed in 1990, and was voted "Speaker of the year 1992" in Japan. At that time a sensation for a French product in Japan.
1995 Focal shocked the competition again: the first Grande Utopia with sandwich W-diaphragm was launched - and immediately became a worldwide reference: "One of the best loudspeakers on the planet", was the verdict of the authoritative international trade magazine Stereophile at the time. In the following years Focal expanded the series. No sooner was the series complete than Focal began to revise it.
In 1997, a car fully equipped with Focal speakers won the world final of the IASCA international sound competition in the expert category. Since then, Focal has won this award every year. In 2001 came the first win in the (Professional) Pro category, the first time for a French car in the Americas. In 2002, Focal once again proved its strong position in the car audio industry by winning the Pro category at the IASCA World Finals.
In 2002 chassis production reaches its peak: with a new factory, Focal increases production by 200 (!) percent. In France, Focal holds a market share of 15 percent.
2003 the Grande Utopia Be with beryllium tweeter causes a sensation worldwide. Beryllium, which gave its name to the series, combines the three most important characteristics of a tweeter better than any material previously used: lightness, rigidity, internal damping. In several countries it is considered the best loudspeaker in the world.
2004: the share of chassis for self-building drops below 3%. Focal's technology is advancing so fast that home-built speakers can no longer keep pace with perfectly tuned ready-made speakers. Listeners are also making fewer and fewer compromises (on the wallet, at most). So there is no reason to still use two different names (Focal and JMLab). From now on, Focal is just Focal. And everyone knows who is making history here.
Focal is responding to the wishes of many listeners to develop a lifestyle series. Its name: Sib&Co. With the iCub, Focal is launching a subwoofer with digital input that is sonically convincing. For listeners who are just discovering their love of sound.
Utopia Be now also in the car. All independent tests come to the same conclusion: the best speaker system in the world. Because of the beryllium tweeter and the sensational crossover that turns every car into a concert hall.
2005 makes Focal dreams come true: with Profile, a series is launched as an entry into the luxury class, appealing to ambitious listeners for little money. The new Electra Be is aimed at all those who previously only dared to dream of the Utopia - and who missed out on the anniversary edition or want to upgrade. The technology of the Utopia Be in an affordable version. Out with the dream. Here is the reality.
Ca. 2012 Focal offers with Book XS small active speakers e.g. for computers, 2014 also as wireless version.