San Diego, Calif. – September 6, 2018 – Focal is delighted to today unveil the expansion of the Kanta range of high-fidelity loudspeakers. After launching the award-winning Kanta N°2 in October 2017, the French acoustics brand now launches three new Premium Hi-Fi loudspeakers to round out the line: Kanta N°1, Kanta N°3 and Kanta Center. The new products are built true to Focal DNA and marked by the impressive performance achieved by exclusive Focal technology: a Flax cone combined with a Beryllium inverted dome tweeter to provide exceptionally clear and precise sound rendering.
Kanta N°1, Kanta N°3 and Kanta Center. will be showcased to the public for the first time at the CEDIA Expo show on September 6, 2018.
A STRUCTURED OFFER
With the launch of Sopra four years ago, Focal provided an all- round solution and extremely coherent sound architecture; today it goes one step further with Kanta. This range of loudspeakers is now made up of four models designed for music lovers who love listening to their sound systems, or for film fans searching for a Home Cinema set-up with a striking design. The new models contain the same technologies as Kanta N°2: a speaker driver with flax cone, an IAL 3 Beryllium tweeter that combines the IAL (Infinite Acoustic Loading) and IHL (Infinite Horn Loading) tweeters, features, a TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) suspension and an NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) motor.
KANTA N°1
Kanta N°1 is the Premium solution for rooms under 269 square ft² (25m2). This discreet loudspeaker is particularly suited for a bookcase setting. When positioned in an enclosed space like this, or near to a wall, a piece of foam can be slid into the port, which will optimize the bass. It can also be installed on a stand.
KANTA N°2
Kanta N°2, launched in October 2017, best displays its potential in rooms measuring 269 to 431 ft² (25 to 40m2).
KANTA N°3
Kanta N°3 is the gold standard of this line. Generating power and bass that are structured and generous, this is the perfect choice for larger rooms of up to 861 square ft² (80m2). The technological innovations in the speaker drivers make it possible to recreate neutrality in the midrange with higher definition. The latest generation IAL tweeter reproduces the tiniest details with clinical precision.
Enjoy A Home Cinema Experience With Kanta
Kanta Center is the ideal complement to a traditional system, regardless of the configuration considered for the front and rear loudspeakers within the Kanta range. Its ability to reproduce the vocal range with extreme neutrality, at both low and very high volumes, makes it a formidable weapon in any premium Home Cinema set-up. Whatever the film’s background noise, film fans will be surprised by the sound clarity and speech intelligibility.
For a top of the range Home Cinema configuration, the Sub 1000 F subwoofer with a flax cone is the ideal addition. Its extended infrasound frequency response, its high SPL capacity, and its stable tonal balance, even at very high volume, will immerse you deep into the heart of the action.
When combined with a set of classic loudspeakers, Kanta Center and the Sub 1000 F form an extremely structured system, providing cinema lovers with a fully immersive experience. The sound finesse, treble precision and bass generation will ignite musical emotions. In a system linked up with the 300ICW4 in-ceiling loudspeakers, the most exacting film fans will enjoy an incredible 3D audio experience in Dolby Atmos, DTS X or Auro-3D guaranteed to produce unparalleled sound.
Tuned Mass Damper
Historically-known solutions for increasing the damping properties of the suspension all result in an increase of the mass, which consequently alters definition. Instead, Focal decided to utilize a technology found in earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and used for the suspension on racing cars! This “Tuned Mass Damper” is an additional mass oscillate in opposition to the resonance frequency to control it.
Neutral Inductance Circuit Technology
After three years of research and the development of simulation software to visualize these complex interactions, Focal engineers created an incredibly stable magnetic circuit for the Kanta line. The solution, NIC technology, lies in a Faraday ring whose dimensions, materials and positioning are optimized so the magnetic field is no longer affected by the position of the voice coil, by the amperage, or the frequency of the current passing through it. This is a sign of very high definition.
Getting The Most Out Of The Beryllium Tweeter
Focal’s Beryllium tweeter features an incredibly light and extremely rigid dome. Its main limitation comes from the compression of air in the cavity behind it. To overcome this, the ideal would be to have a nearly infinite volume.
The Unique Qualities Of Flax Sandwich Cone
Flax cones are made of high-quality, flax fiber cores enclosed by two thin layers of glass fiber. They satisfy the key criteria of a high-performance diaphragm: high internal damping, high velocity of sound and high flexural rigidity.
Rigidity: all these criteria cannot be met by a mono-material cone. Sandwich technology greatly influences the neutrality of the sound produced by the cone, a signature of Focal products. The expertise gained from the sandwich technology of the Utopia and K2 Power ranges enabled Focal to develop a revolutionary flax-fiber cone conciliating the three criteria.
Lightness: Flax is twice as light as fiberglass, because the fiber is hollow. It also has very low elasticity which makes it ideal to increase the flexural rigidity of a sandwich structure. Moreover, it can be obtained in non-woven bundles
of considerable diameter and it can therefore produce the thickness required for a sandwich.
Internal damping: Composite materials have properties suitable for applications where both rigidity and low mass are required. However, their disadvantage is that they lack damping, which leads to very poor control of vibrations. Recent developments in this field combining composites and natural fibers have brought unexpected opportunities.
Flax fiber has an excellent internal damping of the same order of magnitude as the glass or Kevlar® fibers or aluminum.
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For more information, visit Focal.com/us or contact Focal@MaxBorgesAgency.com
About Focal: For more than 35 years, Focal has been recognized as a leader on the global stage for its high-fidelity products. This French company based in Saint-Étienne (Loire department) manufactures speaker drivers, home audio and multimedia loudspeakers, car audio systems, monitoring loudspeakers and audiophile headphones. Some of our loudspeakers and technologies have become world-renowned references in the Hi-Fi industry.
All Focal products are designed and developed in France: they benefit from 35 years of innovation in exclusive and patented acoustic technologies. We have chosen to continue manufacturing products ‘Made in France’, where the quality and high standards of French craftmanship place the brand above its competitors. A market leader in France, Focal exports more than 80% of its production, mainly to Europe, North America and Southeast Asia.
In 2017, Focal merged with Naim Audio Limited, the leader of high-end electronics in the U.K. Vervent Audio Group, the resulting holding company, has a turnover of over €92 million.
