Ed Selley
AVF Reviewer
Since their founding in 1979, Focal JM Lab has become Frances largest speaker manufacturer and now has a strong product portfolio across domestic, professional and in car audio. A group of the UK press was invited over to their facilities in France to learn more about the company and their technologies.
Focals production facilities are spread out over more than one site. The visit concentrated on two of them- the cabinet factory for the Electra and Utopia ranges which formed day one of the visit and then the largest of the sites, the company HQ and driver manufacturing facility we visited on the second. As well as looking at the domestic loudspeaker range, Focal also showed their pro and car audio models to good effect as well.
The two sites are actually 175km apart (one of the reasons the trip was split into two days) and for many years, the cabinet factory (situated in the brilliantly named and achingly pretty town of Bourbon-Lancy) was an independent concern.
This factory was originally founded in the 1930s and concentrated on furniture manufacture. After Focal began to order cabinets from them, the plant became ever more devoted to making loudspeakers. After investing in the factory in 2002 to facilitate the production of the Utopia range, they took the logical next step of buying it outright in 2007.
The Electra and Utopia ranges are both high end products but at the most basic level; the raw material for the cabinets is still MDF. This may sound a bit prosaic for speakers that can cost in excess of 100,000 but it is still one of the best options available for high quality cabinets. MDF arrives in pre-cut sections and cabinet assembly begins from here.
Focal immediately begins to apply processes to this raw material that set it apart from many other brands. Shaping and forming of sections is carried out by a single machine that can work over five axis of movement. This ensures that very complex shapes can be made in such a way as to avoid placing undue stress on the MDF and at the same time create very complex shapes.
The component parts are them assembled into basic cabinets. Different thicknesses and weights of MDF are used for different purposes. As you can see above, the framework of this Electra floorstander is strong but relatively light but the front baffle that the drivers will attach to is much more substantial to keep resonance to minimum. The cabinet assembly is a strange mixture of high and low technology. Focal has put a great deal of thought into their glues to ensure an ideal balance between reasonable speed of assembly and long life. After the glue is apple to the cabinets, the workers use a combination of tape and clamps to keep the speakers together. The tape might seem like an odd choice but it has just the right amount of give when used correctly to let the cabinet breathe slightly as the adhesive takes hold.
Once the cabinet is set, it is sanded and prepared for painting. All the edges on the Utopia and Electra speakers are finished by hand to ensure the result is absolutely correct. Flat surfaces are mechanically sanded as consistency is easier to achieve. Consumption of sandpaper as you might expect is prodigious.
After sanding, the complete parts for a pair of speakers are assembled into a single batch. This will comprise the main cabinet and the peripheral sections that will be attached after painting and/or veneering. Instructions for finishes start appearing on cabinets at this point.
Veneering is carried out by applying incredibly thin strips of wood to the MDF sections under considerable heat and pressure. As well as the standard wood finishes, the Utopia range can be specified in custom wood that requires Focal to source, match and then finally secure suitable veneer for what is a very complex process.
The paint shop is a significant corner of the factory. Even speakers that have veneered bodies have painted sections so pretty much everything passes through here. Focal uses a two stage primer to show any cabinet imperfections before the speakers go into the spray booth for the final coat.
The finished article is then left to dry before going through a polishing process that is the equal of most similar undertakings in the luxury car industry. This is probably as well because the sheer numbers of finishes available would put the car industry to shame. As well as the Porsche Carrera white pictured above, Lamborghini orange is a popular choice as well.
What is important to point out is that even though this factory is only devoted to two models in the Focal range, it is still incredibly busy. Cabinet production is roughly 500 units a month and this includes between four and eight examples of the mighty 130,000 Grand Utopia. This is an impressively high level of production for very high end speakers. Once the cabinets are completed, they are crated up and head to St Etienne to be partnered with their drivers.
Focals production facilities are spread out over more than one site. The visit concentrated on two of them- the cabinet factory for the Electra and Utopia ranges which formed day one of the visit and then the largest of the sites, the company HQ and driver manufacturing facility we visited on the second. As well as looking at the domestic loudspeaker range, Focal also showed their pro and car audio models to good effect as well.
The two sites are actually 175km apart (one of the reasons the trip was split into two days) and for many years, the cabinet factory (situated in the brilliantly named and achingly pretty town of Bourbon-Lancy) was an independent concern.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712123731.JPG" align="center">
This factory was originally founded in the 1930s and concentrated on furniture manufacture. After Focal began to order cabinets from them, the plant became ever more devoted to making loudspeakers. After investing in the factory in 2002 to facilitate the production of the Utopia range, they took the logical next step of buying it outright in 2007.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712123902.JPG" align="center">
The Electra and Utopia ranges are both high end products but at the most basic level; the raw material for the cabinets is still MDF. This may sound a bit prosaic for speakers that can cost in excess of 100,000 but it is still one of the best options available for high quality cabinets. MDF arrives in pre-cut sections and cabinet assembly begins from here.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712123942.JPG" align="center">
Focal immediately begins to apply processes to this raw material that set it apart from many other brands. Shaping and forming of sections is carried out by a single machine that can work over five axis of movement. This ensures that very complex shapes can be made in such a way as to avoid placing undue stress on the MDF and at the same time create very complex shapes.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712124046.JPG" align="center">
The component parts are them assembled into basic cabinets. Different thicknesses and weights of MDF are used for different purposes. As you can see above, the framework of this Electra floorstander is strong but relatively light but the front baffle that the drivers will attach to is much more substantial to keep resonance to minimum. The cabinet assembly is a strange mixture of high and low technology. Focal has put a great deal of thought into their glues to ensure an ideal balance between reasonable speed of assembly and long life. After the glue is apple to the cabinets, the workers use a combination of tape and clamps to keep the speakers together. The tape might seem like an odd choice but it has just the right amount of give when used correctly to let the cabinet breathe slightly as the adhesive takes hold.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712125129.JPG" align="center">
Once the cabinet is set, it is sanded and prepared for painting. All the edges on the Utopia and Electra speakers are finished by hand to ensure the result is absolutely correct. Flat surfaces are mechanically sanded as consistency is easier to achieve. Consumption of sandpaper as you might expect is prodigious.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712130106.JPG" align="center">
After sanding, the complete parts for a pair of speakers are assembled into a single batch. This will comprise the main cabinet and the peripheral sections that will be attached after painting and/or veneering. Instructions for finishes start appearing on cabinets at this point.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712130200.JPG" align="center">
Veneering is carried out by applying incredibly thin strips of wood to the MDF sections under considerable heat and pressure. As well as the standard wood finishes, the Utopia range can be specified in custom wood that requires Focal to source, match and then finally secure suitable veneer for what is a very complex process.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712130237.JPG" align="center">
The paint shop is a significant corner of the factory. Even speakers that have veneered bodies have painted sections so pretty much everything passes through here. Focal uses a two stage primer to show any cabinet imperfections before the speakers go into the spray booth for the final coat.
<img src="http://www.avforums.com/news/images/20120712130316.JPG" align="center">
The finished article is then left to dry before going through a polishing process that is the equal of most similar undertakings in the luxury car industry. This is probably as well because the sheer numbers of finishes available would put the car industry to shame. As well as the Porsche Carrera white pictured above, Lamborghini orange is a popular choice as well.
What is important to point out is that even though this factory is only devoted to two models in the Focal range, it is still incredibly busy. Cabinet production is roughly 500 units a month and this includes between four and eight examples of the mighty 130,000 Grand Utopia. This is an impressively high level of production for very high end speakers. Once the cabinets are completed, they are crated up and head to St Etienne to be partnered with their drivers.
