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Focal Drivers

A couple years ago I was in a Phoenix, Arizona audio store called "Celestial AV" which produces their own line of speakers. I was floored by the detail, speed, and liquid midrange on these speakers. All of Celestial's speakers use (or used at that time) Focal drivers.

So my question is, do all focal drivers sound liquid and have the speed and detail I heard, or was this to be attributed solely to an exceptional job by the designers at Celestial?

Also, what speakers companies use focal drivers besides JM Labs? I know RAW speakers have a model "HT1" that uses a ribbon tweeter and Focal midwoofer, but have not heard anything about the performance of the speaker.

Thanks for the input!
Howard
aggielaw
10 responses Add your response
aball
2,018 posts
 
JM Lab and Focal are the same company. Focal keeps their most optimized drivers for their JM Lab speaker line and they used to sell a lot of drivers to other speaker makers but they are now getting out of that business. Soon they will only makes drivers for themselves. Wilson Audio and Legacy are two that I know used Focal drivers.
twilo
357 posts
 
Check out these custom made Celestial speakers with Focal drivers.
http://rogueimc.org/images/2005/12/5756.jpg
aggielaw OP
267 posts
 
I knew JM Labs and Focal were the same company, but did not know they were getting out of the driver-supplier business. Too bad - that means now we'll all have to pay the ridiculous markup JM Labs is known for putting on their speakers.

I think I'll go to planars or electrostats before I pay that kind of markup...and especially to a French company (they're french, right?)
aggielaw OP
267 posts
 
Sweet! Are those the replacements for the now-discontinued Altairs, or truly a one-of-a-kind custom build?

Those must have been crazy expensive - they wanted almost $5k for a pair of two-way bookshelves a while back...
aball
2,018 posts
 
Well you know, those Focal drivers aren't cheap! lol. But if you don't want to buy anything French, might as well quit looking at Celestials.
aggielaw OP
267 posts
 
Oh, I don't mind buying from a French company - I just won't pay the same markup I would be willing to pay to companies in/from other countries. :)
kiwi
16 posts
 
Focal OEM's drivers directly only to two companies, Wilson Audio being one of them. The other most of you Agoners have never heard of, so no need to mention. True, the proprietary Focal technology only goes to Focal and there's nothing wrong with that. Aggielaw is far off base with the comment of Focal applying huge markup on their drivers, quite the contrary.

I always find it funny that being the political economic commentary applied to buying product or services of any type. If people only knew what they were saying and more importantly what they were buying!!!
12inchwoofer
11 posts
 
Aggielaw said "huge markup on SPEAKERS!" Attaboy Aggie, I agree 100%.
clipsal
80 posts
 
The other not so well known speaker company which uses Focal for all of their drivers is Osborn Speakers. check out www.osbornloudspeakers.com.au
mlankton
4 posts
 
Angstrom and Arcaydis use Focal drivers also.
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