Focal Kanta N°1 Bookshelf Speakers

Stands – £899 Pair Extra

2-WAY BOOKSHELF LOUDSPEAKER

This bookshelf loudspeaker from the Kanta N°1 line will discreetly blend into any unit or stand: it is the perfect solution for rooms under 270 ft2 (25 m²). Entirely dedicated to acoustic performance and with a resolutely personal aesthetic: that, in a nutshell, is the Kanta DNA! After three years of research, Focal offers a new combination of exclusive technologies: the marriage of Beryllium, in the next generation IAL3 tweeter, and Flax, for the midrange and bass speaker drivers. The result? A precise, detailed sound, brimming with warmth and musicality. It is the start of a new era for those who love sound… There’s a surprise in store right from the start of your listening experience, in the form of the extent of the bass frequency response for its dimensions. When positioned in an enclosed space such as this, or near to a wall, a piece of foam can be slid into the vent to optimise the bass even further.

Another strong point of the line is its bold look that puts the finishing touch on this acoustic masterpiece with a resolutely modern and bewitching design! With eight front panel finishes, gloss or matt, there are several possible combinations. So many styles, each one so different from the next, means there’s something for everyone. Kanta has become a veritable, ultra stylish, designer object that will become the star of your interior.

Marriage of materials

BERYLLIUM AND FLAX

For the very first time, a Flax sandwich cone speaker has been combined with a Beryllium tweeter. Flax is the answer to the low mass/rigidity/damping equation, leading to sound clarity and precision. This unique Flax/Beryllium combination gives music incredible warmth and musicality. Made in France, this patented flax membrane has already proven itself in Focal home and in-car speakers. The midrange speaker uses TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension, and every Kanta speaker is also equipped with an NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) driver, which stabilises the magnetic field for perfectly defined sound and better controlled bass.

Cabinet-work

HIGH DENSITY POLYMER

Everything is designed and made to create acoustic softness and warmth: the density and stiffness of the baffle and shell materials, softened angles and double vents. The baffle is made of a new material to suit the acoustic parameters. It is moulded in one piece from high density polymer (HDP). This material has excellent performance: it is 70% denser than MDF, 15% stiffer and provides 25% more damping. The one-piece baffle totally eliminates any sound diffraction. Kanta incorporates Power Flow technology with two vents, on the front and rear faces, to limit bass compression.

New tweeter

DISTORTION IS THE ENEMY

Focal’s research is geared towards reducing distortion in every register. With Kanta, the treble register is reproduced by a new pure Beryllium tweeter. This IAL3 tweeter combines the principles of IAL (Infinite Acoustic Loading) and IHL (Infinite Horn Loading) tweeters, both of which help with the absorption of waves, thus lowering the tweeter frequency.

Style

AND THAT’S ALL…

Our engineers have revisited their choice of ‘Focus Time’, which corrects speaker alignment, making them the same distance from the ear. The rear shell is made in one-piece integrally moulded wood. The Zamac base also brings out masses of character. With its spikes and cups, the base provides great stability from a very small footprint. Final details: the glass-covered top and magnetic grille fixings. When these are removed, they reveal the speakers’ flax cones, the final design touch that gives Kanta its unique look.

Finishes

LATEST FASHION OR CLASSIC

A wide range of combinations are available to fit into every interior space. The cabinet is available in High Gloss Black Lacquer and Walnut. For each of these, there are two front panels colours, in two finishes. With the High Gloss Black Lacquer cabinet there are two front panels available: High Gloss Carrara White and Black Lacquer. With the wood finish cabinet there are two front panels available:  Ivory and Dark Grey in Matt Finishes.

In More Depth:

With Kanta N°1, Focal is once again making headlines with the introduction of a truly unique product featuring yet more innovations for even better sounding acoustics. Kanta is completely dedicated to performance. It represents acoustic efficiency in every detail.

Kanta is destined for music lovers who, above all, are searching for a loudspeaker with exceptional and crystal clear sound in a compact design. Size was an essential criterion which guided the conception of Kanta: compactness was a key aspect which Focal’s engineers had to constantly bear in mind during their research. Every detail of the design is related to performance. True music lovers who are connected and technophiles will be thrilled to find that Kanta is a loudspeaker which react their personality and which will blend in perfectly with their interior.

MUSIC’S ENEMY: DISTORTION

Kanta represents the continuation of the innovations launched with Utopia Evo and Sopra. Focal’s R&D engineers are always set on reducing distortion as this is the sworn enemy of music’s emotion.

The treble is reproduced by this loudspeaker’s new pure Beryllium tweeter. The IAL 3 tweeter combines the principles of the IAL (In nite Acoustic Loading) and the IHL (In nite Horn Loading) tweeters, which both improve the absorption of sound waves to reduce the resonance frequency of the tweeter.

THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF BERYLLIUM AND FLAX

For the first time, Focal has developed a loudspeaker combining a Flax sandwich cone speaker driver and a Beryllium tweeter! Flax meets the requirements for obtaining low mass, high rigidity and excellent damping, ensuring crystal clear and precise sound. Made in France and patented, the Flax cone has already proved its worth in several of Focal’s speaker drivers in the Home Audio and Car Audio product universes. This unique combination of Flax and Beryllium gives music incredible warmth and musicality. With Kanta, Flax will reveal its full capabilities to an even greater extent! The midrange speaker driver is equipped with a technology which has become a must for Focal: TMD suspension (Tuned Mass Damping). All Kanta’s speaker drivers are also equipped with NIC motors (Neutral Inductance Circuit), which stabilise the magnetic field to provide perfect definition and better-controlled bass.

A KEY POINT FOR KANTA: ITS CABINET

At first sight, you’ll immediately notice how Kanta breaks with design codes. It has a very distinctive design, with every detail serving the acoustics, as is always the case with Focal. Everything has been done to offer smooth and warm sound: the density and rigidity of the materials used for the front panel and housing, the smooth edges and the dual port.

RESEARCH INTO THE BEST MATERIALS TO OPTIMISE PERFORMANCE

When it comes to innovation, constraints call for technology… The goal was to give the bass section a reduced volume to meet the criteria for a compact design. Focal’s engineers rst focused on the loudspeaker’s front panel. This led them to choose a new material which is favourable to the acoustic conditions. Thus, the front panel is made out of a moulded mono- bloc high-density polymer (HDP): a material which is capable of higher performance compared to the MDF cabinets which were used until now. It is 70% denser than MDF, 15% more rigid, and damping is increased by 25%. What’s more, a mono-bloc front panel was also designed to avoid any distraction of the sound.

EXCELLENCE LIES IN THE DETAILS

The engineers once again opted for “Focus Time”: a technology which has now become very dear to Focal, and which allows the speaker drivers to be aligned so that they’re situated at the same distance from the listener’s ears. The rear housing of the cabinet has been made out of a unique piece of moulded wood to provide even greater rigidity. Kanta also features Power Flow technology, with two ports on the front panel and at the rear which limit any dynamic compression of the bass. The Zamac base doesn’t go unnoticed either, with lots of character and a shape which emphasises the loudspeaker’s style. Thanks to the spikes and counter spikes, the stand provides greater overall stability and, most of all, a smaller footprint. The last finishing touches include a very elegant glass plate on the top of the loudspeaker, and the magnetic, beret-type grilles. Once removed, they reveal the speaker drivers’ ax cone, the ultimate design feature which gives Kanta its unique style!

OBVIOUSLY MADE IN FRANCE

Kanta meets the criteria for Focal’s core values in every aspect. The new loudspeaker is made in France. The ax cone sandwich and the speaker drivers are manufactured in Focal’s workshop in Saint-Etienne. And they aren’t the only components made in France. Kanta is packed with technology and it has a strong identity. It’s perfectly in line with Focal’s Classic Home Audio collection, along with Utopia and Sopra on the one hand, and Electra, Aria and Chorus on the other.