Sweetwater's relationship with Focal studio monitors began in early 2009. We were immediately impressed by the company's superior products and irreproachable business practices. Both of these aspects of the French company Focal-JMlab stem from a single, unrelenting drive for innovation that's allowed them to push the very boundaries of speaker design in a way that's caused ripples throughout the pro-audio technology world.
One of Focal's earliest and most widespread technologies is the inverted-dome tweeter, which they introduced in 1981 (revised in 2002 with the introduction of the Beryllium tweeter). This single design has been copied and imitated so often that it's considered a mainstay of the studio monitor industry.
Within five years, Focal's use of pressed glass fibers and, eventually, Kevlar to create ultra-lightweight, extremely rigid cones also shook the monitor production world. When they created the Polykevlar sandwich Poly-K cone, Focal took the lead in low-frequency speakers by creating a model capable of reproducing deep bass as well as an extended range of super-accurate midrange frequencies.
In 1995, Focal pushed their lead even further with the introduction of the "W" sandwich cone. The "W" series cone combined a lightweight foam core with ultra-rigid glass fiber outer shells. This breakthrough is largely what led to Focal's dominant position in the high-end studio market.
In the same way that innovations such as the Beryllium tweeter were introduced on the flagship Grande Utopia loudspeaker, as soon as "W" series cones became more affordable, Focal brought them to the growing project studio market. For instance, both the Beryllium tweeter and the "W" series speaker featured prominently in the Solo series nearfield monitors, the most popular Focal line at Sweetwater for the better part of a decade.
Focal's success in Europe eventually bled over to the US. Despite their rapid success and growth, this amazing company has remained extremely loyal to their customers and has stood by their products 100%. That's what's made them a natural fit for Sweetwater. Today, Focal's innovative spirit and top-notch quality have fully secured their place as one of the all-time most popular studio monitor manufacturers among both Sweetwater's customers and staff.
More recent breakthroughs include their "F" series flax sandwich cones and Tuned Mass Damper technology. These, as well as their high-definition reference studio headphones, provide mix engineers with the accurate tools they need to stay competitive in today's intense music production industry. We have every confidence in Focal's continued success, and we're proud to offer their fine products.