With the launch of Sopra four years ago, Focal provided an all-around solution and extremely coherent sound architecture; the new Kanta range takes this concept further. The expansion of Focal's Kanta range of high-fidelity loudspeakers, after launching the Kanta N°2 in October 2017, now includes three new premium models to round out the line: Kanta N°1, Kanta N°3 and Kanta Center. The new products are built true to Focal DNA and and all feature exclusive Focal drivers, including a Flax cone combined with an IAL 3 Beryllium inverted dome tweeter that combines the IAL (Infinite Acoustic Loading) and IHL (Infinite Horn Loading) tweeters, a TMD (Tuned Mass Damper) suspension and an NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) motor.
This range of loudspeakers is now made up of four basic models designed for stereo home or home cinema setups with a striking, modern design.
Kanta N°1 is the premium solution for rooms under 269 square ft² (25m2). This discreet bookshelf loudspeaker, when positioned in an enclosed space, or near to a wall, features a piece of foam which can be slid into the port to optimize the bass. It can also be installed on a stand.
Kanta N°2, launched in October 2017, best displays its potential in rooms measuring 269 to 431 ft² (25 to 40m2).
Kanta N°3 is the gold standard of the 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.
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 an ideal choice in any premium Home Cinema setup. Whatever the film’s background, movie 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 users 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. A complete system can also be linked up with 300ICW4 in-ceiling loudspeakers for an incredible 3D audio experience in immersive formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS X or Auro-3D.
Key design features
Historically-known solutions for increasing the damping properties of the suspension all result in an increase of the mass, which consequently alters definition. Instead, for the Kanta range Focal decided to use a "Tuned Mass Damper", which features an additional mass that oscillates in opposition to the resonance frequency to control it.
After three years of research and the development of simulation software to visualize these complex interactions, Focal engineers also 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.
And to get the most out of Focal's unique Beryllium tweeter, this driver features an incredibly light and extremely rigid dome, overcoming compression of air in the back cavity to have nearly infinite volume.
Flax cones are made of high-quality, flax fiber cores enclosed by two thin layers of glass fiber, leveraging the expertise gained from the sandwich technology of the Utopia and K2 Power ranges. They satisfy the key criteria of a high-performance diaphragm: high internal damping, high velocity of sound and high flexural 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.
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.
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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