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Focal Cobalt 816 modified Floorstanding Loudspeakers Back when I was involved in retail, over ten years ago, these premium Focal Cobalt 816 speakers retailed for the price as indicated above. They look great, and even have a window in the back to show the quality crossovers. These ones are dirt cheap as they came to me without the two woofers, and I had to find some ok replacements! What I was lucky enough to find amongst my DIY stocks look the part and work well enough, but in due course you might find some original drivers which would bring them up to the very high quality sound that they a
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Focal traces its roots to 1979 in Saint-Étienne, France, where engineer and hi-fi enthusiast Jacques Mahul founded the company in a small workshop within his father's precision engineering firm. Initially operating as JMlab, it began crafting bespoke speaker drivers, with early models like the DB13 earning acclaim for their compact yet dynamic bass performance. This heritage of acoustic innovation and French craftsmanship propelled Focal's evolution, marked by pivotal 1990s expansions under Gérard Chrétien's leadership, yielding iconic references such as the Vega and Grande Utopia loudspeakers that redefined audiophile standards.
The brand's core focus remains high-fidelity loudspeakers, where it excels through in-house driver design featuring breakthroughs like inverted-dome tweeters, Polyglass cones, flax diaphragms, and beryllium tweeters in its Utopia line. Focal has diversified into professional studio monitors, premium headphones, car audio systems, and select accessories, all emphasizing noble materials and meticulous engineering. While not delving into amplifiers, turntables, DACs, or cables, its speaker-centric portfolio spans home, mobile, and pro applications with unwavering commitment to purity of sound.
Positioned firmly in the high-end market, Focal commands respect as a world leader among discerning hi-fi buyers for its benchmark performance, international awards, and "Made in France" prestige. No longer a niche boutique, it blends heritage appeal with cutting-edge technology, attracting serious audiophiles who prioritize transparency, dynamics, and emotional depth over mass-market compromises.
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