The latest addition to Focal’s Classic Home Audio collection, the Kanta N°2 is a totally new design from the French company. By utilising many of the company’s proprietary acoustic innovations with newly-researched techniques, Focal has created a compact 3-way floorstanding speaker that combines the exceptional performance the brand is globally known for, with an exciting new industrial design that will blend in perfectly
with any interior.
As befitting a brand with the acoustic heritage of Focal, Kanta is completely dedicated to performance. For the first time, the company has developed a loudspeaker combining its Flax sandwich cone speaker driver system with its legendary Beryllium tweeter. Housed within a totally new cabinet that offers a softer approach to design, Kanta is destined for music lovers who, above all, are searching for a loudspeaker that delivers the exceptionnal Focal performance in a compact design. However, as it is the case with all Focal designs, every detail is dedicated to acoustic performance, from the density and rigidity of the materials used for the front panel and housing, to the smooth edges on the baffle and the dual port design.
THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF BERYLLIUM AND FLAX
High-frequencies are reproduced by a new pure Beryllium tweeter designed and developed especially for Kanta. The IAL 3 tweeter combines the principles of the IAL (Infinite Acoustic Loading) and the IHL (Infinite Horn Loading) tweeters developed for Focal’s flagship Utopia range. Designed to improve the absorption of sound waves and reduce the resonance frequency of the tweeter, the IAL 3 delivers an effortless performance, blending perfectly with the mid-range drivers making it acoustically invisible.
Hand made in France and patented, Focal’s Flax cone has already proved its worth in several of the company’s leading designs. By sandwiching flax fibre between two thin layers of glass fibre, Flax driver cones deliver high internal damping, high velocity of sound and high flexural rigidity. This unique driver cone design is characterised by its natural sound, with low coloration, richness of reproduction in the midrange register and tighter bass when used for low frequency duties.
The 1 x 6.5” (16.5cm) midrange 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, whilst delivering bettercontrolled bass via the 2 x 6.5” (16.5cm) bass drivers.
This unique combination of Flax and Beryllium delivers music with an incredibly natural yet musical performance.
VISUALLY SOFT–ENGINEERED PERFECTION
When it comes to innovation, constraints call for technology. To meet the criteria of a compact design, Focal’s engineers had to reduce the volume of the bass cabinet, yet retain high-quality performance levels. This called for a new material to be utilised for the baffle, which would retain the high-levels of rigidity required, yet remain favourable to the acoustic conditions. Through research, Focal engineers discovered and developed a mono-bloc high-density polymer (HDP): a material which is capable of a significantly higher performance compared to MDF, being 70% denser, 15% more rigid, and 25% increased damping. To avoid any diffraction of the sound, the mono-bloc baffle has been worked with the resultant shape offering only smooth edges, allowing the sound waves to effortlessly flow across the surface. This has been attached to the rear housing of the cabinet, which is internally braced and constructed from moulded multi-plywood to provide even greater rigidity.
EXCELLENCE IS IN THE DETAIL
Synonymous with all of Focal’s high-end designs, Kanta employs the company’s ‘Focus Time’ driver alignment technology, which positions the drivers so that all soundwaves arrive at the listener’s ears at the same time. In addition, Focal’s ‘Power Port’ technology is used, with a port on the front and one on the rear of each speaker, extending bass response and limiting any dynamic compression of the bass signals.
To provide perfect coupling to the floor, the Zamac base, which includes adjustable spikes, offers greater overall stability whilst still maintaining the slim cabinet profile. 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’ Flax cones, 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, with the new loudspeaker designed and crafted in France. The Flax cone sandwich, the speaker drivers and final hand-assembly are all hand-built at Focal’s manufacturing plant in Saint-Etienne, along with all other Focal Home Audio products, including the Utopia, Sopra, Electra, Aria and Chorus lines.
Technical specification
Type 3 way bass-reflex floor standing loudspeaker
Drivers Two 61/2‘’ (16.5cm) Flax woofer with NIC motor
61/2‘’ (16.5cm) Flax midrange with TMD suspension and NIC
motor 11/16’’ (27mm) ‘IAL3’ pure Beryllium inverted dome tweeter
Sensitivity (2,83V/1m) 91dB
Frequency Response (+/-3dB) 35Hz – 40kHz
Low Frequency Point (- 6dB) 29Hz
Nominal Impedance 8Ω
Minimum Impedance 3.1Ω
Recommended Amplifier Power 40 – 300W
Crossover Frequency 260Hz – 2,700Hz
Dimensions (H x W x D) 441/64 x 1825/32 x 1241/64 (1,118 x 477 x 321 mm)
Net weight (with front grille) 77.2lbs (35kg)
Packaging dimensions (HxWxD) 4939⁄64 x 2711⁄64 x 1617⁄32’’ (1,260 x 690 x 420mm)
Total weight (including packaging) 88.2lbs (40kg)
