Focal Shape 40 (pair)

The three monitors are all made in France and integrate five innovations to maximise acoustic transparency. Designed to meet the needs of nearfield monitoring, Shape monitors combine an ingenuous design and numerous settings optimised for the acoustics of small listening rooms.

These innovations provide remarkable acoustic transparency. These new work tools distinguish themselves through the wide and extremely precise stereo image. The bass register is articulated and controlled. The lower mid-range and mid-range benefit from extreme neutrality, and without any masking effects, making equalisation of these essential registers much easier. Finally, the new tweeter is what’s at the source of the very high definition. It efficiently reveals any hissing, and it’s also very precise in the very high end.

Glass-fiber speaker cones

Focal first introduced their glass-fiber speaker cones in their SM series, where the extraordinary definition provided by their lightweight rigidity made them an instant hit among professional mix engineers. Focal’s Shape series takes this speaker design one step further by introducing a layer of flax fiber, which is significantly more rigid and twice as light as glass fiber. They sandwiched this flax layer between layers of glass fiber, resulting in a piston-like low-frequency action and increased dampening. You’ll be astonished by the low-frequency accuracy and midrange clarity these speakers offer. You couldn’t ask for better compact nearfield monitors when it comes to critical mixing applications.

M-shaped inverted-dome tweeter

The Shape series introduces another major design upgrade to Focal’s nearfield monitor technology by reimagining their already impressive aluminum-magnesium dome tweeter. For starters, the M shape itself provides increased rigidity, which offers many of the same advantages as the increased rigidity of their flax fiber cones: greater definition with lower distortion.

The M-shaped dome works with its own dedicated TMD surround for an impressively linear response below 6kHz. This horn also comes outfitted with housing that provides equal horizontal and vertical directivity, and a less-directional profile overall. Finally, the magnetic component, which features a Kapton former in the voice coil, offers a lower high-frequency distortion than Focal has previously achieved in an affordable nearfield monitor.

TMD Surround

Beneath the elegant walnut veneer and meticulously calculated MDF enclosure, each Shape series studio monitor features a number of technologies that give them uniquely linear frequency responses. One of these is the TMD surround ringing either speaker. Strangely enough, this stabilization element comes from special architecture found at the top of skyscrapers such as Taipei 101. These suspended harmonic absorbers promote a more piston-like action that targets specific frequencies. In the Shape series, these surrounds produce a remarkably flat frequency response around 1kHz–2kHz, resulting in astonishing neutrality with virtually no measurable distortion.

Double passive-radiators ensure low-end stability

One of the technologies Focal popularised in their previous generation upper-end monitors was the use of passive radiators. Just as they did in the SM series, these passive radiators provide the Shape series reference monitors with an extended low-frequency response that goes far beyond you would expect from modest-sized nearfields.

By balancing low-frequency harmonics with the dual surrounds highlighted above, these passive radiators accomplish what ports simply can’t, providing you with low-frequency tuning that extends bass clarity and allows you to position your monitors closer to walls, without compromising accuracy. This detail makes them an ideal choice for small studios and editing suites.

Features

Low directivity tweeter for a flexible listening position

Designed without a port allowing it to be placed near a wall

Numerous settings for optimal integration

Accurate control, even in the very high end

Flax sandwich cone: controlled and articulated bass, natural and detailed lower mid-range and upper mid-range registers

Threads for ceiling and wall mounts (fastening accessories not supplied)