Studio Monitor Focal Shape Twin

Focal Shape Twin

This standard bearer of the Shape series features two passive radiators, woofers equipped with a new Flax cone, and the latest “M”-shaped Aluminium/Magnesium inverted dome tweeter. Perfect weapon of mass production for professionals.

Shape Twin is made in France, just like Shape 40, 50 and 65. Designed to meet the needs of nearfield monitoring, these monitors combine an ingenuous design and numerous settings optimised for the acoustics of small listening rooms. Shape Twin stands out through its excellent rendering over the whole audio spectrum, its broad frequency response in the low end, and its high SPL considering its size. The compact design makes it easy to integrate even into the most cramped of rooms. Finally, its 2.5-way design gives it a real advantage when it comes to controlling the bass and lower mid-range registers which are the hardest to control in small rooms.

Shape Twin’s five innovations present a remarkable tonal balance, with very wide and precise stereo imaging. The low frequencies are well defined  as well as controlled. The low-mid and mid ranges provide a true neutral sound.

The Poron® suspension provides a more linear frequency response curve below 6kHz, improving crossover with the woofer. The magnetic component has also been optimised thanks to a voice coil with a Kapton® frame which significantly reduces the Foucault current, and consequently, distortion. Finally, the horn housing the tweeter has been designed to provide equal horizontal and vertical directivity.

Following the discovering of these issues, we had to conceive the equipment to solve them. The solutions already known for increasing the damping properties of the suspension all result in an increase of the mass which consequently alters definition. The answer came from a technology used in earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and which is also used for the suspension on racing cars! This technology is called a "Tuned Mass Damper": an additional mass oscillate in opposition to the resonance frequency to control it.

Applied to the speaker driver, the solution consists in simply two tubular rings on the suspension whose dimensions and position have been judiciously determined. They form our Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) and they stabilise the dynamic behaviour of the surround according to resonance, thus avoiding deformation of the cone without afflicting the dynamics. This innovation is patented.

User Guide