As part of our ever increasing product portfolio, Zouch Audio is proud to welcome Focal Loudspeakers to our shelves. Focal have been designing and building speakers of superb quality for 30 years. 

The Focal range is nothing less than concise with speakers starting at around £300 for the Chorus 705v standmount speakers and goes right up to £110,000 for the world renowned Grande Utopia EM speakers.We are very excited about the arrival of Focal to our shop-floor so before we write any in depth reviews on the individual models, here is a brief introduction into the vast range of speakers by Focal. 

First in the non satellite guise comes the Chorus 700V range. The line-up consists of two standmount models ( Chorus 705V and 706V), three floorstanding models ( Chorus 714V, 716V and 726V ). For home cinema lovers there is also a matching centre channel ( CC700 ), subwoofer ( SW700 ) and rears ( SR700 ). All of the speakers are available in Amati, Black Ash or Wenge finishes

Then comes the Chorus 800V range, this follows roughly the same product pattern as the 700V series with two standmount speakers ( 806V and 807V ) and three floorstanding speakers ( 816V, 826V and 836V . Like the 700V range, there is also a centre channel, subwoofer and rear speakers to make a home theatre package. There is also two limited edition models from the 800 range. The 816 WLE and 826 WSE uses W grade drive units which are a derivative of the drive units used in the celebrated Grand Utopia speakers. The 826 W LE also come in two custom finishes which are not available in the standard 800 range. ( Red or Black Satin )

Next up is the Profile range. Consisting of only two models one standmount, Profile 908 and one floorstanding, Profile 918 with the usual complement of surround speakers.

Next comes the Electra 1000 Series. There are two options here, the Electra 1000S uses a magnesium tweeter while the Electra 1000 Be II uses the much sweeter berilium tweeter. In the magnesium tweeter version there is one standmount speaker ( 1007S ) and one floorstanding speaker ( 1027S ) with the usual sub, centre and rears for home theatre users available in Classic and Macassar finish. The 1000 Be's  with the berilium tweeter has one standmount speaker ( 1008Be ) and two floorstanding speakers ( 1028Be and 1038Be ). A centre channel, subwoofer and Bi - Pole rears completes the 5.1 system. The Electra 1000Be series is available in three finishes, Basalt, Champagne and Slate Grey. The Electra's, like the Chorus 800 range are fitted with a stylish and practical glass top plate.

Finally, we come to the Utopia 3 range of speakers of which the flagship speaker is the Grand Utopia EM. At the opposite end of the line-up comes the Diablo Utopia which are a standmount speaker and can be supplied with bolt on stands, followed by the first of the floorstanding Utopia's, namely the Scala Utopia which offer a radial (tilt) adjustment of the top two drive units allowing the listener to find the perfect placement in their room. Third in the Utopia line-up are the Maestro Utopia Loudspeakers, looking very similar the the Grand Utopia and offering the same radial adjustment but standing 1.47meters tall and weighing 116KG each

Now that you have an idea of the range of speakers offered by Focal, I suppose it's time to get down to the nitty gritty and talk a little about their perfromance. There are some including Mike that in the past have found Focal Speakers a tad ''bright''  and slightly too forward in their overall presentation. When we revisited speakers from Focal with a view of stocking them, we were conscious of this potential trait but the simple fact is that by their own nature, they are not over ''bright'. Yes, when partnered with a mismatched system, we found them to be a little bright and maybe slightly too forward but because we believe them to be an honest and open loudspeaker, they will reveal the nature of the equipment or recording they are partnered with. Equipment we have found that has a synergy with Focal speakers is the new Musical Fidelity equipment, Tom Evans valve amplification and Moon's range of amplifiers and CD players which we are currently auditioning. One of the defining points of Focal loudspeakers is the speed of themid band and bass that is evident right through the range, the bass notes go very very low but they do not lag or stand out. Get these babies right and snare drums sound like snare drums that come with a really good crack! Bass drums have a depth and tonal quality which is almost unrivaled.

As we stock more and more Focal's we find little gems that really do suprise us. During our Christmas Shows 2009 , the Chorus 706 wowed people with their astionishing performance yet are still priced under £400 per pair. We also feel the Chorus 836 offer superb value for money at £1700 and the Electra 1038Be have been in almost constant use at the shop since they returned from The National Audio Show 2009 . Popular models amongst our customers also seem to be the Electra 1028Be which is a slightly smaller, more manageable version of the 1038Be and the Chorus 716V has stormed out the door.

We are very pleased with the arrival of Focal Speakers, they offer everything we ask for in a speaker. They sound great, look great, are built to a high standard and most importantly they bring music to life. They are also supported by two very enthusiastic individuals, namely Mark Standbridge and Fraser Roberstson. You really should listen to some of the fantastic speakers offered by Focal, at every price point they're going to impress.