New flagship speaker line builds on Focal heritage

CAMARILLO, CALIF., November 8, 2018 (MEDIAWIRE) –Orca Design and Manufacturing, U.S. supplier for Focal mobile audio products, announced Focal has been named a CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree in the In-Vehicle Audio / Video category for its just-introduced Utopia M premium mobile speaker line. The second generation of the reference-standard Utopia Be line introduced in 2005, Utopia M is the result of three years of ground-up research and development by a dedicated team and a $2.5 million investment, not only in new tooling, but new manufacturing methods.

The Innovation Awards, presented by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and showcased at the association’s annual CES show in Las Vegas, awards products that push the boundaries of technological ingenuity, uniqueness and consumer benefit. (Note: The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.) The Innovations winners were announced Thursday, November 8. Focal made its first presentation of Utopia M at an invitation-only event in November at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. Guests were able to experience design and build of the drivers firsthand and hear demonstrations in comparison to the Utopia Be line.

“Utopia M builds upon the groundbreaking technologies of its predecessor with changes that reflect today’s vehicle architecture,” said Nalaka Adikari, sales director for Orca. “In addition to the use of its drivers in custom audio systems, the line was optimized to meet the demands of owners who want to get the best possible performance using their factory multimedia center and amplification. The result is a series of drivers that easily replace factory speakers and also deliver exceptional efficiency and frequency response.”

Utopia M consists of five driver options: a dual-mount tweeter, 3.5-inch, 6.5-inch and 8-inch drivers, and a 10-inch subwoofer. The design of the Utopia M line pays homage to French architecture in the cross-hatch basket structure of the drivers, and to the Utopia heritage with its signature red motor.

All drivers are offered separately or in pairs and without passive crossovers, a departure from the previous line’s full system offerings. This enables professional installers to select specific drivers to build a unique sound profile for each vehicle.

The ‘M’ in Utopia M reflects the new M-shaped inverted cone used throughout the line, which offers four major advantages to the speaker performance. The dust cap-less cone lets frequencies develop across the entire surface for increased bandwidth. It also enables more precise tuning during the manufacturing phase to enhance dispersion. In addition, the new shape allows for a larger voice coil, and for that coil to be positioned closer to the speaker surface, resulting in a shallower structure.

The patented, re-imagined tweeter features a one-inch voice coil and grille-protected Beryllium dome that carries the same M-shaped design. It comes with an optional rear-sealing enclosure that can be removed to allow the tweeter to play a wider frequency range.

The 6.5-inch driver features TMD suspension, a patented design that features ribs in the surround which eliminate distortion at key frequencies to balance out the sound. The 10-inch subwoofer includes braided material throughout its progressive spider to help with stiffness and control.

In addition to the Utopia M line, Focal has upgraded its iconic component set. The 165 W-RC is being supplanted by the 165 W-XP, which retains the W-shaped cone of the original woofer but adds the patented TMD suspension and other M performance cues. The 165 W-XP tweeter gets a Beryllium inverted dome protected by an external grille.

Utopia M will be available to Orca retailers in January and will be on display at the 2019 CES in Las Vegas in the Innovation Awards Showcase, as well as in the Orca suite at the Westgate Hotel during CES. For more information on the Utopia M line, visit focal.com.

Based in Southern California for more than 30 years, Orca is a multi-faceted supplier of premium audio brands and components. Orca is the sole U.S. importer and distributor for Focal mobile audio and Gladen-Mosconi. With in-house design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, Orca also produces quality products including Blackhole damping materials, Raven pure ribbon tweeters for pro audio applications, and Illusion Audio reference car speakers and subwoofers. For more information, visit our website at orcadesign.com.

7-26-2017, Mobile Electronics -- We are just starting a series on tuning that I am very excited about. First we had Ken Ward show us three simple steps to finding a good signal. I wanted to have him start the series because without a good signal, no amount of tuning can result in a great sounding audio system. Next, we had some fundamental groundwork laid out by Andy Wehmeyer. Andy shared with us some basic information on sound and how we hear it, and how the automotive environment affects that. Moving forward we will hear some more perspectives on tuning from a few other guest writers. The series will wrap up with an overview of multi-channel tuning by Andy Wehmeyer. Before we proceed further in that series, I wanted to take a break and give what you have read so far a chance to really sink in.

As the outside temperature begins to heat up, my mind and body remind me summertime is upon us. I can’t help but think back fondly on an adventure my wife and I went on last year with a wonderful group of people. Every year, Orca Design & Manufacturing sends a group of its dealers to France for a tour of the Focal factory. Last year I was able to go as a representative of Simplicity In Sound. As I do with most trips, I documented it with many photographs. I thought it would be fun to share the experience of the trip and some of the cool tech-related things I learned while there.

Jumping the Pond

The hop across the Atlantic was my second, so I had a general idea of what to expect. Thankfully, our flight was pretty uneventful. We touched down in France and were greeted by the smiling faces of Nalaka Adikari and Carrie Sahotsky of Orca. After a short bus ride, we were at our hotel and sitting down to a wonderful dinner. We were introduced to a few Focal employees and given an agenda for the next day. The first day was going to be a tour of the factory in which our plus-one guests were invited. The second day was to be a more in-depth factory tour and more technically oriented discussion. The plus-one guests were treated to a trip into Lyon for shopping.

The next morning, we had breakfast and took a short bus ride to the Focal factory. The factory is located in the beautiful town of Saint-Étienne. We started the tour by meeting Pierre Pérard. Pierre was our factory liaison for the next two days. I was captivated by Pierre’s passion for speaker manufacturing and the Focal culture. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the history of Focal. After a brief review of Focal, its history and culture, we moved on to the factory tour. 

First Impressions

Before I tell you about the actual factory experience, I wanted to share what I thought it was going to look like. Up to this point, I had never been to any speaker manufacturing facility. My exposure was limited to a few pictures I have seen of workers building speakers in the JL Audio literature. So, my thoughts were that we would be touring hundreds and hundreds of feet of conveyor belts that paused briefly at times for machines to complete their tasks on the belted product. I expected to see a few lab-coated individuals with clipboards walking around, making sure the machines were in proper order. What I found, though, was quite different. We entered the factory to see people. People either holding speakers, or parts of speakers. As we paused before going any further we were told that some of the machinery we would see was manufactured by Focal, specifically for a task unique to some stage in the building process. I was unable to take photographs of these proprietary machines. However, I was able to take photographs of many other machines, which I will share for the amusement of those of you who have never been to a speaker manufacturing factory.  

Read the rest of the story HERE.

CAMARILLO, CALIF., October 25, 2017 (MEDIAWIRE) – Orca Design and Manufacturing, exclusive U.S. distributor for Focal car audio products, announced it has begun shipping a new amplifier aimed at the motorcycle enthusiast market. The FDP Sport combines large-scale power, system flexibility and a small chassis size to meet the needs of riders who value high-performance audio on their motorcycles.

“There is a ton of technology in the FDP Sport,” said Nalaka Adikari, sales director for Orca. “We designed it here at our headquarters in Camarillo, and worked closely with Focal to ensure that it wouldn’t just be another small-footprint amplifier with overstated power. When we say it will do up to 1,000 watts, we mean RMS, not peak.”

Designed for motorcycles and applications where space is at a premium, the FDP Sport measures just over five inches by eight inches with a height of just over 1 1/2 inches. Its hard-anodized casing provides a stylish look for custom installation while resisting scratches. Beneath the casing, conformal-coated circuitry protects against the elements, and a Class D amplifier manages four high- or low-level inputs, and distributes power through two, three or four channels.

Power output is the most significant feature of the FDP Sport. In four-channel configuration, it outputs 175 watts RMS per channel at four ohms, and increases to 250 watts RMS with a two-ohm load per channel. Bridging two channels provides 500 watts RMS at four ohms. Audio quality is controlled with a set of flexible high-pass and low-pass crossovers, with each pair of channels having its own crossover and level setting.

The FDP Sport includes plug-and-play harnesses to easily integrate into most Harley-Davidson audio systems. In addition, its included power and ground cables require no extensions to reach the battery, and two sets of mounting feet allow for different placement configurations.

MSRP for the FDP Sport is $960.00, and it is now available at authorized Focal retailers. For more information, visit focal-america.com.

Commemorative Utopia-inspired speaker set celebrates the legacy of the Porsche 911

CAMARILLO, CALIF., April 28, 2023 (MEDIAWIRE) – ORCA Design and Manufacturing announced it is shipping the Focal Inside P60 Limited Edition, an exclusive speaker upgrade kit made for Porsche. The P60 represents a collaboration between Porsche and Focal to celebrate the legacy of the Porsche 911, which became the standard for ultimate automotive performance and luxury. The plug-and-play, drop-in speaker collection is designed specifically for late-model Porsche 911, Panamera, Cayenne and Taycan vehicles. Only 911 of the kits will be manufactured for worldwide distribution.

To create the P60 Limited Edition kit, Focal employed the technologies of its legacy Utopia component series: Beryllium tweeters, “W” sandwich composite woofer cone and the iconic speckled gray coloring. The drivers are enclosed in Zamak backets designed to fit into the factory-cut speaker openings on Porsche vehicles.

“We are honored to receive and make the commemorative P60 Limited Edition car kits available to retailers and automotive enthusiasts in North America,” said Nalaka Adikari, sales director for Orca. “Focal has always taken the approach of building for perfect sound without compromise. The company’s collaboration with Porsche, centered on the iconic 911, represents the perfect synergy of two brands that share the same mission.”

Each P60 Limited Edition kit consists of a pair of three-driver components (woofer, midrange and tweeter) plus an additional midrange for center-channel applications. The set comes in a beautiful walnut and leather made to fit perfectly into the trunk of a Porsche 911.

For more information, please visit mwi.re/focalp60. Retailers may contact their authorized Focal representative to order. Customers and clients can experience the P60 kit at their nearest authorized Focal Retailer. Please visit focal-america.com/dealer-locator.