Enjoy precise and detailed sound with the high-gloss walnut with taupe matte front Kanta N°1 Bookshelf Speaker from Focal. The Kanta N°1 features Focal's exclusive Flax cone driver with Focal's NIC technology to provide unparalleled neutrality and accuracy in sound reproduction. For the high frequencies, Focal has developed an inverted dome tweeter made from pure beryllium, which promises high-frequency response up to 40 kHz for incredible detail. Along with the precision drivers, the Kanta N°1 has a wide rear port to lower dynamic compression and an included foam bung to fine tune the bass performance.

These loudspeakers are perfect for rooms up to 270 ft². Silicone pads are included to protect the bottom of the speaker when placed on a shelf or piece of furniture and optional floor stands are sold separately. All Focal speaker drivers are developed and manufactured in France by Focal.

2-Way Speaker Design    1" IAL3 Pure Beryllium Tweeter    6.5" Flax Midrange/Bass Driver    High-Gloss Walnut Wood Cabinet    Matte Taupe HDP Front Panel    Wide Rear Port    46 Hz to 40 kHz Frequency Response    25 to 150W Recommended Amplifier Power    8-Ohm Nominal Impedance    Magnetic Grille

For the Kanta series, a flax sandwich cone speaker has been combined with a beryllium tweeter. This unique flax/beryllium combination gives audio incredible warmth and musicality. Made in France, the patented Flax cone has already proven itself in other Focal speakers, like the Aria 906. The midrange speaker uses TMD (Tuned Mass Damping) suspension, and every Kanta series speaker is also equipped with an NIC (Neutral Inductance Circuit) motor, which stabilizes the magnetic field for perfectly defined sound and better controlled bass. The IAL3 Beryllium tweeter combines the IAL (Infinite Acoustic Loading) and IHL (Infinite Horn Loading) tweeter features, both of which help with the absorption of waves, thus reducing distortion.

Due to its incredible rigidity, beryllium represents the ultimate material for a tweeter dome. Able to cover more than five octaves (1 to 40 kHz), you may ask yourself why does Focal strive for an extended response at 40 kHz, if the human ear can only hear up to 20 kHz? If you can extend frequency response, you will improve the perception of transients and other micro details.

The linearity of the speaker's response curve is mainly a function of three conflicting parameters: lightness, rigidity, and damping. Currently, only one material permits a joining of these parameters: beryllium. For domes with identical masses, beryllium is seven times more rigid than titanium or aluminum, the latter two well known for their rigidity. This results in a sound wave propagation three times faster than titanium and two and a half times faster than aluminum. In the end, the linearity of the frequency response curve, the acoustic transparency, and the impulse response of the beryllium tweeter are maximized and offer near-perfect sound.

Flax cones are made of a high-quality flax fiber core enclosed by two thin layers of glass fiber. Flax is twice as light as fiberglass, because the fiber is hollow. It also has very-low elasticity, which makes it ideal to increase the flexural rigidity of the sandwich structure. To design a high-performance diaphragm, you have to optimize a complex set of criteria, which are for the most part contradictory. The composite solution using flax in a sandwich structure with fiberglass skins is a very harmonious way of combining low mass with high internal damping, high velocity of sound, and high flexural rigidity.

The flax cone is made in France exclusively by Focal since 2013. With their original design, the cone is entirely oriented towards acoustic performance. F cone are characterized by their natural sound, with low coloration, their richness of reproduction in the midrange register and their tighter bass.

With the Kanta series, everything is designed and made to create acoustic softness and warmth, including the density and stiffness of the front panel and cabinet materials, softened angles, and double port vents. The cabinet is made from one-piece integrally molded wood. The front panel is molded in one piece from High-Density Polymer (HDP). This material has excellent performance; it is 70% denser than MDF, 15% stiffer, and provides 25% more damping. The one-piece front panel totally eliminates any sound diffraction.

This foam bung allows you to make some fine adjustments to the bass performance of your loudspeakers. The Kanta N°1 loudspeaker has been designed to reproduce deep bass in an even manner for a free space position. If you position your loudspeakers close to a wall, bass frequencies are further enhanced. Similarly, some rooms have acoustics that exaggerate low bass. The foam bung allows you to reduce the amount of energy from the port tube to reduce bass levels and improve damping in such situations.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. are the joints all metal, or plastic?

A: The following T-knobs are made of plastic.

Q: 2. Is it compatible with a Manfrotto 190 Go?

A: yes, its compatible, i use with my manfrotto tripod

Q: 3. Is this Z1+?

A: I have the z1 sp and it looks the same as the one you have. I understand that the z1+ is a more recent version of the z1 with double panning capability. It is marked with the z1+ designation on the same side of the head as the one you show, so I would think that yours is not the z1+ version. No doubt there would be a price premium for the z1+ version.

Q: 4. the 2 pins sticking up from plate is not in play, my plate on camera slides above them???

A: I am using a Wimberley universal camera plate on a canon6D and I also have a Kirk L plate. These both slide into the top jaws of the quick release plate where they sit well clear of the two pins in the QRP. I assume that these two pins are intended to be in play with a narrower type of camera plate designed to slide into the lower jaws of the release plate. In effect, I have always disregarded the two pins as not being relevant to my camera plate. I have never had any problem in using the QRP as it is set up, but I always make sure that I have the camera firmly in my hands when I attach it to or remove it from my tripod. Incidentally, I note that the two pins in the QRP are not shown anywhere in the leaflet that Arca Swiss provided with the Z1 Monoball tripod head. Perhaps there is separate relevant information about them and how they are intended to operate, in the specifications for various Arca Swiss QRPs. I hope my comments will be of some help to your enquirer.

Q: 5. Sample picture is Z1(old model) Is this a new model Z1+? I couldnt find Z1+ in B&H.

A: The Z1 you are referring to but in the Plus is the Z1g+And it is, Arca-Swiss Monoball Classic Z1g+ Ball Head B&H # ARZ1GDPMB MFR # 801123.

Q: 6. Is there a pouch that I can buy to protect this ballhead?

A: You can use the OP/TECH USA 354 Fold-Over Pouch (Black), B&H # OPFOP3545B, or the Lowepro Compact Zoom Lens Case 8x12cm (Black), B&H # LOLP36978, to hold the Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1+ Single Pan Classic.

Q: 7. when other color options will be available?

A: If and when the gray textured multijet and the bamboo variants of the RVLVR Right-Side Remote Clutch Handle with LANC Camera Control are available, they will be listed on the website.

Q: 8. what is the size (length) of the manual QR clamp that comes with this ball head (Z1 Sp)?

A: It's approximately 50mm.

Q: 9. Is there a cable available to control the Nucleus Nano or Nucleus M from the Clutch yet?

A: Not at this time.

Q: 10. Can I install a Really Right Stuff clamp on this ballhead?

A: Yes, The Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1+ ballhead will allow a end-user to apply different mounting systems but beware a end-user is doing this at there own ricks.