(credit: Focal) Focal Bird 2.1 Speaker System | US$tba | www.focal.com
French audio specialist Focal kicks off its venture into the audio lifestyle market with its Bird 2.1 speaker systems. it has announced not one but three Bird speaker systems that promise to offer hi-fidelity sound reproduction in a neat compact package. common to all three system is the Power Bird, an amplifier system with integrated 6.5-inch paper cone subwoofer and the ‘Kleer’ wireless HD receiver that allows wireless streaming from your iOS devices or computer via an optional transmitter. with its small 105 x 430 x 349 mm footprint, it is no coincidence that the Power Bird also boast the world’s flattest woofer design.
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the three Birds cater to three different room size and thus, the main differing aspects are in the speakers itself. the Little Bird is the smallest of the three but despite its petite size, it is still packed with a separate aluminum dome tweeter on top of its 4-inch mid-bass driver. the Little Bird is designed to cover a room size of about 40 square meter and up. the next step up is the Bird, also sporting an aluminum dome tweeter but with a larger 5.5-inch Polyflex cone mid-bass driver and is designed to cater to rooms of 60 square meters or more. last but not least, is the range-topping Super Bird which has not one but two mid-bass drivers. if you have a bigger room of around 80 square meters or more, the Super Bird will be up to the task of filling it with audiophile-grade sound. out of the box, these speakers can be either table-top or wall-mounted, so is the Power Bird. optional floor stands with built-in cable management are also available as an option.
according to Focal’s website, the Bird speaker system is available in France from June 1st, and it will be available to rest of the world this Autumn. pricing information remains scarce at this point but don’t expect to be any where near affordable as these speakers are designed for discerning audiophiles, no less. however, i see that the Bird series speakers are listed separately on the website, which means the speakers can be purchased as separates which is a good news for those who love a little customized mix-and-match.
