[12] Focal-JMlab generates a €156 million annual turnover and employs around 300 people at its facility in Saint-Étienne, which groups the production, R&D and management departments at the same site.

Focal-JMlab, a research office dedicated to acoustics was founded in 1979 in Paris by engineer, high-fidelity enthusiast and technology journalist Jacques Mahul.

[15] He began making his first speaker drivers in a small workshop in Saint-Etienne, at a precision mechanics company, which belonged to his father.

Whilst producing his speaker drivers, Jacques Mahul also launched his own range of loudspeakers under the brand JMlab.

The materials used on the tweeter evolved from glass fibres to Kevlar, producing a more linear frequency response curve and a smoother and less piercing treble.

Things rapidly began to pick up speed in 1990 with the arrival of Gérard Chrétien, another high-end, high-fidelity enthusiast and editor-in-chief of the magazine L’Audiophile since 1977.

By adapting the company's products to the demands of the consumer, the brand soon earned its role as a leader in the French loudspeaker market.

[17] It was also in the early 1990s that the company implemented an export strategy for its loudspeakers across Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.

By combining sound quality and aesthetics, this move made Focal-JMlab products lifestyle loudspeakers in their own right and also gave the company a brand signature.

Thus, Focal and Pineau & Le Porcher worked in close collaboration to come up with a completely new design for various ranges: Profile and Electra (2005), Chorus (2006), Utopia (2008) and Dome (2009).

In 2014, Focal&Naim Group was taken over by its management team, Naxicap Partners (major shareholder), Aquasourca and Garibaldi Participations.

[23] The same year, Focal is recognized by the French state thanks to The Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company).

[26][27] The same year saw the launch of a worldwide network of Focal Powered by Naim shops, with the first openings in Seoul (South Korea) and Lyon (France).

The Poly-K cone is composed of two layers of aramid fibres applied to either side of a hollow micro-ball structure to improve the compromise between weight, rigidity, and damping.

The combination of glass and paper results in a very rigid material with a low mass, providing excellent damping qualities.

In 1995, Focal improved its sandwich concept with its "W" cone system, which consists of two sheets of glass fibres applied to a structural foam core.

[33] Utopia M speaker drivers (range launched in 2018) feature an M-profile cone, which combines rigidity, damping, and lightness for more linear frequency response, reduced harmonic distortion, and better sound dispersion.

[34] Developed with the Chora range, the Slatefiber cone is a membrane composed of recycled non-woven carbon fibres and thermoplastic polymer.

The Home speaker sector is divided into two collections: In 2016 and 2017, Focal collaborated with several French car manufacturers to equip production vehicles.

The Utopia headphones are customized with the Trilogy mark, the symbol of Tournaire jewelers, and are made of 18-karat gold and mounted with diamonds.

For the release of Assassin's Creed Origins game, Focal launched two limited edition headphones: Listen Wireless and Utopia by Tournaire.