The W cone was born at the same time as the Grande Utopia of 1995. At the time, the goal was to get closer to the theoretical ideals that consisted in getting simultaneously 3 essential qualities: create a material that is both ultra-light and more rigid than any other that benefits from high internal damping to avoid any sound coloration. The W sandwich was the perfect answer, but its incredibly complex creation confined it to the laboratory, exclusively restricted to the Grande Utopia. Since then, we never stopped progressing thanks to our R&D department and our cone manufacturing workshop proximity and the W today equips numerous Focal loudspeakers.

Seven years later, the W knows a patented major evolution. Combining glass coats of different densities and in different layers (from 1 up to 3 on the front and back sides of the cone), but also internal foams of different thickness, we are learning how to sculpt the response curve of the drivers and to control one by one the cone characteristics whether it is used for a woofer or a midrange.

The third generation of W cone appears with the Utopia 3 line with laser triming that permits to progress once again. The laser’s precision permits cut outs that were impossible so far, that’s a major point when we consider the influence of the edge profile on the driver characteristics. Straight or tilted edge, round or almost round shape, this new W evolution permitted in particular to make the Diablo woofer/midrange, where the most critical point is the surround/cone coupling.