Focal-JMLab Cobalt 806 Bookshelf speakers
The 806 is the smaller model of the updated Cobalt series, replacing the Cobalt 807, which represented the class of monitors in the previous version of the line. The rigid, perfectly muffled cabinet is lined with sheet aluminum. MDF side pads help to reduce the sound. Elegantly curved metal grille, in addition to protective and decorative, solves the anti-diffraction problems. All Cobalt series speakers come in four different exterior finishes (Classic, Technic, Style, Signature), differing mainly by the pattern, color and coating material of the side pads. Our copy - Technic - is decorated with black ash laminate. The Signature has a natural cherry veneer on the side plates. Like on all systems of the series, the 806 has woofers/midrange drivers with cones made of Sandwich "W" composite, specially designed for JMlab's top line Utopia. Sandwich "W" is a high pressure and temperature molded structure of two thin fiberglass layers, between which a damping layer of cured syntactic foam is placed. The voice coil is wound with flat, high purity copper wire. The dome diaphragm of the TPC head is made of titanium and is sprayed with a thin (5 microns) layer of a special polymer. Note that the Cobalt Signature systems feature tweeters whose concave (titanium) domes are coated with a layer of titanium dioxide (Tioxide technology). The rear view is notable for the transparent window display, inviting you to appreciate the impeccable precision of the OPC (Optimized Phase Crossover) filter assembly, each element of which is labeled with the branded acronym - JMlab. Acoustic cable terminals and jumpers are gold-plated.
Despite the formal affiliation of the system to the chamber-monitor class, for Cobalt 806 characterized by a large-scale, unfettered presentation of the musical material. Both energetic rock and symphonic classics sound open and effective. On any musical material, you notice the diligent work with low-frequency content, free confident play in the middle. You can, of course, talk about a somewhat generalized representation of the bass array, but the bass is perceived very well delineated. The system responds accurately to percussive sounds, and when relaying particularly large sound events, correctly conveying their dynamic relief. True, at higher volume the "visibility" of small details decreases. A slight emphasis on high-frequency details results in a subtle coloristic feature, which, with some reservations, can be interpreted as a slight high-frequency toning that gives the sound image of the system a touch of emotional peculiarity. Let us note that the protective grids noticeably weaken this effect.
Certainly, the Focal Cobalt 806 is quite universal in terms of musical genres. We especially want to note the uncommon for small-sized acoustics ability to create a large spectacular sound, which is very beneficial for both symphonic classics and hard modern music. By changing the orientation of the speakers, you can quite effectively adjust the sound fullness of high-frequency energy.
