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If you asked us to put together a list of possible products Focal could invent, research, manufacture and release, pebble-stone-colored outdoor speakers would be exactly nowhere on the list – but that doesn’t mean we’re not on board. .
The French high-end audio specialist (see the most recent Focal Bathys and Focal Utopia – aka some of the most beautiful headphones I’ve ever seen) just released Littora – which we assume is a play on ‘coastal’ meaning that it pertains to or is situated on the shore of the sea or a lake.
What you have is a comprehensive range of water and weather resistant speakers made to look like garden stones and other naturally occurring objects.
And in addition to speakers suitable for outdoor seating in gardens, swimming pools and entertainment areas, Focal also tells us that customers can consider the series as an installation option for a yacht. (If nothing but we hadn’t just renewed the sound system in the guest yacht.)
All the loudspeakers in the range have the innovation and performance you would expect from Focal, but the visual star of the show is the OD Stone 8 – an egg-shaped loudspeaker available in textured limestone, basalt and sand finishes.
To me, it’s like all over the world like Grand Pabbie, the wise older rock troll who comes in to work magic on Anna and Elsa, in Frozen.
Would you like the mushroom from the Valley of the Living house of the trolls? Remember, they all live in a tiny hole with a tangle of branches and mushrooms all over it! Focal gets it: The OD Sub 12 is a semi-recessed subwoofer that promises to add sublime bass to your outdoor sound.
The OD range is completed by the OD Sat 5 speakers: versatile designs that can be wall mounted or even ‘planted’ in the ground to complete the otherworldly Arundelle aesthetic (and sound system too).
Opinion: Focal offers Frozen lovers an audio delight for the holidays – and I say rock on!
I firmly believe that audio should be fun like sonically gifted (see the vaguely terrifying Wilson Audio stereo speakers, to the lovable bug-like Gravastar Mars Pro, the stunning McIntosh RS150 Bluetooth speaker, clothespin sonic textures, and of course the Bang & Olufsen soundbars that mimic graceful sailing ships) and me here , I trust Focal’s proven commitment to do the job right.
I’ve never met a Naim or Focal product (the two companies merged in 2011) that didn’t sound exceptional.
Back to the products, and all three Littora loudspeakers use Focal’s proprietary IRIS IP cone loudspeaker drivers, developed by Focal for use in all weather conditions with no loss of sound quality.
The speakers are also anti-UV treated and have certified dust and water protection: the OD Stone 8 and Sub 12 are IP45 certified; the OD Sat 5 is IP55 certified.
And the Littora speakers have a power transformer that allows them to be linked together within a 100V system, which also allows individual volume management for each speaker within the system.
Prices? Naturally. All products within the range will be available from January 2023.
The Focal Littora OD Sat 5 costs $679 / £499 / $799 CAD. My favorite OD Stone 8 has a suggested retail price of $799 / £599 / $899 CAD, while the ‘mushroom’ OD Sub 12 costs $1,999 / £1,599 / $2,499 CAD – and this speaker in particular is very similar to the one I have have seen them pump out theme music in Disney’s own theme parks, which only makes me want it more.
And there’s a bundle 4.1 deal too! This includes four OD Sat 5 speakers and one OD Sub 12 for $3,999 / £2,999 / $4,499 CAD. We’re waiting for Australian pricing, but that should mean prices start at around AU$1,270 for that Pabbie model.
I’m fighting the urge to buy a Stone 8 now for the new year, but I should probably curb my spending. It’s probably one of the best party speakers I’ll ever hear, but as my favorite magical Disney rock troll said in 2013, “the heart isn’t so easy to change…but the head can be convinced”.