Electra CC 1008 Be belongs to the 2nd generation of Electra 1000 Be 2 loudspeakers developed by Focal to offer high-end loudspeakers with new finishes, new speaker drivers and even more sophisticated sound. Particularly suitable for home cinema systems, Electra loudspeakers are easy to install and use. The Electra 1038Bes give a hefty slice of the performance and technology of Focal’s high-end Utopia range but at a fraction of the cost Sometimes we just get a good feeling about a product. That’s what happened when we first heard the Focal Electra 1038Bes making up the front left and right.

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Written by SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors

Category: Components Components

Created: 01 March 2013 01 March 2013

Focal, of France, was established in 1979 by Jacques Mahul. The company’s first products were loudspeakers for the home, sold under the brand name JMlab (for Jacques Mahul’s laboratory), and drive-units, branded as Focal. Since then the company has branched out into car audio, pro audio, and, most recently, headphones, and a few years ago decided to sell all their products under the Focal name.

Focal’s current line of home speakers is vast, starting with the Chorus 700 V series and topping out with the Utopia III models. Not surprisingly, given the company’s age and the sheer volume of speakers they produce, we’ve reviewed a number of Focal models over the years, but Philip Beaudette’s February 1 review on this site of the Electra 1008 Be 2 stands out from the rest -- based on that review, the speaker earned a Reviewers’ Choice award, and is now being included in this list of Recommended Reference Components.

The Electra 1008 Be 2, a bookshelf model, retails for $5499 USD per pair, measures 15 3/16”H x 10 3/8”W x 13 3/4”D, and weighs 33 pounds. Its cabinetwork is superb, and its styling is as attractive as it is distinctive. This two-way design’s two drivers are both made by Focal: a 1.25” inverted-dome tweeter with a beryllium diaphragm, and a 6.5” midrange-woofer with a cone made of the company’s proprietary W material. (The Electra 1000 Be 2 series, directly below the Utopia III series, also includes two floorstanding models, the Electra 1028 Be and Electra 1038 Be.)

Our measurements of the 1008 Be 2 in the anechoic chamber of Canada’s National Research Council revealed a relatively flat frequency response on axis, and well-controlled dispersion. The distortion at 90dB was commendably low, so the speaker was tested again at 95dB (at a distance of 2m, which is equivalent to 101dB at 1m), a level usually reserved for robust floorstanders. Our tests also showed that the 1008 Be 2’s impedance stays mostly above 4 ohms, meaning that the speaker won’t be too tough for most amplifiers to drive. Its sensitivity under our test conditions was 86.5dB (2.83V/m), which is a little lower than Focal’s spec of 89dB, but about average for a speaker of this type.

Philip found the Electra 1008 Be 2 to perform remarkably well, and that its sound had certain characteristics that he whittled down to three words: “precise, full, and clean.” He was also impressed that these stand-mounted speakers had an authority that belied their size. When he played 'Caught a Lite Sneeze,' from Tori Amos’s Boys for Pele (CD, Atlantic 82862-2), “The stage they created was immense, populated by larger-than-life, in-your-face aural images that were unapologetically immediate. The percussion was delivered with power and poise, and Amos’s voice, the centerpiece of the cacophony, was vividly present and detailed.”

There was also the matter of 1008 Be 2’s resolution, which Philip found first-rate, allowing him to hear even small differences among components upstream: “The Electra 1008 Be 2 was pretty revealing of what the other components in my system were doing, its transparency making it easy for me to hear the character of both the electronics and the recordings themselves -- such as ‘Pink Matter,’ from Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange (CD, Def Jam/Island B001578802). Through the Simaudio [Moon Evolution] 650D’s DAC, Ocean’s voice sounded clear and sweet, if a bit distant in terms of its place at the front of the room. When I switched over to the Hegel HD20’s DAC, Ocean’s voice seemed to jump out of the mix, the overall sound becoming more forward and immersive. The 1008 Be 2 proved useful for uncovering the personality of each DAC, and would likely be an educational tool for those who want to better understand what the upstream components of their system are contributing to its sound.” Obviously, the 1008 Be 2’s revealing nature would help to make it a great reviewing tool.

The $5499 commanded for a pair of Focal Electra 1008 Be 2s is not insignificant, but this speaker justifies its asking price by delivering build quality, styling, technical innovation, and sound that are all a cut above those of most of its competition, and that make it a reference against which to judge other bookshelf speakers. What Philip said toward the end of his review is something we not only stand by, but want to emphasize by repeating here: “If you’re in the market for a reference bookshelf speaker, you’d be making a terrible oversight if you didn’t include the Electra 1008 Be 2 on your audition list. Highly recommended.”

Manufacturer contact information:

Focal
BP 374, 108 rue de l’avenir
42353 La Talaudière Cedex
France
Phone: (33) 4-77-43-57-00

Website: www.focal.com

Ships from United States. Most customers receive within 2-10 days.

Sold and Shipped by WORLD WIDE STEREO

• Overview
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Small in Size Big in Performance

The high end bookshelf speaker Electra 1008 Be embodies Focal's know-how in terms of high-end compact loudspeakers. It provides a spacious and natural sound image optimised definition precise bass and a great sound restitution. The high power-handling enables it to work in rooms of 40m² and more.Made in France in Focals workshops in Saint-tienne Electra 1008 Be takes up a minimum amount of space and offers stunningly high performance for optimal integration in the listening room.

The compact hi-fi loudspeaker Electra 1008 Be takes up a minimum amount of space and offers high performance for optimal integration.

The 'W' composite sandwich cone permits total optimization of the frequency response curve thanks to the total control of three key parameters: lightness rigidity and damping. These unique characteristics of lightness and rigidity provide control of the signal transmission speed inside the material.

Focal Electra Cc 1008 Be Price

Due to its incredible rigidity Beryllium represents the ultimate material for a tweeter dome. After two years of research and development Focal produced a world first: a pure Beryllium inverted dome able to cover more than five octaves. You will improve the perception of transients and other micro details. As well the linearity of the speakers response curve is mainly a function of three opposite parameters: lightness rigidity and damping.

Electra 1000 Be loudspeakers feature an innovative technology called IAL (Infinite Acoustic Load). This technology enabled us to design a tweeter with a very wide frequency range capable of extending very low down in frequency response for relaying the midrange much earlier. This technology allows the frequency range to which the human ear is sensitive to be reproduced by the ultra-light tweeter with exceptional definition.

When style and technology meet harmony arises. Le design de Electra 1000 Be design has been entrusted to Pineau Le Porcher agency in order to create a pure line of simple natural where each style element would harmonize with the technical necessities to create the best speaker possible. Each curve is studied to bring a tangible response and correction to a given problem.

The tweeter housing and coupling is a moulded solid piece of aluminum alloy which represents an ultra-stable mechanical reference with absolutely no vibration. Every aspect of Electra 1000 Be 2 has a purpose.

• Electra 1008 BE 2-Way Bass-Reflex Bookshelf Speaker


• Manual

• Type: 2-way vented bookshelf loudspeaker
• Drivers
  • 6 1/2' 'W' cone midbass
  • 1 1/4' pure Beryllium IAL inverted dome tweeter
• Frequency response (+/-3dB): 46Hz - 40kHz
• Low frequency point (- 6dB): 41Hz
• Sensitivity (2.83V/1m): 89dB
• Nominal impedance: 8
• Minimum impedance: 3.9
• Crossover frequency: 2200Hz
• Recommended amplifier power: 25 - 150W
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 15 3/16' x 10 3/8' x 13 3/4'
• Net weight: 33 lbs.

Focal Electra 1008 Be Speakers

• Manufacturer Contact Info
• Website: http://www.focal.com

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• This item is covered by WORLD WIDE STEREO Return Policy.