Introduction

The Focal Theva Center is a center speaker in Focal's Theva line of high-fidelity loudspeakers. Positioned as part of Focal's entry-level speaker series, the Theva Center offers improved performance while maintaining an affordable price. Manufactured in France, this center speaker embodies Focal's commitment to engineering excellence. With its advanced technologies and thoughtful design, the Theva Center aims to deliver a remarkable audio experience for home theater enthusiasts. Priced at $649 each, the Theva Center provides an enticing option for those seeking high-quality sound reproduction without breaking the bank.

Design and Build Quality

As with all Focal products, the Theva Center is manufactured in France, ensuring high-quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. The speaker's construction materials and components are carefully selected to deliver both aesthetic appeal and sonic accuracy. The Theva Center features Focal's signature TNF tweeter with an inverted dome and an aluminum/magnesium diaphragm. This tweeter design, combined with a Poron surround, reduces distortion in the critical 2-3kHz range, resulting in improved clarity and precision. The Theva Center also incorporates Slatefiber cones made from non-woven carbon fibers. These cones provide exceptional stiffness and damping properties, allowing for precise and controlled sound reproduction. The use of Slatefiber cones enhances the overall dynamic range and ensures that even the most intricate details are faithfully reproduced. In terms of design, the Theva Center boasts a rear-mounted port configuration. This design choice reduces audible port turbulence, resulting in improved bass response and a cleaner overall sound. Additionally, the Theva Center features an improved grille design that covers most of the front baffle, providing better protection for the delicate components, such as the tweeter and port. This not only serves a functional purpose but also adds a touch of elegance to the speaker's appearance.

Features and Technologies

One of the standout features of the Focal Theva Center is its implementation of the TNF tweeter with a Poron surround. Focal's TNF (Tuned Mass Damper) technology reduces distortion in the critical 2-3kHz range, resulting in improved accuracy and detail in the midrange frequencies. The use of a Poron surround further enhances the tweeter's performance by minimizing resonances and ensuring a smoother frequency response. Another notable technology utilized in the Theva Center is the Slatefiber cone material. These cones, made from non-woven carbon fibers, provide exceptional stiffness and damping characteristics. The rigidity of the cones allows for precise movement, minimizing unwanted resonances and delivering accurate sound reproduction across the entire frequency range. The Slatefiber cones contribute to the speaker's ability to handle high power levels without distortion, ensuring a clean and dynamic audio experience. Additionally, the Theva Center incorporates a plinth base with a slight backward tilt. This design choice not only adds a visually appealing element to the speaker but also serves a functional purpose. The backward tilt helps time-align the tweeter with the woofer, ensuring coherent sound propagation and improved imaging. This attention to detail highlights Focal's commitment to delivering accurate and immersive sound reproduction.

Performance

When it comes to performance, the Focal Theva Center truly shines. Leveraging its advanced technologies, the Theva Center offers impressive audio quality and fidelity. The TNF tweeter with its Poron surround delivers detailed and articulate high frequencies, allowing for a captivating listening experience. The tweeter's ability to reduce distortion in the critical midrange frequencies ensures that vocals and instruments are rendered with exceptional clarity and precision. The Slatefiber cones used in the Theva Center provide excellent stiffness and damping properties, resulting in tight and controlled bass response. The rear-mounted port design further enhances the bass performance, reducing audible port turbulence and delivering deep and impactful low-frequency reproduction. Whether it's the rumble of explosions in an action movie or the subtle nuances of a double bass in a jazz recording, the Theva Center handles bass frequencies with aplomb. In terms of midrange and high-frequency performance, the Theva Center impresses with its ability to accurately reproduce vocals and instruments. The TNF tweeter exhibits excellent dispersion characteristics, ensuring that sound is evenly distributed throughout the listening area. This allows for a wide and immersive soundstage, enhancing the overall listening experience and making the Theva Center an ideal choice for both music and movie enthusiasts.

Compatibility and Integration

The Focal Theva Center is designed to seamlessly integrate into a home theater setup. As a center speaker, it serves a crucial role in anchoring the dialogue and front soundstage. The Theva Center can be paired with other speakers in the Theva series, such as the Theva 2 floor-standing speakers or the Theva 1 bookshelf speakers. This allows for a cohesive and balanced sound signature across the entire system, ensuring a captivating and immersive home theater experience. However, it is worth noting that the Theva line does not offer a dedicated subwoofer option. While the Theva Center and other speakers in the series deliver commendable bass performance, some users may desire additional low-frequency impact and extension. In such cases, it is necessary to explore subwoofer options from other manufacturers to supplement the Theva system. This may involve additional research and consideration to ensure compatibility and integration with the existing setup.

User Reviews and Feedback

At the time of writing, there is limited information available regarding specific performance characteristics or user reviews of the Focal Theva Center. While this may make it challenging for potential buyers to gauge the speaker's performance based on real-world experiences, it is important to consider Focal's reputation and the positive reception of their other products. Focal has a long history of producing high-quality speakers, and their engineering prowess is well-regarded in the audio community. While user reviews can provide valuable insights, the absence of extensive feedback should not discount the potential of the Theva Center as a capable center speaker.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Focal Theva Center is a highly commendable center speaker that offers high-fidelity performance at an affordable price point. With its advanced technologies, including the TNF tweeter with a Poron surround and Slatefiber cones, the Theva Center delivers exceptional sound quality and accuracy. The rear-mounted port design enhances bass performance, while the improved grille design provides protection for delicate components. The plinth base with a slight backward tilt adds visual style and helps time-align the tweeter with the woofer. The Theva Center is a suitable choice for home theater setups and can be paired with other speakers in the Theva series to create a cohesive and immersive audio system. While the lack of a dedicated subwoofer option within the Theva line may require additional consideration, the overall performance and value offered by the Theva Center make it a compelling option for those seeking a high-quality center speaker. With its affordable price and the assurance of Focal's engineering standards, the Theva Center is a worthy contender in the competitive world of home theater audio. Potential buyers should take into account the limited user reviews and feedback available when making their purchasing decisions. However, considering Focal's reputation for producing exceptional speakers, the Theva Center holds great promise for delivering an engaging and immersive audio experience.