All Focus XD speakers are digital from the source to the driver – and all can handle full-fat 24-bit/192kHz hi-res files through their entire signal path for zero-compromise sound. Users can also tell them where they are in a room (free-standing or up against a back-wall), and the speakers will optimise their sound to suit.
The Focus XD active speakers use dedicated amplifiers for each individual driver – meaning Dynaudio’s engineers can precisely optimise them for the characteristics of the driver they’re powering.
The 2017 range has had a ground-up revamp of its signal-processing flow (incorporating elements from Dynaudio’s professional LYD range of studio monitors) for substantial improvements in sound quality. Redesigned, re-tuned and more efficient crossovers behave more like digital versions of passive speakers. That simpler internal processing means an even more transparent, even more authentic sound.
The relationship between the digital amplifiers and the drivers has also been optimised, including the overload-limiters: redesigning the signal flow here has resulted in higher volume levels from the drivers without distortion or compression. It also improves signal-to-noise ratios and dynamics and, in the case of the Focus 60 XD, even lower bass.
Less need for complicated crossover filters means there’s more computing horsepower available for speaker-position compensation. That doesn’t mean simply altering the bass – it covers the whole frequency spectrum. The technology adjusts for variances that happen in frequency and phase when placing the speaker near a wall or in a corner. The 2017 Focus XD can now do this at a higher resolution for greater accuracy – and better sound even when speakers can’t be placed optimally in the room.