Focal Dôme

Focal Audio Dôme 5.1 home theater speaker system

To most audio enthusiasts, “lifestyle” is little more than a code word for speakers that have been downsized to a point where they can be whisked into domestic environments without fear of spousal rejection. But getting good sound, including deep, powerful bass, involves moving lots of air — which is why many of the best speakers are big, room-filling monoliths. The problem with most so-called lifestyle speakers is that they sacrifice performance in order to perform their disappearing act. A typical lifestyle-friendly combo shifts deep-bass production to a single discreetly placed subwoofer, with the remainder of the sound divided between a few inconspicuous satellite speakers. But along with the potential minuses, there’s an advantage to this approach: Freed from their bass-production duties, the satellites are easier to position for optimum stereo and surround imaging. Focal isn’t new to the satellite/subwoofer world, having introduced its Sib & Cub combo a few years back. Now, with the Dôme system, the company has ramped the performance level up a few notches by incorporating many of the same components used in its more exotic speaker offerings.