Focal has a new owner – and I'm worried and excited in equal measure

In case you missed it, established audio brands Focal and Naim are set to be taken over by Belgian firm Barco. Better known for its healthcare tech, as well as assets in enterprise and entertainment, it seems on the face of it to be a slightly odd arrangement, considering Barco's lack of experience in the audio sector.

It's a realm into which the Belgian firm is keen to expand, however, with Barco aiming for an "evolution towards integrated audio-visual solutions, offering high‑end visualisation and audio solutions to both consumer and professional customers.”

We don't know exactly what the plan is at the moment, but we know that Barco wants to expand into home cinema, public spaces and professional cinema arenas, and with the acquisition of Focal and Naim, it's clearly keen on sound, too.

That's all well and good, and there's no question that the new ownership has the potential to put some significant financial backing into its latest acquisitions. The company's official revenue last year clocked in at around €963.8 million, a pretty decent amount for, potentially, pumping into audio and home entertainment.

Lots of money should be sloshing around, then, although we'll wait and see how Focal plans on using it, or the extent to which new ownership will have an effect on how the company is run.

Often, when smaller brands are amalgamated into larger ones, such as Arcam's integration within the wider world of Harman (in turn owned by the colossus that is Samsung), it tends to mean more resources and access to established consumer networks. The extent to which interference trickles down from above, of course, varies significantly.

What we're hoping for Focal, and indeed for Naim, is that it's generally business as usual. Focal's recent run of headphones, be they wired or wireless, has been outstanding, with the Bathys, Clear Mg and Bathys Mg over-ears impressing us mightily with five-star sound and looks that could kill. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

New owners don't tend to change sonic signatures, and we hope that's the case with Barco and its new assets. Focal's current crop of headphones really are some of the best in their respective classes, so we're not keen for a wholesale change sonically. If it ain't broke, and all that...

While a deviation from that tasty Focal blend of detail, spaciousness and sheer musicality might not be the route to take, we would tentatively welcome expansion into different ends of the market.

The brand's cans have tended to be focused on the upper echelons of the headphones landscape – the Focal Azurys tend to knock around at the bottom end of the scale, and they'll still set you back around £499 – so opening up to newer, more affordable avenues wouldn't be a bad thing. New ownership and more resources might free up the opportunity to do just that.

Focal has carved an impressive niche within the world of wired and wireless headphones, with very few brands capable of emulating the unique look and sound of its best and brightest.

What we want is a best of both worlds scenario. New avenues of expansion would be exciting, but sonically, with a brand like Focal, sometimes things are best left the way they are.

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