A 3-way Monitor and a 2-way Monitor – in One

The genius behind the Focal SM9 active studio monitor may seem simple; in fact, it is simple, but pure genius nonetheless. Unlike ordinary studio monitors, Focal SM9s are switchable between 3-way and 2-way operating modes, making them invaluable to any discerning mix engineer. First, check out the SM9’s 3-way mode. In 3-way mode, you get the full-range benefit of the SM9’s 1″ pure Beryllium inverted-dome tweeter (capable of accurately producing between 1kHz-40kHz) working in concert with its 6.5″ Focal “W” cone midrange and 8″ Focal “W” cone low-frequency drivers.

Quality Matters

Thanks to its radical closed design, which uses a passive radiator (an 11″ Focal “W” composite sandwich cone piston mounted with an extra wide inverted surround radiator) instead of a typical bass port, the SM9 provides tightly focused sound across the complete frequency spectrum. They’re capable of bringing out never-before heard details in any mix. How detailed are they? Put mildly, we saw a pair of SM9s in action at their 2010 debut during an AES listening session. During this session, world-renown mastering engineer David Kutch listened as a pair of these monitors played back a popular R&B track that he himself had mastered. Suffice it to say, he was more than a little impressed.
Now, let’s flip over to the 2-way mode. When you flip the SM9 into 2-way mode, you still have complete access its entire EQ section, so you don’t need to worry about retuning your monitors to accommodate your room. What happens is that the 8″ low-frequency driver gets cut out of the mix and the overall frequency response shifts from 30Hz-40kHz to 90Hz-20kHz. This cuts out the deep lows and super-aural harmonic overtones that typical consumer gear can’t produce, but it still gives you the tightly focused (or rather, an even more tightly focused) sound you need to critically tweak your mix to ensure that it translates. What that means for you is that when you buy an SM9 studio monitor, you’re really getting two ultra-high-end monitors in one. If you’re only going to use one pair of studio monitors, you won’t go wrong with a couple of Focal SM9s.