Bass loading is via two low-turbulence ports at the sides of the baffle, and a centrally placed Focal TB871 inverted-dome beryllium tweeter handles the high end. Beryllium is now designated a hazardous material, so specific documentation relating to its shipping and disposal is included in the manual. By restricting the mid-range to only one of the two drivers, the phase problems that can occur when reproducing the same signal from two drivers are reduced except at very low frequencies. The long wavelengths involved at the low end mean that routing the bass to both drivers to double up on power handling causes no significant phase issues.
As with other speakers of this type, the Twin 6 is designed to be used horizontally, which can be an advantage when mounted on a meter bridge. Though they are relatively compact, at 250 x 500 x 340mm (9.8 x 19.7 x 13.4 inches), and weigh around 14kg each, the frequency range of these speakers covers a more than respectable 40Hz-40kHz, though the lack of information on how many dB down the level is at these points renders these figures less informative than they might otherwise have been. The peak SPL is 115dB, which is not as loud as some midfield monitors, but more than loud enough for sensible monitoring — and almost loud enough to be used as a small PA system!
All the necessary connections and controls are found on the rear panel. The mains inlet (230V or 115V switchable) is a standard IEC connector, with associated switch and power LED. The input is electronically balanced, with a switchable sensitivity of +4dBu or -10dBV. All the electronics are mounted on the metal rear panel, which also doubles as a heat sink. This panel is recessed flush with the rear of the cabinet and held in place by a number of cap-head
In addition to the level switch there's also a Speaker (left/right) switch. This enables you to make sure the woofers are driven as a mirrored pair, to ensure symmetry. In essence, it dictates which of the cone drivers handles the bass/mid and which one the bass, so these switches need to be set up in opposite directions for the two speakers. Low- (150Hz) and high-frequency (5kHz) contours are adjustable using slotted potentiometers over the range ±6dB and ±3dB respectively, to compensate for room position and user preference. There are no details of the crossover design in the spec sheet, so I don't know whether these controls directly adjust the feed level to the low- and high-end amplifiers post-crossover, or whether they are separate filters.
On a practical note, though the metal rear panel is flush with the back of the cabinet, the two very small toggle switches used to set the input sensitivity and the left/right status stick out rather a long way. This leaves them extremely vulnerable to damage, and on one of the speakers I received for review, both switch toggles had been pushed right back into the switch housing after the polystyrene packing pieces had cracked and shifted in transit. This type of design flaw is bad enough in speakers that will be set up once and then left, but given that producers often want to buy speakers they can take around with them as a reference, this point would be a major concern for such users. Recessed buttons would have been much more practical. Thankfully, the guys at UK distributors Unity Audio tell me they're considering getting some 'roll-bar' style handles fitted over them to offer the necessary protection.
The cabinet itself is unusually stylish for a studio monitor, with the top and bottom panels veneered in what appears to be some type of highly figured red wood. The rest of the enclosure is finished in black, and the corners are all radiused. Shot-blasted trim rings around the cone drivers give the baffle a very sophisticated look, and both these trim rings and the tweeter are recessed flush with the baffle. The power LED shows just above the Focal logo. Structurally, the cabinet is built from hefty 19mm MDF with internal braces, and because it is fairly compact, there's very little opportunity for the panels to resonate.
