Focal-JMlab is a French company that has been designing and selling high fidelity audio systems since 1979. Based in Saint-Étienne, the company manufactures loudspeakers for the home, speaker drivers for automobiles, headphones, professional studio monitors, as well as outdoor speakers and systems dedicated to yachts.

The Grande Utopia is the brand's emblematic loudspeaker, which earned the company its worldwide reputation. It is considered one of the best high-fidelity loudspeakers in the world.

Focal's industrial strategy concentrates on having full control over the entire production process, from the design and manufacturing of the speaker drivers to the assembly of the final product. Its products are entirely designed and developed in France, and the majority of the production is carried out at the workshops in Saint-Étienne (France). Focal has been a member of the Comité Colbert since 2024.

Focal-JMlab generates a €156 million annual turnover and employs around 300 people at its facility in Saint-Étienne, which groups the production, R&D and management departments at the same site. Its export share is 70%.

Focal-JMlab, a research office dedicated to acoustics was founded in 1979 in Paris by engineer, high-fidelity enthusiast and technology journalist Jacques Mahul. He began making his first speaker drivers in a small workshop in Saint-Etienne, at a precision mechanics company, which belonged to his father. Whilst producing his speaker drivers, Jacques Mahul also launched his own range of loudspeakers under the brand JMlab. His first loudspeaker, the DB13, was a bookshelf loudspeaker, which produced volumes comparable to larger loudspeakers, particularly in bass frequencies. Initially, he only sold his product to acquaintances but the DB13 was soon launched on the market.

In the 1980s, the two brands became established. Focal focused on innovation, producing specialised products such as the polyglass "V" cone and Polykevlar cone. The materials used on the tweeter evolved from glass fibres to Kevlar, producing a more linear frequency response curve and a smoother and less piercing treble. As for JMlab, the company went from being a manufacturer of small-and medium-sized loudspeakers to a manufacturer of high-end models.

Things rapidly began to pick up speed in 1990 with the arrival of Gérard Chrétien, another high-end, high-fidelity enthusiast and editor-in-chief of the magazine L’Audiophile since 1977. He was also the managing director and marketing director of Focal-JMlab. By adapting the company's products to the demands of the consumer, the brand soon earned its role as a leader in the French loudspeaker market. The company's turnover increased from €9 million in 1992 to €26 million in 2000.

It was also in the early 1990s that the company implemented an export strategy for its loudspeakers across Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. The brand's reputation on the international stage was reinforced by various awards. The JMlab Vega model was voted "Loudspeaker of the Year, 1992" in Japan and in 1996, the Grande Utopia model was praised by the international press.