We are very pleased to announce that our latest generation of FormCore drivers is now in production. This is the culmination of a five-year research and development program to push the boundaries of manufacturing technology.
Our driver cones are unique, outperforming every other cone material and design that we have tested.
In 2012, YG Acoustics revolutionized driver design with our BilletCore cone. Each begins life as a massive slab of heat-treated, aircraft-grade aluminum alloy. Over 99% of the material is meticulously machined away and recycled, leaving a finished cone just 0.2 mm (0.008”) thick and weighing under 30 g (1 oz). With a shape optimized through extensive simulation and measurement, BilletCore drivers provide unrivaled bandwidth, exceptionally low distortion, and the fastest transient response.
Research and development are core to our culture, so while BilletCore has undergone a series of refinements over the years, we never stopped searching for what might come next. We were driven by two parallel goals: to push performance yet further, and to improve the sustainability of our production processes.
The challenge was immense. For years, nothing could match the performance and consistency of BilletCore. Our R&D team explored countless options: carbon fiber composites, sandwich diaphragms (using various core materials like honeycombs, AIREX, and ROHACELL foam), magnesium, titanium, thin-ply carbon and diamond. Manufacturing techniques included every conventional way of making a cone, as well as 3D printing, Automated Fiber Placement and spin forming. Nothing even came close.
The breakthrough came in 2023, drawing on new aluminum alloys, advances in techniques such as roboforming, and new electrochemical surface treatments. For the first time, we saw a path that could deliver BilletCore’s exceptional performance without extensive subtractive machining.
This began an intensive two-year period of prototyping and production proving, with each generation of cone honed through simulation, testing, and critical listening.
We call the new cones FormCore. They are formed from a sheet of a special aluminum alloy, with fine control over both thickness and built-in stresses. A critical final step places an exceptionally hard, 0.05 mm (0.001") layer on both the front and back of the cone.
FormCore matches the legendary performance of BilletCore. It delivers the same effortless realism, explosive dynamics, and intimate detail, whether you are enjoying concert volumes or savoring the quietest moments. Pace and timing remain unmatched, with transients rendered to perfection.
FormCore achieves this using significantly less material and energy, and it unlocks exciting possibilities for future driver innovations. While FormCore drivers are more expensive to produce than BilletCore, our commitment to this superior technology is absolute. We aim to move all our cone driver production to FormCore during 2025.