Focal Vs Alpine? In Fg F6

[eicarsto]

Hi All,

I have been given the following quotes for Focals and Alpines.

Alpine SPR17S=$300

Alpine SPR17C=$199

Focal 165V1=$339

Focal 165CVX=$249

What do you all think? Is it worth the extra $88?

I hear great things about Focal, but I also hear good things about Alpine.

And when I listen to the different speakers in the shop..to be honest I cant tell the difference between $50 Sonys and $500 Focals!

I prefer spending right the first time than buying cheap and then ripping out and replacing later.

Thanks in advance.

[boost-kid]

hi mate

to be honest, you cant beat focals

I have focals in my xr,and they sound mental in quality,loudness and such crisp sound.

the alpines will sound good no doubt, but the focals you have mentioned cant compare

ofcourse this is my own opinion,but I do love my music and systems, and cant stand listening to anything other then quality.

my friend has a set of type x's, and they do sound great,but I can still tell the difference to my focals which just have the extra edge.

hope this helps you out.

[rednuts81]

  boost-kid said:

hi mate

:beerchug:to be honest, you cant beat focals

I have focals in my xr,and they sound mental in quality,loudness and such crisp sound.

the alpines will sound good no doubt, but the focals you have mentioned cant compare

ofcourse this is my own opinion,but I do love my music and systems, and cant stand listening to anything other then quality.

my friend has a set of type x's, and they do sound great,but I can still tell the difference to my focals which just have the extra edge.

hope this helps you out.

. I used to have focals in my old spl car . I dont think you will find a more crisp sounding speaker

[Tocchi]

with any of these speakers, can you use the stock amp?

or would that under power them?

[boost-kid]

  Tocchi said:

with any of these speakers, can you use the stock amp?

or would that under power them?

fairly sure stock amp wont do the job,even if it did they would sound like crap and nowhere near there full and thrilling potential

[eicarsto]

At this stage I wont be moving to an amp, simply running the new speakers from the existing HU.

I know the existing FG speakers are a bit hopeless, and most of the time the HU is not the problem it is the crappy speakers.

If the need for an extra amp is required I will look at installing. I am after clarity rather than volume, if that makes sense?

[xr6greg]

My basic understanding is that you need a decent amp to power decent speakers to obtain a decent sound - I'm not talking high volume to make the sound decent. At normal volume a decent speakers needs clean power from an amp.

I doubt if anyone is good enough to tell the difference between various speakers, once you get into the brand names (Focal, Alpines, etc), if everything is set up correctly. Its ony when you have a real particular need for a certain quality in a speaker that it becomes hyper-important to choose between brands.

So figure out your budget, get a (or a couple) of decent amps and hook up some brand name speakers.

Me? Pioneer amps and Infinity Kappa and Reference speakers are the go.

[qik1]

I'm running a set of focals in my front & they are unreal. Have had both focal & alpine & focal wins hands down. As for running them with an amp its a must.

[HI PSI]

In all honesty it depends on your own listening preferences and what type of music that you listen to. Focal and alpine are in all honety on a level playing field in the top end department. However I feel that Alpine (Especially the R series) have a stronger mid bass. Which is especially beneficial to the front stage and is the hardest area of the car to get good sound. The rear is not as cruical, and it will only give you a mono signal anyway.....

I would recommend buying an amplifier. Buy one that will supply sufficient power (Same or more than the RMS/NOMINALpower of the speakers) as they are both brands very power hungry. It will also allow you to tune the system corretly. the factory amps do not have any crossover or gain adjustments on them. Consider the amp in the same context as your fuel pump. If your engine doesn't get enough juice it will not run to its full potential and cause damage. This applies to audio also. Distortion in car audio is either form a bad tune or underpowering as the cone no longer has controlled movement. Buy the best amp/amps that you can afford. Even best spekers in the world will sound like crap if they are underdriven.

Fitting is just as crucial. Sound deadening, correct polarity, fitment and tweeter location and direction is critical. If you don't know what you are doing, please get qualified professionals to fit them as poor fitment will also degrade the sound reproduction and lessen your listening experience.

I worked in as a professional car audio installer for 5 years. I designed, built and installed custom systems. I left the industry in 2004 to make more money.

Be sure to make a cd with your favourite tracks and spend alot of time listening to the spakers before you make your decision. Stand there and close your eyes as you listen to the music and let your ears be the judge. We all have different tastes and needs.

Good luck......

Brad

Edited 16/07/09 09:22 AM by HI PSI

[sicklaser]

  Quote

I am after clarity rather than volume, if that makes sense

go the focals then. the type r's sound pretty good and play really hard but the focals are quite a bit more refined but they wount blow your windows out.

you will be dissapointed if you do put them in running off the factory deck but if you cant afford an amp just live with it for a few weeks till you can afford one. if you can afford an amp now then do it. and dont just get a cheap piece of sh*t like a US Audio or a Sound Magnus (Option Audio) or some junk like that. You would want to spend a good $350 to $400 for a decent 4 channel.