Does any one know where I can pick these up? I have been searching all over the net and I can't seem to find them any where. I currently have the MB Quart PCE 213 series ,in the front and rear, hooked up to a Pioneer Avic-N1 w/ no amp and it sounds great at lower volumes but as soon as I start playing it louder the speakers start to get distorted. I plan to get an amp for it but I don't know if it will solve this problem. I will probably just get another set of speakers and I am llooking at the Focals. If I hook up an amp will it solve the problem or should i just look at another set of speakers. Any information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanx RecklessTL

 

Ya you really need a good amp on any aftermarket speaker to make them sound their best. I have 100watts/speaker RMS and my system can play very loud and clear or when played low, I can hear every little sound.

BTW, where did you get the Focal idea? I havent heard of anyone but me having those. But trust me, if people heard them, everyone would have them. The slims also fit perfectly in our doors w/o a spacer, if you get the 6.5 inchers, you will have to enlarge the opening some. I agree they are hard to find. You can get them off Ebay, but dont expect any warranty with them or if you have a CarToys nearby, you can get them there or from their website.

PM me with any questions you may have.

 

I agree with OU in that you should get an amp. Your Pioneer is only designed to put out maybe 20 watts. You need more power to allow your speakers to play louder without distortion. The Quarts you have are considered to be top notch. They should rival the Focals and some would say outperform. It just depends on your likes and dislikes. Quarts have always been a bit bright for my taste but that is beside the point. If you can, get yourself a good amp for the Quarts, 50 watts minimum per side and see what you think. That may be cheaper than buying new Focals anyway.

 

I agree too. Get clean power first. Plus, that way when you do buy the speakers of your dreams, you'll hear the difference from the old ones because you were listening to them with the same equipment minutes before replacing them.


You can get some pretty sweet deals on MTX amps on ebay. I got a 564 for about $200 shipped--and that's probably double the power I'll ever need or want. (70w rms X 4).

 

Thanks for the info guys I really appreciate it.

OU - I have been reading alot of Car Audio Mags and the focals are a very popular set. Thats where I got it from and plus I saw ur previous threads on it.

I have 2 kicker 12in L7's(2004)hooked up to a Soundstream Tr880 so I just decided to buy a Soundstream 4 channel amp. I just ordered the Soundstream VGA500.4. It should be coming in next week. Lets hope this works guys. Thanx again RecklessTL

 

I agree with everyone.. go figure.. lol...

you NEED AN amp when it comes to any aftermarket speakers for them to sound good. the more CLEAN power you can put at them the better... Clean power will not blow up a speaker (in most cases). Distortion is what kills speakers..

Now I am not saying put 1000W to a component set, but you could EASILY put 200W to a pair of focal utopias. I know cause I have a friend who does competitions and has a pair of focals in his truck, the 136W Utopia's and he has a zapco (clean power) running to each side. 190W to EACH SIDE.. they can take a ton of power as long as it's clean.. He has had these for 3 years now and no problems yet.

focal does offer a really good speaker but IF something does go wrong, your are screwed not having gotten them at a dealer. It will take you MONTHS to get any replacements IF ANY AT ALL. That is why i went with DLS stuff...

Their top of the line competes with focal utopias all day long overseas and wins their fair share of comps. they are cheaper too... and their service is top notch. I got the top of the line Iridium stuff.. SOUNDS AMAZING.. and plays really loud too...

let me know if you need more info.. I can fill ya in some more..

Ryan

 

I worry about buying stuff from unauthorized dealers. But, since new stuff is typically 50% less online, I figure if it breaks I can buy another set while I try to finagle an RMA out of the manufacturer. Hope I never have to find out...

 

I feel the same way. I usually get all the stuff that I could foresee going out from a real store, but the rest I get online... I mean I paid less than half price for my Focals and I have only had 1 tweeter go out (my own fault cause I didnt break them in at all) And you can get Focal from an authorized dealer here in the US, I know CarToys carries them and Im sure a few others do or can get them. The place that installed my system started carrying Focal after they heard how good they sound . So, warranty issues arent a problem.

 

I am not saying that you can't get warranty on the equipment, but if you install it yourself then the warranty is much shorter time frame. ALSO.. I am not saying that you can't get Focal to replace them.. I am just saying it will take A LONG TIME. A month mininum, probably more.

They are an amazing speaker though, if only their customer service were better. They arae well worth the price if you heard them, which some of you guys have so you know. The utopia line is the best and man, I love the sound. The DLS stuff I am getting is RIGHT THERE with the Utopia line and they are much better with customer service.

Ryan

 

you are right if you buy something online, but if you go to one of the authorized stores, its not harder than getting warranty service on any other speaker.

 

I am not saying harder just will take longer cause focal has shitty customer service and their turn around time is crap.

but yeah if you go to a authorized dealer then you are set.. just might take awhile to get your stuff back.

ryan

 

I have the AVIC-N1 with JL Audio Amp driving the Focal. It is AWSOME. You are more than welcome to hear them. I live in Northern NJ, and work in Central NJ. PM me, if interested.