Focal Utopia
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Bronze Member Username: WaryCalgary, Alberta Canada Post Number: 20 Registered: Jul-05 | Are there any components out there that compare with these things? I heard them ina store today, and i can't believe the difference you can hear between their, Utopia, Power, Polyglass line, wow I want Utopia's now! any speaker that's better for the price or cheaper but comparable? |
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Silver Member Username: Mikechec9Chicago/atlanta Post Number: 632 Registered: May-05 | yeah, i agree the utopias sound great. they are really crisp in the highs. if this is the sound you are going for, you will be hard pressed to find better. however there are comparable brands, each similar but offering slightly verying characteristics. i have the dls iridiums and i love them. i like them over the utopias because they are not as bright and colorful. i couldn't possibly phrase it any better than Jonathan already has. Therefore, here is his articulate interpretation: The Focals can be very neutral, but being an inverted dome, the tweeter has odd dispersion and is very difficult to get the installation right. Another thing that boils down to installation. Midbass has a lot of output and is stronger than a lot of components, not as airy and natural as others. Midrange is clear and liquid sounding, very pleasing. The SEAS components are excellent and the midbass is one of the most detailed out there, but low end extension isn't quite as good as others and bass tends to be a little dry. Upper end requires a notch filter to tame the resonant peak of the magnesium cone. Good news is the x-over does the work for you. Somewhat neutral sound, not harsh at all, accurate midrange reproduction, and neutral tweeters (even the metal dome) to match it. Drivers are very dynamic. (Notch filter is a LCR circuit that is designed to take a "notch" out of the frequency that the driver resonates at. The component values are determined by the DC resistance, resonant frequency, and the Electrical and Mechanical Q of the driver. Simply put, in this specific case this is a circuit that is used to tame the resonance of the magnesium cone, it dampens response at that frequency so that the resonance of the driver doesn't affect crossover operation (and result in fatiguing midrange resonance, even past the X-over frequency)). Dynaudios are very warm, airy, and neutral. They are also quirky with their install, while they will work in doors or other locations, to bring out their best requires custom mounting and experimentation. Their strong point is the transparency of the drivers. They can disappear better than nearly any car speaker out there, and don't color the music as much as most others do. All the detail is there, but they aren't aggressive with the detail as others are, it doesn't jump out at you. Lower bass is performed well and is very accurate, but it is more airy and not as authoritative. Most of the general population would prefer a punchy midbass. DLS is smooth and natural in their sound reproduction, similar to the Dynaudios mentioned above, but a bit more lively. Upper midrange tends to be a bit dark due to a rolloff, but not by a lot. Bass reproduction is strong and accurate. Tweeter is very smooth. Set isn't harsh by any means either. Morel is similar to Dynaudio, which makes sense as they license a lot of Dynaudios technology. Sweet and warm sound, very strong bass performance. Overall very neutral performance, similar to that of Dynaudio. CDT is also known for natural sounding speakers, they use mainly Vifa drivers in their component speakers. Their crossovers are what make the systems what they are, they are very good sets for the average installer, especially the braxials. CDT is geared more for people that want great sound, but don't want to do an extensive installation to get it. Not saying that a custom installation won't bring that much more out of them. MB Quart makes great components, but as Focal, they are controversial because they are difficult to get the tweeter right. Smooth, detailed midrange reproduction, tweeter is very detailed, but bright by many people's ears. The Rainbows, overall, are very natural and dynamic. Think Focal Utopia with a soft tweeter for the upper end models. If you've ever heard the SEAS excel home drivers (paper coned ones), then you'll have an idea of what Rainbow drivers sound like. They're very clean and neutral, strong bass output, accurate midrange and smooth tweeters. Seems to be characteristic of all high end sets. All in all, though, the end result is determined by the installation. Installed optimally, these components will sound similar to one another in the fact that they will give clean, detailed sound reproduction and good imaging. The overall sound character is determined by many factors, the surrounding vehicle and installation location determines it more than anything, though. While all the speakers have a different character, you have to determine whether the components you're considering will work well in your application. You'll get better results choosing components that work well with your installation than you will just choosing what sounds good. There are many methods to get great sound, and that is the reason these manufacturers have different engineering principles. What sounds harsh or dull in one vehicle may be just right in another, determined by the environment and also the ears. |
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Bronze Member Username: WaryCalgary, Alberta Canada Post Number: 21 Registered: Jul-05 | That's an excellent review, however, I'm sure they all have their different models. What about Boston Acoustics? Pros? Zs? I listen to mostly rap, and I'd probably like something with a good mid. I konw rap doesn't mostly need the high crisp detail of a utopia, but they were just amazing compared to the rest. Rainbows seem to be the most entertaining. best place to buy them? These would be powered by a Audison LRX 2.500. I was planning on mounting them on the front pillars but that seems expensive and not worth it as my vehicle already has factory tweeters in the doors. Thanks for the review post mike |
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Silver Member Username: Mikechec9Chicago/atlanta Post Number: 635 Registered: May-05 | no doubt. like i said, jonathan lays it out pretty accurately. and allow me to take the time to compliment you on your rare taste in equipment. i like the old boston pros. they were a bit punchy and perfect for rap. i heard their Z's in a sound board and they didn't entertain me at all. plus the build was awkward and cheap imo. i can't imagine anything that obtrusive being in anyone's kicks. i stopped checking for boston about the time they were picked up by tweeter/hifi buy. with regards to your tweets in the doors. i suggest placing them in the A-pillar, the kicks, or high in the dash. once you get them, move them around to find the sweet spot. set them. and then tweek them using a processor. highs in the doors are not likely to provide optimal performance of which drivers of this caliber are capable. although i have seen some tweets placed high and forward in the door, you generally still want your stage to be set more forward than that. |
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Bronze Member Username: WaryCalgary, Alberta Canada Post Number: 22 Registered: Jul-05 | Thanks, got some good equipment at home  I will incorporate a PG EQ 215 into the system as well. I was thinking about going down to a pick-a-part and seeing if I could find some pillars for my car to make moldings out of but I thought it might be too much work. I would like to put them up higher, or a-pillar, but I would have to drill holes, and I want to keep the factory settings, but I will try the tweeter in different places to really see if it makes that big of a different, perhaps just using some velco. Would mounting the tweeter on the a-pillar be a bad idea? heh, strong velco with glue! I know a couple dealers around here for Focal and probably get them pretty cheap cause I'm friends with them but I was wondering if I should maybe get some Rainbow over the net to get the mid bass? I'm having this dilemma with Focal SQ subs, but would like more SQL. running from Audison LRX 1.400 |
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Bronze Member Username: FirlefanzPost Number: 46 Registered: Jul-05 | Sweet spots for tweeters: You might try the door in the triangle where the mirrors are mounted. You find these plastic triangles for a lot of cars on the net, in this way you just install back the old ones when the car is sold. Most people go for the a-pillar, but this means a lot of work on the moldings. The velcro idea is nice, but wont look to good. I wouldnt recommend to place them in the dash facing up to the windshield, this may create a kinda horn effect. |
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Bronze Member Username: WaryCalgary, Alberta Canada Post Number: 23 Registered: Jul-05 | I had suggested that to my friend, and he said sense my mirriors are motorized that that's where all the electronics are for them, and it would be pretty hard to put it in there? So I guess the worst place to put is where they already are, in the door? lol I know for Utopia's it really depends on the install, so I appreciate all the ideas. Also need to be ina place I'd imagine where there would be good dampening. |
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Silver Member Username: Mikechec9Chicago/atlanta Post Number: 639 Registered: May-05 | yeah, the door sails. i agree. although imaging will still be suboptimal as opposed to the previous suggestions. i run my highs in the sails as well (and they sound good),  but in retrospect i would have rather stuck to the above locations. its considerably less expensive but i had my pods custom built anyway, so i have no excuse. the installer deviated from my initial instructions b/c it was easier for him. here is an article i share from one of the masters. he breaks down location and pathlength differences and why kicks are typically best suited for mounting drivers. http://www.roadgearmag.com/article.asp?section_id=11&article_id=485&page_number=1 |
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Bronze Member Username: WaryCalgary, Alberta Canada Post Number: 24 Registered: Jul-05 | another great article, thanks for that. I can understand how getting your tweeters a bit higher and point them so they point to the center of the windshield makes sense as it's deflection should bring it to about center. But is it really worth the work? I guess using Velco would be a way to find out what position works best. That kickpanel looks very custom, that also looks like some work. If this was a new car that I planned on having for awhile, that might work. But for right now I'd just like to get what I can for what I have. He mentions the quality of amps as a myth and a watt is a watt, I thought my Audison's were better than most? bigger power supply, ect. :P Also when I hear the Utopia's on a sound board, and they sound amazing, I couldn't imagine getting them sounding even better in my car as I was already very satisfied. Still wondernig which are the best compononets for rap, and 2 way or 3 way. |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 4382 Registered: May-04 | The Focals are great components, just quirky with install. Certain components sound good on a board and some good in a car, and of course both can be true but you can't generalize. You can be assured that they'll never sound the same from one to the another, "better" is subjective. The Utopia Mid is a good all around driver, but doesn't really excel anywhere. Good bass output, creamy midrange, as far as dynamics, neutrality, natural sound, warmth, it's in the middle. It doesn't have any real big negatives that come into play either, so that's a good thing. Tweeter is very controversial, a soundboard won't give you a clue how it will sound in your car install, I promise you. It's clean and detailed, but can be harsh even a little off the axis it's intended for. Music choice or not, what are you after? Strong bass, detailed highs, good balance? What kind of install and car do you plan to put this in? |
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Gold Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 4383 Registered: May-04 | As far as getting good stuff for the money, though, Focals aren't the cheapest route. DLS Iridiums are probably the best value out of high end components (based on retail prices of course), you'll save hundreds of bucks compared to the Utopias, quality is easily on par, taste just comes into play. |
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Silver Member Username: Mikechec9Chicago/atlanta Post Number: 648 Registered: May-05 | "He mentions the quality of amps as a myth and a watt is a watt, I thought my Audison's were better than most? bigger power supply, ect." well, a watt IS a watt. me and glass had a similar conversation on a amplifier thread not too long ago (he can break it down much more throughly). but its a matter of how each amp operates within its range. your amp has great range and power supply. in addition, it is very well made. the internals are solid and you can expect a greater life from it than say a xplod or audiobahn, etc. audison would be my second choice for amps over zapcos because of their color scheme (matches my ride) and solid exterior. it just came down to price for me with my SS. |
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Bronze Member Username: WaryCalgary, Alberta Canada Post Number: 25 Registered: Jul-05 | The Utopia's IMO seem to easier to find at a lower price because of how many there are compared to the Iridiums. Honestly I don't know what I'm after but yet I do. I'm looking for somethign that sounds great and would I imagine have a good mid cause I'd like the bass balance in rap when the subs are pounding in the back. I like SQ and that means Clarity and those Utopia's were amazing clarity. I drive a 98 integra coupe GS. the door with tweeter looks like this.  Would this position be fine? or just test it? Also with the install, I would think you jus put the mids were the factory mids were and the tweeter where the old tweeter was and there you have a good soudning system? or am i very wrong? is it worth the effort? Now I'm thinking about getting some Hertz HX 2 12's for the back. Focal subs are hard to find on the net and quite expensive retail. Plus i want SQL not just SQ. Hear the Hertz will give me what of what I'll want, but then again that's what hte local retail guy says on what he carries. W3 or 6 sound better'er? So so far in a 98 Teg coupe it's Focal Utopia's in the front, Hertz HX 12's in the back, Audison LRX 1.400 and 2.500, and a Eclipse 8445 deck and a Phoenix Gold 15 band EQ. I truly appreciate all the suggestions and advice, priceless! |
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