Speaker comparison : Clarion VS Focal
 

I am debating between two sets of speakers. Please, lend me your opinions. Ive been out of the car audio game for 6 years or so, and alot has changed, so i want to make decisions based on current info ;)

Speakers i am debating between:

1.) Focal Polyglass 165V (6.5" component set) and
2.) Clarion SRS1686 (6.5" component set)

These will be for the front doors, powered by a Clarion APX4240 4 channel amp. Part of me says go clarion, cause it is essentially 'matched' for the amp I have, and a small part of me likes everything behind the deck being Clarion. On the other hand, I have heard nothing but good things about Focal, and most generally consider them a superior brand (at least when compared to Clarion).

So what so you canadian car audio gods?
Price is irrelevant, as I can get both within a few bucks of each other

Rest of system if it makes a difference
Apline 9847 HU
Clarion EQS746 7band EQ
Clarion APX420 4 channel
Clarion APX1300 - sub amp
Clarion 2x 12" subs
Rear 4x6 to be decided

my vote goes to the focals

2x for Focal

Focals Nicer sound Richer sound Not as painfully sharp to this ear

well Bugs, you have 4 posts on here and that makes you experienced ... what do you think about the two? Which sounds better and why? I almost always bounce these questions back at the inquirer to see what they prefer since it is your opinion that counts (unless there is an obvious QA or price problem)

actually, I am quite expirienced, just a bit out of the loop. I was big into the scene from 16-25.. Been out for 4 years, and relearnign whats good.

I have heard both types of speakers, but seperately. Its hard to compare speakers when you cant hear them back to back, or from the same vendor. Most shops set all their boards up the same, and you can get a good idea how the speakers will sound directly compared. But when you get two different shops, with two different setups, with minimal 20min drive between the two, its harder to compare. Anyone know of any shops in the hamilton/burlington/oakville/brantford area who carries both types? I think radioactive in burlington does, just havent got back there yet.

So then it comes down to which do you think told the most truth? Did either have a glare or a flaw you noticed right away? The Clarion Canada stuff is a little different than the US stuff... and around here it is more exclusive (I dont know a person or shop in 300 miles that carries Clarion speakers).

And welcome back to the loop or circle jerk... whichever it is :)

There is a significant improvement in several areas of car audio and little to no advancement in others

Why limit yourself to those two sets ?

Both sets are great, when they made the Clarion SRS or SSS series comp speakers they were modeled after the Focal. Focal has always been excellent in speaker technology more so then Clarion. However if you are looking for a high quality set that is almost half the price and it is hard to tell the difference sound wise. I would take the Clarions. If you are not worried about cost and what the best IMO in the industry then Focal it!

Bottom line the Clarion is an awesome attempt at providing Focal type build and sound at an affordable price for all.

After further investigation, and finding a shop which has both models in stock, and running, I decided the focals were leaps and bounds better to my ear.
Both sound fantastic in the higher ranges, but the Focals just excel so much more in the deeper tones. I wanted a decent 6.5 which wouldnt sound sloppy or muddy when a touch of bass hit it, and the Focals fit the bill nicely. Clarions were nice, but their range of ability was much more flexible. Ideally, i'd like a 6.5" woofer + 6.5" mid + tweet, but budget+space wouldnt allow. I may add a 5.25 in the future to seperate some frequencies. Will not know until I have everything installed and tuned.