Fake Focals
11-21-2005, 08:41 PM
#1
http://www.talkaudio.co.uk/vbb/showt...7&page=1&pp=25
Are these the best damn fakes you ever seen or what? What if they sound as good or almost as good? Do you think it could be an internal problem with some employee selling Focal parts out the back door?
Anyway pretty interesting stuff.
Are these the best damn fakes you ever seen or what? What if they sound as good or almost as good? Do you think it could be an internal problem with some employee selling Focal parts out the back door?
Anyway pretty interesting stuff.
11-23-2005, 08:52 PM
#5
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 80
This is what was said about the fakes:
1-Serial Number is stamped into the back plate when it should be engraved. The hole on the Black Focal back plate is too large.
2-Couple of problems with the crossover and tweeter. Yellow on the box is off.
3-Impressive detail on the board but coils are way off. The caps have a clear heat shrink with the Axon labeled on them. The font is wrong and stretched. No space between the 250VDC. C1 seems to be larger than original. Caps should be C1-3.9, C2-3.3, C3-13 and all 250VDC 5% The real Focal terminal screws will accept both philips and slot screwdrivers, not just philips.
4-Font is incorrect along with the "TN52" is too large and in a bold font. Black back plate should have machining groves along with a beveled edge, not just a stamped steel plug. Cannot see but there probably is no "FOCAL" stamped into the side of the plastic trim that is part of the diffuser / wave guide cover. Poor solder job on the connections and Focal never strips that much insulation to make the connection. Back to picture #2 the Focal logo on the flush cup is in the wrong place. xxxx commented on his set that the logo will never line up right and look correct when the tweeter is locked in.
5-The big thing here is the tweeter diaphragm! Just look at your new ones. That crease / ring that is about 1/16" down from the top edge of the diaphragm is just a mess. Plus it is not even around the cone. The cone does not seem as deep / dished as a true Focal. Where cone attaches to the surround is different. The "X" marks that allow a better gluing to the surround to wrong. They use a large hole cell foam surround compared to the small cell neoprene that a true Focal has. The plastic seems to have a smooth finish vs. the Focal satin. Lastly the red stripe on the positive wiring is too thick.
6-Focal does not wrap the speakers or crossovers in plastic. Cannot see but I have heard there is no Focal warranty card. (Plastic business card size with Focal art on one side with Serial number on the other.) Again the Yellow on the box seems off colour.
7-Seems pretty good. Cannot tell the profile of the dust cap or the correct texture or finish of the cone. Is it true Kevlar?
8-Basket seems really close but the Zamac coating is too fine and does not seem to have the same sparkle as a Focal. Poor solder job again on the tinsel terminals. The big ugliness is the trimming of the cone. Look where the cone is glued to the surround. This should be a nice clean sharp edge. Plus it looks like the back of the cone is just the foam. There should be a layer of special glass tissue. If there is, it is very rough.
This just covers the details that I can see from the photos provided. What's more important is the internal construction of the cones and motors. Are they using the correct quality of voice coil wire and formers. What quality of glue and how long will it adhere. Is the magnet material the same. Is the build tolerance the same. Specifications - Theile-Small measurements etc. I think we all know the answers to these.
But everything aside, forget about all that stuff. How does it sound? I cannot comment yet but I trust and value xxx's comments. Efficiency is way down, tweeter is harsh and handles almost no power before really ugly sound, mid has very little bass extension and lacking midrange output. Tonal / timber structure is inaccurate, lacking dynamics, crossover is harsh and has odd harmonics.
Fake is fake. And all fake product has the same problem. The people making it just do not have the same care and passion and therefore will never perform the same as the innovator. From Rolex to Ray Ban and now Focal, if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
[ November 23, 2005, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Daz-man ]
1-Serial Number is stamped into the back plate when it should be engraved. The hole on the Black Focal back plate is too large.
2-Couple of problems with the crossover and tweeter. Yellow on the box is off.
3-Impressive detail on the board but coils are way off. The caps have a clear heat shrink with the Axon labeled on them. The font is wrong and stretched. No space between the 250VDC. C1 seems to be larger than original. Caps should be C1-3.9, C2-3.3, C3-13 and all 250VDC 5% The real Focal terminal screws will accept both philips and slot screwdrivers, not just philips.
4-Font is incorrect along with the "TN52" is too large and in a bold font. Black back plate should have machining groves along with a beveled edge, not just a stamped steel plug. Cannot see but there probably is no "FOCAL" stamped into the side of the plastic trim that is part of the diffuser / wave guide cover. Poor solder job on the connections and Focal never strips that much insulation to make the connection. Back to picture #2 the Focal logo on the flush cup is in the wrong place. xxxx commented on his set that the logo will never line up right and look correct when the tweeter is locked in.
5-The big thing here is the tweeter diaphragm! Just look at your new ones. That crease / ring that is about 1/16" down from the top edge of the diaphragm is just a mess. Plus it is not even around the cone. The cone does not seem as deep / dished as a true Focal. Where cone attaches to the surround is different. The "X" marks that allow a better gluing to the surround to wrong. They use a large hole cell foam surround compared to the small cell neoprene that a true Focal has. The plastic seems to have a smooth finish vs. the Focal satin. Lastly the red stripe on the positive wiring is too thick.
6-Focal does not wrap the speakers or crossovers in plastic. Cannot see but I have heard there is no Focal warranty card. (Plastic business card size with Focal art on one side with Serial number on the other.) Again the Yellow on the box seems off colour.
7-Seems pretty good. Cannot tell the profile of the dust cap or the correct texture or finish of the cone. Is it true Kevlar?
8-Basket seems really close but the Zamac coating is too fine and does not seem to have the same sparkle as a Focal. Poor solder job again on the tinsel terminals. The big ugliness is the trimming of the cone. Look where the cone is glued to the surround. This should be a nice clean sharp edge. Plus it looks like the back of the cone is just the foam. There should be a layer of special glass tissue. If there is, it is very rough.
This just covers the details that I can see from the photos provided. What's more important is the internal construction of the cones and motors. Are they using the correct quality of voice coil wire and formers. What quality of glue and how long will it adhere. Is the magnet material the same. Is the build tolerance the same. Specifications - Theile-Small measurements etc. I think we all know the answers to these.
But everything aside, forget about all that stuff. How does it sound? I cannot comment yet but I trust and value xxx's comments. Efficiency is way down, tweeter is harsh and handles almost no power before really ugly sound, mid has very little bass extension and lacking midrange output. Tonal / timber structure is inaccurate, lacking dynamics, crossover is harsh and has odd harmonics.
Fake is fake. And all fake product has the same problem. The people making it just do not have the same care and passion and therefore will never perform the same as the innovator. From Rolex to Ray Ban and now Focal, if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
[ November 23, 2005, 11:58 PM: Message edited by: Daz-man ]
11-23-2005, 10:11 PM
#6
^ pretty detailed analysis...
I still want to see a pair side by side so I can tell for myself... The comments on the sound are pretty convincing but with what some people think they hear between amplifiers its hard to be convinced...
I honestly think the scenario of genuin parts in the wrong hands is still most likley... although its obvious they may not have all the correct parts and may have substituted some stuff..
I still want to see a pair side by side so I can tell for myself... The comments on the sound are pretty convincing but with what some people think they hear between amplifiers its hard to be convinced...
I honestly think the scenario of genuin parts in the wrong hands is still most likley... although its obvious they may not have all the correct parts and may have substituted some stuff..
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