Muskokaman

Hi all,

I'm in the process of narrowing down the brand I'm going to go with for my front components. Focal is likely to make the top three based on the fact they seem readily available here in south/central Ontario.

I'm having a bit of a tough time understanding the lineup though. I understand the Utopias are the top end, but from there it seems to get muddy in my eyes. The Utopias are outside of my price range, but everything else seems to fit based on shopping prices on Numberonesound.com, woofersetc.com and others.

How would you rank the rest of the lineup? I'm looking for 5.25" comps

Thx

Sasha

iTrader: (10)

They are amazing. Go for K2P's!

Muskokaman

Thanks, Sasha,

I see you run CDTs, they are one of the other brands I'm considering. How do you like them compared to the K2Ps, or have you had a chance to listen to them both side by side?

I understand there's a dealer for CDT on this forum. Do you know how to connect with him?

thx

Sasha

iTrader: (10)

My friend has K2P's. Focal and CDT sound entirely different. My friend and I love both. Look up user Ross on here for CDT.

I personally only like Focal K2P and nothing lower. CDT HD sounds very very good, regular ES is lacking punch in the midrange area due to lack of sensitivity on the mid in comparison to the other set. ES-07 is heavenly. To me, midrange is where it's at, tweeter is an icing on the cake. I prefer Focal TN-52 tweeter over CDT ES. It is hard to beat K2P's. Neither set is good if you like laid back tweeters. Try DLS Iridium/Nobelium if thats the case. Just google for the sets depending on your preference. Lots of info out there.

MR2NR

iTrader: (66)

Careful on the Focals if you are going on line for them. Focal does not sell on line and there are definitely counterfeit Focals on the market place. Having had them in my hands, I can say that the quality of the knock off is outstanding, too bad they don't perform like a Focal.

Eclipse has a great set of speakers, Focal with their K2P series and Morel of course. All these speakers should give you the results that you are seeking.

JohnVroom

... Rank speakers on how they sound and what you can afford, if you buy the best speakers you have ever heard you will never second guess yourself

And for the record I recommend retailers since they have the sound boards so you can listen to them!

Muskokaman

When you say "laid back tweeters" and to try DLS, are you saying that the Focal and CDT are a little bright or forward?

As well, you mentioned both the ES and the ES-07. I think that the 07 is a 7 inch driver as I recall. Unfortunately, as I drive Fords, I'm sorta slaved to a 5.25" set, unless I want to get into some serious surgery.

On that note can you recommend a good installer in the gta or parts north? I don't know whether that is a question I'm allowed to ask on this forum, so please disregard if you can't answer that.

thx

Muskokaman

I agree with buying local as much as possible. However, I have heard that woofersetc.com is a reputable online retailer (if you have heard different, don't be afraid to PM me) and they do seem to have good prices on Focal.

However, I do know I can get Focal and CDT locally. That's why I'm leaning toward them. Woofers is offering DLS, Rainbow and Dynaudio which also enjoy excellent audiophile reputations from what I've heard.

Does anybody know of retailers in south or central ontario that deal in these products? Same with Morel. Colin at Autoworks or whatever it was called down on Eastern avenue used to deal in Morel, but it appears he is no longer in business.

thx

JohnVroom

Focal is often felt to be bright, some like Focal as is. The Morel, Hertz, Dynaudio lines are often thought to be more 'laid back' than Focal and those that prefer the Focal sound wont like these lines. This is why I wouldn't voice a preference, they are all well made, so it really comes down to how well you like the sound or more importantly how close is it to your ideal. There are lots of other brands out there that might push your happy button (Memphis, CDT, ID, etc)

Woofers etc is reputable they just dont provide that much in the way of service after the sale (thats how they shave the price among other things)

thumpper

iTrader: (1)

I have had both the Focal Utopia's and the CDT .07x3 comps
imo the Focal were a bit sharp but they sounded really clear

the CDT's were to soft sounding..not enough Impact with the top
end of the spectrum