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@renaudrenaud recently replaced his ELAC DBR-62 + powerful and clean TPA3255 cards by a pair of Focal Alpha 50 in his living room.
Nuff said.
Nuff said.
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Focal Alpha 50 vs. Adam T5V/T7V
- Thread starter pinkish
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renaudrenaud
Major Contributor
Well, it's true. I gave the Elac to my cousin so I just have the Alpha 50 in the living room.
I like them very very much, but it's just a biased opinion, French guy liking a product from a French company, and really low price for a pair of speakers.
I like the idea I paid just for the components, not the the look. Don't care the look.
I've put lot of stickers in the side of the speakers to degrade their look and I like the fact they now look like toys (and ugly).
I don't care a lot of plenty of things and especially I don't care if you prefer the Adam or something else.
Finally I prefer to spend my money on old things I like to repair or component for things I like to build with my wife.
Err... And because this website I have to buy each month a product from Topping.
- Thread Starter
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@renaudrenaud @daftcombo Why did you guys choose the Alpha 50s over the Alpha 50 Evos?
Probably because Alpha Evo is a just released product. Also, @daftcombo does not own the Alpha 50.
Hum, I thought it was temporary the time you get your Elac back, @renaudrenaud (?)
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I have not heard the Alpha 50 Evo yet, just the Alpha 50 at Renaud's.
I have had a pair of JBL 305p MKII at home, thought it was ok, and advised Renaud to buy a pair as they are dirt cheap. But he hates them, and I also sold my pair after I bought a much better pair of Genelec 8030C.
I can't comment on the T5V nor T7V, except that I saw them in a store and they look much better in person than on pictures.
Renaud likes to have the amplification inside the speakers. It leaves more room on his desk to put turntables.
Pearljam5000
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I wonder why there's no Alpha 80 Evo
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I would guess for two reasons, 8" woofers are for two ways a bigger compromise in the important mid region and Focal makes wide directivity designs where a 8" driver would beam too much compared to the wide directivity tweeter designs they use.
it's reviviing the old thread, but to @renaudrenaud how's the evo 50 lasts on you? I mean did it have the shape series auto standby bug or even breaks down after a year of frequent uses or so? planning to get a pair for my TV speakers, since I quite like the focal brand, the shape is a bit too pricy for not getting Neumann or Genelec, and also the reliability seems a bit holding me back
renaudrenaud
Major Contributor
Well, got 3 pairs for the family with no technical problem, no reliability issue.
The fact is the speaker can go to standby when the sound is not loud enough.
I got a pair of Alpha 65 Evo recently and the new model has a removable auto stand.
So if you want to avoid the auto standby, you have to go for the new "Evo" alpha models.
The fact is the speaker can go to standby when the sound is not loud enough.
I got a pair of Alpha 65 Evo recently and the new model has a removable auto stand.
So if you want to avoid the auto standby, you have to go for the new "Evo" alpha models.
Autostandby is useful as I don’t want to keep it 24/7 or need to remind wife to keep turning them off, just hope the sensitivity is right
IMO they are pretty similar league speakers, get the one within your budget, the look you like and with the function you wanted. say personally I would've choose the T5V for TV speakers if they had auto standby, but sadly they don't and it's not accessible to go turn it on and off everytime either, so ended up I opt for KRK RP5 G4.
Kali by a mile IMO. My opinion on Focal has changed dramatically since the start of this thread.
I have the TV5s in my Office and the TV7s as my TV speakers (also listening to music via Airplay). They are impressive speakers, with the tweeters particularly shining. The TV7s have an impressive bass reproduction, though I never missed bass in the TV5s either. Great speakers, great value.
I just received a pair of each to compare. Downsizing from a pair of Yamaha HS8's.
Both sound pretty good for listening especially compared to the Yamahas which are more mid forward. The Focals are punchier sounding with more bass and treble sparkle, where the Adams have more emphasis on the vocal midrange. On the flip side, sometimes the Adams can sound a bit nasally where the Focals can sound a bit hollow. I would also say the Adams ribbon tweeter sounds more natural and seems to blend into the woofer more, where the Focals sound more like two different drivers.
Physically, the Focals are noticeably wider and bigger looking from the front, where the Adams look small from the front but are very deep. The Focals are very striking and look rugged with the grilles, where the Adams have drivers exposed which makes me nervous. The front port of the Focal seems to make them more forgiving for positioning vs the wall where the Adams are rear ported and would need to be more careful.
One big thing is that the Adams have a loud hiss. I can easily hear it from three feet away despite hearing loss and tinnitus and it's pretty annoying. Meanwhile I can't hear the Focal hiss past a foot away. The Focal is on par with Yamaha for low hiss volume, where the Adams are as loud as my old JBL 305's.
If it weren't for the hiss, I'd probably go Adams plus the matching subwoofer for a killer budget system. But I'll probably end up with the Adams instead and try to adjust to the midrange.
Both sound pretty good for listening especially compared to the Yamahas which are more mid forward. The Focals are punchier sounding with more bass and treble sparkle, where the Adams have more emphasis on the vocal midrange. On the flip side, sometimes the Adams can sound a bit nasally where the Focals can sound a bit hollow. I would also say the Adams ribbon tweeter sounds more natural and seems to blend into the woofer more, where the Focals sound more like two different drivers.
Physically, the Focals are noticeably wider and bigger looking from the front, where the Adams look small from the front but are very deep. The Focals are very striking and look rugged with the grilles, where the Adams have drivers exposed which makes me nervous. The front port of the Focal seems to make them more forgiving for positioning vs the wall where the Adams are rear ported and would need to be more careful.
One big thing is that the Adams have a loud hiss. I can easily hear it from three feet away despite hearing loss and tinnitus and it's pretty annoying. Meanwhile I can't hear the Focal hiss past a foot away. The Focal is on par with Yamaha for low hiss volume, where the Adams are as loud as my old JBL 305's.
If it weren't for the hiss, I'd probably go Adams plus the matching subwoofer for a killer budget system. But I'll probably end up with the Adams instead and try to adjust to the midrange.
