So I Called Crutchfield Today About Speakers...

[gshadow325]

I need some duct tape to fix my stupidity.

Just read your signature tigger

 

[tigger]

We must be doing something wrong at our store then. 5 million bucks in labor per year, 150k in focal, 50k in krx2 alone, 300k in Kenwood, then audison, hertz, jl audio, etc etc. All sold based off of our recommendations or past experience. Only on forums do I hear focals suck. Have you ever installed a focal es165 kr3 into a 400k ferrari California t and then the next day install it in a 30k hybrid camry? We have, they sound amazing in both cars.

Why?

Tigger just said they suck. Well let me tell you why.

I am very confused as to where I said they suck. I am pretty sure my statement was "I know that Focal are really good speakers. But I can't stand the sound of them. "

Sounds almost as if I said they are REALLY GOOD SPEAKERS. I just don't care for the sound of them. When I auditioned my home audio speakers, I compared the Focals against the Polk LSi15s. I just preferred the Polks. They had a warmer richer sound to me. I am extremely sensitive to certain frequencies. Focals hit those frequencies pretty frequently. I also don't care for the horn drivers on Klipsh speakers. Doesn't mean they suck.

Now if you want to talk about the McIntosh XR290 Speaker System, I absolutely love the way they sound. I like the Martin Logan towers, but hate some of their center channel speakers. DCM Timewindows, love them. Yes these are home audio speakers, but frequencies are frequencies. You like them or you don't

There are people here that love the JBL GT series speakers. My girlfriend auditioned multiple brands and chose those for her Rav4. I don't like the way they sound. She loves them. Again, none of this stuff sucks.

My point was only this, just because someone recommends a speaker and says it's the best sounding one, doesn't mean it will be. To be truly happy with a system, you should audition the speakers first if possible. It doesn't mean you won't like the way they sound, but you might find something you like better if you hear them side by side.

I probably should have changed this sentence to read "I will tell everyone on this thread, you are crazy to buy speakers based SOLELY on someone else's recommendation.

 

[SCIENCE39]

We must be doing something wrong at our store then. 5 million bucks in labor per year, 150k in focal, 50k in krx2 alone, 300k in Kenwood, then audison, hertz, jl audio, etc etc. All sold based off of our recommendations or past experience. Only on forums do I hear focals suck. Have you ever installed a focal es165 kr3 into a 400k ferrari California t and then the next day install it in a 30k hybrid camry? We have, they sound amazing in both cars.

Why?

Tigger just said they suck. Well let me tell you why.

It starts off with the recording format. The very first time it was shown to me I was amazed. Then it comes down to how we think things should be e equalized. Then it comes down to experience in car audio, we not taking about stereo no more. Anyone can put a speaker in, it takes a trained ear to tune a car. Even with a simple 11 band eq.

The tinny harsh tweeter you heard from the focal is from many things. Choice of amplification or the lack of. Source of the music, compressed music like a mp3 is what it is. Compressed music. This is why flac files are getting more popular in car audio. Bluetooth streaming in amazon prime music a digital copy of Jennifer warns, bird on a wire. Then you have a good source for music.


The most common way to introduce distortion is from how you set your gains on the amp and equalization on the radio. You want the radio to be able to produce the music clearly thru out the whole volume range. Many factory radios start to distort at 1/2 - 3/4 volume. Then certain frequencies start to clip. 2015+ Mustangs clip at a strange one 200htz and 10k.proper tuning with a Audison bit ten in that car fixed it.


That being said, it all starts at the head unit. Music is only good as it's weakest link. Although with a good ear and tuning, you can make sh1tty speakers sound good and the opposite cam happen too. Like in tiggers case, good speakers sound bad.

I do agree speakers should be auditioned to a point but ultimately will sound different in your car but there are tools to fix that. That's where the magic and wizardry comes in, some call that experience lol.

All this coming from a crazy guy living and breathing car audio day in and day out. I know nothing, yet I can't wait till get into work to see what's in my day today. I did get to be in the 458 replacement, a 488, and listen to the finished California T with 2 alpine type R 12s that pounds your head off yesterday with the new focal es165kr3. Take my advice with a grain of salt like everything else you read on the Internet. I'm just scratching the surface on my background in car audio.

So which FOCAL dash speaker is your recco for my '16 TEP. Plan to keep the rest stock. Thank you!

 

[Storm Runner]

So which FOCAL dash speaker is your recco for my '16 TEP. Plan to keep the rest stock. Thank you!

These Focals are pretty much your only choice for the dash speaker.

Focal TiS 1.5

 

[gshadow325]

I am very confused as to where I said they suck. I am pretty sure my statement was "I know that Focal are really good speakers. But I can't stand the sound of them. "

Sounds almost as if I said they are REALLY GOOD SPEAKERS. I just don't care for the sound of them. When I auditioned my home audio speakers, I compared the Focals against the Polk LSi15s. I just preferred the Polks. They had a warmer richer sound to me. I am extremely sensitive to certain frequencies. Focals hit those frequencies pretty frequently. I also don't care for the horn drivers on Klipsh speakers. Doesn't mean they suck.

Now if you want to talk about the McIntosh XR290 Speaker System, I absolutely love the way they sound. I like the Martin Logan towers, but hate some of their center channel speakers. DCM Timewindows, love them. Yes these are home audio speakers, but frequencies are frequencies. You like them or you don't

There are people here that love the JBL GT series speakers. My girlfriend auditioned multiple brands and chose those for her Rav4. I don't like the way they sound. She loves them. Again, none of this stuff sucks.

My point was only this, just because someone recommends a speaker and says it's the best sounding one, doesn't mean it will be. To be truly happy with a system, you should audition the speakers first if possible. It doesn't mean you won't like the way they sound, but you might find something you like better if you hear them side by side.

I probably should have changed this sentence to read "I will tell everyone on this thread, you are crazy to buy speakers based SOLELY on someone else's recommendation.

[MENTION=120209]tigger[/MENTION] you know best. I know nothing, my recommendations mean nothing.
I just do this as a hobby and do my installs from sitting on the toilet.

I actually dont know what I'm doing, you got me, Sorry to bother you.

 

[tigger]

[MENTION=120209]tigger[/MENTION] you know best. I know nothing, my recommendations mean nothing.
I just do this as a hobby and do my installs from sitting on the toilet.

I actually dont know what I'm doing, you got me, Sorry to bother you.

WOW!!! I must not speak English at all. What the hell are you talking about????

I gave my opinion on how I hear a speaker. If you have been in audio as long as you say, you would know that everyone hears differently.

I never said anything about you or your skills. I never said the speakers suck. NEVER.

What the **** are you you talking about?????????????????????????


Seriously man, why do you feel like I was attacking you? Nothing was directed at you or your skills. I didn't even say anything bad about the speakers. I said people should listen to the speakers if they can before deciding. If you disagree with that, you are in the wrong business.

 

[gshadow325]

These Focals are pretty much your only choice for the dash speaker.

Focal TiS 1.5

Not true, but I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm crazy. My hobby has consumed my sanity.

If you think the way Tigger says to do it. Bit them, install it. Listen to them for the next few weeks. If you like them then keep it. If not stick it to Crutchfield and return them. That sounds like good advice to me since I'm crazy and my recommendations don't count since you didn't listen to them first. What do I know? Nothing according to the Internet lol

 

[Storm Runner]

Not true, but I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm crazy.

Ok, I guess I'll clarify my statement. He wanted a recommendation on which Focals to get to replace his dash speakers. Those TIS 1.5s were the only ones I found on the Focal website that were stand alone tweeters and would fit in the T4R dash.

I found a couple other models, but one, the TBE, is made with pure Beryllium and retail for $1,800 a set while the other, the TN43, come with 2 and 3-way kits in the Performance Access range and do not appear to be a stand alone set.

That is why I stated that the TIS 1.5s were pretty much his only choice for Focal dash speakers.

With that being said, I only did like 10 mins of research, so maybe I missed something. :hiding:

 

[1engineer]

Ok, I guess I'll clarify my statement. He wanted a recommendation on which Focals to get to replace his dash speakers. Those TIS 1.5s were the only ones I found on the Focal website that were stand alone tweeters and would fit in the T4R dash.

I found a couple other models, but one, the TBE, is made with pure Beryllium and retail for $1,800 a set while the other, the TN43, come with 2 and 3-way kits in the Performance Access range and do not appear to be a stand alone set.

That is why I stated that the TIS 1.5s were pretty much his only choice for Focal dash speakers.

With that being said, I only did like 10 mins of research, so maybe I missed something. :hiding:

[MENTION=120209]tigger[/MENTION] and [MENTION=93434]gshadow325[/MENTION]....
play nice.
-mod-

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

Not true, but I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm crazy. My hobby has consumed my sanity.

If you think the way Tigger says to do it. Bit them, install it. Listen to them for the next few weeks. If you like them then keep it. If not stick it to Crutchfield and return them. That sounds like good advice to me since I'm crazy and my recommendations don't count since you didn't listen to them first. What do I know? Nothing according to the Internet lol

I gotta agree with you on this one. You are stark raving crazy!

 

[77Bronc]

Here is where I am at, since I started the thread...

I purchased the Kicker KCS 6x9s for the front door, from Crutchfield. They are telling me 5.25" for the rear, but from what I read, 6.5s will work. Went to Best Buy to get some Dynamat and their fitment guide says 6.5s will fit the rear door.

I am installing the fronts on Monday, will see how that goes and then move to the rear doors.

The rear hatch looks to be a challenge, so my go with the 5.25s.

One question, and I really need some feedback on this one, assuming the OEM doors are single cone, not a dual speaker, I am going with a coax speaker, will this matter? Also I heard the dash speakers have four wires, this sounds like the dash and doors are wired in parallel? Is this the case?

Thanks,

77