PS165 - Focal 6.5" 2-Way 80 Watts RMS Component Speaker System

In the words of our customers

Near Perfection for Daily Listening

by Matthew Ardeleanu on 3/19/2015

First, my car setup - I am running these speakers off of a Rockford Fosgate Prime 250x4 in a 2013 Mazda 3 sedan (non-Bose). Head unit is a JVC KW-NSX1. It is currently bi-amped, meaning that each woofer and tweeter gets its own channel. In total, I'm running about 80 watts to each woofer/tweeter, for a total for 320 watts. With this method of setting up the speakers, it is very easy to fine tune the sound to exactly what you want, one step down from an active crossover. Tweeters are set at 0dB and phase 2. 16 gauge pure copper wire was used (Monoprice) and the crossovers are mounted in the kick panels to have the shortest possible distance from the speakers. The woofer is mounted with a PVC adapter as the stock speakers are oval shaped, and they are mounted with XTC speaker baffles, cut open on the bottom half to allow more air space. Initially, I had the car doors undampened, but I have since put in sound deadener (KnuKonceptz Kno Knoise Kolossus Edition) to kill all the resonance and create a stiffer panel. With these speakers, SOUND DEADENER IS NECESSARY. Otherwise, you will lose out on a lot of detail and get a whole lot of resonance, which really ruins the sound.

Frequency response - With the head unit EQ set to flat and the gain on the woofer and tweeter channels set equal, these speakers have a very flat frequency response. They go down to about 60 Hz, but I have the high-pass filter set at 80 Hz so that the sub takes care of the low frequencies. Don't expect massive bass from these, as they were designed to be used with a subwoofer, as any mid to high end system would require. Mids are very present and striking. You really feel the kick drum in your chest, and guitars are brought to life. Vocals are also gorgeous and detailed. Even instrumental pieces, such as Yiruma's River Flows in You or the intro to OneRepublic's Secrets sound accurate and rich, like you're right there listening live. Highs are also excellent without being too harsh, but there is a bit of sibilance (that squeaking sound you hear on high-pitched S sounds). This is no big deal and seems to be getting better with more play time as the speakers break in. It's also solvable with the EQ - just turn down the highs a bit. All in all, the speakers have an audiophile level frequency response and really shine with vocals. It's like the singer is standing right in front of you, as you can hear every detail, including breaths and sustain. One interesting note - you can actually hear cymbals crashing and sustaining with these. Normally you wouldn't hear that individual instrument, but you can with the Focals! Instrument separation is clear and even, with the mids being a bit more present. They also sound great in a v-shaped EQ, if you're looking for a more impactful sound.

When installing these speakers, make sure the tweeters are placed at a shallow angle. The sound waves should mix right above the shifter/slightly behind the dash, but not directly in front of the driver or passenger! If you do this, the sound will be very separated, which doesn't sound very good. Having it mix forward of the listener will make a more natural sound that is much more realistic. This also prevents very harsh highs, as high frequencies are very directional and require correct placement for optimal sound.

Make sure you use an amp with these! Running it off of stock power, or even aftermarket head unit power will not work. They require at least 80 watts RMS, but I wouldn't be afraid to run them at 200 watts each for even better sound. Too much clean power almost never blows a speaker, but too little power with a dirty, clipped signal does!

These speakers also reveal every flaw in a musical recording, as do high-end headphones. You'll know immediately if the music file you're listening to is of low quality. Make sure you have 320kbps MP3s, lossles files, such as FLAC and Apple Lossless. Store-bought CDs are good too, as they are normally burned with lossless quality. When you rip CDs to put on an iPod/phone, make sure you rip them in lossless quality as well. There is also a constant hissing sound at low volumes/between songs, which is also characteristic of high end headphones and speakers with low impedance. Once the music starts, it goes away immediately, so there is no issue there.

When set up properly, these are amazing, flat, realistic, great sounding speakers. Definitely worth the money. Make sure you set them up properly, deaden your doors, and give them enough power, and they'll really sing. Great for every genre, but especially good for acoustic/vocals. Paired with a good subwoofer (running an SA-12 D2 off 1400 watts in a sealed box), you'll have lifelike music that makes you feel like you're in the recording studio with the band you're listening to. With a fully active setup, these could be the key to making your car sound better than almost anything else on the road. If you're looking for serious power, check out the Focal Power line, which can be run at 2 ohms and have better power handling. For SQ and daily listening, these are just perfect.