Avid readers of CA&E know Focal's reputation, hence the reason so many systems we feature--those belonging to the money-is-no-object guys and serious SQ competitors--choose the brand. And, no - it's not because they suck.
While many of Focal's products are priced out of reach for the masses, such as the ultra exotic Utopia Be, you can still find carryover technology in their entry and mid-fi lines. A good example of the trickledown effect can be seen in the Polyglass 165CVX coaxial. While its tweeter dome is derived of aluminum, it still keeps the same inverted design of the Utopia Be. Although this is a coaxial, I found the tweeter mounting to be unique. It stands upon a pole jutting from within the woofer's voice coil as most do, but in a fixed-angle position. From there, the entire stand-off rotates approximately 270-degrees to focus its output in the desired direction.
The driver's DIN size chassis, featuring multiple bolt patterns to fit a variety of vehicles, is derived from fiberglass filled ABS. While designed to squash resonance, users must be extremely careful not to mount the speaker to an uneven surface since plastic frames damage easily. Other strides were made with the Polyglass cone which consists of hallow silica microspheres deposited over cellulous pulp (paper). This makes the cone stiff, light and well damped.
The best feature has to be the innovative built-in -12dB "audiophile" crossover. Incorporated into the rear of the motor, it's said to add no mounting depth (although it is set in a plastic cup at the rear of the driver, so I can't see how) and yet is constructed using high quality polypropylene capacitors and air core inductors.
Listening
After some serious break-in and set-up time, I was ready to rock `n roll. But were the Focals? With the speakers appropriately off-axis, tweeters up and centered, I dialed in "Shadowless" by Toni Braxton to begin my interrogation. My first impression was one of imbalance, as the tweeters demonstrated their superiority over the woofers. This made it hard for Braxton's voice to scale upwards without blooming through areas of her higher range, producing vocals that sounded overly thin. It also affected the hard strikes of the guitar strings, yet the softer strums were executed with notable detail.
With Coldplay's "Clocks," the tweeter superiority complex was cured, somewhat. Martin's vocals were a little too open on the top end, but the details of the guitar were easily perceived at any volume. An encouraging find, the piano was well controlled, particularly at high volumes--no doubt a byproduct of using good components in the crossover.
Switching gears, the bass-heavy tracks of Ziggy Marley were relatively uncompromised. In other words, pretty damn good for 6 " drivers. Yet tracks with a elevated energy in the upper range, like "Fragile" by Sting, the high frequencies became excessive. It almost appears as if this was the designer's intention as a way to bring out the details in music, but it comes at the expense of sounding unnatural.
Conclusion
Even with their robust upper range, I liked the 165CVX's. They imaged well, had good high frequency resolution, and served up a rather brawny low-end. They also offer stunning build quality and attention to detail. At $299, they're certainly worth considering.
Additional sizes: 4", 5.25", 6.5", 6x9"
"Look for other fullrange speaker reviews in the Oct. issue of CA&E on sale Aug. 19th."