Yeah...but the Focal Utopia's come with a luxury aluminum carrying case 

So, what do you do with the case after you install the system? Looks like you could use it for a gun caseYeah...but the Focal Utopia's come with a luxury aluminum carrying case
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Car stereo "high-end" is not how accurate the sound is, it's how loud and "clean" or how low it can play. Go listen to these systems and tell me about soundstaging and imaging. Compare it to your recollections of listening to "live" music, does it sound the same?
Actually, what you're stating is my point. I wouldn't spend that kind of money on speakers, an equalizer or sound processor would make a bigger difference. Now, you can set up the system as above, but what about the other listening positions. You have only one ideal place and that is the driver's seat. Take that recording to an Audio Salon and listen to it on "high end" home speakers, you'll definitely hear the difference. You will hear what accurate soundstaging and imaging is about.I can't say that I agree with this. The true world of high end car audio involves people that uses processors that create time delay and phasing difference to give a perceived center stage affect from the drivers seat. I have sat in cars at the IASCA Finals that from the drivers seat had unbelievable imaging. I got to listen to a Jazz recording that had a sax player that walked across the stage and you could actually hear where he was on the stage and you could also tell when he moved further back/forward. The imaging, staging and presence was absolutely amazing!! I believe your definition of "high end" does hold true for the average thumper on the street.....if people can hear it loudly and clearly from far away, they tend to think it's a high end system. I'm not looking to start a war by the way, it's just that I have experienced.
You have misunderstood me. I'm not saying that Focal speakers are not good. What I'm saying is that you dont need beryllium to make a great tweeter. Its just an expensive metal and you pay for it. Have you listened to "high end" home systems? Your car system wont even come close. (Digital music cannot compete with Analog, so if your expertise comes from CD's, you haven't heard how good music can sound.) For one, speakers are designed to work with the listening enviroment. A car's interior is not an ideal "room". You have little control over where the soundwaves go. Also, sound emanating from your doors, is not the ideal position for you music source. Different frequencies travel through the air at different speeds. High frequencies travel faster then lower ones. As an example, if your tweeters and mid/bass are the same distance from your ears, the high frequencies will arrive first. That's why you need a device to delay the HF, so that the sound is coherant. In home speakers, its designed into the crossover or the design of the front baffle, so you dont need unnecessary "electronics" from "polluting" the sound. The less you have between your source and the speakers, the "purer" the sound. With any decent speaker, you'll have a soundstage and imaging. What the tweeter is made of, is not going to improve that, its the design of the speaker and where you mount it. What you think is accurate, which is what I'm alluding to, is far from it. I'm not saying it doesn't sound good, but its "high end" for car audio, but not "high end". Instead of spending $4,000/pr. on speakers, what, $10,000 for your total system, I would take that money and find a reputable car stereo installer and have him "custom" install a system to suit your needs. If they're knowledgeable, you'll have a better sounding system.ayt your "Let me inform the uninformed" statement is an example of the pot calling the kettle black.
You are very uninformed about car audio. I was very offened by your statements as I have been a sound quality judge for IASCA & USAC & been a car audio install since 1988. I took your statements personally.
Have you ever listened to any properly set up Focals? As you are telling people that Focal is just a " marketing ploy" you have to have some experence with them right?
"High End" speakers are not for everyone & you can have a very good sounding system in your car without spending thousands with "staging & imaging"
You and I think differently. Let's say you design a speaker that has a "flat" frequency response in an anechoic chamber. When you install that speaker into a door or a custom enclosure, the freq. response will no longer be flat. That is due to the size, shape and whatever is in your car's interior. To get the frequency flat again, you need to either boost or lessen certain frequencies. To customize the sound to your liking, you would need to do the same. It would be better to boost a certain freq. range than to have to lessen several, so it depends. I also dont mean the <$50.00 equalizers, I mean the ones that sell for $400+. The reason you want a flat frequency response, is that you will hear the music as it was recorded. If you took a response curve of the competition systems that you judge, I'm pretty sure none of them will be flat. A flat frequency response, will sound "dull".Your replys prove my point about your understanding of car audio. You keep avocating the use of eq's thats the last thing you want to add to any audio system "if you are in search of true "high end" sound" IE staging,imaging,tonal accuracy,etc. The proper way to use on eq is to get your system sounding as good as possible with the installation. Then ad an eq after you have gotten it to sound as good as it gets at that point, & then only use it to cut frequencys "NOT BOOST". If you have to boost something then there is something wrong with the install or the gear you installed is not capable of the sound you are looking for.
Having said that most people will be happy with a decent set of upgradded speakers & a sub as Twilightzero stated.
But for the love of God don't anyone that reads this buy one of those in dash tinker toys with sliders to use as an "eq" They the drop signal strenght so that is seems like your really doing something when you play with the sliders.
ayf you are 100% correct that you don't have to have expensive exotic material for a speaker to sound good.
But if you take your install to the level that the speakers are the weak link & you still want more then maybe a speaker with exotic materials is right for you.
A moving metal box is a horrible place for a sound system but it is what it is & that is the challenge.
You are correct, we have the higher end stuff on display in our board, but the customer cannot control them without us giving power to the unit... most shops wont put them on display for the fear of the units being damaged by the "tire kickers" that just come in and fiddle with settings and buttons and have no idea what they are doingYou are 100% right about a flat response it sounds like garbage you want a smooth sound curve with less then 3db difference per 3rd octave.
I agree if you use $4000 speakers & a $200 HU you are barking up the wrong tree & wasting money. But you still don't have to compete to use high end speakers having said that your equipment needs to be on par through your system.
There are high end HUs on the market you just don't normally see them on display in stores. Alpine,Sony,Clarion,Pioneer have all offer non magnetic copper chassis HUs with burr brown DA converters. But in the real world they don't sell that well & you see the HUs with all the lights & gadgets & most people love flashing lights for some reason.
See, I didn't know there were high end HUs. That makes a big difference. But still, if you're using this for everyday listening, I think its "overkill".You are 100% right about a flat response it sounds like garbage you want a smooth sound curve with less then 3db difference per 3rd octave.
I agree if you use $4000 speakers & a $200 HU you are barking up the wrong tree & wasting money. But you still don't have to compete to use high end speakers having said that your equipment needs to be on par through your system.
There are high end HUs on the market you just don't normally see them on display in stores. Alpine,Sony,Clarion,Pioneer have all offer non magnetic copper chassis HUs with burr brown DA converters. But in the real world they don't sell that well & you see the HUs with all the lights & gadgets & most people love flashing lights for some reason.
I am a focal dealer ... and have had the honor of installing the Utopia Be No7
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
The response of that speaker is amazing ... We through every curve ball possible at that crossover to make it sound "bright" (tingy, harsh, ****ty, whatever you would consider it) and we couldnt do it
The install was in a 08 CTS V ... we did the Be no 7 in the Front and No 6 in the rear powered with the Focal Solid Amps and an Eclipse CD7200MKII Radio as the audio source and an Avic Z3 as the Nav/Vid source ... frickin AMAZING ... We rarely get the joy of installing something that awesome we cherished our time with that vehicle. I wish every customer had the desire for the awesome audio. But those are getting rarer and rarer.
Great product, even the "entry level" from Focal is incredible and well worth the money. We sell alot of the K2's and Access series speakers.
Focal is a great company