Focal Polykevlar 165 K

Price Paid:  $250.00 from at Ebay

Year / Model Reviewed:
 Focal Polykevlar 165k

Strengths:
GREAT DEFINED SOUND. I WOULD CONSIDER MY SELF AN AUDIOPHILE AND IM IMPRESSED BY THESE DRIVERS.

Weaknesses:
IF USED IN REGULAR STOCK LOCATIONS, HIGHS CAN BE A LITTLE HARSH AT TIMES SINCE IT USES A TITANIUM TWEETER

Summary:
THESE SPEAKERS SOUND PRETTY GOOD. LOCATION HAS A HUGE PART TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL SOUNDSTAGE AND IMAGING AS IN ANY SPEAKER. ONCE A DECENT LOCATION IS FOUND THEN ITS HEAVEN FROM THERE ON. SINCE IM TRYING TO COMPETE MY CAR IN SOUND QUALITY COMPETITIONS, IT HAS BEEN PRETTY EASY FOR ME TO FIND A GREAT SPOT FOR THESE SPEAKERS. HIGHS CAN BE HARSH IS NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY. MID-RANGE IS WHERE THIS SPEAKER SINGS. VERY SMOOOOOTH AND DEFINED. GREAT MID-BASS CAN BE ACHIEVED IF DYNAMAT IS USED GENEROUSLY ON THE DOORS. ONLY OTHER SPEAKERS I WOULD RECOMMEND WOULD BE THE DYNAUDIO 3-WAYS AND FOCAL UTOPIA WHICH I SOULD ONLY DESCRIBE AS SOUNDING LIKE CREAM TO YOUR EARS.

Similar Products Used:
DIAMOND AUDIO, FOCAL UTOPIAS(CREAM), AND BOSTON Z6

Price Paid:  $275.00 from eBay

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2003

Strengths:
Imaging, mids & highs.

Weaknesses:
Bass may need amp power to show itself.

Summary:
OH MY GOD!!! Could never have imagined the clarity for mids and highs, incredible imaging! Suspect the bass will improve with amping - still using the OEM amp, about install a real amp. I would buy these again and again. I also installed Focal Access coaxials: could not be happier. WOW!!!

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Karz Electronics

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2002

Strengths:
Excellent Detail Warm & Accurate Midbass Great Depth

Weaknesses:
Works best with good power, and a high end head unit.

Summary:
By far the best speaker set on the market, in the same price range. The detail, and depth of the music is unmatched. Works extremely well in any application used. Tweeters and midbass are very well defined, while the crossover points are perfect.

Similar Products Used:
Diamond Audio, MBQuart

Price Paid:  $275.00 from Pacific Sounds

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2001 focal 165k

Strengths:
clear defined mids and highs

Weaknesses:
not enough mid bass

Summary:
For the price you cant get a better quality component. highs and mids are very defined. Sound quality is excellent from high to low volume levels. I learned that the highs can be harsh at high levels, but if you set you cross overs correctly they can sound just the way you want them. overall these components are awsome

Similar Products Used:
cerwin vega accurates, mb quarts,infinity perfects

Price Paid:  $260.00 from ebay.com

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2001

Strengths:
Stronge warm Mid-bass. Clear tweeters. Great detail. Retains its quality sound at medium-high Volumes. The cheaper cost on internet is still above the cost of many other component sets but well well worth the money!!! Its Sounds 10 times better than anything I have found under a $800 price range. Only thing better are Dynaudios and Focal Utopias and they are all at $700 or more.

Weaknesses:
Tweeter can be hard/harsh sounding at high levels, especially poorly recorded vocals with hard "S"s. Not sure how warrenties work when bought over the internet.

Summary:
GREAT Component set for the money. Infact, the best price vs. preformance set I have found (but only throught the various deals on the internet). I played with the 165K2 set alot and it does not give that much more mid-bass than the 165K but handles more power, output and finer detail in the mids at louder volumes than the 165K set. I found the 165K2 set begging for more power and not sounding right unless it was turned up beyond "normal" listening levels. Both sets had about the same amount of mid-bass (the most I have ever heard from a 6.5" set under $800) but the 165K2 kept better midrange detail at extremely loud levels. I did not need these kinds of higher levels in my system and was going to feed each channel with 75 watts @ 4ohms with a Zapco Studio 150 (perfect for the RMS of the 165K set). Also, while the 165K tweeter sounds great and very clean it gets a little hard/harsh sounding at higher volumes. I love my 165K set and am only running a single 12" sub with 200 watts. If you love bass and have a larger bass system I would recommend the 165K2 set to keep up with extreme bass levels and greater mid-range detail at high volumes. But, if you want great audio performance out of a daily driver and don''t go beyond volumes that just begin to hurt thenthe 165K is for you.

Similar Products Used:
MB-quarts, Crystal, Boston Pros, Kicker, JL audio, Polk, etc.