Hertz Mille pro. Vs Focal flax

[slater]

Every shop in San Diego sells the crap out of focal flax 3 way components.
But nobody has them on display to demo.
I’ve always been a fan of bright tweeters…
Have a shop where I demo’d some hertz Millie pro which I liked hands down over the more expensive legends.
I’m torn!!!
I get it’s personal preference but anyone hear both & thoughts?
What would you pick?

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[spokey9 5,000+ posts]

I doubt you'd hear the difference in a car environment

 

[slater]

I doubt you'd hear the difference in a car environment

I think you would as everyone comments how bright or harsh focal flax’s are…
Some love them , others not so much…
Going to listen to a build this shop did in a 4Runner on Tuesday,
Hertz Millie pro components
3 10” hertz subs
Helix amps I think..

Doesn’t fix the issue of wanting to hear the focals…
I don’t do options well…

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

I remember hearing some yellow Focal 5 1/4 components decades ago against some ZR series JL 6.5" components and the Focal speakers blew the JL's away. To my ears the best tweeters I have heard/used were ARC audio 1.0 tweeters. I think it all comes down to how they are powered, aimed and eq'd.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

To my ears the best tweeters I have heard/used were ARC audio 1.0 tweeters.

And for me it was the R19 and R25 Resolution series silk domes. Arguably the best speakers to come out of Stillwater.

 

[slater]

Nobody else here has listened to these 2 brands?
Im even leaning to upper tier of both brands
The Hertz Legends with the ml280.3 tweeter, or the Focal K2's....
Auditioning doesnt seem to help, as they both sound great in their own ways...
Seems like theres alot of focal fanboys..
Ive never leaned toward natural / neutral anything in my life...
but have heard good things about the Hertz...

 

[spokey9 5,000+ posts]

I've heard them in shops but without dropping major coin on deadening my car...they wouldn't be a serious (besides a serious price difference ) improvement over my cdt speakers

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

Nobody else here has listed to these 2 brands?
Im even leaning to upper tier of both brands
The Hertz Legends with the ml280.3 tweeter, or the Focal K2's....
Auditioning doesnt seem to help, as they both sound great in their own ways...
Seems like theres alot of focal fanboys..
Ive never leaned toward natural / neutral anything in my life...
but have heard good things about the Hertz...

Both brands are great for sure. Ask yourself how you plan to install these speakers. Is everything going in stock locations or custom locations? How much sound deadening are you going to use? Some? Full on sound deadening?

Stock locations... whichever speakers have the most mounting options to fit your stock locations with minimal modifications.
Custom locations... Whatever speakers you like.

Some deadening... Neither of these higher end speaker brands.
Full on sound deadening... Whatever you can afford that appeals to you.

Mounting (location and angle of speakers) and sound deadening are the keys to get any speaker to perform. The elimination of rattles believe it or not is equally as important. Rattles give away location and can ruin the sound stage and image. Focus on these things and you can make $300 speakers sound like $1500 speakers.

 

[slater]

Doors are completely sound deadened, inner & outer skins, also did rear cab wall. Used Amazon basic….
Will also be added another layer sound skins pro between door panel & outer skin to help prevent the plastic door panels from talking…
Will be using factory locations, this truck came with a JBL system, so there’s tweeter mount locations in the appear, also med locations, and each corner of the dash, and then there’s the doors…

 

[ThxOne Premium Member]

Doors are completely sound deadened, inner & outer skins, also did rear cab wall. Used Amazon basic….
Will also be added another layer sound skins pro between door panel & outer skin to help prevent the plastic door panels from talking…
Will be using factory locations, this truck came with a JBL system, so there’s tweeter mount locations in the appear, also med locations, and each corner of the dash, and then there’s the doors…

I would look at each brands tweeters and see which have the best off axis response. I think the Focal tweeters inverted domes have unique benefits to consider. When you look at both brands, which catches your eye first?

 

[slater]

heard the 4 runner today.
Had hertz Mille legends 7” woofers in the doors.
Mille pros mids in dash & Mille pro tweeters in the a pillars

I can say I wasn’t blown away.
It was loud but just seemed to all blend together, no separation.
maybe it was song selection, first DSP I’ve listened to ever.
Maybe it was the installers tune, he sounded good on paper…

I wasn’t wowed….
Actually wasn’t impressed at all.

tomorrows another day, 2 more shops…

 

[mahc 10+ year member]

It was loud but just seemed to all blend together, no separation.

Yea.. you definitely don't want that.

 

[Jimi77 Premium Member]

Nobody else here has listened to these 2 brands?
Im even leaning to upper tier of both brands
The Hertz Legends with the ml280.3 tweeter, or the Focal K2's....
Auditioning doesnt seem to help, as they both sound great in their own ways...
Seems like theres alot of focal fanboys..
Ive never leaned toward natural / neutral anything in my life...
but have heard good things about the Hertz...

The K2s are very nice. IMHO, Focals are a little more tighter/detailed and brighter (that's their signature sound). Hertz are a little more laid back and warmer. You're splitting hairs and the car and the install will have a greater impact on sound than the small differences between which speakers you get. IMHO, the Hertz is the more forgiving of the speakers to install.

 

[slater]

Think this is where im landing but open to critiquing...
Found another guy who claims he's the best in san diego but has the trophies to prove it...
K2's in his truck with his dsp tune sounded really good..
I was able to demo the k2's in his personal ride along with in his demo room:
Focal k2 Evo 3way set with the frak tweeters...
coaxial k2's in the rear doors.
He highly recommends doing the rear doors, but big question for you guys should I just go with flax coaxial in the rear doors?
amps
arc audio blackbird 8ch amp / 12 dsp 125w x 8 @ 2ohm
arc audio nighthawk 800w
Dont know much about Arc but solid option?

groundshaker underseat box & the JL 12 TW3
PAC Audio interface apc-ty-14

& then....
thoughts?

 

[Jimi77 Premium Member]

I like the K2s, but they are overpriced IMHO. Demoing in a car is better than on a sound board, but each car affects sound differently. If the guy is an award winning sound competitor, then of course his car will sound awesome. But keep in mind he's not going to spend months geeking and tweeking you system and IMHO, that's were most of the gains are.

I usually pass on rears or go super cheap. The listener is sitting ~ 3-4 feet from the speaker in the rear; they can still hear the fronts.