WHY are these two Focal speakers different?

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

Focal guru's, was there a change in the model between last year and this year?

Why are these two sets of Access 165 A1 different?

The tweeters, crossovers, and mids are all different.

Click to read more...

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

srsly.

 

[Worlddre 5,000+ posts]

this question would probaly be easier to answer with some specs and such

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

this question would probaly be easier to answer with some specs and such

If you need specs, you are not qualified to answer. Need a Focal guru to confirm models. They are identical models. Trying to see if there was a year change on the model number or if one set is a fake. Thanks //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[ray@ss 10+ year member]

the access a1 no longer exsist the way you knew them, they are now the polyglassv1's.

the old style access are not made any more. so thye came out with the polyglass v1's, at the same price point.

the new access a1's retail for 100.00 less this year, come with the phase plug, and new tweeters.

ummm personally if you can get the old access get them. or jump up to the polyglass v1's. not a huge fan of the new access for that price point. still not bad but not the old access for sure.

lets see here.... the cones are a carbon weave of some sort instead of the imbedded ones.. and the new baskets ****..imo.

the tweeters are tinny..imo.

but ive been selling alot more focal because of there price at this level.

anything else?

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

the access a1 no longer exsist the way you knew them, they are now the polyglassv1's.
the old style access are not made any more. so thye came out with the polyglass v1's, at the same price point.

the new access a1's retail for 100.00 less this year, come with the phase plug, and new tweeters.

ummm personally if you can get the old access get them. or jump up to the polyglass v1's. not a huge fan of the new access for that price point. still not bad but not the old access for sure.

lets see here.... the cones are a carbon weave of some sort instead of the imbedded ones.. and the new baskets ****..imo.

the tweeters are tinny..imo.

but ive been selling alot more focal because of there price at this level.

anything else?

Killer info. I was worried about them being legit since they were shipped to me from overseas. I also got more info seen below from a guru on my lexus site.

PS- are these the one's you said I would prefer to have? http://www.lextech.org/images/stuff/focal

Those are pics I took of what I was sent.

The change for this year is the new mids utilizes and actualy metal phase plug that's separate from the cone. I believe the previous mids had the phase plug integrated into the cone, and was made out of polypropylene. The old mid's cone were made out of fiberglass, but the new ones have weaving in them just like you see in carbon fiber hoods.
The previous set uses the TN 47 tweeters while the new set uses the TN 44 version. Changes were made to the crossover because the TN47 were 8ohm and the TN 44s are 4ohm. They had to change a few things in the crossover network to utilize that 4ohm configuration.

As far as performance, the new tweeters are more efficient, but the frequency response isn't as flat as the TN47 (which are higher end). The TN44 tweeters rolls off at about 3khz (fs= ~3.0khz). There is almost a difference of 6db in response (rolls off) between 3.0khz and 20,0khz. Ideally, it should be HP around 6.0khz, but you're able to get away with a lower xover point depending on our mounting axis and crossover steepness.

The older TN47 ideally should be crossed at ~ 4.0khz since its FS is ~2.0khz. If mounting on-axis, the tweeter has a difference of ~3db at most from 2.0khz-20khz. (ignoring environmental factors).

The old mids look fine to me, except for a slight boost around 1.0khz, by approximately 5db. The new mids are able to extend to 6khz to comphensate for the Tn44's lack of low end extention. It comes with a price though because from 3-6khz, there is a pretty nasty spike. The new mids aren't exactly as smooth in frequency response as the old mids. :sad:

ok i'm done. sorry for the long post //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/banghead.gif.8606515f668c74f6de0281deb475b6fd.gif

__________________

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

PS- I answered my initial question of authenticity when I found the black cone focals on http://www.focal-fr.com (the french website). Now I just want to know if these are the one's you are saying I'd prefer to have. My other guru says yes I want these black cone one's I took pics of in the link that I recieved today in the mail.

Here's the deal.... I was initially under the impression that I would get the silver cone updated one's when I bid on an auction that had a pic of the newer ones. Instead I got these and began to get worried. I went to Tweeter and bought the updated set for $290 because I need them like..... yesterday to finish this install in my other Lexus SC400 (not my IS300 I have been building with USD and K2p's).

Well, Tweeter had to order them so it'll be tomorrow before I get them (technically today now). If I would actually PREFER to have the black cone set, then I'm gonna reject the updated one's when they come in tomorrow and order a few more set's of these because some dude in Hong Kong is blowing them out for $62 per set and I got them in like 6 days all the way from Hong Kong.

I've verified through Focal of france they are legit and if these are BETTER, then hell yes I am going to order 2 more sets @ $62 per component set. and put my $300 back in my pocket that I gave Tweeter yesterday.

I can buy 5 set's of the black cone components for what I paid tweeter for that one set today of updated 165 A1's.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[90accordman 5,000+ posts]

whats the normal price for that set at places, im wanting the same ones

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

whats the normal price for that set at places, im wanting the same ones

I paid $300 for them at Tweeter just today (which will be refunded tomorrow).

These others I got indeed do have the prefered TN47 tweets.

Now I feel REAL good about my $62 purchase.

 

[90accordman 5,000+ posts]

300 shipped? not bad

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

No, 300 from Tweeter, but they had to next day air them from the warehouse.

$300 is horrible for a substandard set when I got the black cone one's for $62 also brand new in the box and they are better.

 

[ray@ss 10+ year member]

got a link to the 62.00 sets????

you got the good ones... and for new that is a killer price, and i even get employee, still not that good.

pm linky?????

 

[ilvwhtgrls 10+ year member]

No, 300 from Tweeter, but they had to next day air them from the warehouse.
$300 is horrible for a substandard set when I got the black cone one's for $62 also brand new in the box and they are better.

Sounds really fishy man, there are a lot of fake focals on ebay right now.

 

[o. l. t. 10+ year member]

Sounds really fishy man, there are a lot of fake focals on ebay right now.

They are only replicating the K2's. They are not bothering with the A series. I went by Tweeter and was able to have them bring up the very last set of black coned A1's in backstock and they were a dead wringer. We even stuck them in the wall and cranked them. This is a real set, and the guy has like 20 sets of them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320007394305

......and they did sound better than the newer A1's that were in the wall //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[90accordman 5,000+ posts]

lol they are all one already