[Tom288]

Im about to get some components for my car, should I go with Focals or JL Audio-what models of each do you prefer? Is there another brand which you prefer over these two?

 

[pacent]

Not sure about JL Audio stuff, but my buddy has focal 165 3 way in his car and it sounds really really bright. He hasn't gotten a chance to tune them yet though. Also try CDT. I have heard really good things about their components

 

[NYA VW]

Focal... JL makes nice subs but their components aren't as clear as some of the other manufactures.

 

[quality_sound]

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ASK ANYONE ELSE'S OPINION ON SPEAKERS!!!!! Everyone's ears are different and what sounds good to you, someone else may find horrible. These will be going in YOUR car and YOU will have to live with them. The last post proves this point perfectly. JLs components sound awesome and until you get into the multiple thousands of dollars you won't get anything clearly more accurate. If you want to know what accurate is, go listen to some unamplified acoustic music and then go listen to some car components.

If you can't listen to them before you buy, DON'T buy them.
Either of the sets you're looking at will fit easily so that's not a big deal.


Paul :thumbup:

 

[Bmpassat]

I agree with paul completely. Ask is brand A better than brand B and you will get the full gambit of responses. I have not heard the JL's yet but I know that properly installed Focal's sound awesome, I can name several other brands that also qaulify as awesome. So I will not recomend one brand or the other. IASCA competitors will tell you that the Install is 85% @ least of how the car will sound.

Paul and myself (him more so than me) have heard hundreds if not thousands(Paul) of cars with various equipment installed and what him or I might think sounds like crap the owner thinks it sounds awesome. And if the oppurtunity presents itself listen to the speakers in a car, maybe one of the sales persons or installers car might have the same speakers and will let you listen to them in a car. I have heard componet speakers that I thought were awesome on the display wall but once installed they sound like crap, again comes back to the install the acoustics in a specific vehicle ets. The opposite is also true some of brand you may never have heard of sounds like crap when on the display wall, but the salesman takes me and some my CD's to his car and say listen they sounded much better in the car, I still wouldn't have purcahed those speakers and no I can't remember the brand because this particular experience happend to me years ago.

So please listen before you buy. And have them installed right if you can't do it yourself.

Pete

 

[SAVela]

Whatever the case...Focals :lol:

 

[quality_sound]

Whatever the case...Focals :lol:

Why? What possible reason can you provide to go with the Focals over the JLs other than the way YOU think they sound. :wink: This is all subjective and he needs to go with what HE thinks sound best.


Paul :thumbup:

 

[PhatRabbitzz]

The thing is that atleast in my area the shops don't really have all the speakers I'm considering. Heck the only place I've seen CDT's speakers are on the-zeb, and what the people on caraudio.com recoomend. Also after reading what Pete said "...I have heard componet speakers that I thought were awesome on the display wall but once installed they sound like crap, again comes back to the install the acoustics in a specific vehicle ets." This means that the best bet is to ask someone who has, again like Pete said, "heard hundreds(Pete) if not thousands(Paul) of cars with various equipment installed". :thumbup:

A simple game of words. :wink:

 

[SAVela]

Whatever the case...Focals :lol:

Why? What possible reason can you provide to go with the Focals over the JLs other than the way YOU think they sound. :wink: This is all subjective and he needs to go with what HE thinks sound best.


Paul :thumbup:

Obviously you buy what sounds best.....he simply asked for opinion. I've requested opinion in the past for similar purposes and in fact have followed through w/ some of your recs....the choice is ultimately his.

IMHO Focals sound sweet.....that is all.

 

[Bmpassat]

That is why I will not and cannot recomend speakers to anybody based on what I think sounds good. Also I was in a hurry with my post above not all of those cars sounded bad the majority actully have sounded pretty good but the occasionaly they did and the owner still thought that nothing could sound better. Car stereo is a topic that is so subjective to personal taste for example people loved the old MB Quarts I always thought they were to bright and tinny but that is how I heard them.

If the question was about amplifiers I could and would provide clear cut answers based on things like build quality warranty length, known failure rate, custumer service and price because the audible difference is almost non exisestent. Unless you are comparing a fleamarket brand to something like Audison, Brax, Helix, ect than you probably will hear difference.

Pete

 

[quality_sound]

Car stereo is a topic that is so subjective to personal taste for example people loved the old MB Quarts I always thought they were to bright and tinny but that is how I heard them.

Pete

Exactly. I actually like the old Quarts and the Boston Pros, but only when the amp driving them is not clipped. With clean power I really like them but generally I'm a soft dome kind of guy.

To the OP, find a local Good Guys!. They carry JL or call JL and get a dealer list. I've never seen a city that didn't have at least 1 JL dealer.


Paul :thumbup: