Car Audio Speakers Showdown. Focal ES 165K Elite vs BLAM L165P Live. 6.5/ 6.75" Component Speakers

[@bsams3827]

Listening with a good set of headphones, the Blam had a slight distortion in the midrange that the focal didn't have to my ears. The tweeters on the focal had more detail in the upper frequencies. As far as the focals being harsh, that can be reduced with dsp or crossover tweeter attenuation. Just my opinion, and I have morel hybrid 3ways in my vehicle, so no bias!😉

[@Capybarainahumansuit]

Ive had focal k2 in car and focal clear and focal bathys. All 3 sounded great.

How do you like your morels?

[@chrishuyler3580]

First of all, I love this video format, let the listeners decide, but I feel like these demos need a bit more prep time to be fair and unbiased. Check levels with an RTA and make sure the 0db/-3db/-6db setting on the crossover of each produces comparable balanced output, possibly use the head unit 3 or 5 band EQ (nothing crazy) to level match the speakers as best possible. Also, consider that most consumers are going to install the tweeters off-axis in factory sail panel, a-pillar, or dash locations far away from the woofer and reflecting off glass. Configuring the sound board in this manner would most definitely affect how listeners perceive the top end of these drivers. For me, in a room like that I would almost always pick the silk dome tweeter, but in a car, at speed, windows down, that's where that sparkling top end from a metal dome that seems overkill in the demo room really outshines everything else. Also, this is unbiased, I'm running Morel in two vehicles and old school MB Quart in another.

[@bsams3827]

If you're asking me? I do love my morel setup but, Im getting ready to try the new focal k2 Ms. Because I got them for a great deal and I change it up every few yrs. But, I have nothing but praise for the morel stuff! Those 3in voice coils can def handle some power! I do wish they had a little more in the bottom end, but I think it more has to do with my im install location. I want to do kickpanels but its a b!tch in the Lexus GS.

[@JC-lk3oy]

​@@Capybarainahumansuit The Focal Clear headphones are amazing. I went with the Arya v2 from Hifiman, and I kinda wish I had gone with the Clears.

[@tedwats8792]

Definitely like the focal better. More detail and the fee of live vs listening to a recording. Harder to say about the highs and how harsh they may sound not being there. I am not a fan of over powering highs. I have always preferred soft dome over hard dome.

[@911diaries]

I liked the sound of the Focals better.

[@jerryba3203]

Focal is the best!

[@marcovaldovinos5009]

Best In the trash

[@pixelreflectorpro]

​@@marcovaldovinos5009nah

[@Svhopowa]

@@marcovaldovinos5009?

[@HaraldBergTechTv]

I purchased my first set of blam almost a decade ago. The focal engineer that left and started Blam got me hooked. Used the same set both in front and rear. 2 15” subs in the trunk

[@joegarcia6276]

​@@HaraldBergTechTv do u like the blams better?

[@soulthief1976]

I havent heard the blams in person but i have a set of k2 power 3ways and can play anything on them to a full range of highs at a loud volume.Either way they both sound great and theres minimal difference. other than more pronounced mid bass on the blams the focals sound crisper IMO.

[@Thighwatts]

I have focals at home. Personally some focal speakers have natural Mids especially on their pulp/flax woofers. The highs could have some sibilance to them but remember very few installations will have the tweeter at 0° access and from an off axis prospective tweeters response changes dramatically. The car environment isn’t like a plastic or hallow room.

[@BrandonAgpaoa]

Both are nice. I also run Focal's in my front and rear, with a pair of 8" focal subs behind the seats in my 2020 tundra. That sounds amazing. Another brand that sounds just as good it's Hertz

[@samscharp3367]

I think this just goes towards peoples personal taste because this is all so subjective. From what I can hear through my computer speakers, BLAM probably sounds best if they are by themselves. But myself and I am sure many others don't run just miss and highs. I have subwoofers is why I have always run Focal speakers in my systems. I like my mids and highs to stand out or above my low end. I have always loved Focal's bright sparkle highs and feel they blend best into systems with multiple amps, speakers and subwoofers.

[@BreakersStereo]

Thanks for your perspective you make very good points!

[@BrandonAgpaoa]

Agreed

[@BrandonAgpaoa]

I also run Focal's in my front and rear, with a pair of 8" focal subs behind the seats in my 2020 tundra

[@qball2000able]

I've demo a lot of focal models and only utopia m put a smile on my face. Until I heard blam signature s165.80 from your demo video, I went on a search for live demo. Took a while to find dealer not to far from my home. First, the blam signature s165.80 put a smile on my face just like the utopia m. Second, the price is much lower than the utopia m (on sale for $1250, 2021). I know the blam s165.80 only 60 watts and that's plenty for me. I went with a pair of blam signature s165.80 and a pair of coaxial power by helix v8 dsp running active for front. Plus one jl audio 12tw3 down fire push by audio control amplifier lc800. I also sounds deadening all five doors. Man, like a little boy in a candy shop I cannot stop smiling 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Between focal and blam, I will go with blam because of more well balanced between the two. Maybe I'm biased because I owned blam 🤣. Anyway, great video as usual. Very appreciated!

[@toorop111]

Having them setup on the sales floor is impressionable! When you install them in a car the game changes. Noise floor etc…

[@BreakersStereo]

Of course having them in a demo room is different then the car and if all things are equal then it gives a good idea of how the speakers perform but not identical.

[@toorop111]

@@BreakersStereo your channel is awesome. I love it. I run active 3 way hertz Mille legend 7” midbass 2 Mille pro 10’s false floor (fibreglass vented) 4 amps audio tech Fischer helix pro mk2 DRC pioneer dmhwt7600nex Hiby r6 (2020 edition). I would like to get better amps though. I ran type c (Hiby) to type c pioneer. WOW. What a game changer in terms of stage.

[@BreakersStereo]

Thanks man I appreciate it!! You’ve got some great gear! We should do a video on hiby players thanks for mentioning it. What amps are you running now?

[@toorop111]

@@BreakersStereo soundstage SS11005 x2 SS15001 x2 They just have lots of rip Took pictures of them under the hood

[@toorop111]

@@BreakersStereo if you do a Hiby R6 (2020 android edition) review please find out for me why my android auto isn’t working anymore. Android auto boots up but the blue dot does not follow my vehicle anymore. I am hot-spotting my Hiby from my iPhone.

[@thecashew8077]

I cant believe I chose the Blam speakers . I have Focal components in three of my vehicles !!!

[@BreakersStereo]

Time for a change!! An expensive one !

[@noncog1]

@@BreakersStereo highly doubt... If youre running high end focals and not running a dsp you dont know much about audio, and if you are running a dsp, a good tuner can get the tonality where you want it. Installed in a display and with no eq isnt a representation of much of anything. And as far as the people liking the blams for the "bass", thats what a sub is for, not really any reason to play a mid in a door under 70hz. Ive put together some mismatched cheaper 3 ways that would outperform both these sets in application for less. A good installer should know that out of the box tonality not even in vehicle isnt a good representation...

[@mardengonzalez3561]

@@noncog1if I don’t plan on getting a sub, would you still recommend focals? I plan on upgrading my stock sound system in my car, getting speakers (which I’m still deciding on which brand to get) amp, and what not. I listen to mostly hip hop, but I do like to switch it up to all kinds of music. Any recommendations?

[@noncog1]

@@mardengonzalez3561 if you're going to listen to hip hop I really recommend a small, accurate sub. That being said, I've done a budget build with cheap 6.5 coax that does ok without a sub, but that's because we treated the fuck out of the doors to help. Brand doesn't matter too much to me. If you have a seperate tweeter and a powerful radio, I'd recommend Steven's mb6's in fuly sealed and deadend doors to not break the bank, and the Steven's sa1 tweeter, but this is assuming a decent aftermarket radio with good power and tuning options, and seperate tweeters. A step down and into coax, I'd say image dynamics 6.5s CDT is also worth looking at If your budget and expectations are higher than these options, I'd recommend spending the money on a sub, then an amp for the mids, and if you get all those and still wanna spend more on the mids, we'd have to start getting into details to pick what's really right for you. You will need a powerful head unit with good tuning, you will need to seal and deaden the fuck out of your doors, otherwise just add a sub, after the mids are decent at mids. I've upgraded door speakers and no sub, I've added sub and not touched mids, depends on persons needs, but for hip hop, some bass is really helpful

[@noncog1]

@@mardengonzalez3561 I posted a decently long reply but yt killed it... hopefully they'll return it...

[@tonyenglish5153]

I own the focal components and am having them installed in my Mustang currently and with a Mosconi DSP amp and great sub set up I would go with Focal after break in the highs seem better with no ear fatigue for my preference. I am sure the BLAM are also fantastic being made in France as well.

[@digginglow]

The blam’s are not bad. But the focals are just the better speaker imo. Dsp will get you where you need to be.

[@Kevinb1821]

Years ago I got jl audio speakers and was pretty disappointed with them. Focal speakers and just so damn amazing. The best part is with just a factory radio or just a head unit powering them. With the insanely high sensitivity they still get insanely loud without distorting. They have beautiful natural sound without being too tinny or hissing at high volumes.

[@robertschmits4304]

I've never heard of BLAM before. They definitely sounded more even throughout the frequency bands in this test. I'd have to hear them in person though to get the actual feeling, but very impressive👍

[@centaurs58]

I have the BLAM 165Ps and they are amazing having listened to them for a couple years now. Vocals are the real star as they still come in crystal clear, and it handles most types of music very well, which was evident in the balanced response they were getting in the review. I basically did the same side by side comparison with the Focals when doing my system so this video hits home!

[@igorsabljak8522]

In order to test these two speakers properly, it is not enough just to connect them to the same amplifier/source. One has 3 ohms and 91.7 db, the other 4 ohms, 90.8 db. The 1db difference is that the blam has 26% more sound energy at the same amplifier volume, which means that it will sound more attractive under the same conditions. and the resistance is also in favor of the blam speaker, so also because of the lower impedance, it will have more power on the coil and this will further enhance its difference. In order to compare these two systems, it was necessary to measure the power level with pink noise and equalize the power they receive from the amplifier so that they have the same output power This all sounds like bad advertising to me.

[@AT-wl9yq]

That's not entirely accurate. To start with, there's no standard that manufacturers have to go by when rating their audio products. That means they measure their products however they see fit. If you measured the speakers the same way, those numbers would change. As for the rest of it, there's not enough information presented in the video to make a determination one way, or the other. When you're trying to match speakers to an amp, the single most important spec to look at is the lowest possible resistance the speaker can show the amp. The 3 and 4 ohm ratings for the speakers, are just averages. In reality, resistance is frequency dependent. It constantly changes when music is playing. The higher the note, the higher the resistance, and low notes are the opposite. So, for the speaker rated at 3 ohms, there is only 1 frequency that will measure 3 ohms. The lower the resistance, the harder the amp has to work. The speaker that drops the lowest, will be the harder on to drive. If you want to look into the matter further, any basic book/text on audio will go over all this in way more detail than what I can do hear.

[@igorsabljak8522]

@@AT-wl9yq it's true, manufacturers don't have exactly the same standards, but you as a tester should have them and you should do everything to create equal testing conditions for it to make sense. Connecting two different speakers to the same amplifier is not exactly creating identical conditions. The speaker's sensitivity level is the bare minimum you should consider when doing this kind of A-B testing. Listening is subject to the subjective feeling of the listener, if the sound levels are not equal, you will not get the same level of sound pressure and the system that is "louder" will have more details and will seem better, which does not correspond to reality. As I already wrote to you, for each speaker, before any testing, with the help of the pink noise signal, you should determine how loud it is at certain settings and then make the other system equally loud. only after that you need to test the rest, this is really the basic setting for any audio testing to be valid, everything else is just a lie and has nothing to do with serious testing.

[@ohsurepal]

I haven't listened with my Sennheiser headphones yet, but in my work truck that has a completely factory stereo; The focal sounded better on almost every test. I have the focal flax Evo component set and their best 6x9s in my personal car, paired with a HiFi Sony deck, amazing.

[@circuitboard283]

upgraded from focal K2 to Utopia elite. Night and day Highs smooth out and bright at same time.

[@dufonrafal]

Well, it sound like the BLAM do go lower than the Focal, but that won't be an issue if you run a sub (which you will at this price point...). Other than that, the Focal sounded a lot better to me.

[@devinsanders8353]

2 for me

[@johannjohann6523]

Great video. Liked asking the regular folk walking into the store for their thoughts. And some of us have a decent enough stereo at home that the nuances between speakers Can Be heard if a proper microphone is used, and not someone's microphone off of their cell phone which is useless. Why people continue to record video only using their cell phone without added microphone (especially at concerts) is nothing more than a waste of time. Nobody is going to watch that terrible sounding video, so thank you for "properly" and "professionally" making a good video! We really do appreciate it!

[@HARRY-ty7ij]

Great showdown between two high-end car audio speakers! The Focal ES 165K Elite and Blam L165P Live are both impressive in terms of sound quality and features. I love how they were able to highlight the differences between these two models and provide valuable insights into what makes them unique. Overall, a great watch for anyone looking to upgrade their car stereo system!

[@jeremyhearn8941]

I love bright highs, but everything Focal related, I've found to be quite harsh on the esr once you start approaching the 75% power range. Specifically the tweeters. I'd go for the Blam all day. I have a feeling the Blams won't turn to harsh ear bleeders at rated power like the Focal will. Focal means you really should dsp and go active. Even then... IMO you gotta roll that tweeter off hard after 6k. Just my $.02

[@maikelvangeneijgen324]

Set the 2k frequetie at -5db in the headunit !!

[@chrisnorrell7489]

To my ear the 1st song the Blams win, but the 2nd and 3rd songs sound better on the Focals. So yeah it definitely depends on the type of music you listen to as to which will sound better.

[@CLoDaMan]

BLAM speaker for the win. First and foremost, the instruments for each of the categories is much refined. The audio comes out evenly with nothing being overwhelming or saturated. On the Focal speaker, some of the instruments get washed out when the deeper bass hits certain notes. I believe with proper tuning with a DSP you can get optimal sound out of them, but if they are apples for apples - same money value; hands down I would choose the BLAM speakers because they can sound even better with proper tuning through a DSP. If you can save a few dollars in comparison to the BLAM... or maybe the Focal speakers are more in reach towards someones budget, they are still not a bad choice; but certainly not the winner between these two brands.

[@BreakersStereo]

You make several good points. A DSP can manipulate the sound and there are limitations to it. Have a good starting point will always produce better sound in any scenario. We appreciate your comment and insight.

[@michaelwhite6195]

Rob hit the nail on the head. This is why I'm so torn with components. I listen to a variety of music, and the speakers sound different depending on the Genre.

[@SavageBunny1]

I hear super clean highs and no distortion on the lows on the K2's.

[@HARRY-ty7ij]

Great comparison between the Focal ES 165K Elite and Blam L165P live component speakers! Both sound fantastic but the Focal has that extra bit of clarity and detail. Would love to hear more about their performance in different rooms and systems though. Thanks for sharing your findings!

[@Jassman3536]

excellent review back and forth. I prefer the Blams and have found that Focal appears to be too bright to my liking. I have 4 Hertz MLK 1650.3 that I am happy with. Keep up the great reviews. Subscribed

[@BreakersStereo]

Thanks for your comment and perspective. Those Hertz MLK 1650.3 awesome we have those in our display as well

[@curtisritter9147]

As an owner of focal,I like the blams better .Now we need a give away contest.You guys are full of great info .thanks

[@DCB_audio]

So, besides the subjective component in all things audio, I did notice some apparent flaws in this comparison. It did not appear the levels were matched, given that the speakers have different sensitivities and impedances. If just a switchbox is used (as it appeared to be), the volume difference alone can have an impact on perception of the sound quality (as most people perceive louder to be better). Another issue was with the mic placement, which did not appear to be set for the best summing of the tweeter and woofer. Also, they were driven to distortion, with the BLAM distorting heavily, but so was the Focal to a lesser degree which would be expected due to the lower sensitivity (2-3db lower). The truth to my ears, the Focal had a more uniform response, while the BLAM has a classic mid suck-out that many people like, but the high's were also rolled off a touch, but the BLAM are louder overall given the same amp input. You notice it most in the upper bass to lower mids being far more discernable in the Focal's. What makes it very hard is the fact both are being over driven, every kick drum muddies everything else up. I don't think either set were presented to the best they could produce. All said, I still enjoyed the video, and I really like bringing in random listeners, I just think more effort in level matching would make for a far better, fair comparison.

[@jamessong5838]

Thank you very much for great showdown.

[@BreakersStereo]

Thanks!!

[@stephantranquille6681]

The tonality of the two brands seem quite different. The Focal sounded more open as opposed to the Blam which had quicker bass response which made them better for dance music and hip hop.

[@pauloparranao5534]

Hi Josh. Once again in the lead of vídeos about stereo sound in automotive. Good job. The fact that someone hears it live and gives his opinion helps also we form our own opinion. I like more blam sistem, sonds clear and effective on bigger range of musicallity. Ohh and those voices are so, so sweet. Guy on the interview did not lie. Focal only on rock music seems to be more effective. Big complements and stay in this path, love it.

[@humbertocorral5519]

I got a all 2 set of blam on my pick up amplified with Jl and u love it . Heavy metal never heard better!! Blam Relax !!

[@tb100875]

They both sound good but I agree with what one guy said the focal sounds closer. More upfront and personal.

[@zackjones9228]

Personally, since I have a suburban, I would say focus in the front doors, and the blams in the rear doors

[@hotdog9262]

at regular volume focal sound more airy/detailed/brighter, so people will usually have the opinion they are better. this opinion will likely change at higher listening volumes^^

[@JohnGarcia-dx4gg]

Gotta give it to Focal. I installed both brands, there is a difference. Blam just looks cheaper built compared to Focal. I will say this, the slim subs Slam has are better for smaller space applications.

[@BassFever4Ever]

I can tell a difference in them, but overall, the blam would be my choice.

[@JoshC-z7w]

Focal sounds crisp and clean

[@FangOfTruth]

Concerning wether you care for the name or not. BLAM stands for Bonneville Labs And More standard naming practice.. Maybe Bonneville Labs was taken or sounds too snobby.Or BLAM sounds more fun and exciting. The last song the BLAM speakers actually sounded louder. I guess that song had a stronger midrange and bass tracks.

[@BreakersStereo]

True! Focal’s company name is actually Focal-JM Lab name after the founder Jacques Mahul

[@circuitboard283]

Focal Love the crisp highs, sharpness to them. I have K2 in my lexus

[@solicitutoob]

Two great speakers. Thanks for the comparison.

[@BreakersStereo]

Glad you liked it!

[@hotdog9262]

@@BreakersStereo could be clearer what speaker is no 1 and 2 from the getgo

[@GSnip3]

Listening to the test on my headphones and car speakers. 2 sounds better, more cleaner, louder and fuller.

[@franciscomontanez2050]

The vocals on the focal speakers are much sharper. The bass on blam speakers hit harder,but I like the Focal much better.

[@waltlivernois6241]

I like hertz Mille pro I'm curious were they rank???

[@pheonixfps9248]

I'd go with Focal, 100000000%. You could hear in the last test the distortion coming through from the blames. My head set i listened with the Sony 1000xm5, and the App output sound, and they've been calibrated to my ear shape. I feel the Focal would have better front stage theatre.

[@calebniederhofer6529]

I have listened to 4,000 sets of Morel and 2500 sets of Focal and have never cared for Focal. They can and are very bright speakers. I am a big fan of Morel speakers and currently run the entry level Maximo. I am fixing to put a set of the Blam components in myself. Value wise, I don’t know if you can do any better. I will update with my experience. I will say that they so comparable to sets that cost twice as expensive. The highs also seem to be warmer, neutral and a mix between a Morel and Focal set in brightness.

[@pheonixfps9248]

😑😒

[@calebniederhofer6529]

@@pheonixfps9248 Yea I don’t know what distortion that you are talking about. If properly powered and a high quality amp, these speakers get very loud and clear.

[@pheonixfps9248]

@calebniederhofer6529 all I could hear from them was distortion at high level. It was very clear. They're not properly isolated, and that is evident.

[@calebniederhofer6529]

@@pheonixfps9248 isolated ? I don’t think that’s the correct terminology. I have had multiple systems and sold car audio before.

[@BryanYoshida]

My preference from this video would be the lows of the BLAM with the highs of the Focal.

[@dylanvincent5683]

The Blams sound more complete to me, almost like I am able to hear the song the way it’s meant to be listened

[@OscyJack-]

Damn, glad I found this channel

[@chris4540]

The focal sounded more clean and crisp while the blams sounded kinda muddy

[@bsams3827]

Listened again 9mo later, remember you always want to make reductions to the eq levels. The focals can be tamed easily with eq. Blams highs would probably have to be boosted in a car environment. Its very hard to compare on the wall in "boxes" so you can really only compare the mid to upper frequencies in that application. The midbass would be totally different in vehicle so cant really use this application for comparison. Just my 2 cents again!😁

[@BreakersStereo]

So true. You can manipulate the sound with an equalizer, but it sounds so much more natural if the key was closer to flat, but I agree in wall boxes will never be the same as in the door although with the correct sound happening, you can get close and even sometimes better it’s done correctly with material. But the point of a demo board is to compare speakers against each other with all things being equal. Appreciate the comment!

[@R34Sumo]

I have Focals in my R34 Skyline, But if this listening test alone is anything go by, I would go with the Blam's.

[@LamborghiniV12M]

Focal by a mile!!! Clear, more accurate. Blam sounds like the vocals are buried, you’ll always be tuning to get more vocals and detail. Focal is the “clear” winner, by far

[@juststuff5216]

I prefer the Morel's! I've owned a lot of Focal gear in the past, but one demo with the Morels' and I've never looked back. BLAM - Regardless of the fancy materials and engineering, if it sounds that bad BLAM, what's the point! Recessed high's etc, is marketing talk for - It sounds bad.

[@meyersguitars2196]

I think I like the Focal because of the detail it has. The other one sounds good but sounds like it is scooped in the mids. That being said the Focal could be more fatiguing to your ears but at basic volume the Focal wins for me.

[@emanuelmarcos]

Focal all the way, better vocal and cleaner highs, for lows there's something called subwoofer 👌

[@mantolini]

Hate to say it, but there is distortion in your A/B test, more so coming from the BLAM. Your mic position is off axis to the tweeters so it's not as frequency accurate as it could be. I would say this A/B is only good for the woofer. Using this test as an example I would say the Focal has better clarity in the highs and more balanced across the spectrum compared to the BLAM which have a obvious mid-bass boost which make them sound a bit "boxy". That said, I am grateful for the opinions posted in this video. Cheers

[@nuttynut54]

I would do the blam for the mid range And use the focal tweeters would be an awesome setup

[@calebniederhofer6529]

I have listened to 4,000 sets of Morel and 2500 sets of Focal and have never cared for Focal. They can and are very bright speakers. I am a big fan of Morel speakers and currently run the entry level Maximo. I am fixing to put a set of the Blam components in myself. Value wise, I don’t know if you can do any better. I will update with my experience. I will say that they sound comparable to sets that cost twice as expensive. The highs also seem to be warmer, neutral and a mix between a Morel and Focal set in brightness.

[@pixelreflectorpro]

If you want fix the brightness of the focals get a dsp

[@calebniederhofer6529]

@@pixelreflectorpro I disagree. If you don’t like bright speakers, then I would recommend not buying Focal. DSP will only go so far. If you like bright speakers, buy Focal. If you want a warmer sounding speaker, buy Morel. DSP is nice, but I would only get one if you absolutely need it. DSP are very expensive and usually require separate 2 channel amps. I am not against DSP, but people buy them before even tuning a system, that they might be completely happy with it.

[@Gaming214-y3g]

Both speakers has pros and cons on different song when listened on headphone; but we're going to tune it anyway, and I wonder whats or how much noticable difference then when? I guess it would down to the sound signature that one prefers and thats more difficult to find and really down to personal preference

[@beng8565]

These videos are great. By all means I'll be visiting breakers once I have the cash.

[@skullpoly1967]

How do infinity kappas 3-way compare?

[@skullpoly1967]

Ignored

[@valantischristodoulou]

I would choose FOCAL , they have very clear sound but when you played ''superhero''' Blam was better . BLAM has more bass tones than the FOCAL .

[@BreakersStereo]

That’s why we do these! Thanks for your comment

[@fungus70]

I'm pretty happy with Blam since the stupid speakers which came with my VW Tiguan went kaput after the 5 year warranty period. Never had this happened in any of my cars before.

[@simonmaina4381]

Focal instant gratification for short trips blam long trip

[@amanteapasionado6836]

Focal for hip hop and Blam for rock

[@97warlock]

I just bought Fosgate 6,5 & hope they dont dissapoint

[@oslozoya1]

I'm feeling the focal's for the vocal's..

[@JuSTSound4]

It's nice to see another SQ brand, my first time hearing of Blam. They seem like a good alternative! I can't help but notice that they distorted a bit more with the bass and it sounds like there is an upper mid spike around 4KHz which stands out? What settings were the Focal at in this test? I run ES 165K's myself at -3dB HF and 12dB slope on LF, this sounds a lot more balanced I've found.

[@maikelvangeneijgen324]

Exactly! And set your 2k range at -5db for down that spike ;)

[@jpmerrick8886]

These are not sq

[@JuSTSound4]

@@jpmerrick8886 have you used Blam? Interested to know. I'm still using K2 for now but looking to upgrade. Considering the KX2 at this point.

[@TheCompleteConfusion]

Obviously it’s difficult to distinguish the real sound of a speaker over a video listening from whatever pair of headphones you have. And this just reminded me that I don’t have a nice set of headphone lol. But I can tell just from what I COULD hear, that the Blams have a better frequency range/response. To me at least, it sounded like the plams could produce a little lower frequency then the focals, or at least handled those frequencies better. The focals definitely still sound great, but I feel like it would force me to make my sub run a little higher crossover. Where the blams, I could leave it where it is, or possibly over lower the crossover. It really just comes down to personal taste I guess, because both are very high quality speakers that sound incredible.

[@Neo.555]

I got focal installed on my civic and it sounded terrible. There was no bass at all and all the base was coming from my JL 10" sub in the boot. Finally got access to the dsp and started playing around with the tuning and the timing to my liking... The entire low mid frequency range was muted in the original tuning and hence it sounded terrible. Adjusted it to my liking and it's a night and day difference! The bass from the speakers are now awesome without any kind of distortion and you can feel the air pressure when you play hip hop or any bass heavy music. Tweeters are a bit too loud for me and hence had to tone it down. I run all active from my dsp without using the crossovers. I haven't heard BLAM personally and I would reserve my comments until I hear it.

[@nosa74]

The tuning plays a lot into sound reproduction. So, it all depends..

[@freyrerealestate3202]

Miss Boston Acoustics…the real Boston Acoustics.

[@BreakersStereo]

Miss alot of “real” brands. PPI, Orion, MB Quart, Zapco…

[@jimt5683]

800 for some God dam components. I want to see these vs 200$ sets please. I bet most can't tell the difference

[@BreakersStereo]

We have a good better best video for 6.5 componets you should check that one out! It has speakers at $169 $399 and $799 Here’s the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3O8loivndKSeJo

[@Fred-ck1gh]

I like Focal but I love my Blam's!

[@Mason-fv1zl]

I have a different Different style focal speaker but I like them good crisp sound.

[@mavr1ck853]

This need a follow up test with swapping parts. For example take the blam woofer and focal tweeter and then swap crossovers and see what gives the best results you know... For science

[@gaurd3]

Prefer the Focals. Blams sound veiled to my ears. Would drive me nuts

[@ksaket]

The blam is an all round sound with much clearer music

[@TreesOnTheBeach]

No links in the description?

[@julesbruchez-outperformtra2020]

First let me say o love this channel. I’m 45 and had systems in my car since I was 15. This is the only channel that I believe has its focus on quality of SQ. You can get on anything but will it sound good? I recently bought a kicker 8 inch Q class subwoofer and set my multimeter to 46 bolts. It is a two ohm subwoofer wired down to a four ohm load into a kicker CXA 1200.1. Using my multimeter 3 times I set the gains. And it stills plays low. After going through the system, multiple times, exploring every avenue on why my output would be low. I eventually just adjusted the game by the hair of a touch and the subwoofer came to life. Anything that I am overlooking?

[@ianborchert2529]

Their opinion probably differed based on the music they like and the material the tweeters are made of. I just installed a set of the BLAM, I’ll hear that soft dome tweeter on Monday when I power up the system

[@robh6206]

The blams have great bass output

[@pronoyroy1823]

Perfect comparison 💯

[@oahupc4688]

I promise you, you can get better sound with (for example) Polk db series and a minidsp. MiniDSP really does not get enough mention in the car audiophile world. Also if you want a great eq on the cheap tip get the Rockville R7EQ, amazing sound.

[@taurusking7046]

I like hip-hop loud the Focal sounds better to me.

[@shekhargupta9281]

Sir A small quire jl audio vs Rockford stage leo vs focal which r good in speakers ?

[@Duramaxjon]

I have a pair of the Multix 6.5’s I can’t wait to install now. Swapping out from Audiofrog GB60’s. I also have the Multix midrange I’m going to use as a center channel in another vehicle since it plays up past 20khz. Do you guys have any experience with the Signature or Multix speakers? I’ve never heard them before so my 2 installs will be the first time

[@SuperSportTay]

Focal- I’ve been around focal a lot because my job promotes them hard and every version of focal we installed from $200-$1500 blew my mind in loudness quality and even has good bass The blam was right there with it just had distortion and wasn’t as clear as focal

[@BoostedLeonitus]

With headphones the focal wins hands down.

[@Ferrywijaya30]

Blam all day everyday. Please do these kind of comparisons again.

[@BreakersStereo]

Nice!!! Thanks for the comment! Yes we need to do more of these

[@Audioholic_86]

Get rid of that rode mic and get a good binaural mic. Would also be nice to do a listener's position test.

[@alvarolopez630]

I don't know why... But I like speaker 3.

[@easylaptop]

i love focal sound. k2 on my car aria in house cleare on my head.

[@QuangLe-tj4ix]

May I ask for your recommendation amp plus speakers for my model S 2020? Thanks so much!

[@joeb7348]

Thanks for a great educational video. I live in Sacramento and I just bought a 2024 Acura Integra A Spec and I want to upgrade my sound system (kinda regret not forking out the extra $3500 for the Tech package)…just wanting to replace the door speakers and not very versed in aftermarket systems. Any recommendations on amp/speaker combo for the Integra?

[@christittle1131]

If balm’s didn’t have distortion I think I picked them but I have say focal

[@BreakersStereo]

You heard distortion, ok good to know. Thanks for the comment

[@dannyiceman2040]

Do you think the results would be the same if you did it in a car or truck. Those shop units always give a better bass response in a box. Doors don’t work that way.

[@kaopua1972]

My sophisticated side says Focal but my bank account says Kenwood😂