Focal Twin and the Solo - differences?

[brandondrury]

The only problem I've had on the cms and the solo's i listened too is some major sibilance from some of my favourite female vocal recordings.

I can't comment on the Twins, but my experience has been the exact opposite with the Solo 6BEs. I generally double check all my mixes on a pair of ATH-m50s specifically for sibilance because my Focals tend to be forgiving in that area. I bought mine used, so maybe they were thrown down the steps a few hundred times.

Brandon

[zacheus83]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I bought mine used, so maybe they were thrown down the steps a few hundred times.

Brandon

Lol, maybe that's what's meant by "breaking them in" haha.

[Joiken]

haha, I hope not!

Brandon, I read a few months ago and certainly appreciate your Mackie -> Solos review on your site, which was very honest.

Zacheus...why would I ever want to deviate from the BM15a? It is a long story, but to cut it short, originally, I needed to begin to develop funds to put down a house deposit. My first house. From then it has been a journey through sound which had led from My Dynes, to JBL lsr to B&W to Focal CMs to SOLO to K&H to onward and back to the Dynes...etc..

...
quick story...

I had my mother in the studio tonight. I'm 32 and I'm not ashamed to admit her opinion counts to me because she has a fine ear. My Grandfather was in the hit parade in Aus in early days, it was the closest thing we had to the TOP 40 and he hit no. something or other within the top 40.. So anyway, I figure'd she had something valuable to offer as she has a sensitive ear,

so I played Angus Dei, Albinoni, Jack Johnson, Mark Sholtez, Ry Cooder, a bit of minsistry of Sound and some my own songs over the Dynes and the Twins ( I had to physically swap them out and some patience was involved in the process)..

My mums Opinion

"Why don't you keep both?"

My answer

"Because I can't afford it!....please give me 'your ears' opinion to add to the ears helping me in this painstaking journey through monitor choices".

ok,, " Well....the 2nd one (Focals') sounds more sophisticated'...I can hear more, There are some bits that are a bit 'in my ears'...but turn it down and it's ok. I like it lower in volume"

again..."why don't you keep both"?

Well, we know why...

And about the Dynes

"The first ones (the Dynes) sounds more gutsy, similar to the first but more 'oompfh' and less trebley fine-ness. Your songs sound more natural:" (this last one, i interject, is not a fair comparison as my music was originally mixed on the dynes.)

Her final observation: "Why don't you try them both for a while in your new room?(since I have added a lot of basstrapping , diffussion and absorbtion and my old Dynes sound like new monitors altogether) They both sound wonderful and have different sounds??

Now please Slutz, I've never let my mum help with monitor choices before but on the whole to both of us just this night it felt right.

there was a pretty fine line between the Dynaudio's and the Twins and it reaffirmed my observations. And I was honoured to have her listen and offer her opinion like she did.

off to keep listening...

[zacheus83]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having mom listen and get her opinion. It's totally your choice how much you value her opinion. I got a lot of opinions when I demo'd over 10 different monitor models....

Anyways, yeah, since I got the Twins, I actually mix and listen at much lower volumes than I used to with any other monitors. I think that, before, I had to crank the volume to hear detail. Now with the Twins, I don't have to crank it to hear detail. I do crank the volume when I want to feel the lows, but for critical listening, I am somewhere around 80-85db (when measured with my Phonic RTA).

There are studio monitors that you know that you hate when you hear them. And then there are studio monitors that are good, with maybe something subtly annoying, or something missing. In the $3K+ price range, most of the monitors I heard were all 8 or 9 out of 10. None of them sucked basically. It sounds like the Focals might be sky blue and your Dynes might be aqua blue; two close shades of the same color.

[Joiken]

That's an interesting way to put it. Two shades is about right, they are both superb overall and there is no wrong decision. I have a lot of opinions of people coming over to listen but at the end of the day it is my own take that counts.

I followed suggestions and put the focals on their sides (portrait) with the tweeters out and I definately prefer them this way! The bass seems a bit fuller, and the imaging is better in my room. the tweets are a little higher, but are aimed a few degrees down so it helps with bringing them closer to ear level.

i've done more listening and some mixing. The more I listen, the more I get used to their character re: hi mids and highs. The first mix has translated very nicely to HD555 headphones. Very happy with that so far. Will keep on it.

Cheers.

[Joiken]

Here is them setup

Anthony Howells - Music Production & Sound Design

this has been the best they've sounded so far compared to layed flat both upside down and tweet on top. They have been moved around probably ten or so times now. The room treatment has helped immensely and has made it easier to find where to place the speakers in general. The Dynes sound like new monitors in the space and the Focals are a pleasure to mix on thus far. I like to focus on details and so far the details are making their way over to different systems, rather than getting hidden or lost. This is a good sign. No conclusions yet, but very promising.

[warhead]

I use mine vertically setup as well, and this would really work best for virtually any situation.

War

[zacheus83]

Originally Posted by Joiken

Here is them setup

Anthony Howells - Music Production & Sound Design

this has been the best they've sounded so far compared to layed flat both upside down and tweet on top. They have been moved around probably ten or so times now. The room treatment has helped immensely and has made it easier to find where to place the speakers in general. The Dynes sound like new monitors in the space and the Focals are a pleasure to mix on thus far. I like to focus on details and so far the details are making their way over to different systems, rather than getting hidden or lost. This is a good sign. No conclusions yet, but very promising.

Nice bass traps on your blog! IMO The Twins have the best translation of any monitor I've heard in my own room.

Originally Posted by Joiken

I followed suggestions and put the focals on their sides (portrait) with the tweeters out and I definately prefer them this way! The bass seems a bit fuller, and the imaging is better in my room. the tweets are a little higher, but are aimed a few degrees down so it helps with bringing them closer to ear level.

Yes! This is exactly what happened when I placed mine vertical.

Originally Posted by warhead

I use mine vertically setup as well, and this would really work best for virtually any situation.

War

Agreed. Thanks for chiming in War! A lot of your early posts about the Twins gave me incentive to listen to these (and other) monitors.

[sevansounds]

Would it be bad to ask about any updates with the Solo's? I too have been reading through all the forum postings and this one has great detailed explanations on things. I had originally been looking at the Dynaudio BM6A MKII's or something close still in the Dynaudio world but I'm taking interest in whats being said about the Focal's and wish I could get more info on the Solo's.

My currents are NS-10's with a Bryston 4BST but obviously that puts me in an entirely different world of what I hear from those compared to real monitors.

I've heard mixed feedback on the BM6A MKII's and just recently saw something about the new BM5A MKII's with a slightly different tweeter design or something? Tweeter housing looks slightly different in the pics....anyways....

After reading through this particular set of postings Focal seems to be a good choice but I am specifically curious about the Solo's which there doesn't seem to be a ton of detailed info regarding. Right now it comes down to the Solo's or something new from Dynaudio....I think : )

Any takers up for offering more info regarding the subject??

Thanks

[zacheus83]

Originally Posted by sevansounds

My currents are NS-10's with a Bryston 4BST but obviously that puts me in an entirely different world of what I hear from those compared to real monitors

can you clarify what you mean by that sentence? I thought NS-10 + Byston 4B is a great combo??

Whadda you mean when you say "real monitors?"

[zacheus83]

Originally Posted by sevansounds

After reading through this particular set of postings Focal seems to be a good choice but I am specifically curious about the Solo's which there doesn't seem to be a ton of detailed info regarding. Right now it comes down to the Solo's or something new from Dynaudio....I think : )

Any takers up for offering more info regarding the subject??

Thanks

I spent only a few hours with the Solos. When I was introduced to Focal monitors, I was convinced that I would most likely end up with the Solos mainly because my budget at the time was around $2200. I got to A/B the Solos and Twins side by side, switching at the touch of a button.

Compared to the Twins, the Solos sounded exactly alike from what I felt was the 2Khz and above range. I felt like every time I switched during the song, I could tell with my eyes closed which was the Solo because it would lose umph and information around what I thought to be 200hz. The bass response seemed similar with each, but I could hear more detail in the Twins in the low mids.

Now, some of the music sounded TOO full and resonant on the Twins in the showroom. I appreciated the Solos because it seemed easier to hear the entire spectrum, while the same song might start to sound muddy on the Twins.

My conclusion was that the Solos are great for smaller rooms that may have excitable room nodes in the mid-range. I decided (once I got more cash) to get the twins because my room is 20x21 feet and I like the extra power for listening back at loud volumes. The Solos seem to be suited just for critical mixing (or even mastering) while the Twins can be used for production as well as mixing (because they can get pretty loud without any perceivable distortion). Both models sounded excellent at low levels... So much so that I spent most of the time listening to each at medium low levels.

Hope this helps!

P.S. This may not mean anything to you, but I also got to compare the Solo's to Digidesign RM2's, Adam S3A's, and Dynaudio BM15A's (which are all more expensive models). I preferred the sound of the Solo's over The S3A's (which was a huge shock) as well as the Dynes, and was torn between the Solos and the RM2's. The Twins sounded better overall than each of the monitors.

[garryrobson]

Originally Posted by zacheus83

I spent only a few hours with the Solos. When I was introduced to Focal monitors, I was convinced that I would most likely end up with the Solos mainly because my budget at the time was around $2200. I got to A/B the Solos and Twins side by side, switching at the touch of a button.

Compared to the Twins, the Solos sounded exactly alike from what I felt was the 2Khz and above range. I felt like every time I switched during the song, I could tell with my eyes closed which was the Solo because it would lose umph and information around what I thought to be 200hz. The bass response seemed similar with each, but I could hear more detail in the Twins in the low mids.

Now, some of the music sounded TOO full and resonant on the Twins in the showroom. I appreciated the Solos because it seemed easier to hear the entire spectrum, while the same song might start to sound muddy on the Twins.

My conclusion was that the Solos are great for smaller rooms that may have excitable room nodes in the mid-range. I decided (once I got more cash) to get the twins because my room is 20x21 feet and I like the extra power for listening back at loud volumes. The Solos seem to be suited just for critical mixing (or even mastering) while the Twins can be used for production as well as mixing (because they can get pretty loud without any perceivable distortion). Both models sounded excellent at low levels... So much so that I spent most of the time listening to each at medium low levels.

Hope this helps!

P.S. This may not mean anything to you, but I also got to compare the Solo's to Digidesign RM2's, Adam S3A's, and Dynaudio BM15A's (which are all more expensive models). I preferred the sound of the Solo's over The S3A's (which was a huge shock) as well as the Dynes, and was torn between the Solos and the RM2's. The Twins sounded better overall than each of the monitors.

I couldn't agree more! Especially the low level part.

[HomeProducer]

Originally Posted by Joiken

Now, with some of these other mixes both commercial and indie sounding a bit in my face on the twins etc...it's funny as all of my own mixes sound stellar on the TWINS (mixes done on the BM15a's from recent to years ago).

is no surpise, since it's the same room with the same fingerprint on the sound.

[WooferVampire]

I own the twins now thankfully. I would say that many opinions on here are just that. everyones ears are a bit different. I would say that the solos sound smoother, but not as clear, the two drivers in the twins really work on seperate levels from eachother. I can see how each driver is flexin at a different rate due to the crossovers. So the lack of two drivers in the solos is gonna give you a slightly muddier response which makes basslines harder to tear apart when leveling, almost making the bassline sound smoother...I would rather hear every little knock and punch of bass instead of it turning in to just one bassline. So I would say get the solos over the cms65's though. My Twins also have a ton more power than the solo does, and I like to crank up a mix a bit when Im listening as if I was an average listener! About 2 times louder than my mackie hr824's.
My mixing levels are set at about a little under half though...any more would be bumpin it too much for long periods in the studio My room is treated and its about 12'x16'

Oh Yeah, I returned my Dynaudio BM15a's in a day cuz the bass was rediculously large and boomy.....

[laboso]

Found an extensive review of the Solos!

For those who are interested:

Allen Farmelo | blog

[HomeProducer]

Originally Posted by laboso

Found an extensive review of the Solos!

For those who are interested:

Allen Farmelo | blog

a bullshit review. Reads like he is working for Focal. States wrong specs,
like mm27 should go down to 38 Hz, whereas in fact they go down to 30 Hz.

[laboso]

Originally Posted by HomeProducer

a bullshit review. Reads like he is working for Focal. States wrong specs,
like mm27 should go down to 38 Hz, whereas in fact they go down to 30 Hz.

Your input is simply ridiculous... This guy works in various studios and works with different gear on a daily basis. Additionally he writes reviews for high end gear in Tape-Op and had his hands on gear you can simply dream of... In fact the MM27 goes down to 36 at +/- 1.5 dB according to the specs. But specs are not what we're hearing, the guy stated that he's not gonna compare apples to oranges and that the Barefoots are outstanding monitors.

Go home and produce some music HomeProducer

[zacheus83]

Originally Posted by HomeProducer

a bullshit review. Reads like he is working for Focal. States wrong specs,
like mm27 should go down to 38 Hz, whereas in fact they go down to 30 Hz.

Did you read the whole thing? It sounds word for word like my experience with Focal monitors, though I've never heard the Barefoots. I find nothing wrong with any claims he's made about the Focal monitors or sub.

[HomeProducer]

Originally Posted by laboso

Go home and produce some music HomeProducer

ok

[HomeProducer]

Originally Posted by laboso

In fact the MM27 goes down to 36 at +/- 1.5 dB according to the specs.

Bandwidth usually always given as the - 3 dB point, and that are 30 Hz! And this is enough. Low end can get lost when room acoustics are bad.

[Joe_caithness]

Originally Posted by garryrobson

My only input here is be sure to run the Twins in. This is vital for any pro monitor to relax the drivers' suspensions. A brand new pair will not achieve the spec'd LF range but, after use for 20 hours music use, you will achieve spec and possibly much lower.

Hey Garry!


I have been using the Focal Solo 6bes for a few months almost daily, and I gave them a good over night run in before really sitting and listening to some albums on them.

SO now the verdicts out: I frickin loves these speakers. They have biggest top to bottom response of any nearfield I have ever heard, and I've heard many 2 way nearfield design Adams, Dynaudios, Questeds, PMCS, Genelecs and more in different rooms over the years.

I remember thinking Dynaudios were the bees knees about a year ago because they really reached that area where a lot of the UK underground dance tracks (the bulk of my work) went down, but then I realised Dynaudios, at the kind size I could fit in my smallish room (BM5As, BM6AS) had a weird area of confusion between the mids and bass, like a fuzzy furry kinda area, which sounded kinda nice in a hifi way, but I could see myself trying to "poke through" the prescence on certain elements of the mix.

So I waited on it, decieded to not go for a pair of speakers until I knew I could get that low, without a disconnected lower mid. I was then working at a music tech shop, and I decieded to revamp the monitoring demo space (aka make one) and I rang round all the distributors and saw if I could get a pair in all the brands I could get my hands on. It was then that the very man I am replying to here sent me a pair of Focal Solo 6Bes to have a listen to... First impression was like "is that bass real", second impression was "wow that bass IS real", third impression was to ring Garry up and order myself a pair for my own mastering business.

Go figure, go get some Focals!

[garryrobson]

All I did was let you hear them!
Great news though. Good luck with the studio.
Garry

[giftmusic]

Selling my Focal Twins to get the solo`s anyone intrested? Let me know, BTW these were hand picked for quality by Focal for the AES show last year!

[Steab]

Originally Posted by giftmusic

Selling my Focal Twins to get the solo`s anyone intrested? Let me know, BTW these were hand picked for quality by Focal for the AES show last year!

Why would you do that?

[Joe_caithness]

Originally Posted by garryrobson

All I did was let you hear them!
Great news though. Good luck with the studio.
Garry

It's all that's needed, as you well know!

[KT1]

Glad i cam across this thread.

I am shopping for my next pair of monitors and i make bass heavy music (Electro Urban type stuff). After listening for nearly 6 hrs to most speakers i have decided the Focal Solo or Twins.

I was set on the twins (yet to hear the solo's) and was happy that my reference showed the clarity and warmth in the low end. Then i put the solo's on. This is driving me nuts! At times i was thinking this is exactly how the song sounds in the club. The bass was spot on! Why did i feel like the twins were not doing it. I think it may be that i was playing them at a significantly lower volume. A volume that i think i will be using at home.

What do you guys think? Are the twins better or my needs..Should i give them another go..am i being crazy? Price is not the issue.

[zacheus83]

Originally Posted by KT1

Glad i cam across this thread.

I am shopping for my next pair of monitors and i make bass heavy music (Electro Urban type stuff). After listening for nearly 6 hrs to most speakers i have decided the Focal Solo or Twins.

I was set on the twins (yet to hear the solo's) and was happy that my reference showed the clarity and warmth in the low end. Then i put the solo's on. This is driving me nuts! At times i was thinking this is exactly how the song sounds in the club. The bass was spot on! Why did i feel like the twins were not doing it. I think it may be that i was playing them at a significantly lower volume. A volume that i think i will be using at home.

What do you guys think? Are the twins better or my needs..Should i give them another go..am i being crazy? Price is not the issue.

I think it depends on your ears and your room... so yeah, it depends on you!! If money is not an option, have you considered the Focal sub? I use the sub with the Twins and play music at a moderate volume. It might be that the lows are more focused on the Solo's while there might be more low to low-mid information in the Twins that soften the impact. That's my theory...

[00webstarr00]

Hi Guys,

Although this is my first post (I think), I have been following the site for years, and i have now taken the plunge into voicing my opinion online. Please don't bite


I am demo'ing the solo6 BE next week in my studio, as I find my Focal Twin's are just too big for my room (9x8ft!).

If anyone is interested in purchasing my Twins let me know! (I live in London, England)

I will post a small comparison next week when I A/B them against eachother!


Rob

[Joe_caithness]

Interested to hear the difference also, my room is small, which is why I went for the solos, but I also hear there are differences in the sound which are kind of horses for courses...

[I.P]

Hi guys! sorry for the off-topic.
Im thinking to switch from genelec 8040 to Focal solo

Do you think ill be ok or i should better go for the twins?

anyone who have try all 3 of them?


cheers