Focal CMS50 studio monitors

BMU

I got bitten by the monitor upgrade bug recently. (Yeah, that'll make my music better...err.)

Anyone familiar with Focal CMS50's? I hadn't heard of them before, but after comparing them against others in the price range (like VXT6's etc) I was sold. Very clear, very tight bass response. I get a feeling of total transparancy listening to them, almost as if they're not there, just the music coming out of thin air.

They won some award (MIPA 2009?) and seem to be highly regarded, what little I could find on Gearslutz and other forums. The speaker housings are ceramic, I love that.

aja

i only have some experience with their home audio and they are honestly the best speakers I have ever heard in my life (but to be fair the system I listened to cost more than R500k). But some of their entry level home audio speakers (+/- R20k) I listened to were also fantastic! Very well balanced with unreal staging

BMU

Yes I learnt along the way their history is in home audio, they started making studio products fairly recently.

Norman86

i use their car audio products myself, the polyglass 165vr3's, as well as a focal power fp2.150!

Focal are absolutely stunning speakers!
I wish i could have the grande utopia beryllium 3's! Lol

on their site, www.focal.com, they have various interviews with youtube links!
One recording studio uses the utopia 3's as their monitoring system ?

Norman86

here we go...

http://www.focal.com/en/home-audio-loudspeakers/focal-jmlab/video-galerie.php

http://www.youtube.com/FocalCorporate#p/u

http://www.youtube.com/FocalCorporate#p/u/6/kM7psD2Pv9w

Oh ja, the only bad thing i can say about Focal is their products can be hellishly expensive! but, oh SO worth it!

I wouldnt mind getting the XS System myself!

matta

They are fantastic speakers! I've been on Solo6Be's for over 2 years now. The CMS is fantastic for the price. I've heard them all from the CMS to SM11's.

Matt

Gearhead

IIrc their claim to fame is the inverted dome tweeter. For the money, I would go Scan-Speak instead.

aja

Gearhead wrote: IIrc their claim to fame is the inverted dome tweeter. For the money, I would go Scan-Speak instead.

...and the beryllium tweeters. A focal rep once told me that focal and the American military are the only ones in the world who buy pure beryllium, because you need some super duper special amazing license thing. Everyone else buys beryllium compounds/alloys.

Being that beryllium is HIGHLY toxic, focal provide you with a special air tight case to put the tweeter dome into in case it cracks or is damaged. ?

Norman86

beryllium is also extremely expensive! none the less, there is something about focals that i love! i personally wouldnt own any other speaker!

and i can almost guarantee that other focal owners feel exactly the same!

TomCat

JBL also uses beryllium for tweeters in their top concert line array cabinets, the VT4889

BMU

matta wrote: They are fantastic speakers! I've been on Solo6Be's for over 2 years now.

Ooh, those must be nice. Yep I love my little Focals.

Gearhead wrote: IIrc their claim to fame is the inverted dome tweeter.

Uh yeah, that must be it.

Or maybe just that they sound good. ? ?

Norman86

BMU wrote:
matta wrote: They are fantastic speakers! I've been on Solo6Be's for over 2 years now.
Ooh, those must be nice. Yep I love my little Focals.

Gearhead wrote: IIrc their claim to fame is the inverted dome tweeter.
Uh yeah, that must be it.

Or maybe just that they sound good. ?

Out of curiosity, where did you buy them from?
and what did they cost?
you can pm me the price if you dont wanna put it online!

BMU

@Norman86 - Marshall Music. Somewhere just over R11k, can't remember exactly (in fact I hope I'm remembering that right).

Looking at online pricing I wouldn't be surprised if you could get them cheaper. (Not sure of import duties though, I've only ever bought guitars direct from overseas.) This time I went for instant gratification without the potential shipping & warranty returns adventures.

Norman86

thanks for fulfilling my curiosity!!

matta

I bought mine from the original agent, Audio Boutique, they handled the Focal Pro Audio, now it is handled by Eastern Acoustics. If I recall they were around R20,000, but that 3 years ago when they first came out, I believe they have since had a fair price hike.

Cheers

Matt

Norman86 wrote: Out of curiosity, where did you buy them from?
and what did they cost?
you can pm me the price if you dont wanna put it online!

Norman86

Thanks guys!!

Soundinmind

They pretty nice monitors, nice and sold is one thing they are. Also check the ADAMs out, the A7X (The big boys are R12k, then the smaller A5X are R7k.

DrGonzo

Hi!

Sorry to bump an old thread... I am a big fan of these monitors ( and im also uber keen to post my 200th Post! 8) )

but im Seriously gassing for The CMS65 - Im sure the CMS50 are very similar - Anyone have a pair at their place that I can come around and have a listen?