I usually start my articles with a short rundown of the brand in question, and this one is no exception. Focal is a French company founded in 1980 by Jacques Mahul in Saint-Etienne. It started out with Jacques' first prototypes, born of his interest in the world of hi-fi, and by the end of that same year it began selling them (DB13). Until 1989, Focal devoted itself exclusively to building its hi-fi gear while also making components for other brands. That year it moved into car audio, where it quickly began winning international awards: the first in 1997, followed by others in 2001 and 2002.
Today Focal is divided into several very different sectors of the audio world: hi-fi, home theater, multimedia, installation, car audio and what the company calls Professional Studio and Home Studio. What interests us in this review is the Home Studio side, specifically its newly introduced ALPHA line. The range has three members: Alpha 50, Alpha 65 and Alpha 80. As you're probably guessing, the nomenclature is simply the size of the woofer.
The Focal Alpha 65 is a two-way monitor with two Class A/B amplifiers. A 70-watt amp drives the polyglass woofer cone, and 35 watts drive the 25-millimeter aluminum inverted-dome tweeter. The system's frequency response is 40 Hz to 22 kHz (+/- 3 dB). On the lower front of the monitor are the bass reflex ports, which, at first glance, don't bother you even when working at fairly high sound pressure levels. Just above them is the elegant Focal logo, which also indicates the speaker's status: it lights up when in use and goes dark when the speaker is switched off or enters standby. On the back are the monitor's various options. The power switch has three positions: on, off and standby.
It also has two types of input connection, XLR and RCA (it should be made clear that they are simultaneous, so you can connect your audio interface and your iPod at the same time without one canceling the other, you just have to make sure you play from only one source at a time), and two EQ controls for bass and treble, which will matter if your listening room is not well treated or if you have no option but to place the monitors against a wall or in corners. The monitors come very well packed and include the corresponding IEC cables and small rubber pads to decouple them from the desk or stand. In use: the truth is I was eager to put this unit to the test, partly because I liked them when I heard them at the trade show (I'm the happy owner of a pair of Focal Twin 6Be), and partly because, going in, the competition was going to be very tough for the Alphas. To say their sound is similar would be a flat-out lie, it isn't, but I do have to say the Alphas' sound felt terribly familiar to me, which struck me for several reasons: they share no components (they do share one with the CMS series, since the woofer is the same), and they share neither amp nor, by any means, tweeter. Frankly, it surprised me a lot, in a good way, because when you move between several studios and are getting used to how your mixes sound in a new environment, everything sounds alien, at least for the first twenty minutes.
Does that mean they are a perfect replacement for the Twins? No, but let's not forget that a pair of Alpha 65s costs five times less than a pair of Twins, and personally I think that, given that price difference and the Alphas' value for money, it's a very interesting combination. The sound quality in the mid-to-high range of this system is frankly very good and sweet, it never fatigues you, and the separation between the elements of the mix in this delicate part of the spectrum is very good. Thinking back, I don't believe I've ever heard a system in this price range that sounded so good and so clear. The low end is tight and defined with punch, without coloring what is happening in that very troublesome area. The stereo image also surprised me a lot, especially for how big and wide it is. Let me explain: the “sweet spot” is much wider than on other monitors in this category, and the center is consistently well defined in our mixes.
One thing worth making clear about this line is that Focal considers it a starting point for home studios, that is, first studio, first purchase. Given how much you have to invest in your first studio, Focal decided to keep the Alpha's price very low, so low that they haven't even included a subwoofer as an option. So if you wanted a matching sub for your system, you would have to jump up to the next category, the CMS, although I don't think it's necessary considering the target audience and its corresponding limitations, both budgetary and acoustic.
Does this mean it's an “entry-level” system? By commercial positioning, yes, but in terms of quality, not by a long shot. It's an excellent system I would be happy to work with, but let's not kid ourselves, I would miss my Twins. A lot. But for the price of the Alpha 65 and the quality it overflows with, I don't think there's a system today that outshines it, although that is a very bold statement, since this segment has been packed with very good and not-so-good products in recent years. I'm not saying it's the best monitor in its segment, such claims are impossible, because the personal taste of the writer and the environment where the test was done both influence the whole analysis, but I do say that if I were looking for a monitor for my home studio, this one would definitely be at the top of the list, first or second place. At 600 euros for the pair, seriously, make the effort.
Specifications • With room EQ adjustment • 6.5" polyglass woofer, 70W Class AB • 1" inverted aluminum dome tweeter, 35W Class AB • Frequency response: 40 - 22000 Hz • Max. SPL peak @ 1m: 106 dB • Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA input • Input impedance: 10kOhm • Standby mode (30 min.) • LF shelving EQ: (0 - 300Hz) +/- 6dB, HF shelving EQ: (4.5 - 22kHz) +/- 3dB • 15mm-thick MDF enclosure, partly with vinyl finish • Dimensions: 348 x 252 x 309 mm • Weight: 9.4 kg
