# Morel Tempo 6 vs Focal Access



## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

new with car audio.. i got infinity reference speakers and they just dont cut it. i want to go subless for now... the infinities im ok with in terms of the highs but the mids are meh... and the lows are bad.

im running them off a db drive 4 x 80 amp. i dont want to change this as i just got it a few days after getting the infinities. 

so my choices are:

1. morel tempo 6 components + tempo 6 coax
2. focal access 165a1 components + access coax

they are almost the same price in manila and can be had for about $200

the infinity reference speakers at the back cant even be set to full range on the amp as it cant handle the lows at all. loudest volume i listen to is just at the point where you cant hear your turn signal. i know this isnt that loud as im posting in a car audio forum 

i mostly listen to rock/alternative. which ones of those 2 would be better for my needs? or do i push the budget and get the focal polyglass line for the fronts.. then keep the infinities i have for rear fill?

thanks.


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## Mohito (Mar 7, 2011)

Hello mate,
I have a very similar dilemma - considering these two speaker options. 
Only difference is that I'll run them on HU - JVC XR-811 and I also listen to electronic music. I'd prefer sound quality Vs volume.

Many thanks


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## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

Mohito said:


> Hello mate,
> I have a very similar dilemma - considering these two speaker options.
> Only difference is that I'll run them on HU - JVC XR-811 and I also listen to electronic music. I'd prefer sound quality Vs volume.
> 
> Many thanks


i dont think you will be happy with just the HU. ive pretty much upped my budget and am planning to get the focal polyglass. im still considering the tempos though.


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## 000zero (Mar 12, 2011)

Never heard the focals but I recently bought the Tempo 6 Coax and dam do they sound awesome especially once I put some dynamat in my doors. The lows really got some punch after that. Im also running 80 watts to the speakers, the only thing is sometimes I wish I could go a little bit louder, they can handle 110 watts so that puts me 30 watts short. Its only noticeable on songs that are recorded at lower volumes though like some of the classic rock songs I listen to but other then that the speakers are great.


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## Mohito (Mar 7, 2011)

antikryst said:


> i dont think you will be happy with just the HU. ive pretty much upped my budget and am planning to get the focal polyglass. im still considering the tempos though.


Hi,
I now had the Morels in stalled and they sound AWESOME on HU power, can easily go beyond a comfortable listening volume (for my liking) - I usually listen at around 20 out of 50 volume.

The Tweeters are a bit too harsh but they'll settle as they 'break in'. The definition and separation of various instruments/sounds across different genres (rock/electronic, etc) is simply stunning!


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

I have the tempo 5 coax in my daily driven Honda civic and I love them.


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## 000zero (Mar 12, 2011)

Angrywhopper said:


> I have the tempo 5 coax in my daily driven Honda civic and I love them.


Does your crossover allow for bi-amping?


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## rnl8888 (Sep 16, 2010)

I currently own Morel Tempo 6 and Focal 165KR K2 Power. I have also listened extensively to Focal Access A1 and Focal 165VR Polyglass series. IMO Morel Tempo 6 are way better than the Focal Access A1 (which are VERY bright or bleedingly bright) and the Morel is even better than the Focal 165VR Polyglass.

I would advise you to stick with the Morel Tempo 6 as it is the best natural sounding set in your price range. The only good focal line is the K2 Power series otherwise both Polyglass and Access are bright. Also as another member said above, the Tempos need minimum of 20hrs to break in and start sounding good.


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## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

rnl8888 said:


> I currently own Morel Tempo 6 and Focal 165KR K2 Power. I have also listened extensively to Focal Access A1 and Focal 165VR Polyglass series. IMO Morel Tempo 6 are way better than the Focal Access A1 (which are VERY bright or bleedingly bright) and the Morel is even better than the Focal 165VR Polyglass.
> 
> I would advise you to stick with the Morel Tempo 6 as it is the best natural sounding set in your price range. The only good focal line is the K2 Power series otherwise both Polyglass and Access are bright. Also as another member said above, the Tempos need minimum of 20hrs to break in and start sounding good.


i actually ditched the focal access on my list of choices... i also figured i love bright (not harsh) sounding speakers as i love my very bright shure e4c in ear headphones.

morel tempo 6 is still there as a choice... but for the focal brand... its now the polyglass 165VBs.

tempos are rated at a higher RMS than my amp (80x4)... wouldnt they need more power?


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## rnl8888 (Sep 16, 2010)

bright = harsh
Be completely sure that you want to go the bright route; Maybe test the speakers somewhere because there is alot of difference between in ear headphones and car component speakers

Also the morels would go louder at any given RMS rating compared to Focals which are rated at an inflated sensitivity rating of 1v=2.83w

If you want to buy Focal, ditch the newer 165VB and opt for older 165VR which are much better with a better crossover


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## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

rnl8888 said:


> bright = harsh
> Be completely sure that you want to go the bright route; Maybe test the speakers somewhere because there is alot of difference between in ear headphones and car component speakers
> 
> Also the morels would go louder at any given RMS rating compared to Focals which are rated at an inflated sensitivity rating of 1v=2.83w
> ...


thanks. bright=harsh.. i like it bright but not too bright to be irritating. if that makes sense.

VRs are out of budget though. 

just worried that the tempo 6s wouldnt be driven properly by my current amp which i dont want to change.

thats basically my problem i know what i want with headphones/earphones but am just starting to buy car audio stuff. no way to test also as i dont know anyone with the speakers im looking to get.

appreciate the reply though.


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## Mohito (Mar 7, 2011)

Mate,
I bought the Morel's Tempo 6 (Comps in the front, Coax in the rear) and they simply sounds AWESOME !! The best speakers/sound I've ever heard - and they hardly broke in (not sure I actually used them for 20 hours...)

Here's the thing, I don't even have an amp.. 
I have a good JVC Head Unit (rated 20W per channel) and it easily drives the speakers to volumes beyond comfort... I normally listen at a volume of about 20 (out of 50) and can easily go to 30 without distortion - it's too loud for me.

I'm sure your Amp will do you justice.

EDIT: I did add Dynamat in the front doors


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

rnl8888 said:


> *bright = harsh*
> Be completely sure that you want to go the bright route; Maybe test the speakers somewhere because there is alot of difference between in ear headphones and car component speakers
> 
> Also the morels would go louder at any given RMS rating compared to Focals which are rated at an inflated sensitivity rating of 1v=2.83w
> ...


Actually, it's not totally correct. Harsh is an excessively high degree of brightness sound that makes your ear hurt. Distorsion gives your harshness, cone breakup gives you harshness, phase problem gives your harshness (well at least to me). 
It's bright then you get hardness, then it climbs to shrillness and screechiness which equals to harsh. 
Bright is associated to mid to low treble ; from about 3kHz to 8kHz. 

Focal Polyglass are bright yes, harsh? No. Or the set your heard wasn't installed properly. I installed a set of Polyglass 165v2S in my dad's car a few years ago and it's really smooth. Get your tweeters off-axis, Focal tweeters have been designed for off-axis. 

Kelvin 

Edited: I don't see the problem with the sensitivity rating of the Focal, the Morel is the same way @ 2.83v/1m
http://www.focalaustralia.com.au/polyglass.html#165vb 
http://www.morelhifi.com/products/mob_2way_tempo.html 
Meaning, the Focal will get louder of less power


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## rnl8888 (Sep 16, 2010)

subwoofery said:


> Actually, it's not totally correct. Harsh is an excessively high degree of brightness sound that makes your ear hurt. Distorsion gives your harshness, cone breakup gives you harshness, phase problem gives your harshness (well at least to me).
> It's bright then you get hardness, then it climbs to shrillness and screechiness which equals to harsh.
> Bright is associated to mid to low treble ; from about 3kHz to 8kHz.
> 
> ...


1)I never said Focal Polyglass were harsh. I said they were bright

2)I however called Focal Access "bleedingly bright" or harsh

3)You are correct in your explanation of the term "harsh". I just simplified the terms as the OP does not needs to go into depths. However I would also like to add that a simple bright speaker may also sound harsh e.g. on high notes on incase of dynamic range

4)You are incorrect when you say Focals are designed for off-axis. Within our group we also own complete Focal setups and components which we own are 165 V30, KR2, KR and KRX2. Even Focal Australia's website recommends on-axis usage and we even emailed Focal just to be sure. Their response was on-axis too. I personally like off-axis sound but Focal says on-axis. The owners of these setups also prefer on-axis as they feel some detail gets lost in off-axis setup.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

rnl8888 said:


> 1)I never said Focal Polyglass were harsh. I said they were bright
> 
> 2)I however called Focal Access "bleedingly bright" or harsh
> 
> ...


1) From your post, the OP assumed that Focal were harsh since you said "bright = harsh" 

2) For me, the Access line is not Focal. My opinion really. I don't find anything that made Focal in the access comp line - you're right on this one, the Access is irritating lol 

3) If the OP has an EQ, lowering 4kHz by 1dB or 2dB will smoothen the sound of any comp. However, some won't sound as dynamic. 4kHz is usually an offensive freq to the ear. 

OK, I'll play... Now you're gonna get it  

4) I'm a long time Focal user. My first set is the 165 KX from the Mistral Line (ever heard about it?). Then I've played with numerous sets until now with the latest being the KRX3 that I installed in my friend's car. 
I don't know who you e-mailed to but I got my answer from Focal-France and they told me off-axis, always have and anybody that has played with Focal will tell you the same thing. 
I even asked a former Former IASCA World Champion French Focal user called Yann Canoine (his car was a Peugeot 306) ; he said "Focal tweeters? ALWAYS off-axis). 
Also, do you know how to read? From Focal-Australia website: 
"_The aiming of the tweeters is also important. They should aim across the car at the opposite front seat headrest. In other words the passengers side tweeter should be aimed at the drivers head and vice versa. If you pay attention to these details you will get 100% better sound quality_." 
Q&A 
And no, they didn't change their way of thinking, it's been like that since they created the Australian website: 
Q&A 

Here's some info on their "inverted dome tweeter": 
Focal Professional studio monitor loudspeakers technologies 
It's different from a ring radiator that has been optimized for on-axis. The Inverted dome helps with dispersion (on it's side) and being non-directive. 

Please don't give misinformation like that. Rumors spread on internet like a wild fire. 

Kelvin


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## rnl8888 (Sep 16, 2010)

subwoofery said:


> 4) I'm a long time Focal user. My first set is the 165 KX from the Mistral Line (ever heard about it?). Then I've played with numerous sets until now with the latest being the KRX3 that I installed in my friend's car.
> I don't know who you e-mailed to but I got my answer from Focal-France and they told me off-axis, always have and anybody that has played with Focal will tell you the same thing.
> I even asked a former Former IASCA World Champion French Focal user called Yann Canoine (his car was a Peugeot 306) ; he said "Focal tweeters? ALWAYS off-axis).
> Also, do you know how to read? From Focal-Australia website:
> ...


No I havn't heard of 165 KX. I recently got into SQ systems (less than a year) and here in my country, we don't have the luxury of having any good brands available. We source all our stuff from US and it is PITA due to various reasons. All the stuff which we guys have were bought in the last 1 year.

I wouldn't dispute claims from other people or experts that Focals should be used off-axis. Thats exactly how I want them to be listened too! But the problem here is that we contacted Focal and they said on-axis. *I'll try posting the email here by tomorrow*

As far as quoting from Focal Australia is concerned, Firing on opposite headrest is indeed on-axis. I am actually surprised you think it is off-axis.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

rnl8888 said:


> No I havn't heard of 165 KX. I recently got into SQ systems (less than a year) and here in my country, we don't have the luxury of having any good brands available. We source all our stuff from US and it is PITA due to various reasons. All the stuff which we guys have were bought in the last 1 year.
> 
> I wouldn't dispute claims from other people or experts that Focals should be used off-axis. Thats exactly how I want them to be listened too! But the problem here is that we contacted Focal and they said on-axis. *I'll try posting the email here by tomorrow*
> 
> _*As far as quoting from Focal Australia is concerned, Firing on opposite headrest is indeed on-axis. I am actually surprised you think it is off-axis.*_


Should have been more clear... Sure having tweeters aimed like in the following picture, one is off-axis and one is on-axis. Nearby tweeter off-axis that is. 









What I understand when people refers to "on-axis aiming of the tweeters" is more like so: 
































Both tweeters are aimed at the driver's ears. 

Kelvin


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## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

went to my installer to get the VBs installed but there was a ton of cars! couldnt get mine done. 

pretty much decided to get the VBs but since i couldnt get them installed that day... i asked if he could get me v30s as a lot say they are really good. a few sets are coming in next week!

ok i could get the VBs for ~ $300 usd, and the ~ V30s for $440. is it worth the price difference?


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

Ohh yes... Get the V30, it's a completely different set than the VB. 
Both use the TNB but they sound different. 

Kelvin


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## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

subwoofery said:


> Ohh yes... Get the V30, it's a completely different set than the VB.
> Both use the TNB but they sound different.
> 
> Kelvin


maybe ill just wait until i can cough up the extra dough. the V30s ok with 80W? how different are they? what characteristics are different?


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

antikryst said:


> maybe ill just wait until i can cough up the extra dough. the V30s ok with 80W? how different are they? what characteristics are different?


Comments about the sound of the V30 set: 
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/1193543-post26.html 
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/1191270-post5.html 
http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...ocal-k2-power-165kr-vs-polyglass-165-v30.html 

Kelvin


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## antikryst (Feb 26, 2011)

Nice. Now I'll just get the v30 unless I get short on cash and can't wait to get an upgrade.


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## SouthernSlam2013 (Jun 27, 2013)

Any opinions on the purchase of the Morel 6.5" coaxial as rear speakers vs my factory ones?

Which Morel line do people recommend for fronts?


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