Focal Alpha 65 Evo 6.5 inch Powered Studio Monitor Reviews

Hats off to Mac Hatton!!!!!! I barely got it out of my mouth about wanting to upgrade from my JBL LSR2325's that Mac said I got what you need. Focal Alpha 65 EVO's. He said you could mix anything on these baby's! That ended my search. Got these in hooked them up and WOW!!!!!! They are amazingly clear, everything sits in its on place in the spectrum!! Went back and listened to some of my projects and realized it was time to remix. All of my purchased music sounds like I am hearing it for the first time. These sound so amazing!! The mid's and lows sound so clear and defined! I have purchased the Focal Sub One's and I can hardly wait to pair them up with these 65 EVO's. Again thanks to amazing service and advice from Mac Hatton! You cannot go wrong with Sweetwater or these Focal Alpha 65 EVO's!!!!!

I originally had a pair of M-Audio Bx8's. They worked splendidly for 10 years and still are fully functional. Often they lacked clarity in the lower range. I was also running a KRK 10" sub (which kicks butt I might add). After I installed the Focal Alpha 65 Evo 6.5 monitors I couldn't believe my ears. Beautiful stereo separation and transparency. A larger sweet spot. I was hearing things that I could not hear with the previous monitors. There was now a nice smooth blend from the high to the lower frequencies. The Evo's also have a surprising output in the lower range as well. They are able to handle sounds from the crunchy metal to delicate orchestral colors. So from the 1" tweeter, the mid 6.5 and the 10" KRK sub, my overall sound is now more cohesive and represents what I was looking for at this particular workstation. At this point I have not even begun to adjust them for the studio. If this is what entry level Focals sound like, I can only imagine what their higher-end monitors are capable of. Now I have something to aim for in the future. I will be baaaack.

I've had a pair of these Focal Alpha 65 Evos for several months and in short, these monitors are on a level far above what I've used in 20 years. Solid stereo imaging, great sonic clarity, an ideal dynamic range for my home "bedroom-class" studio, and virtually no self-noise add up to a great investment. Do they give a little pop when they automatically turn off or on? Yes, but that's no big deal when you consider the power savings and component preservation (remember, heat kills electronics). Are they are a bit on the chunky side and plasticky? Yes, but they are so light and easy to position compared to cabinets I've had in the past. Audio quality is what really matters and these monitors nail it for my setup and expectations..

I started in live sound using Meyer Sound UPA-1 cabinets, which spoiled me (virtually no live setup sounded right after working with Meyer gear). When I left live sound behind, I promised that for my home studio I'd strive to attain a high level of sonic quality in a small, affordable package. I've used Mackie HR824's, Samson Rubicon R6a's, and Presonus Eris 66s -- all were good in specific ways at price points that I could afford.

When I grew tired of the Presonus' self-noise and radiating heat, I reflected on my Meyer Sound experience. I seriously thought about Meyer studio monitors -- but that was like buying a Lambo for taking kids to preschool -- overkill. After an email exchange, Eric Molenear recommended Focal Alpha 65 Evos and became I am happy owner. Furthermore, I've calibrated my room using Sonarworks and I'm even happier. I have no regrets regarding my Focal investment.

Hey I've only had them for a few weeks and am still breaking them in. they are getting better by the second. I had some Tanoy Reveals for 20 years, and then never sounded accurate and getting this is like hearing my recordings for the 1st time, mostly bad hahah . when I listen to pro mixed songs and then mine, I realize how unbelievably off the mixes were. I was in a punk rock band for ever and I'm listening to the recordings and they are so thin . I'm hoping to do some remastering of a lot of them to make them more beefy and full. These speakers are really fat when you get back from them, so I'll be listening to the mixes both close and back about 6 feet to get a real feel. so far I think these will be one of the best purchases I have ever made .but I have to still do some mixing to really have a final answer.

Flawless. I was expecting great stuff but these actually managed to shock me. I can't unhear this open clarity. Very honest, very classy, very sweet and fun to listen to.

great bang for the buck!

I bought these gems without listening to them, and love everything about them. The looks, the weight, the control, even the smell right out of the box...but most of all...the pure sound! I had some vintage JBL 4460's that needed replacement. I made a mistake first purchased the JBL 6.5" monitors, which seemed but they didn't sound right at all. I had wanted to move up, not sideways. I doubled my investment, and that made a huge difference. I knew the second I heard them..."PROBLEM SOLVED!".

As a songwriter, I need accurate monitors to make the best mix that I can. I've hit a home run with these bad boys! Thanks to Cliff at Sweetwater, and the cool videos on their site.

I just got a pair of these after having M Audio BX8A Deluxes for many years and the difference is absolutely night and day. I only have a couple of hours on them so far but I am already pleased. Not only do they have great detail and clarity for mixing but these are also nice for a leisurely listening session. Take note of the manual where it says keep the tweeters at ear level. That is important with these units. My desk is oriented in a way that made flipping them upside down best for me. Also avoid having the ports anywhere near ear level. When you get them set up right you will know it.

I've been waiting for these to drop for a while now. I hesitated on the older Alpha series despite the discounts given to clear them out. These arrived yesterday and I couldn't be any happier. Keep in mind I had several pairs of M-Audio BX5's since they first came out and you can imagine the jump to these. My friend who produces live music, has several different sets of the high end Focals so I was able to really hear how great they truly are. I was going to purchase the Presonus S6's but was talked out of them. I'm happy I went this route. The clarity is amazing. The bass response is superb. They are very lively and colorful and have individual volume control for the woofer and tweet. I love that they give you the grilles as an option. I've had too many situations in the past moving my monitors around (DJing and having parties) that accidents happen and the cones do get touched or poked.

At low volume they are exceptional and at high volume they are simply amazing. For a pair of 6.5" monitors under a certain budget, if you want something colorful, get these. They definitely are not a flat sounding monitor but I'm assuming when start producing with these monitors (I've only had them 24hrs) they will be nothing short of amazing. I can hear every note.

Side note - I listen to drum & bass, several genres of house music, hip-hop, downtempo, R&B, Mainstream, Dance, etc. just to give you an idea of the music I've already played on these. Hope this review helps.

Used to replace my old mackies. Great choice. Thank Mike Picotte for such a good recommendation.

I have the focal chorus floor standing speakers which are a pristine choice to listen to music at entry audiophile level. In my home studio I have used and will cont to use my more expensive Kirk vxt 8. note these are not the lower end rock it's. I like the power, clarity, and detail in the KRK better and for a bit more I rec them for a better stereo mixing studio monitor. Even after years of use these monitors are my go too and I know many pro,s rely on these and even earlier vxt. Now I was so impressed with the focal home speakers I wanted a det of speakers to hear music in a room where I work. These are wonderful for that. They are self amped. Sound great and are audiophile. Maybe get them for that. I just don't get the detail when I vompare them to the KRK vxt. I still love them but are using them for a non monitor purpose.. I haf the adams for casual listening and these are much better.

some 1/4 inch inputs. bout time

I took Charlie Davis's advice and ordered a pair of these. I knew my current Berringer monitors were OK but I was starting to do some first time multitrack mixing and I wanted a step up. Being a former high end audio sales person, I couldn't ever imagine buying speakers without having a listen first. But Charlie has never steered me wrong, so placed the order. I did find a break-in extended youtube vid which I ran a low/med volume for about 8 hours. Put on my reference standard recording, Steely Dan AJA Black Cow. Blown away, there was no way I expected a punchy, highly defined deep low end to come from a 6.5" woofer. Spatially impressive too, wide and high. I don't have a great listening room, old porch that was closed in so still has bring walls and blind covered window, but they do sound wonderful. Will play with the hi and low end adjustments after a few more weeks of general listening, but they sounded great as they came. Love the compact size too

My beginning monitors were HS7's, which were pretty good. I was able to compare the Evo to the HS7 and the difference is like hearing someone wearing a Covid mask talking to you, and then they take it off and say it again and you can understand them now. I love how they sound! The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that one of them came with dried excess glue sticking out from under the speaker cap and I've heard this is kind of a common occurrence. The manufacturer in China needs to be more mindful of this. It can be removed with alcohol or acetone if you care (which you might if it reflects the light source in the room). But I would tell anyone starting a home studio to save up a couple more months to get these. I see these holding me over until the day that I feel like spending $2,000 on a single monitor, and that day might never actually come! Thank you Tom Koch for all your help being my sales engineer!

Focal has always delivered excellent sound & the Alpha 65 Evo doesn't disappoint. Creamy smooth, never harsh. Only issue is it could play louder before distortion sets in. Maybe it's the power available or class of amp. It probably is, that it sounds so good you'll want to keep turning it up until you've overloaded the preamp/mixer.

Some what boxy, sounds good at mid to high volume, did remind of of plastic toy speakers. Just not for professional mixing for the $, save yourself the drama and go with Neumann KH series... Period.