Focal Alpha 80 Evo 8-inch Powered Studio Monitor Reviews

Upgraded from a small monitor/sub system (JBL 305s/ Presonus T8). I've been reviewing material and essentially have taken the sub out and I keep taking out EQ. These things are easy on the ears. And they kick. If you need a bit of clean power in this class, you'll love these. I'm hearing details without having to process to get there. Just happened across a bit of nylon string acoustic and it really felt like the session. For a 2-way, the mids are natural and sufficient. I don't have experience with a lot in this class. My old JBL 4312's will always live in memory. I think my new Alpha EVO 80s will hang with them pretty well.

These are my first ever pair of proper studio monitors, upgrading from an old pair of tiny logitech speakers that are 15+ years old, so I had no idea what magic my ears were going to be blessed with, or the size of these absolute units of speakers. They are big and stout, and the sound they pump out matches.In my temporarily untreated room, these still brought out sounds and details from songs I had never heard and arranged them in a wide sound stage where every detail, good or bad, mixed together. These would be perfect for mixing as they do not over-emphasize anything, what is there is what you get, and what isn't there becomes apperent where it may have otherwise hidden from lesser, not as honest speakers. There were songs I expected to absolutely thump with bass that wound up almost disappointing, and other songs that just blew me away by how far down these bad boy's can reach. I've been breaking them in over the last few weeks rediscovering music I already loved but feel like I am just now expeirencing them for the first time, and time after time I come away impressed and almost in a state of disbelief at how awesome everything sounds through them. I also have to give a huger shout out to my sales engineer Ryan Artega as he has had numerous in depth conversations where we pick the specs and every minute detail of products apart to find what would suit me and my application the best, and so far with these, he has been absolutely spot on and I cannot wait to not only work with Sweetwater but with Ryan specifically in the future as my music journey grows and evolves, and these Evo 80's will be with me every step of the way.
TL;DR: If you're on the fence about these, unless you need a pair of genelec's that cost 15k, just by these Evo 80's and let the Slatefiber cone do the talking, your ears will be saying "Oui" with every new song you pump through them.

I have been in the music business for over 50 years (yes my ears are still good). As a recording artist, I've worked in several well known commercial recording studios so I know what sounds good. I've had a pair of Focal Alpha 80 monitors in my personal studio for almost a year now. During the first week of use I was totally blown away (not even broken in yet...!). They translate my mixes and reference tracks very well. Highs are excellent and are not brittle or too bright like HS8's. Mids are excellent for a 2 way monitor, and the bass is well defined, clear and not muddy. Depending on the genre, you probably will not need a sub with these. They fit my 15' x 22' studio room perfectly and have plenty of non fatiguing power. They also operate flawlessly at low volumes.
When I am mixing I usually use 3 types of reference monitoring. My 3" iLouds, Beyerdynamic DT880 Pro Headphones and Alesis 100 watt M1 Active Mk2 6.5 " monitors.
I needed to replaced my 15 year old 100 watt Alesis M1s, which lacked the clarity and low end I needed for producing and mixing. So after several months of research, testing and listening, I narrowed it down to the Alpha 80's. The Focal's accurately reveal music without coloring, and allow me to produce and mix efficiently. They have superior sound imaging and a nice wide sweet spot when set up properly. My opinion.... these are the best nearfield/midfield monitors at this price range. Nice looking design and are very well made. Around 23 lbs each.
My advice. Use at least 3 types of monitors as references to check your mixes. To get use to your monitoring system listen to a variety of songs you are familiar with that sound good to you. Set up your monitors so your tweeters are at ear level.
If you have the funds, invest in these. For me, the Focal Alpha 80 reference monitors provide the most cost effective reference monitor solution for producing music and mixing. If you want accurate clear sound reproduction then these are the monitors for you.
Thanks to my Sales Engineer Brandon Buckley for his input during my research and for his help with my purchase.

I am very happy with this purchase.

These are not my first reference monitors. I've owned several over the years, most of which were significantly more expensive than these, and all of which did a fine job. Consequently, I have a pretty good idea of what I want in speakers for mixing. First and foremost they must never lie to me.

These are, in a word, revealing. Bad mixes sound dreadful on them, but a good mix sounds jaw-droppingly luscious. You will hear every flaw in your mix. Which is, of course, a good thing, but hardly unique. What is unique is to get that kind of performance at this price point.

The low end is deep and smooth. I can't say that nobody would ever need to add a sub, but I certainly don't feel the need to. I suspect that a sub might actually do more harm than good. When I used a sub with my ADAMs, I was always tweaking the crossover but was never able to make the transition transparent.

The sweet spot is wide. I've been using folded ribbon tweeters for the past 12 years, and while they are famously linear and clean, they are also laser-like in their directionality. That forces you to stay within the triangle, and diminishes the sound quality for others listening from behind you. These sound good all around the room, and at all volume levels.

My only criticism so far, and it's a minor one, is that they're not high-powered. While there is plenty of headroom for mixing (I normally mix at ~75-80dB SPL), you won't be able to rattle the windows with these. The 104 dB max SPL in the specs may be overly-optimistic, and they will distort before you hit that. But if you're like most people and keep it under ~95 dB you'll be fine.

I am happy to report that the Evo 8 speakers are a great value for the price point. One of my Adam AX7 went down and I needed a secondary set to continue working. After sorting through the many choices I choose the Focal EVO 8's. Very good choice, they are a little heavy on the bass frequencies, but there are the adjustable high and low knobs on the rear of the EVO's. Once they break in they are a good working speaker for those on a budget. If this is your price get them, don't hesitate.
Aaron

These are the real deal! Not even broken in and I am hearing things in my mix I never heard before. The soundstage is HUGE. If you like hearing everything in your mix don't hesitate to pick up a pair! Jon and the whole Sweetwater team were awesome!!!

These are the most satisfyingly accurate monitors I've ever purchased. Thanks to David's' advice, I never would have known these existed. He was extremely helpful and immediately knew what I was looking for. I've never been happier with a purchase, and it literally gives me the best vibes.

I picked up a pair of Alpha 80 8 inch for my theater room.
I picked up a pair of Alpha 80 8 inch for my theater room. When I turned on a track that I know very well,
my involuntary response was a fervent , "HOLY ****!" I really couldn't believe how fantastic the Alpha 80s sound.
I was STUNNED.
(I have a pair of Focal Trio6 Be 8 inch in my studio: I absolutely LOVE them. I was expecting a significant difference between these two Focal monitors, based on price, but they are way closer in sound than I would have thought. Very close indeed.)
Alpha 80 Evo 8 inch monitors:
Super clear high end, Big fat lows, Pleasing mids.
I'm kind of blown away. These monitors are really fantastic.

I am extremely happy overall with this purchase. The only slight complaint I have is I don't really like the sound without room correction EQ. Now I work in a fully treated room anyway so it's not the room. The speakers are just a little muddy and mid forward on their own. I like the sound of every other monitor I own when Sonarworks is off except this one. Once I turn Sonarworks on tho they sound amazing! Still highly recommend just make sure you are in a treated room at the min because they are bass/mid heavy monitors.