Focal 300 ICW 8

For years I have searched for an in-ceiling speaker that makes me WANT to listen to them and let me tell you I have finally FOUND THEM!!! Focal has really hit it out of the park. Dropped a pair of these in my kitchen during a remodel for music and TV audio and DAMN!!! The highs are crisp and clear, but not overbearing. The mids are smooth and the bass punchy due to the flax cone. As these speakers break in, the sound just gets better and better. I have yet to find any music or for that matter TV audio that doesn't sound great. I am an audio snob and these sound great even on older tracks or lossy music. The install was fairly straightforward, but make sure you understand how the "tool-less" bracket works before embarking on your installation journey. Next purchase is their LCR in wall speakers because I am so spoiled by these.

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Focal 300 ICW8 good in wall and in enclosures

I've used the Focal 300 ICW 8's both in wall as kitchen background music with a fairly small (ancient NAD 20W x 2) amp and in home built enclosures with a Niles SI-2100. They aren't terrible on the undersized amp; obviously they breath a lot better with more power. Properly powered, they take on a whole new character when placed in a well constructed, insulated MDF box sized to the Focal recommended volume, and anchored to the joists in our unfinished workout area. I'd call it 'honest', giving what is in the music without excessive coloration. I'm especially pleased with the vocals from artists like Anita Baker, Faith Hill, and Adele. If the music has good bottom end they reproduce it well, and I don't see the need to add a sub. Classical comes through with good sound stage in a less than ideal room, and they aren't even fully broken in yet. Especially considering the streamed/compressed iPhone source being used, all in all very listenable, and 100W/Channel is enough for the area I have them in. The clever mounting system takes the stress out of getting them hung in the walls, and their quality construction makes me believe they'll be there for the long haul. The ringing endorsement came from my wife, who after hearing them was ready to let me take the rotozip to our brand new ceiling and add another pair to our family room. BTW, if you lay it out correctly, using 3/4 plywood as the mounting flange side, you can get four enclosures out of one 4X8 sheet of 1/2" MDF..

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Overpriced speakers

At the current price, these Focal speakers are no longer a good value. PSB and even MartinLogan speakers should be looked at before these.

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