Focal CMS 65

The focal cms65 looks plain but are far from plain monitors.

I bought mine from sweetwater brand new for $1,000 each. If your going to be mixing you need serious monitors. These are the best I've found in the $2k range

Before I purchased these I was looking at dyn audio. All the great things I heard about Focal swayed me into getting these and I'm glad I did. These monitors sound really, really good. I love the shelving options on the back.

FYI you will need to remove the grills from the monitors and insert the phase plugs. I didn't and was disappointed when I first played these monitors. Then I noticed some pics of the monitors online had the grills removed and I read on another review that they should be removed.

After removing the grills and inserting the phase plugs I was blown away. I see myself keeping these monitors for a long time.

The back of the cms65 has plenty EQ shelving options on the back, however they are hard to switch

Focal has a really good rep when it comes to monitors and these don't disappoint

Excellent flat non fatiguing monitors. These monitors really sound great. I'm very happy with this purchase

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I chose them in the cabin listening to Michenaud.
Initially I went on the Adam or Dynaudio (which I could appreciate the qualities in the studio) and then listen to these speakers proved to be the most "balanced" just when I listened to music styles very different, Cecilia Bartoli Eminem or Metallica.

They are made in France Furthermore, and in particular robust and durable materials for magnetic noise (large aluminum block).

I use them in a home studio directly behind the sound card (that I must change because suddenly I hear its limits).

I put 8 because I would have preferred more digital inputs.

SOUNDS

The frequency curve is not flattering for all mediums are warm enough to not have the feel of a monitor "cold" where the guitars are loud and the bass is well made, even dubstep or techno we feel they grow.

The dynamic is good.

The stereo image is correct but I do not have an acoustically treated room and although it is thirty m2 this is not necessarily the right place to assess this point. In fact I did not possibly enough apart so that it is good but I have space constraints.

OVERALL OPINION

I use them for 8 months to replace BEHRINGER B2031A with which there is no comparison.

What I like most is the sound, the speaker size is probably the first diameter with which we can do without subwoofer. For years I looked for a quality worthy of the m series of Dynaudio but adapted to the home studio. I found something that is not nearly as good.

I tried a dozen pregnant upstream, smaller jbl's from Dynaudio (with BM12A they are almost equal playing elsewhere) on various samples.

What I like least is the lack of digital input.

With experience I will not change any of the model, this is probably the speakers who will follow me for long.

The value for money is excellent considering the audio quality as the first criterion.

I really like these CMS-65. I wanted some monitoring to creat hip hop beats and instrumentals, and they really do the job.
I compose all in the box, in Logic X.

SOUNDS

The stereo image is very impressive, and not to much directive. You really ear what you do.

OVERALL OPINION

I really like the strong material, the imersive sound and the global quality.
I tryed other brand, but these CMS-65 was the best choice for me.

What characteristics have motivated your choice?
After listening to several speakers store on mix that I knew well, in the same price range, I thought it was the most accurate.

For what purpose?
I homestudiste, I record and I mix a bit of everything from pop, electro, R'n'B and after use these speakers relates corresponds well they do their taff

SOUNDS

The frequency curve is sufficiently neutral? yes
The stereo image is good? very good
The sound is clear and precise on the spectrum? yes
The dynamics are respected? yes

OVERALL OPINION

It's been a little over a year that I use and I am completely satisfied, in the same price game I would do this choice without hesitation.

Obviously, it's still monitoring home studio, but you can really do a good job with it, before I had Alesis MKII active and it is I took a slap in terms of definition, clarity, ...