Focal subwoofers are very special. Incredibily high fidelity, quality of components and overall amazing pieces of engineering.
Then you see the price tag and think 'hold on! are they really worth it?'
Let's find out.
The Brand
A French-based boutique audio manufacturer, Focal has a 35 year reputation for building high quality car and home audio products that exceed the exacting standards of even the most selective audiophile.
When it come to subwoofers, focal is well recognized for their outstanding work in low-frequency audio reproduction, and their subs are considered premium products by custom car audio installers and enthusiasts all over the world..
These are subwoofers intended for the car audio elite, and they are built to reflect that high standard so that no subwoofer they ever build ever fails to live up to high consumer expectations.
Here's the lowdown of Focal's product line as well as few quick reviews of their best selling subwoofers.
Product Line
- Utopia Be
- K2 Power
- Expert
- Access
- Auditor
- Universal
- Plug and Play
A recent addition to the Focal lineup, this series of products are designed to upgrade the existing premium audio kits with Focal speakers.
The name of the series derives from the fact that they are designed from the ground up to fit speaker enclosures for specific major automotive brands like Toyota, BMW, Renault, Peugeot, and Volkswagen.
This product line was developed due to the high demand for self-installation kits that any car audio enthusiast could easily handle on their own.
All you have to do is literally pull factory speaker or tweeter out and plug the new Focal speaker in.
Focal Subs Reviews
1. FOCAL 33KX Double Coil Power 13" SubWoofer
Want the best thunder Focal has to offer for the money? These 13” subwoofers are your best bet. Powerful and crystal clear, these subwoofers can definitely bring the noise.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 86.5 dB
- RMS: 800 Watts
- Peak Power: 1600 Watts
- Frequency Response: 25Hz-500Hz
- Impedance: 4-Ohms
The Good
These subs are ridiculously powerful for their size, and they can handle heavy-duty amplifiers while keeping bass reproduction crisp and punchy.
EDITOR'S RATING:
Unless you are willing to invest in the top of the line Utopia Be product line, this subwoofer is going to be one of the absolute best products you can install for car audio.
The Not-So-Good
As with many high end subwoofers, the impedance on this sub is 4-ohms, meaning that heat generation is an issue when installing these subs in an enclosure.
The subwoofer diameter is also a non-standard size at 13”, which may make it difficult to find enclosures that fit it unless you buy one direct from Focal.
Pros
Cons
2. Focal 11" 27KX - Single K2 Power Series Subwoofer
Compact power that adds boost to your bass for any car stereo system. It handles slightly less wattage than its larger 13” cousin, but Focal’s world-class clarity remains intact.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 84.5 dB
- RMS: 600 watts
- Peak Power: 1200 watts
- Frequency Response: 25Hz-500Hz
- Impedance: 4-ohms
The Good
This subwoofer is an excellent space saving solution for this looking to add some thump to their subwoofer box without having it take up the whole trunk.
EDITOR'S RATING:
It can handle over 500 watts of continuous power, and thanks to Focal’s innovative design and tech those bass frequencies stay distinctive and thunderous.
The Not-So-Good
Higher impedance at 4-Ohms is by no means terrible, but the additional heat generation still needs to be accounted for.
As with the 33KX, this is also a non-standard speaker diameter that will require a specialized enclosure in order to mount it properly.
Pros
Cons
3. Focal 21V2 8" Single Subwoofer
This subwoofer provides Focal audio fidelity in a subwoofer that can be easily mounted in the smallest bass enclosures for a more efficient use of space in your trunk or cargo area.
They also provide better value for the money thanks to innovative use of construction materials and overall design.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity: 81.2 dB
- RMS: 200 watts
- Peak Power: 500 watts
- Frequency Response: 40-500 Hz
- Impedance: 4-Ohms
The Good
If you want to feel the bass inside of your car without distortion, this subwoofer is almost purpose built for that experience.
EDITOR'S RATING:
It has superior power handling for its size, and it sacrifices nothing in audio clarity even with its smaller cone size.
The Not-So-Good
If you want the drivers in the car next to you at a stoplight to feel the bass coming from your car without distortion, this is probably not the ideal subwoofer choice for you.
These subs sound great in vehicle, but they are definitely not competition grade, nor do they really crank up loud enough to compete with larger comparable woofers.
Pros
Cons
4. Focal P25 10" 200W RMS 400W Max Single 4-Ohm
Looking for a performance subwoofer that can handle extended daily use?
This 10 inch subwoofer will please the true audiphiles with it's super clear bass.
The P25 from Focal is an excellent choice for those who want superior bass performance in a subwoofer kit that won’t take up the whole trunk area of your car.
Specifications:
- Sensitivity:90.2 dB
- RMS: 200-watts
- Peak Power: 400-watts
- Frequency Response: 42-500 Hz
- Impedance: 4-Ohms
The Good
This sub is surprisingly loud for its size and power handling.
EDITOR'S RATING:
This could be attributed to its larger cone surface area and powerful dual voice coil, but what really stands out is how much “oomph” this sub adds to bass performance with a decent amplifier.
It also has a self-regulating heat dissipation system, so you don’t have to worry about unreliable performance even after hours of play.
The Not-So-Good
The power handling is not going to let you blow the doors off most other subwoofers in its class.
It is powerful and loud, but it really isn’t capable of the kind of bass performance you’d expect from a competition grade subwoofer even if it is exceptionally durable.
Pros
Cons
I currently have two of the focal 16 inch subwoofers as well as two of the 13 inch subs. I own a 2016 Kia Soul in which I built a custom four woofer enclosure that is what I consider a three quarter wall in the hatch. I opted to go with sealed enclosure design as opposed to vented or ported and the super sweet part of focal’s woofer line up is small enclosure air space parameters in turn a huge bonus in limited space or small vehicle specs. I’m running four focal 900.1 mono amplifiers and believe me 158.4 decibels speaks for it’s self and it’s extremely accurate punchy deep and authorative bass not pingy limited range undeliverable. I was a little skeptical of these subs initally so I satrted with just one 16 inch sub and a single 900.1 mono amp from my very first song I listened to I was sold and 4 days later my other 3 subs and 3 amps were delivered. I personally have owned installed and used every worthy and mentionable sub and amplifier on the market and from here on out I will proudly stand by and promote focal and their products in the car audio world you get what you pay for focal delivers day in and day out with far and way above expectations, rugged, reliable and rock solid performance you hear things in your music that you have never heard before and no matter what your genre of music it clearly and unmistakenably comes to life surrounding you in clear impactful amazing and breath taking realism and life if your a true audiophile spend the money and live life the way it was meant to and should be heard simply loud and clear
Amen David… you said it loud and clear.
33kx is rated at 400 nom (200 per vc) 800 max…