Focal Shape Twin Review And Demo - Wingman Studios
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Are you looking for a great sounding studio monitor with smoothness, great detail, bass punch with no ear fatigue? Join Pete Balciunas with Wingman Studios as he reviews and demos the Focal Shape Twin Professional Studio Monitors. Here the difference between the Tannoy PB 6.5 passive monitors and the Shape Twins as Pete takes us on a working back to back demo of each monitor. Need your music mixed using analog gear? We can help. Send us your tracks. Check our website www.wingmanstu...
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Just got these, absolutely love them. Even breaking them in I found myself glued to the chair for the whole day, immersed in sublime 3D sound. Couldn’t be happier so far. Top marks Focal.
We had the same experience. Breaking the speakers in was an audio discovery! Fun Stuff!
Can these work equally well for hifi stereo music home use?
@@erikalexander6602 Absolutely! Audiophile guys love these.
Without question one of my best boughts in my life completely recommend. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 They with a monitor stand's give you a totally professional sound quality.
Good to hear! Placement is important. Mine are 2.5 feet from the wall and about 6 ft apart. Imaging is great!
I own the shape twins since a few months now it SOLID, and perfect for a normal size room.
It’s not expensive for what it is.
hello do they have hiss or buzz coming from the tweeter, I received two pairs of Adam a8x’s and they had a pretty loud hiss and low buzz coming from the tweeters, and was really bummed out about that, but these focals were my other optio
@@AURAmusik. not really, I actually tried to boost around 200hz with a sine wave at a very very loud volume, the mid tweeter were shaking so much that it’s was making a weird noise... but it’s sound very good, very tight low end, It would be perfect with a focal sub.
But I like the focal more than Adams...
No ear fatigue at all, very detailed around high mids
The stereo field is just amazing...
And there are beautiful...
But the most important thing is the room acoustic, that I manage to make it sound pretty much flat
@@AURAmusik. They are silent on their own. Just know there is no volume control.
@@NateLgg I have the same experience. I paired mine with the Focal Sub6. It is the best sub I have ever heard. Smooth as silk.
Nice video! I have had them for a year for now. At first I was a bit underwhelmed (coming from Eve Audio SC205s) but I found out that it was just the position I had them in the room... They needed to be further away from the listening position than the Eves, to sound the best (at least in my room). Now that I tweaked their positioning I love them!!
Awesome. I run mine with a Focal Sub 6. Huge difference!
Can I ask how far away do you have them from your listening position, many thanks
Would they be to big for a well treated small room many thanks ?
@@highland1997 I have them about 1.3 meters (4.3 ft) apart and from the listening position. My room is treated and is 4.8x2.7x2.9m (15.7x8.8x9.5 ft). I found that they need a bit of space to do what they are capable but they definitely don't feel big in this room size! Hope that helps!
@@TrailOfSound , thank you for getting back to me really appreciate it, my listening position is about the same as yours, my room is well treated, it’s slightly smaller than yours but not by much so would probably get away with these monitors,
Fantastic review, wish all reviews were as detailed as this, keep up the good work
Thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you for the nice and long feedback. Really informative and coming from experience, much appreciated. Nevertheless, the twitter on this product are from the M shape Aluminium-Magnesium line, not the Beryllium one (much more expensive).
Thank you for the correction.
@@wingmanstudios9385 hey wingman, what's the name of that large spl monitor you have there?
@@fyzooman It's a SNDWAY SW-525A. Purchased on Amazon I think.
Thanks for the video review. I'm a long time Shape Twin user here, and have to agree with everything you said here about the sound. They are great sounding, tight bass, great stereo field, good transient response, and I find they translate very well on mixes. But yes the tweeters in this case are aluminium and not beryllium.
Thank you for the correction.
Aluminium/magnesium alloy.
The sony tapes always sounded great from what i remember.... great video 👍👍
I still have a few.
Thank you for your time and review!!!
You are welcome!. Thanks for checking out the video.
Thank you very much for this video.
1) You were asked below - do these monitors have their own "hiss"? Most monitors have their own Volume knob - and the hiss from the amp can be offset with the volume knob. And just turn up the volume on the audio interface. These monitors don't have a volume knob. And you can't make them quieter. Please tell me - what is the level of "background noise" from these monitors?
2) The second question - how fast are these monitors "Response"? Compared to monitors with DSP processors - where the response is incredibly calibrated / and super fast hitting.
3) Do you need the Twitter to be directed to your ears? Then how much have these monitors solved the problem with the Phase frequency response?
4) People write that thanks to passive radiators from the sides - you can put these monitors close to the walls. And not get problems with the "amplification" of low frequencies. This is true?
Thank you.
Thank you Sergey for the questions:
1. There is no audible hiss. They are silent. They use class A/B amplification not class D as some powered monitors do.
2. These monitors are very responsive. The drivers are incredibly agile. To be honest, I prefer monitors with no DSP. I know DSP is popular yet my humble opinion is that it is more marketing than substance. I'd rather work with pure signal confirming I'm getting exactly what's coming out of my recording desk. I used sonar works for a while as an external example. It introduced distortion. I realize that not all internal DSP suffers from this problem. I have found your best bet is to really know your room and your monitors rather than use DSP. Keep signal from the desk to the monitors as short and as clean as possible. Use high-end signal cable.
3. I recommend tweeters at ear level about 4 feet away. These tweeters are smooth and carry no cone distortion. No ear fatigue.
4. I would avoid running these monitors close to the wall. Based on space, some people have no choice. I run mine 2 feet from the wall with a Focal sub 6 that I can control from my recording desk confirming where bass frequencies are coming from. The Shape Twins are rolled off at 60hz. This setup is very accurate and translates well.
I hope this helps.
@@wingmanstudios9385 Many thanks.
I immediately feel that I am being answered by a person with great Practical experience!
Yes - I bought an audio interface mastering class (DA converters) Metric Halo ULN-8 3D. Thanks to these cables, I literally didn't recognize my monitors!!!
Difference Day/Night. The course of the speakers changed before my eyes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my ADAM A7X monitors start working. The sound is just Fantastic with these cables.
I spent a hefty amount of money on a Metric Halo ULN-8 3D and a "stereo pair" of VOVOX "Sonorus direct S" series cables.
Now I have a high-end interface and cables.
I decided to purchase monitors a little higher class than my ADAM A7X.
And I really liked these "Focal Shape Twin" for their developments.
Of course I agree with you - an analog monitor will not ruin the quality of an expensive DA converter. This is the first thing I need.
Amplifiers A/B are the second and very good for sound.
The third point is system 2.5. The fourth is 5" speakers (the smaller they are, the faster the Response and Decay, and hence the accurate sound)
And I realized that for such a sum - there is simply no better option.
Thank you for letting me know about the lack of "hiss/background" on tweeters. This is important to me. I love Sterile Silence (like many other engineers)
@@sergeyleps8492 Awesome! You are welcome Sergey.
these are the bookshelfs i've been wanting for so long. These must absolutely kill with metal...
These monitors represent!
Hi! Great review and as a Shape Twin owner (for almost a year now), I agree with every single one of your points. I went through a few pairs of monitors during my search and these were the first ones that did not cause ear fatigue.
Just wondering, what did you set your crossover and levels at for your sub? I managed to get a CMS sub recently and trying to find the sweet spot for these monitors
It's great to hear that you are enjoying the speakers as well. I set the shape Twins and some 6 at 60 Hz. The the other settings on the shape Twins are set flat. I hope this helps.
Great video. Thanks!
Thank you for checking it out
We just got a pair in for our studio. Looking fwd to working on them.
Congratulations!
What is your opinion of them today?
Great detailed review!
Question, did you have the sub running for the demo comparison? Or was that purely the monitors?
Long shot, but i don't suppose you've heard the APS Klasik 2020 monitors have you? They're the monitors i have now, i'm thinking of flipping them for the Focal Shape Twins. I'd love to know if you've compared them (probably not, but couldn't hurt to ask)
Hi there, I have not heard the APS monitors. Looking at the design, the shape twins would be an improvement across the board in low end response, midrange detail and the M tweeter with no distortion design. Not sure where you are located, I am selling my Shape twins as I have replaced them with the Focal Trio 11's since that video.
I believe my KRK sub was running at the time of the video. Good luck in all you do!
@@wingmanstudios9385 I'm interested in buying, however i'm in Melbourne, Australia. Would that be a problem?
I see you're in Melbourne too.... but not the Australian kind. Haha
@@Barncore That's funny, I'm in Melbourne Florida! Shipping could be an issue in cost? Email me for further communication if interested. info@wingmanstudios.net
@@wingmanstudios9385 Emailed you
I like this guy so it’s a subscribe from me . I love the review it’s the best out there .
Thank you so much!
What’s your advice for the sweetspot for this speakers?
I found out that’s like it more to sit more between them and not in the perfect triangle.
But I get a bit confused because when I move my head back just 5 cm the sound completely changes. I already made a Sonarworks measurement and checked the 30 degree angele etc. but there is still a gap exactly at 62hz and a huge push at 120hz.
But this is changing drastically when I move my head within the sweetspot! Any hints?
Hi there, keep the monitors away from a back wall at least a foot to a foot and a half. I used a 5 foot triangle in the layout. Try to position so your ears are even with tweeters. There can be reflection off of a console if you have one that could build up some low mid. 63 hz is pretty low. Best to run a sub to enhance. 120 could be the back wall or reflection. Hope This Helps. Enjoy!
@@wingmanstudios9385 thank you sir !
Hello Mr Wingman. Thank you for this video. Very instructive. One question (I'm about to purchase a pair of them): are the detailed spectrum and balance respected working at a low volume? In other words: living in apartment, with problems with neighbours, I have to work mainly at low volume. Am I loosing frequencies if mixing in those conditions ? Thank you for your answer. Kind regards, Thom
Thank you Thorn. Low volume is your friend. Low volume will help you to be able to achieve a mix with energy. Use low volume to your advantage. These speakers are incredibly detailed at low volumes. I run mine between 60-90 db. Have fun with your new monitors!
Thank you Mr Wingman ! I bought them. My work will improve. Thank you. All the best for you.@@wingmanstudios9385
Hey nice video! Igot a pair of Focal Shape Twins and now I'm searching for the perfect monitor stands! Do u have any favorites? My current ones only have a thin bar and generally don't seem that stable for these monsters. I am always afraid that something could happen. I am looking for wide and heavy stands, but unfortunately I always find comments on every stand from people who have something to complain about. I don't want to spend more than 300-400€ for both.
Congratulations! If You need to elevate from table height, the cheapest and most sturdy is concrete block. They can be painted or wrapped and are acoustically dense. You could do the same elevating from the floor. It will take more block. If the stand is not sturdy, because the center of gravity is high on this speaker design, it could topple over if bumped. The shapes are also designed to be mounted on a wall. That could bring another set of variables in sound. Mine are on a meter bridge shelf that I made out of lumber. It works perfect. There's Argosy and Sound Anchors, unfortunately these are pricey.
I own shape twin as well, I use high density well cut and polished thick marble stones as monitor stands. Very good sound and look elegant. My experience is It is much better than some expensive plastic stands
Currently using Yamaha HS8’s looking into purchasing another set of monitors wondering if these are that much better than the HS8’s? Any input appreciated.
Unfortunately I have not worked with the Yamaha HS 8's. I would think that build process, quality and features would be quite a different in comparison. I do know that Focal are one of the largest speaker manufacturers in the world. The rigidity of their speaker cones are thousands of times greater than an average driver. Focal also manufacture their drivers mostly by hand. These also carry the no distortion M tweeter. The Focals have clean class A/B amplification, not class D. They also utilize bass passive porting on the sides that resemble drivers. The stereo imaging is impeccable including the detail. They are manufactured meticulously in France where the Yamaha's are made in China. Unfortunately the Shape Twins are three times the money. I have adopted the saying, "buy once cry once..." I hope this helps. Good Luck!
I just got these Focals and setting them up in my studio today. I have a Presonus Eris 8 Sub. What do you recommend to set the crossover to? 60hz or higher? Thanks 🙏
60 hz is good.No higher than 80 Hz. Use your ears and experiment with a few mixes to confirm they translate the low end properly. Congratulations!
These do not have Beryllium tweeters
And?
@@NateLgg Thank You. Ya, my apologies for the miss info.
I've owned them for 10 months. the cabinet on one of them started rattling. - anyone know how to fix this?
I can offer a few suggestions. These are things you might have already thought of. Isolate the monitor to confirm that there is nothing else around the monitor rattling like stands, lights, decorations. The only other separate moving parts of the cabinet are the adjustable feet. Confirm all feet are not loose and are making contact to the surface in which they stand. A rattling sound could also mean a blown driver. The Focal Shape Twins have powerful amps in them with no volume control or compression. An accidental pop from powering up equipment, plugging in equipment, improper powering down or power failure could potentially damage any of the drivers. They are designed to throw some volume yet they are not invincible. I use a sound pressure meter at all times in my studio to confirm I'm not getting too loose with the volume. That's just me. I hope this helps.
How does it compare to focal twin 6 be ?
Great question. I have not heard the Twin 6 Be's. They are 2X as much money. I do have the Sub 6 that goes with that model line. It is incredible! It extends the Shape Twins low end nicely. Maybe someone else could comment....
@wingmanstudios9385 I have Shape Twins in my own studio and the other studio i regularly work in have Twin6. Ive recorded and mixed a huge amount of records on both and have to say the difference is minimal. I don't prefer either to be honest - they are both brilliant. Considering the price difference the Shape Twins are an absolute steal
Can they compensate a less treated room and why?
If you keep your ears within a 4-5 foot 'V" or triangle proximatey of the enclosures and stay at 90db or below monitoring you should do pretty well not hearing the room if your room is not treated. I would consider some type of treatment at some point. Even DIY room treatment can help a lot.
Why, "V" or triangle proximatey? It positions yourself in a way as if you are listening to headphones, you will hear more of what the speaker is throwing rather than the room. Outside the "V" or triangle proximaty, you will hear more of the room adding audio to your monitoring. This is also why it is recommended to monitor at low volumes. Higher the volume, the more you hear the room. I hope this helps.
Where is the damn demo!!
will they work in my room10.5 x 12.8x 9 feet high
Absolutely.