I'm sure most of you guys heard of Focal Speakers but not sure anyone heard their Focal Bird 2.1 Series. They are remarkably among the best for Multimedia Speakers with iPod Connectivity, but of course at a cost:P




Lots of good reviews:
http://hometheaterreview.com/focal-bird-21-system-reviewed/
http://www.avguide.com/review/focal-bird-c...tem-playback-48

This post has been edited by D_Y2k.4^: Apr 4 2012, 06:30 PM

Personally own one of this not only because of its looks but mainly the sound it produces. It represents an astonishingly capable and refined all in one box that is close enough to satisfy most hi-fi enthusiasts.

Installation is a breeze, it only took me 15 minutes to fix up, connecting the speaker cables from the satellites to the power bird (amp & dac) and connecting the power cable.

The best feature of the Focal Bird 2.1 would have to be its wireless playback capability with the Focal iTransmitter. This feature would be ideal for those who would like to use their iPhone or iPad around their rooms without the need to
sit their device on a dock. All I need to do is connecting the iTransmitter to my device and it will automatically transmit to the Power Bird in wireless mode with no compression or loss to sound quality.

Sound it produces is smooth and rich, giving a very natural sounding nature without being overly bright. Sound stage is large and I must say, these little bird satellites are capable to push towards my ears despite sitting around 8 meters away. Playing Filippa Giordano' Bizet: Carmen was really enjoyable with the vocal being "voiced out" rather than shrieking, drums were deep and responsive thanks to its flat subwoofer (6.5" driver). Violin and other instruments sounds rather well separated as they sounded rather wide and clear without intruding the vocal's centre imaging.

Next I tested with my favourite, Livingston Taylor's Isn't She Lovely. Vocals are deep and rich, giving me the sense of involvement. Again, the Bird Satellites shines with the capability to manage seperation well. Guitar notes are well produced with exceptional clarity.

Despite having a high price, I would highly recommend this product as I would say this is among the best hassle free multimedia speakers money can buy. Do share your thought to those who owns it or have experienced it

*Setup:
Room Size 15 x 24 meter bedroom
iPad 2 32gb (Golden Sound application with FLAC files through Focal iTransmitter)



This post has been edited by D_Y2k.4^: Apr 3 2012, 06:42 PM

Will be coming soon

As promised guys, here are more photos:)

The Power bird (Amp,DAC & Sub:Amplifier 2 x 35W + 80W, 2 digital inputs / 3 analog inputs with Autopower, 6-1/2" paper cone woofer with frequency response 42Hz – 120Hz








The level just slightly above 12 o'clock is more than enough to rock my room


The iTransmitter (Allows to play wirelessly up to 10 meters):

Despite having a small driver, I would say it is capable to go low enough for most music with 42hz being the lowest frequency it can go. However though, it would not be heavy enough for those disco loving bass heads.

Thanks for the comments guys. Will upload the images next week as I'm in outstation business trip. Note that the images I uploaded earlier is not the exact setup area that I've tested on. I will give the system a more thorough test later on. Will try to hook it up with my Wadia 171i transport and give it a comparison to the iTransmitter:)

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Added on April 4, 2012, 3:44 pmYeap. The sound stage does blend in well together with a huge staging. Bass is deep, musical and involving despite being limited to a flat sub. It does sound better compared to certain 8" subs.

I will rephrase my earlier sentence, what i meant was, the subwoofer is capable enough but do not expect it to be sofa shaking. So far I find the best placement for these speakers would be 8 feet apart with the subwoofer being placed on ground with a sitting distance of around 12 feet away.

I will be arranging a ceiling mount for a client soon

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Added on April 4, 2012, 8:09 pmThe front oval shape is actually the bass port while the driver is below (I'll upload more pics). The unit is made in China and not France.


This post has been edited by D_Y2k.4^: Apr 4 2012, 08:09 PM

As promised! Here's the driver below:



Recently tested with my Wadia 171i:

Will give a side by side comparison with a Monitor Audio RX1 soon

I was pretty doubtful on the Bird's performance initially with this audio architecture approach. I think there are hardly any manufacturers that combines their DAC and amp into a sub.

It is rather unfortunate that we cant get the CMS series in Malaysia nor Singapore. I've tested CMS 50 the last time I was in Guangzhou.

Sounds generally better compared to Audioengine A5+ but It emphasises more on the highs which may not be everyones liking.

Just did another setup for a very happy owner

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Added on July 28, 2012, 11:51 ampppsssttt....power911, when will the poison spread all over you

This post has been edited by D_Y2k.4^: Jul 28 2012, 11:51 AM

I would say it is a pretty balanced sound system, meaning good for movies and music But personally I prefer it on the musical side

Well as Power911 mentioned. Aego M is undoubtedly the closest in term of sound quality, but of course with much more depth, larger sounding and oooommppphhh

Btw, check out my next review on Focal Spirit One Headphones!