Reviews for Focal XS Satellite Speakers

I MUST SAY IT IS SO AWESOME, FOR THIS PRICE IT WILL BEAT ALL OTHERS BRAND SUCH AS MM1 (B&W),WHICH I HAVE ONE TOO,BUT NO BASS UNIT.

NEVER EVER CHOOSE BOSE!! NOT WORTH THE MONEY,GO WITH FOCAL OR B&W,OR B&O (NOT WORTH THE MONEY TOO IMO)

THANKS

Harman Kardon SoundSticks III 2.1 Channel Sound System are good but these Focal system is one of the best speakers!!!! i do myself recommend these speakers to anyone who is into loud music with great sound of bass. it was a bit over price but still worth every penny. it sound almost like your at a DJ party or at a club. lol

I recently got a pair of these Focal XS speakers and even though I knew that Focal was a professional speakers brand I was very impressed with the detailed sound of these ones when using USB in my iMac, I had a pair of HK Soundsticks and could lisentened both side by side: the soundsticks sounded dull comparing with the Focal, the Soundsticks sound good but they lack mid and mid-bass sounds so the detail is lost since they only have full range speakers for mids and highs, but in the other hand the Focal XS performs amounts of richness mids and detailed music and I can now hear instruments and notes in my music that I couldn't hear with other speakers!, the electric guitars, piano, voices, drums sound brilliant and accurate, the image of sound is clear you can close your eyes and feel that you are in from of the playing band, the highs are clean and well defined and doesn't mix up with the mids like almost full range speakers because the Focal has a mid and a tweeter speakers in each monitor basket, bass sounds are clear and sharp without being overwhelming.
Focal XS is definitely a "most have" for an audiophile

I am a mid-fi guy. Balanced Audio feeding Martin Logans. So figure maybe $30k in gear. All 320k compressed, lossless or SACD. Apogee Duet (Duet2 on the way) into ADAM A7x is my main desktop setup and it's excellent.

Received the Focal XS yesterday and all it's 99% of my Apogee/ADAM setup and w/o any burn-in. I can only imagine how good it will sound after 200hrs of burn in time.

Amazing value.

I bought these speakers a couple of months back, they have been simply amazing. The quality of sound is nothing like i have ever heard before.

The remote felt a little cheap as compared to the Zeppelin, but other than that- absolutely no complaints.

I initially got the B&W MM-1s. They were very disappointing and I returned them after a few weeks. Here's my bottom line on them. If you like superior and lifelike bass response these are definitely not for you. And I'm not talking booming bass. I'm taking solid bass response - like hearing McCartney or John McVie in Fleetwood Mac just to name some old school music - clearly and distinctly. But, it's the same regardless of musical genre. I really think a major part of the problem is the MM-1s are 2.0 speakers thus no separate sub-woofer (a 2.1 system) to adequately handle the bass. They just don't cut it. I also gave these speakers a long burn-in time. Auditioned them with a wide variety of music in both compressed and non-compressed formats through my Apple MacBook Pro 15" with an i7 processor. To be honest, I have pretty good ears for music and can pretty easily discern the differences between speakers. My existing 2.1 system back then - which was a Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 - did a much better job overall for about 1/4 of the cost. Believe me, I had high expectations and really wanted to make them work. They look great and have a small footprint on the desk. Back they went......I can only think how amazing these B&W's would have been as a 2.1 system.

I then got the Focal XS Satellite Speakers. THESE SPEAKERS ARE OUTSTANDING!! They are everything the MM-1 weren't. In fact, IMHO, they blow them out of the water. The Focal's are a 2.1 system - unlike the MM-1's which are a 2.0 system with no separate sub-woofer. And the separate sub-woofer for bass response make all the difference in the world. Even before burn-in I knew these were keepers. Finally, my search for great computer speakers was over! Yes, they cost about $100 more than the MM-1s. Let me tell you, they are worth every penny and more. The sound is incredible. Even for compressed MP3s. I also like that the two, smaller satellite speakers that sit on your desk are elevated. This makes a HUGE difference vs. any speaker sitting on the surface - like the MM-1s. The sub-woofer (which is well-designed and it very attractive BTW) has a separate bass level control. The fit, finish and look of these speakers is 1st class all the way! Do yourself a favor. If you are considering a high end set like the MM-1s, Bose or some other brand you owe it to yourself to give these a listen. But, not in a store. Get them delivered and try them during the 30-day trial period using your equipment and music in your listening location. If you don't like them all you have to do is return them - and all you're out is the return postage. In fact, if you time it right the charges won't even appear on your cc bill if you buy and return during a single billing period. One more thing, you can plug your Apple iPod/iPod Touch right into the unit (right-hand speaker) which has a built in dock - and adapters for all models are included. They even included a separate package with adapters for the newest versions. I imagine this component will be upgraded/modified as new models are brought to market and will be made available to owners of this system. So, no worry about obsolescence. You can play directly from it as well as charge it and sync to your computer. All controlled via the included remote control which also controls speaker volume. EZ set-up. You do need to change a setting in your Mac (System Preferences) or PC (Configuration Panel) after you plug it into your USB port and turn it in. Takes about 1 second. The included manual explains it very well.

Yes, it's a major expenditure. But, like many of you my computer has for all intents and purposes replaced my traditional stereo equipment. I listen to most of my music there. And it really deserves the best possible speakers to maximize enjoyment.

After a very bad experience with another set of speakers that were nearly twice the price of these - I'm glad to report that these Focals are everything I wad hoped for in terms of superior sound from a small speaker. Great bass and trebles at any volume. Anything from thumping rock to tinkly classical sounds great.
Also - you CAN listen to your iPod through these speakers when it's parked in their dock, contrary to what one other reviewer said.
My only quibble with these speakers is that the satellites are a bit tippy. Nothing a nice rock or paperweight won't solve though. And it would be nice if the actual tops of the satellites would swivel just a little - it would make placement for optimal sound alot easier.
I highly recommend these speakers though. Well worth the price.

I've had the Focal XS system for two months now and it continues to amaze and entertain me with excellent sound on my iMAC 24/iTunes Library. Makes for a very enjoyable work environment in my home office. The Focal XS reproduces sound without any noticeable distorsion from the highs to the very low frequencies and sub-woofer is great with bass-oriented music (e.g. Techno, Electronica, House, Dance). I found that I don't need a sophisticated sound application software with this system. The iTunes Equalizer (under the Windows menu) does a great job. Set up of the Focal XS system was a breeze under Snow Leopard as the drivers are already included in the OS. One word of caution though. Keep in mind the old adage of "Garbage In - Garbage Out" which means that you need to pay attention to the sampling parameters you use when you convert music over to an MP3 format if you want to maintain good sound quality overall.

I had a problem syncing my iPhone 3G with my iMac 27" i7. I got a message saying that "iTunes cannot read the content of the iPhone". After unsuccessfully testing all kind of possible solutions, including trying other USB ports, restoring the iPhone or disconnecting other USB devices, I managed to sync the iPhone by connecting the Focal XS through a powered USB Hub to the iMac. Strange but it works! The Hub is a Sitecom CN-052, not sold in the US, but it might work with other Hubs. For the ones who have the same problem, try it.

For the rest: stunning sound and beautiful design!

I was all over the internet looking for a computer speaker upgrade and was so torn in which option to go with. I decided that I really liked the idea of the built in ipod dock with the Focal XS so I went that route. I just hooked them up in about 3 minutes. (Literally 3 minutes) The are simply STUNNING. These are not for the MEGA BASS enthusiasts. These are for the SOUND QUALITY enthusiasts. The tone of the satellites is amazing. Not too "Tinny" sounding at all. Clear hi's and mid's and The pefectly balanced Woofer which is sealed, tight, and super clear. It matches the satellites perfectly. Think Bose But, uhm EXCELLENT!
I am thrilled with my purchase and have no regrets. They are really as good as the professional reviews state.
Give em a try and you will thank yourself!