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Jim Milton
The Focal On Wall 301 Speakers are part of the Custom Install 300 series which includes a larger version called the 302 that pairs up with TVs that are 65 inches and up. When I first got the 301s and stands delivered to my home, I placed them on either side of my Vizio P55-C1 flat panel TV. A week later, I upgraded to an LG C1 77-inch OLED. Though the larger display dwarfed the 301s, it did not diminish their sound quality. For esthetic reasons, I would say moving up to the 302s might be justified. My photos for this review will only show you the size comparison with my 55-inch Vizio.
Focal On Wall 301 Speaker
- Comes in gloss white or satin black colors to match the décor of your living room or home theater
- Perfect for mounting with TVs up to 60 inches
- Stands (in black or white) can be purchased separately for more flexible placement options
- Two-way bass reflex design can be played with or without a subwoofer
The Focal On Wall 301s are part of the 300 series speaker line and can also be linked with Dôme Flax as well as Chora, Aria and Kanta products, without compromise. The speakers can be set on the wall on either side of your TV screen with a single speaker placed horizontally underneath as a center channel. The Focal logo on the front baffle can be spun to match the orientation of the mounted speaker. With the woofer-tweeter-woofer array, they sound good whether mounted vertically or horizontally. The sound dispersion was identical to my ears from the listening position.
The speakers incorporate two 4-inch flax fiber mid-range woofer drivers and a single 1-inch aluminum/magnesium tweeter. All mounting hardware (and a mounting template) are included. If you mount them on a wall, you will have to snake the speaker cables through the walls to obtain a clean, professional look, but it will be worth the extra time and effort. If you mount them on the stands, the speaker wires can be snaked inside the supports, then into the back of the speakers. Adding stands into the mix allowed me to position the speakers in a few other ways, which I will discuss further in my review.
Type:
2-way ported loudspeaker
Drivers:
2x 4″ (100mm) Flax MidBass, 1x 1″ (25mm) Tweeter TNF
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m):
87dB
Frequency response (±3dB):
53Hz – 28kHz
Low frequency point (-6dB):
44Hz
Nominal impedance:
8Ω
Minimum impedance:
5.5Ω
Recommended amplifier power:
25 – 130W
Crossover frequency:
2,500Hz
Dimensions (H x W x D):
31 1/2 x 6 1/8 x 3 9/16″ (80 x 15.5 x 9cm)
Net weight (unit with grille):
13lbs (5.9kg)
Color:
Gloss white or satin black finishes available
Focal On Wall 301 Speaker Price:
$999 each
Optional stands:
$1,049 pair
Website:
Company:
SECRETS Tags:
focal, on wall 301, 301, speaker, on wall speaker
When I was asked to review the On Wall 301s, I knew that I was not interested in putting holes in the wall next to my TV. When I found out that they could be mounted on stands, I heartily agreed to getting them into my media room. I have reviewed Focal (Chora 826) speakers in the past and was already familiar with their sound quality and anxious to see and hear what the 300 series sounded like.
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The 301’s long slim cabinets are ported on the ends, and because of their design, can be placed horizontally or vertically without any lobing effect. The bass output was good enough that should you prefer to keep it simple, no subwoofer is needed. Of course, if you are a serious home theater buff, adding one can be easily accomplished, as in my case, two of them. The high gloss white cabinets are seamless and easy to clean with a damp cloth. The grilles are magnetically attached, and they look and sound great with or without them. Though I did not physically mount them on the wall, I estimate that it can be done in under a half-hour by a minimally skilled handyman.
The stands came in a large flat box with easy-to-follow instructions. All screws and wrenches are supplied and assembling them took less than 15 minutes. They come with small rubber shock mounts to keep the speaker acoustically inert from vibrations. Attaching the speaker was as easy as sliding the slot mounts together. I did notice that it was easier to attach the speaker cable onto the binding post first. If you don’t, the stand pole will prevent you from accessing the posts as it overlaps them. The bases are weighted just enough to keep the 301s from being easily toppled, but not too heavy to discourage experimental placement options. The stands without the extension will bring the tweeters to ear level for most seating positions (about 40 inches high). The extension will add about another 8 inches to that height. All in all, I found the stand-mounted speakers to be slick and unobtrusive.
I used the Focal On Wall 301s in a stereo configuration around my TV and as side mounted speakers for a 7.2 configuration. There is no reason why you could not use them in the back corners of your room as surrounds, too. On the floor, they were at just the right height for the tweeters to be at ear level. It answers the age-old question of, “Is it worth it to go from 5.1 to 7.1?” Yes, it is! For one thing, it allowed me to access Atmos both in movie soundtracks and Atmos-enabled music as well. This was the first time my Marantz SR 6015 receiver notified me that Atmos was enabled. Sweet!
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Once I had the On Wall 301s set up on their stands, I was anxious to see if they suffered from the usual wall-mounted Achilles heels of staging. You cannot toe-in wall-mounted speakers. You also cannot move them forward or back like bookshelf or tower speakers. Once they are on the wall, they had better sound good because you cannot compensate for boundaries. Here, I was pleasantly surprised. The imaging was excellent for TV viewing and listening to stereo music. Their dispersion pattern was wide and because they were close to the wall, the bass had some pretty good heft. Dialog from the TV was clear and crisp, with male voices sounding natural without any cupping or nasal quality to the sound. Dynamically, they were able to keep up with the cacophony of Godzilla vs. King Kong or the challenging soundtrack from Dune. Visually, I did not notice any distracting reflections from the gloss finish, so I assume the black satin option would be the same.
I played the 301s at high volumes, and they never sounded strained or distressed. I have heard many lower-quality speakers come apart and rattle or distort when pushed too hard. My personal tastes would take me to these speakers over even a good soundbar, if for no other reason than the provide a more realistic soundstage.
Godzilla vs King Kong – This is a silly movie that is mostly battles and carnage punctuated by occasional scenes of bad acting. With the stereo pair, I heard a wide soundstage with crisp dialog and enough bass to make me smile. Sure, a subwoofer will get you all the way there, but the Focal 301s made the experience enjoyable. The tweeter had some real air around it and the tinkling of broken glass had the sharp transient that you would expect it to have. The dual mid-woofers were outputting impressively for being only four inches across.
Dune – In this movie, the soundtrack is a character unto itself. It delivers the battles, the explosions, the screams of the dying and it sets the atmosphere for the entire film. Hans Zimmer is a bass-aholic and this soundtrack is no different. Listening to this movie with Atmos engaged was almost mind-melting! I listened to this with the Focal 301s positioned in the front and on the sides. As side speakers, they enhanced the action more than I could have imagined. They blended well with my Sonus faber Sonetto Vs and my Revel center channel and rear surrounds. The envelopment was almost complete as I have no ceiling speakers installed (yet). On the sides of my room, the 301s on their stands were easy to place and adjust and they looked good, too.
Their slim design made them appear visually smaller than they really were. I could envision a theater room with these mounted all around the listener, front, rear and sides.
Music wise, I listened to a lot of jazz and classical and found the sound from the 301s to be more than adequate for listening. I would not endorse them for serious, critical listening as they are not a substitute for a high-quality tower or bookshelf speaker, but they would work well for general music playing in a living room where you may need a speaker for a TV at night and some music by day. They blend easily into a room and don’t call attention to themselves until they are called upon to provide sound.
The FOCAL 301 WALL-MOUNTED SPEAKERS deliver premium home theater sound and music when you don’t have the room for larger speakers. They are gems for TV watching or music without taking up floor space.
- Sounds and looks great next to your TV
- Magnetic grilles
- Undistorted sound even at high volumes
- Stands provide flexible placement
- Easy installation on-wall or on stands
- Better binding post access when on stands
It’s nice to know that you don’t have to settle for a generic soundbar to watch movies and listen to music. The Focal On Wall 301 Speakers are well made and sound great, not just as wall-mounted speakers, but as speakers in general. With the stand-mount option, you can turn them into surround or Atmos speakers high up on a wall as well. They are easy to mount and blend into your décor, whether that be in a darkened theater environment or in a well-lit living room. You don’t have to sacrifice sound quality or floor space to get a decent speaker system that can play both roles. The Focal on Wall 301s hit all the right notes for me.
As a closing note, Focal is currently running a sale on the On-Wall 300 series of speakers. Sale prices have been extended until June 30th.
- On Wall 301 – $799 each (reg. $999 each)
- On Wall 302 – $1199 each (reg. $1499 each)
- On Wall stands – $399 pair (reg. $499 each)