Fake FOCAL speaker, Ozhonda member BEWARE !!!

[aka_NSX]

I just got an email from Focal Australia regarding a fake Focal is for sale on ebay, so Ozhonda member please beware !!!

Cheers .......

check the speaker cable

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3379/fakefocal3dp6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

check the cone of the woofer where the genuine one is made of fiberglass but the fake one is just painted

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2923/fakefocal2uy0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


the box is quite the same but still the sticker where the bar code is slightly faded on the fake one

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4289/fakefocal1pp1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[jeffske]

fvcking bad asian drivers in china making shoddy focal speakers (oh no john laws has brain washed me)
the real focals are worth the extra, nice and crisp

p.s jokes about the asian drivers (im sure most ppl know i say stuff in jest)

[Int3gra-T]

how do the fake ones sound? :P

[aka_NSX]

how do the fake ones sound? :P

I'll find out for you ........

[mrwillz]

the genuine focal word is in white
other one is gradient
rip offs

i like my focals (once upon a time wen they were in a car)

[teaseR]

how do the fake ones sound? :P

as long as u dont know its a fake it should sound awesome!!!
hahaha

[Int3gra-T]

hahah yeh man i reakon, lol its all about the look ;)

[Vinnie]

theres a lot of fake car audio stuff on ebay, mainly out of malaysia i believe. apparently nearly all mb quart and dyn stuff there is dodgy so im not suprised focal is involved as well. at the end of the day if u want to make sure ur gettin the genuine product, dont cheap out on ebay. buy it from a registered dealer here :)

[JDM80Y]

Yup.. definitely seen a lot of fake stuff on ebay too.. was interested at one stage (as it was too cheap to be true) and then I had a few people tell me and confirmed that they received fake stuff and they couldn't even dispute it through paypal so I think its not worth it..

Thanks aka_NSX for sharing this info to OZ members =)

cheers guys..

[ICACHA]

fakes have been around for ages, surprised that ozhonda members didnt know about them :confused:

[jas_kidd32]

So most car audio gears on ebay are fakes?

I'm worried now coz I've both a bunch of MB Quart gears from an Ebay store in America. I spent 1/3 of the price i would've paid if i bought them locally. They do sound better than my old setup though. Is there a way to tell whether the gears are fake? I have seen MB Quart gears from Malaysia and I'm assuming those are fakes but these are from America. I could be wrong.

[ICACHA]

fakes you might come across on ebay...

dynaudio
rainbow
hertz
mb quart
focal
nakamichi
boston acoustics


to name a few and some japanese brands also, but not worth the mention :angel:

ebay has always been, buyer beware. got a fake, oh well, next time save some more and buy the real deal with real factory warranty unlike what is claimed by sellers on ebay, think you will find them if they close down their ebay store? i dont think so :)

[tron07]

I have seen fake JL Audio components too

[SeverAMV]

some of it isnt fake, just rebadged.
like i bought the yokohama 600w 6x9 speakers on there. im pretty darn sure everyone knows that yokohama dont make speakers, but if you dig around a bit, you'll find out that theyre actually sony 6x9s rated at 300w, except the woofer cone is painted orange, and they've fitted a bigger magnet. it doesnt sound too bad, but the magnet exerts too much force for the woofer cone so the bass sucks.
the powervox amps arent too bad. i managed to pick up a 2600w powervox amp (260wrms) for $30, and it does the job.
dont know what you guys are complaining about, a lot of stuff is made in china nowadays. there quality may not be up to scratch of the japanese stuff, but its getting there.

[jas_kidd32]

How far do these fakes go in terms of emulating the original? Is it all about the cosmetic designs or do they go as far as duplicating the sound quality also?

[SeverAMV]

How far do these fakes go in terms of emulating the original? Is it all about the cosmetic designs or do they go as far as duplicating the sound quality also?

well considering the quality of sony nowadays, theyre pretty darn good at duplicating the sound quality. but much like sony, the bass could be better. at the right gain levels, theyre pretty good, and yokohamas are worth the $25 i spent on them.

[ICACHA]

some of it isnt fake, just rebadged.

No genuine manufacturer re-badges or allows speakers to pass them off as another brand, but there are speaker manufacturers who build speaker for a few different companies that physically look the same (different specs) but are sold to different brands.

Go and see an "Authorised" dealer who sells and installs genuine products with genuine warranty then one wont buy the fakes that are around.

[Vinnie]

as for the sound quality, generally the old saying of 'you get what you pay for' is valid. if u want to get $50 'nameless' speakers off ebay, thats fine. but dont buy $50 'high end' speakers expecting them to be or perform anywhere near as good as the genuine product... authorised dealers and car audio manufacturers deserver better than to have their image tarnished and earnings cut because of people looking for a cheap deal with these shoddy replicas.

[tron07]

How far do these fakes go in terms of emulating the original? Is it all about the cosmetic designs or do they go as far as duplicating the sound quality also?


If you are paying original price for them... then you are screwed...
But I have seen fakes at a fraction of the original's price, so for the price you are paying, its pretty decent.

[destrukshn]

and that's why you buy from a authorised dealer.
lol.

[funkdr]

Are there fake K2p's gettign around to?

[JaCe]

To anyone here who's been to Malaysia, you'll find alot of car parts are replicas/fakes- even shops which sell the real deal, they'll try to flog you the locally made (or Thailand made) fakes since they make much more profit off these.

I think if you wanna buy from Asia, you're probably best off getting someone who knows the area to buy it for you and then shipping it to you themselves rather than relying on eBay or some unknown online site. Also watch out for forum group buys in other countries where you can't follow up.

[ICACHA]

JaCe, what you should be telling people is to buy local not from overseas markets dont you think?

My thoughts and general comments below...

We're toying with the idea of asking customers to get ebay to install their gear. Why should we (specialists) bother with installing gear that people buy off ebay? Or we could start charging more for ebay installs (not a bad idea :)) For the specialist market in Australia (tiny as it is) ebay had become a pain in the arse for all of us who own bricks and mortar business'.

In most cases you can buy the local warranted product cheaper than you can the ebay one. Just look around 'if' you know what something actually retails for. Buying something cheap generally means two things, you either got ripped or you got a fake product. If you want something so bad (I've always listened to the old man on this one) save up for it and buy it, quality and the original product aint cheap.

People go out and buy second hand crap (most cases broken) and brand new fakes and then they come to the specialist for installation or free advice (BTW free advice days are on Sundays for us :p) for crap they bought on ebay. Like we need to hear how they got ripped off and how unhappy they are, like sucked in for being cheap I say. All ebay want is their commision for the sale at the end of the day nothing else.

I remember when DVD players first came out, they were around the 4k mark. These days you can pick up a DVD player from ALDI for $60 with 12 months warranty. When it brakes you throw it away and buy another one OR you could of bought the quality one in the first place and have it working for many years to come. We as a global society did this to the market whether it be car audio or what ever, we wanted cheap, we got cheap, it broke, we complained... Maybe we should go back to the days of Japanese built products and pay through the nose, but at least you know your getting QUALITY and the real thing that will sound great and last for years?

Australian local specialists :thumbsup: keeps hard working Gen-X employed to pay Gen-Y time wasters :wave:

Fleebay :thumbdwn: keeps ebay in business and asia making fakes and you ebay shoppers (generalising) unhappy that you got a fake cheap :eek:

For all I care (= a big fat ZERO), people shouldnt come on any forum telling us they got ripped as they bought a fake from ebay or an oline store. Your loss, live with it!

[straightR]

as long as u dont know its a fake it should sound awesome!!!
hahaha

Well said lol.

[JaCe]

JaCe, what you should be telling people is to buy local not from overseas markets dont you think?

Ok, for all those people who keep PMing me about this;
UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING; DO NOT BUY FROM ONLINE WEBSITES IN OTHER COUNTRIES

I mean seriously, the companies which tend to sell this sortof stuff don't typically have websites. And as a Malaysian myself, I wouldn't dare buy things such as suspension kits and so on from someone who I have no idea if they are dodgy or not. The only way I buy this stuff is because my family does substantial car modifications and is very connected (and sponsored) to the official dealers hence how I know where to buy.

If you guys are travelling to Singapore or Malaysia yourself, I'm more than happy to point you in the right direction to buy originals (or good quality replicas if you wish), but if you're asking me for advice on buying online- I have no idea.

And even if you do know what you're doing, be warned-
1. If something goes wrong, noone from the shop will help you.
2. If they give you the wrong part in the box and you've flown back to Aus, also too bad for you.
3. (for replicas) If it breaks, it's your own problem.


For all I care (= a big fat ZERO), people shouldnt come on any forum telling us they got ripped as they bought a fake from ebay or an oline store. Your loss, live with it!

Disagree with that. Hopefully if people come on here whinging about it, it'll do two things;
1. Stop people from buying from that online site (and stop future people complaining)
2. Discourage people in general from buying online in unfamiliar countries

In all honesty to everyone here, I'd rather buy from Australia for alot of things purely because whilst there is a small chance things can go wrong; things DO go wrong. And it's always good to have someone to call if it does- who will get it fixed. I know Lifestyle charges quite a bit of markup for example, but as I'm pretty n00b to audio equipment, I feel safer knowing that the people I buy the gear from are reliable, and are also the same people who install it and provide the lifetime warranty. I pay a premium for that peace of mind.

Besides, as someone I know pointed out, if you attempt to import any substantial amount of car parts, you can get taxed significantly- and if you're unlucky, they'll tell you to go through a broker when you attempt to pick up the goods from customs.

[sik-vic]

i know its a late post but when i was working for autobarn we had an e-mail come through from focal warning us about these fakes, and that was well over 2 and a half years ago, these fakes have been around for donkeys

[kendc5r]

this is also covered in a recent issue of autosalon in regards to fake products...

issue number: 60
pg number: pg 126

[integraz]

Lesson to be learnt- don't buy from overseas! buy from an Australian Focal Dealer, support Australian businesses, buy local, have that peace of mind you are buying genuine.

[EuroDude]

In other words, dont buy car audio (or cars for that matter) from ebay

[trinnyd]

Thanks for the info

[Stoosh]

Thanks for the info

Just so you know, post counts don't matter at OH

[bankids]

most of the big brand they have no internet sale contract with all the dealers, so anything you buy from online brand new would be fake.

[yourfather]

**** E-bay!

[ouch]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190578453434&ssPageName=ADME:X:eRTM:AU:1123#ht_2433wt_956 what you guys reckon?

[lilthug]

seems legit going by the feedback


also epic thread bump

[TbM]

I NEVER buy focals online from what ive heard they are mostly fakes as Focal only sell to major distributers not so much ebays sellers, Heres Focals quote on their internet policy taken from their site.

Internet sales policy... Focal-JMlab creates and distributes high-end speakers, loudspeakers and kits for the car. We take great care in the distribution of our products, our presentation, customer support, installation and after sale service are our number one priority. To make sure these high standards are kept we do not authorise the online sales of Focal products.

Products sold on the Internet have been obtained from questionable sources that do not meet Focal JMlab's quality standards. These products may be counterfeits. See our "Spotting a fake" article for more details.

We inform you that the warranty, after sales service and the support of these internet-sourced products will only be covered by the seller, and not by Focal. If you intend to buy genuine Focal products with Australian warranty, we advise you to get in touch with your authorised dealer as they will offer you time, advice and support.


So you need to get them off an authorised dealer if you want a proper warrenty and to know they are real for sure.

Heres the link from the focal site showing some of the fakes, http://www.focalaustralia.com.au/fake.html

Now with regards to the K2P's they are old models that use the onld TN52 Tweeter which was quite harsh, The newer ones use a nicer tweeter(TNK i think) so i woud reccommend something like the 165 KR, 165 K2R or the 165 KRX2 if you can afford them, the KRX2's Use the TN53K which sounds the best of the lot IMO. Also focals are a sound you either love or hate so it would be a good idea to listen to some before you buy as their sound may not agree with you :) I love them tho, bought at least 6 sets of them over the years and they have all been great speakers.

[RAD]

Focal, like many other high end and boutique brands, have adopted a strict ebay/online sales policy; if you're found selling their products online, you're dropped as a retailer. They don't want one store dropping their pants on pricing, which hurts other stores.

Can definately vouch for TbM's statement, the drivers are "love 'em or hate 'em", since the tweeters are especially "bright" sounding, listen first, purchase from a store after. Quite efficient though, great if you don't have big power, or need to run them from a headunit.

[Torell]

Just to add, ive got the k3ps running on a focal 2 channel. They were pretty harsh. Til i baught a $250 aux which made them very smoothe

[Alexplicit]

i work at autobarn as a audio installer. and we have a brand called HERTZ i personally think there a fantastic speaker, however as a few comments above mentioned, there is a strict rule on selling on ebay, and its simply not to be done!

any hertz speaker on ebay is a fake, (so says clarion - the supplier)

we had one customer come in and tell us he bought these speakers from us (autobarn) and they were fried, to us, they looked like hertz speakers, came in hertz packaging just like the packaging we had, only when we sent them away for warranty did we know they werent real!!! (and the customer was told NOT to come back as he was trying to rip us off!)

this is the number one reason i myself dont buy electronics off ebay, i mean there even doing it with ecu's!! thats big dollars right there. it happens all the time unfortunately, sometimes its better just to pay that extra little bit and get it from a store and have that extra bit of protection i guess, its all the risk of buying online.