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Focal Alpha 50 Evo 5 inch Powered Studio Monitor

50W Powered 2-way Studio Reference Monitors with 5" Woofer, 1" Tweeter, and Class D Bi-amplification (each)
$299.00 (each)

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Focal Alpha 50 Evo 5 inch Powered Studio Monitor
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$299.00 (each)
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Focal’s Next-gen Alpha 50 Evo

Sweetwater is excited to present to you the next generation of Focal’s Alpha series monitors. The Alpha 50 Evo design leverages cutting-edge materials and engineering to advance the state of the art in studio monitoring. This compact active 2-way monitor employs a 1-inch aluminum tweeter and a 5-inch woofer with a Slatefiber cone developed and handcrafted in Focal’s Saint-Étienne, France, facility. Powered by 50 watts of optimized Class D bi-amplification and engineered to deliver flat tonal balance and outstanding dynamic range, the Alpha 50 Evo is designed from the ground up for improved performance over previous-generation Alpha monitors. The Focal Alpha 50 Evo is a versatile, robust speaker system that will complement your modern production environment and provide the honest, accurate monitoring you need to produce world-class results.

Unerring accuracy, outstanding performance

At the heart of the Alpha 50 Evo is the new Slatefiber LF driver. The singular characteristics of the Slatefiber material used for the cone have dramatically improved the low-frequency extension, dynamic range, and sheer impact of the Alpha 50 Evo as compared with its Alpha series predecessor. In addition, the 1-inch aluminum inverted dome tweeter has been updated to convey the most minute nuances in playback material with pinpoint precision — without a hint of harshness or the listening fatigue associated with many high-definition tweeter designs.

You can trust Focal monitors

With their extended frequency response and precise imaging, Focal’s Alpha 50 Evo 2-way active studio monitor is engineered to reproduce your audio signal with unerring accuracy. But beyond its impressive performance, this monitor is designed for flexible, seamless integration into you studio. The Alpha 50 Evo features rear-panel HF/LF shelving to optimize the system for any acoustic environment; and in addition to balanced XLR, TRS, and unbalanced RCA inputs, it offers the energy-saving convenience of Focal’s automatic standby mode, which cuts power after 30 minutes of inactivity. Engineers at Sweetwater rely on Focal monitors to tell them the truth about what they’re recording. You can, too.

Focal Alpha 50 Evo 5-inch Powered Studio Monitor (Each) Features:

  • Optimized LF extension, dynamic range, and sheer impact
  • Frequency response: 45Hz–22kHz (+/- 3dB)
  • Maximum SPL: 101dB SPL (peak @ 1 m)
  • Mid-/low-frequency amplifier: 30W, Class D
  • High-frequency amplifier: 20W, Class D
  • Wide dispersion for accurate sound throughout the room
  • HF/LF shelving optimizes the system for any acoustic environment
  • Slatefiber cone handcrafted in France: sonic neutrality, no distortion
  • Identical tonal balance at both low and high volume
  • Connect up to 3 audio sources
  • Balanced XLR, TRS, and unbalanced RCA inputs
  • Automatic standby mode after 15 minutes of inactivity
  • Inserts for wall fastening; protective grilles included

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Tech Specs

  • Powered: Yes
  • Power Configuration: Bi-amped
  • Quantity: Single
  • LF Driver Size: 5" Woofer
  • LF Driver Type: Slatefiber Cone
  • HF Driver Size: 1" Tweeter
  • HF Driver Type: Aluminum Inverted Dome
  • LF Driver Power Amp: 35W
  • HF Driver Power Amp: 25W
  • Total Power: 60W Class D
  • Frequency Response: 45Hz-22kHz
  • Maximum Peak SPL: 101 dB SPL @ 1m
  • Input Types: 1 x XLR, 1 x RCA, 1 x 1/4"
  • Enclosure Type: Front Ported
  • Enclosure Material: MDF with Black Vinyl covering
  • Height: 12.2"
  • Width: 9.9"
  • Depth: 9.4"
  • Weight: 13.1 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: FOASSFAL500B003

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 4.5/5

A true successor to the Alpha line!

Right as I turned these on these pretty much gave off a great impression.

We all know about the Alpha line and what it brought to the table, but now we have the redesigned variants and they are, in a word, awesome.

First glance? They're fetching. An ultra modern look with sweeping sides and sharp cutouts in the ABS plastic. They look futuristic with the single bass reflex port that's front facing, allowing more placement options in cramped studio spaces. The grey woofer cones with hints of flecked blue (not as much as you see in the stock photos, admittedly..) add some flair to what would otherwise be a pretty standard issue look. Studio monitors are usually always black on black and sort of..well, pedestrian, right?

The redesigned cone and suspension definitely seems stiffer than previous models in the Alpha line and they have a very apparent immediacy about them in their response. Sharp transients equate to what to your ears perceive as raw power and these give the impression that you're pushing much more wattage out of them than you really have to play with. They claim these guys are responsive to 45hz and my REW graph shows that they actually go slightly lower with authority in my space and have a -3db roll off around 40hz, so in line with the 65's. There's no discernible port noise, the new redesign definitely helped with the chuffing that the Alpha 50's displayed at certain frequencies (in my case something around 230hz).

Love the ability to disable the power saving auto shutoff, that's all I'm going to say about that.

As for the high end, these sound every bit as detailed as the prior lineup, perhaps a little bit more airy but that could just be my imagination.. they certainly measure about the same, but there's something.."smoother" sounding about these. They have a nice balanced output and they sound natural, not hyped or pumped up in any specific range.

I thought having the included grilles on at all times would look pretty dope, but they actually seem more geared toward protection whilst transporting them or something rather than an option to use in real life. Perhaps if you have an aggressive cat that likes to play with random things it may be useful? They ended up hiding how gorgeous that slight hint of blue in the cone is too much for my liking, so I ended up leaving them off. (In MY measurements they didn't change the frequency response in a drastic way, but I'm not in an anechoic chamber so Focal probably has even finer grasp of the changes to EQ that they claim occur when the grilles are attached.)

Overall, I'm a really big fan of the way Focal speakers sound and translate and these new kids on the block are no exception. They're "smooth" sounding for lack of a better description, very hifi, transparent and clean. These are the smooth jazz equivalent of monitors in a way, very much more of a refined and open offering as opposed to something catering to say, aggressive drum and bass or hip hop beats. Not to say they can't do it, just that they clearly were designed to really showcase subtleties in music as opposed to absolutely rocking your face off. They seem to sound exactly the same on most mediums as how I hear them in my environment which ultimately, is the entire point.

When power is applied, you'll see a nice dimly lit green LED, indicative of power status. One more thing that adds just a little extra splash of character. I would have liked to see a dark blue LED to better match the cone aesthetics, but that's just me. It's not bright at all and I think, just the right amount of output. It definitely won't blind you in a dim studio when you're mixing a track at 3am.

My only slight gripe is that even in my well-treated space, midrange focused instruments tend to force vocals back in the mix, backwards and away from you in a horizontal plane if you're not carefully paying attention to that while mixing. These will reveal inconsistencies in music you thought you knew but never heard. The upside to this is that you can achieve superior mix depth in three different dimensions if you desire, making even the densest of mixes come alive and sound massive without needing crazy space between the monitors and your listening position.

I can't see how more expensive options would be any better. You'd have to step to the Shapes to see a reasonable difference in sound quality and even then, your room will begin to have more impact on the differences between speakers than anything else.

If you're ready to step into the world of Focal, these are your gateway drug of choice.
Music background: Seasoned Production
Rated 5/5

Great Service

Ordered a pair of Focal Alpha 50 Evo 5-inch powered studio monitors. I mistakenly had them shipped to my old address in Bend, Oregon. Carson and his team worked with me to get the delivery rerouted to California - showed up safe and sound.
Music background: Trombonist, composer, arranger, conductor
Rated 5/5

These speakers are awesome

I wanted to upgrade from a set of JBL studio monitors. They were pretty good in the "flat" department, but I was looking for a more balanced and clear tone. Sami, my Sweetwater engineer, was had a lot of experience (also with these very speakers) and VERY knowledgeable, and after I'd narrowed it down to three choices, she expertly recommended these. GOOD JOB! I am super happy with them. The first tune (of mine) I loaded, it just sounded so much more alive, and easy to discern parts and subtleties between them. Well worth the money.

I would highly recommend these speakers, and Sweetwater in general.
Music background: drums, working on composing, 4 semesters at Berklee
Rated 5/5

I am absolutely in love with these monitors!

I am absolutely in love with the Alpha 50's. For what it's worth, I did extensive comparison between the 50's and 65's (thank you very much to my rep Paul for helping make that happen!), and the 50's are much better for me in my desk seated near-field listening setup. No doubt the 65's would be better for a larger room and louder listening requirements, but the 50's sound much cleaner, clearer, and balanced in my 9.5'x12' office/home studio. They are pleasure to listen to, and do not fatigue my ears over long listening sessions. I am amazed by the depth of the bass with these small speakers, and blown away by the quality at this price point.
Music background: Professional recording/mixing engineer, musician
Rated 1/5

Thoroughly Unimpressed

I came to this monitor looking for a bit power / bass response over my 3" Genelec 8010s. I had imagined they might be a slightly less clear monitor but still in the same league as the Genelecs - I was definitely mistaken. These speakers are no better than any other entry level offering from JBL, KRK, etc., with the exception that they're more expensive, and they don't hold a candle to the Genelecs in terms of clarity, soundstaging, stereo width, quality, or aesthetics.

The Good:
They put out some pretty impressive bass for the size of the speaker, and they definitely get loud, but so do 50 dollar speakers from Wal-Mart.

The bad:
Mid-range is muddy and undefined even on tracks I know are mixed incredibly well
Top-end is harsh and metallic sounding, even my girlfriend who knows nothing about audio said they sounded harsh. Rolling off the top end didn't help much.
Bass is overpowering.
Stereo imaging / soundstage feels cramped, nothing like the expansiveness of the JBLs.
Speakers are bulky and made of plastic / particle board.
They are WAY overpriced for what you get.

These speakers did not even remotely live up to the hype for me, I would not recommend them to anyone. If you're serious about mixing get some Genelecs or perhaps a higher end offering for another brand. I was really hoping these would be good, but I like them less than the entry levels JBLs I used when I started producing. The other review definitely seems more like a sales pitch than an actual review. I took a chance on these and I regret it.
Music background: Producer, Musician
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