Focal 300 ICA6 Angled In-Ceiling Speakers
Focal has long been a favorite around here. They make quality speakers that focus on a flat frequency response. If you wanted to install in-ceiling speakers for whole-home audio or Atmos, you could do a lot worse than the Focal 300 series. Their new Focal 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling speakers are for those that want in-ceiling speakers but don’t want a speaker that faces straight down. Let’s take a closer look.
Focal 300 ICA6 Angled In-Ceiling Speakers Features
The Focal 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling speakers sport a 6.5″ woofer and a 1″ aluminum/magnesium inverted dome tweeter. The woofer material is Flax sandwiched between two layers of fiberglass, something that is proprietary to Focal. The speakers are rated down to 65Hz -3dB (45Hz -6dB) with an 89.5dB sensitivity rating.
The most important feature of the Focal 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling speakers is the angle. It is a built-in 35°. While not explicitly stated in the marketing materials, the rest of the 300 series can adjust the coaxially mounted tweeter. We expect the same with the ICA6. There is a high-frequency adjustment switch on the back for dialing in the tweeter’s performance. The Focal 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling speakers come with both a round and square paintable grill to match the aesthetics of your room.
Angled In-Ceiling Speakers?
While it is no secret that we are not fans of aimable tweeters in in-ceiling speakers, that doesn’t mean that angled in-ceiling speakers don’t have their place. If you have a vaulted ceiling or one that angles, a speaker with a built-in angle can even it out. Alternatively, if your only placement for in-ceiling speakers is somehow far away from where you actually want them, the angle can help compensate.
That said, we are not fans of using in-ceiling speakers for your front three speakers. Often we see angled in-ceiling speakers as the front left, front right, and center channels. This always gives lackluster performance. If you are thinking that the angle will somehow compensate for the fact that the speakers are in the ceiling when they should be at ear level, then think again.
Mounting
The Focal 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling speakers, like the rest of the 300 line, features a very unique mounting system. Focal calls it toolless but that’s only true if you can punch a perfectly round hole the exact diameter you need in the ceiling with your fist. For the rest of us, we’re going to need a drywall saw. Once you have the hole, however, you don’t need any more tools.
There is an included mounting ring that has tabs that hold the ring in place. On the lip of the ring is a marking to let you know what direction the speaker will be pointed once you finish. Mounting the Focal 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling speakers entails little more than connecting the wires into the spring-type terminals, inserting the speaker into the ring, and twisting it into place. Simple. There are written directions as well as a video walkthrough.
The only thing that is missing here is some sort of backing box. We always recommend installing a backing box for your in-ceiling speakers. In many places, it is code. But if you want the best performance out of your in-ceiling speakers, you’ll make sure you’ve enclosed and dampened the space behind them.
Wrap Up
The Focal’s 300 ICA6 angled in-ceiling loudspeaker will be available in September 2022 for $499 each. One of the bigger selling points is that you can swap out many of the in-ceiling speakers from Focal easily. The 300 series, for example, has the same sizes as the 1000 series. This makes mixing, matching, and upgrading very easy.
For more information, visit Focal.com.
