I bought Focal Stella Utopia Evo, but...

[Addicted to hifi]

at least most of the time the customer is right.

 

[Jongsun]

Once you get into megabuck gear the dealer is so important. When I think of big speakers I think of Genesis as Gary seems to be hands on with his products and the market. Wilson speakers seem to get top marks in customer service and long term customer support of old parts.

Yes, I'm very keenly realizing it.
First of all, I will never buy focal.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I have had lots of problems with dealers over the years and never not once was it my fault.I now use only one dealer that looks after me.everyone wants to sell you stuff but when something go’s wrong there not there to help.

 

[dan31]

I don’t know the whole story but Focal is not on many lists given your shared experience.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Yes, I'm very keenly realizing it.
First of all, I will never buy focal.

I would not buy focal either after reading this thread.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

at least most of the time the customer is right.

there you go, that's more like it. I am in the customer service business and when they are right I am over the top accommodating, when they are not I have zero problem telling them to kick rocks.
In this case after reading the whole post and only hearing one side of the story its easy to side with the op but there is the other side of this and Focal is obviously listening to their legal team otherwise they would have posted here by now.
Like the old saying goes, "there are two sides to every divorce".

I wish the OP luck in an amicable solution.

 

[Jongsun]

I have not investigated this thread entirely so my next statement is not to the op but to your statement. Without question the customer definitely is not always right. Been around this block too many times, but when they are they are.

All the calls and messages with the dealer to support my situation have been saved and submitted to the court and police station and also sent to Focal.
Nevertheless, the dealer denies the fact and says I broke it.

 

[Jongsun]

at least most of the time the customer is right.

I'm really experiencing trial and error.

 

[Jongsun]

I have had lots of problems with dealers over the years and never not once was it my fault.I now use only one dealer that looks after me.everyone wants to sell you stuff but when something go’s wrong there not there to help.

It's not easy to meet a conscientious dealer.

 

[Jongsun]

there you go, that's more like it. I am in the customer service business and when they are right I am over the top accommodating, when they are not I have zero problem telling them to kick rocks.
In this case after reading the whole post and only hearing one side of the story its easy to side with the op but there is the other side of this and Focal is obviously listening to their legal team otherwise they would have posted here by now.
Like the old saying goes, "there are two sides to every divorce".

I wish the OP luck in an amicable solution.

When I posted on my audio forum, the dealer didn't post anything. Because it was a fact that there was nothing more to refute.
They're making false rumors to other brand dealers, so I...
I also sued them for defamation.
Focal is not sending me any reply to this situation.
Thank you.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

When you buy something you should have peace of mind that the dealer is there to help you if any problems arise.

 

[Jongsun]

I don’t know the whole story but Focal is not on many lists given your shared experience.

The dealer's problem seems bigger at the moment.

 

[Mabutu]

I know from my Australian experience, a distributor or retailer try to do the right thing for a customer

but distributors and retailers sometimes don’t get co-operation from the manufacturer

ive seen cases where a distributor wears the cost to save a customer when the manufacturer puts up walls

high end audio can be risky business

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I know from my Australian experience, a distributor or retailer try to do the right thing for a customer

but distributors and retailers sometimes don’t get co-operation from the manufacturer

ive seen cases where a distributor wears the cost to save a customer when the manufacturer puts up walls

high end audio can be risky business

Agree it can be a risky business.

 

[Jongsun]

I know from my Australian experience, a distributor or retailer try to do the right thing for a customer

but distributors and retailers sometimes don’t get co-operation from the manufacturer

ive seen cases where a distributor wears the cost to save a customer when the manufacturer puts up walls

high end audio can be risky business

The biggest problem in this case is that dealers are never willing to lose money. Also, Focal's AS is very disappointing.
High-end audio should be considered AS priority.

 

[Jongsun]

It's been a year since the lawsuit began and there have been two trials.
Dealer claims that if two diodes are not repaired even if they are replaced, it is broken due to consumer negligence.
Isn't that ridiculous?
I use simaudio preamplifiers and power amplifiers and the dealer claims that they don't match the focal and that there is a harmful current in my house.
They say the speaker is normal.
But they offer an exchange.
It's really a comedy.

 

[Mabutu]

Harmful current resides in the dealers head. Sounds like an objectionable prick.

 

[ecwl]

It's been a year since the lawsuit began and there have been two trials.
Dealer claims that if two diodes are not repaired even if they are replaced, it is broken due to consumer negligence.
Isn't that ridiculous?
I use simaudio preamplifiers and power amplifiers and the dealer claims that they don't match the focal and that there is a harmful current in my house.
They say the speaker is normal.
But they offer an exchange.
It's really a comedy.

Your experience was truly horrible from the dealer. The story is a bit confusing to me so I can't tell how much of the problem is coming from Focal. But obviously, you didn't break your speakers and the dealer blaming you for it is ridiculous.

One thing I don't like about Focal is that they change and discontinue their speaker colors all the time. So if you like a color from an older model year, you can't necessarily buy the same color now.

I wonder if this is what happened. Is your blue color from say a new speaker made in 2018? And Focal is willing to send you a replacement but it has to be a different blue because they don't make the same blue color speakers anymore? My local dealer and another dealer in Minneapolis told me that they have lost sales because of the color issue.

I have to admit, with expensive speakers, most dealers and customers would insist on delivery and setup because if the speakers are broken, the customer and dealer are there at the time of delivery and setup so the blame can be assigned to the dealer (or manufacturer). I'm sort of surprise that the dealer didn't come to your home to set everything up perfectly before signing off the speakers as functioning perfectly normally.

The missing manual also suggests that even though the speaker maybe "new", it may be a floor demo. Did the dealer have your speakers on demo and then tell you it's new because it's only been in the showroom? Or was it truly a new stock that they have at the back? I have definitely seen some dealers try to sell their floor demo as new to customers without telling them. That's how they can get missing manual.

I also couldn't figure out what was really broken. I don't even know what that external off board PSU is? Is it supposed to be a powered crossover or is that supposed to be a powered amplifier to drive the subwoofer? Is the PSU broken or is the internal crossover of the speakers broken? If you switch the right PSU to the left speaker, does the woofer still play at low volume? The reason I ask is that if the problem is the off board PSU, why didn't Focal just send you a new PSU? If the problem is internal to the left speaker, usually they would have to ship the speaker's back to the manufacturer to be repaired if the dealer can't repair it. Did the dealer offer to ship your speaker/PSU back for repairs at their expense (not yours)?

Regardless, my guess is that perhaps the speakers truly were working at your dealer because they were using it as a demo. During transport, the banged up the speaker or the PSU and some part of the crossover got knocked loose. Your dealer doesn't know how to fix it. They don't want to pay to fix it or to ship it back. They might have even given you a discount just to get rid of an older model year's demo so if they offer to fix it for you, they'll lose money. Except that's very short-sighted. Looks like you have lots of other gear so if they had fixed the problem for you, you would have bought more stuff from them already and you would have referred more customers to them so they would have made the money back. It is unfortunate it has to come to a lawsuit.

 

[Jongsun]

Harmful current resides in the dealers head. Sounds like an objectionable prick.

I think so !

Your experience was truly horrible from the dealer. The story is a bit confusing to me so I can't tell how much of the problem is coming from Focal. But obviously, you didn't break your speakers and the dealer blaming you for it is ridiculous.

One thing I don't like about Focal is that they change and discontinue their speaker colors all the time. So if you like a color from an older model year, you can't necessarily buy the same color now.

I wonder if this is what happened. Is your blue color from say a new speaker made in 2018? And Focal is willing to send you a replacement but it has to be a different blue because they don't make the same blue color speakers anymore? My local dealer and another dealer in Minneapolis told me that they have lost sales because of the color issue.

I have to admit, with expensive speakers, most dealers and customers would insist on delivery and setup because if the speakers are broken, the customer and dealer are there at the time of delivery and setup so the blame can be assigned to the dealer (or manufacturer). I'm sort of surprise that the dealer didn't come to your home to set everything up perfectly before signing off the speakers as functioning perfectly normally.

The missing manual also suggests that even though the speaker maybe "new", it may be a floor demo. Did the dealer have your speakers on demo and then tell you it's new because it's only been in the showroom? Or was it truly a new stock that they have at the back? I have definitely seen some dealers try to sell their floor demo as new to customers without telling them. That's how they can get missing manual.

I also couldn't figure out what was really broken. I don't even know what that external off board PSU is? Is it supposed to be a powered crossover or is that supposed to be a powered amplifier to drive the subwoofer? Is the PSU broken or is the internal crossover of the speakers broken? If you switch the right PSU to the left speaker, does the woofer still play at low volume? The reason I ask is that if the problem is the off board PSU, why didn't Focal just send you a new PSU? If the problem is internal to the left speaker, usually they would have to ship the speaker's back to the manufacturer to be repaired if the dealer can't repair it. Did the dealer offer to ship your speaker/PSU back for repairs at their expense (not yours)?

Regardless, my guess is that perhaps the speakers truly were working at your dealer because they were using it as a demo. During transport, the banged up the speaker or the PSU and some part of the crossover got knocked loose. Your dealer doesn't know how to fix it. They don't want to pay to fix it or to ship it back. They might have even given you a discount just to get rid of an older model year's demo so if they offer to fix it for you, they'll lose money. Except that's very short-sighted. Looks like you have lots of other gear so if they had fixed the problem for you, you would have bought more stuff from them already and you would have referred more customers to them so they would have made the money back. It is unfortunate it has to come to a lawsuit.

Yes, that product was imported in 2018 and I bought it in January 2021.
It's been over two years.
I suspected a used product because there was no manual and there was a stain on it
But there was no legal evidence.
Of course, the dealer claims it's a new product.
And I paid the normal amount and bought it.
Dealer has no technical knowledge.
They removed the 13-inch woofer twice, but they couldn't find the cause of the failure and couldn't fix it.
I endured and watched them detach the new 13-inch woofer awkwardly.
Eventually, they offered me an additional charge and exchanged it for a product with a different finish.
Because the focal doesn't have a blue stock.
I refused.
I have no reason to exchange unwanted colors for an additional fee.
So I asked for a refund.
But the dealer refused.
Afterwards, they offered to exchange it for a different finish without any additional charge.
I was so angry and there was no reason to use this company's product anymore for their response.

I finally found the cause.
(Change the left and right channels of the amplifier, change the cable, and change the power supply.)
It's a problem with the left speaker itself.
I'm guessing it's a matter of internal crossover.
Focal clearly said they don't have the blue in stock, but 2 months later they sent the same blue product to the dealer from Dubai.
I don't think this is a new product.
I have used the simaudio 740p preamplifier and 860a power amplifier well for 4 years with scalautopia.
The delegates claim that it is an amplifier problem and a hazardous current problem.
They say the speakers are normal.
Focal is sitting on the sidelines despite the current situation.
I think I'll have to settle it with a lawsuit anyway.
Thank you for your advice.

 

[ecwl]

I think so !

Yes, that product was imported in 2018 and I bought it in January 2021.
It's been over two years.
I suspected a used product because there was no manual and there was a stain on it
But there was no legal evidence.
Of course, the dealer claims it's a new product.
And I paid the normal amount and bought it.
Dealer has no technical knowledge.
They removed the 13-inch woofer twice, but they couldn't find the cause of the failure and couldn't fix it.
I endured and watched them detach the new 13-inch woofer awkwardly.
Eventually, they offered me an additional charge and exchanged it for a product with a different finish.
Because the focal doesn't have a blue stock.
I refused.
I have no reason to exchange unwanted colors for an additional fee.
So I asked for a refund.
But the dealer refused.
Afterwards, they offered to exchange it for a different finish without any additional charge.
I was so angry and there was no reason to use this company's product anymore for their response.

I finally found the cause.
(Change the left and right channels of the amplifier, change the cable, and change the power supply.)
It's a problem with the left speaker itself.
I'm guessing it's a matter of internal crossover.
Focal clearly said they don't have the blue in stock, but 2 months later they sent the same blue product to the dealer from Dubai.
I don't think this is a new product.
I have used the simaudio 740p preamplifier and 860a power amplifier well for 4 years with scalautopia.
The delegates claim that it is an amplifier problem and a hazardous current problem.
They say the speakers are normal.
Focal is sitting on the sidelines despite the current situation.
I think I'll have to settle it with a lawsuit anyway.
Thank you for your advice.

Yes your experience is just brutal. Obviously the problem is not the Simaudio products.
I personally considered a used product as one that was sitting at somebody's home. Whereas a demo product presumably never left the store (although I guess it could have gone on loan to somebody's home). So I generally don't consider a demo product "used" but I also don't consider it "new" either. To me, the price should be somewhere between used and new and the dealer should disclose. I strongly suspect your speakers were demo but not used by my definition. And it is unprofessional for your dealer to sell you the speakers as if they were new. But I think that's why your dealer is convinced the speakers were working totally fine, because they've been using them as demo speakers at the store.

I also suspect the internal crossover of the speakers got knocked around during delivery to your home. This is because my non-Focal speakers on delivery to my dealer's store got knocked around the first time and the woofer didn't work because the internal crossover got damaged from the transport. My dealer had to ship the speaker back to the manufacturer to be repaired before being shipped back. I think he had to pay for the cost of shipping because he didn't use the manufacturer's recommended shipper and went with a cheaper shipper. I presume insurance covered the shipping for him but wouldn't be surprised he made a smaller profit as a result.

I would be very surprised if Focal didn't agree to repair your product if the dealer is willing to ship it back to France. I just assumed that the shipping is too costly so your dealer just refused. I also suspect it is true that Focal speakers are quite back-ordered as my local Focal dealer told me. So if you wanted a new blue Focal, you probably have to wait for many months. Even if your local dealer is willing to do the right thing. The blue Focal that was shipped to Dubai was probably ordered and paid for by the Dubai dealer months before you asked for a replacement. That's why Focal can't ship that particular pair of speakers to you.

Well, hopefully the lawsuit will get you your money back soon and you can move on to a new pair of speakers you'll be happy with. But yeah, I would insist on delivery and setup of the next pair of speakers to ensure they're fully functional before letting the dealer leave next time.