Short answer: the Ex Machina Pulsar MKII, if you are buying new. The Focal Twin6 Be measures as well as it (#104 vs #105 of 119 powered bookshelf speakers, 3.8/5 vs 3.8/5) but is discontinued, so only consider it used; the Ex Machina Pulsar MKII is still sold new at $11,700. The Focal Twin6 Be’s replacement, the Focal ST6 Twin6, is rated 3.8/5 at $4,598.
The Ex Machina Pulsar MKII is the more accurate pick. A high end active three way studio monitor with deep bass that can skip a subwoofer and digital and analog inputs. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 5.04 against 4.04 for the Focal Twin6 Be. Watch for: Its 6.16 ideal-subwoofer score and uneven listening-window response do not support a top accuracy ranking.
What the Focal Twin6 Be does well: A dual woofer studio monitor with a beryllium tweeter and plenty of output for dedicated mixing rooms. The tradeoff: The horizontal measurement scores 6.06 with an ideal subwoofer and spans 2.9dB from 300Hz to 5kHz.
Buy the Ex Machina Pulsar MKII if you want one new; the Focal Twin6 Be is discontinued, so only look for it used.
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A high end active three way studio monitor with deep bass that can skip a subwoofer and digital and analog inputs.
A dual woofer studio monitor with a beryllium tweeter and plenty of output for dedicated mixing rooms.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Ex Machina Pulsar MKII | Focal Twin6 Be | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11,700 per pair | $3,990 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #105 of 119 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #104 of 119 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | Powered sealed 3-way | - |
| Drivers | 9-inch SEAS woofer, 7-inch coaxial midrange/tweeter | 1” inverted beryllium tweeter; dual 6.5” W-cone drivers |
| Amplifier Power | 250W LF, 100W MF, 50W HF per speaker | 150W LF + 100W LF/MF + 100W HF |
| Frequency Response | 35Hz-32kHz (+/-1dB) | 40Hz - 40kHz (±3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB continuous at 1m | - |
| Coverage | 90 degrees conical | - |
| Inputs | Analog and AES/EBU digital | Balanced XLR with +4dBu/-10dBV sensitivity |
| DSP | SHARC, phase and magnitude correction | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.04 | 4.04 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.16 | 6.06 |
| XLR Input | No | Yes |
| RCA Input | No | No |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
| Dimensions | 19” x 11.4” x 13.6” (483 x 289 x 345 mm) (H x W x D) | 9.8” x 19.7” x 13.4” (250 x 500 x 340 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Weight | 50.7 lbs (23 kg) | 48.5 lbs (22 kg) |
| Bass Extension | - | 40Hz manufacturer specified; Erin measured strong low-frequency linearity |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 48.3Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 39.1Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
Frequency Response Compared
Both speakers’ spinorama measurements, overlaid. A flatter line is more neutral: peaks sound forward or harsh, dips sound recessed. Each curve is shifted so its average from 300 Hz to 3 kHz sits at 0 dB, so loudness differences between the two are removed and only the shape is compared.
Measurement data: Ex Machina Pulsar MKII (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) and Focal Twin6 Be (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner), via spinorama.org.
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