Dear Marge,

Don't be in a hurry - even with 20 or 25% off, it's a huge amount of money. Well, huge to me anyway. You then want to try them at home for a week or two, where you can listen for hours on end.

Jan-Erik Nordoen posted:

Dan43 posted:

 ... perhaps we need an autonomous speaker that can position itself around the room as it sees fit for best replay...

Done, almost. This one steers the sound around the room.

Is that the Mu-so Tr ? :-)

No hurry and the deal stands until I decide so fair play. It is a lot of money even with the discount (well over 25%) but I am selling myself a 10 year ownership experience. 

With the 926s going back the other way the cost of ownership comes down, but no matter you still need to fund them.

I'll have a rest over the weekend and decide later on. They are good, but at my level are they worth the ultimate punt?

Try them in your listening room, I had a pair on demo for a couple of weeks, and every time I listened it made me smile, my policy (now I'm over 50) is,  if you can afford it have it..

Dan43 posted:

Finished with the Sopra 2 demo. Better listening to your own regular tracks. First thoughts are I think I am going to buy these, I like them, a lot.

Low/mids/high frequency balance is excellent. Low volume excellent. Bass very well driven and controlled. Sound staging initially very good, but this is not my room so thats the next test.

I am being offered a very reasonable ex-demo deal, and I have probably bitten.

They have presence and deliver in spades. No tendency to brightness, if anything it felt like the extreme highs were slightly rounded off, harsh edges were softer, which is a thought as some like that extra longer ringing out. Piano keys you can here the pressure of the keys being hit, guitar plucking is clear and crisp, but not harsh at the extreme end.

Of course how they perform at my place is another thing, but these are excellent speakers and 'feel' very very good.

 

Good description, Dan.  One of the characteristics I noted with the Sopra 2s was the airiness at the top end and slightly softer than I am used to from the Beryllium tweeters in my 1028be's.  Once home from the demo I had a quick play on my home system confirmed that impression.  I wondered if it might be the effect of a different room but your impressions suggest to me that Focal have indeed 'tuned-down' the Beryllium tweeter a bit in the Sopras.

Mike

Sorry to interrupt the thread, but is it possible to direct message other members on this forum?  If so, how?

No private messaging, but you can post to another members Wall.  Note that in the interests of transparency the wall is viewable by all and still subject to forum rules.

MDS posted:

Dan43 posted:

Finished with the Sopra 2 demo. Better listening to your own regular tracks. First thoughts are I think I am going to buy these, I like them, a lot.

Low/mids/high frequency balance is excellent. Low volume excellent. Bass very well driven and controlled. Sound staging initially very good, but this is not my room so thats the next test.

I am being offered a very reasonable ex-demo deal, and I have probably bitten.

They have presence and deliver in spades. No tendency to brightness, if anything it felt like the extreme highs were slightly rounded off, harsh edges were softer, which is a thought as some like that extra longer ringing out. Piano keys you can here the pressure of the keys being hit, guitar plucking is clear and crisp, but not harsh at the extreme end.

Of course how they perform at my place is another thing, but these are excellent speakers and 'feel' very very good.

 

Good description, Dan.  One of the characteristics I noted with the Sopra 2s was the airiness at the top end and slightly softer than I am used to from the Beryllium tweeters in my 1028be's.  Once home from the demo I had a quick play on my home system confirmed that impression.  I wondered if it might be the effect of a different room but your impressions suggest to me that Focal have indeed 'tuned-down' the Beryllium tweeter a bit in the Sopras.

Mike

There is a bit of air around the vocals, the very extreme high end is rounded of. Vocals sit nicely, Ovator like, but the low/mid/high cohesion is excellent.

To achieve the same low/mid/high cohesion with S400s I needed SL IC & SC plus HCDR.

I'm starting to think the cash invested in such good speakers is reasonably valid, but you also know that adding SL loom will add more no matter where you invest on the other kit, so its a balancing act.

Need to test at home.

Dan43 posted:

MDS posted:

Dan43 posted:

.

Need to test at home.

Most definitely. And preferably with your dealer taking a little time to set them up optimally (mine is fastidious about adjusting my 1028's 'just so').    

Richard Dane posted:

No private messaging, but you can post to another members Wall.  Note that in the interests of transparency the wall is viewable by all and still subject to forum rules.

Hmmm.  Not sure I want to expose my contact details to every son of the Sultan of Brunei who has recently inherited The Sum Of Sixty-Three Million Dollars...

MDS posted:

Dan43 posted:

MDS posted:

Dan43 posted:

.

Need to test at home.

Most definitely. And preferably with your dealer taking a little time to set them up optimally (mine is fastidious about adjusting my 1028's 'just so').    

Agreed and this dealer has offered up, in his words, a set up expert, who comes in with a finely tuned approach and knowledge and will set up the system. He was very clear that this person knows his stuff, and it did get me thinking.

It may appear some spin involved, like a feng shui expert, but I did take his point that he feels this expert is the real deal, all very interesting, and you do learn from the right people quite a bit as you fine tune your own knowledge.

Plus we tried Stillpoints amp and speaker supports, the dark (and expensive) arts indeed......

Dan43 posted:

MDS posted:

Dan43 posted:

MDS posted:

Dan43 posted:

.

Need to test at home.

Most definitely. And preferably with your dealer taking a little time to set them up optimally (mine is fastidious about adjusting my 1028's 'just so').    

Agreed and this dealer has offered up, in his words, a set up expert, who comes in with a finely tuned approach and knowledge and will set up the system. He was very clear that this person knows his stuff, and it did get me thinking.

It may appear some spin involved, like a feng shui expert, but I did take his point that he feels this expert is the real deal, all very interesting, and you do learn from the right people quite a bit as you fine tune your own knowledge.

Plus we tried Stillpoints amp and speaker supports, the dark (and expensive) arts indeed......

Sounds like you're in very good hands, Dan. I hope they work well in your room and do keep keep us posted. The prospect of getting them home must be quite exciting 

Mike

 

Agreed and this dealer has offered up, in his words, a set up expert, who comes in with a finely tuned approach and knowledge and will set up the system. He was very clear that this person knows his stuff, and it did get me thinking.

It may appear some spin involved, like a feng shui expert, but I did take his point that he feels this expert is the real deal, all very interesting, and you do learn from the right people quite a bit as you fine tune your own knowledge.

Plus we tried Stillpoints amp and speaker supports, the dark (and expensive) arts indeed......

Sounds like you're in very good hands, Dan. I hope they work well in your room and do keep keep us posted. The prospect of getting them home must be quite exciting 

Mike

It is a step up for me, but yes it would be wonderful to hear them in your own space and time frame.

Dan, Can I ask what the other components you have in your set up? 

Dan43 posted:

No hurry and the deal stands until I decide so fair play. It is a lot of money even with the discount (well over 25%) but I am selling myself a 10 year ownership experience. 

With the 926s going back the other way the cost of ownership comes down, but no matter you still need to fund them.

I'll have a rest over the weekend and decide later on. They are good, but at my level are they worth the ultimate punt?

Next Wednesday you'll hear some decent speakers. Wait till then. 

wenger2015 posted:

Dan, Can I ask what the other components you have in your set up? 

272/250DR, Aria 926, NACA5. Looking at, in time, Melco, SL IC & SC, and XPSDR or 555DR later on.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Dan43 posted:

No hurry and the deal stands until I decide so fair play. It is a lot of money even with the discount (well over 25%) but I am selling myself a 10 year ownership experience. 

With the 926s going back the other way the cost of ownership comes down, but no matter you still need to fund them.

I'll have a rest over the weekend and decide later on. They are good, but at my level are they worth the ultimate punt?

Next Wednesday you'll hear some decent speakers. Wait till then. 

Which will be wonderful to hear...

I too have never got on with the s20 but I've never slept with them in my house.  

I recently had a demo of the 272/250 Dr, the dealer didn't have the sopras available, he did have the Aria 926, it all sounded very good, but the weak spot was definitely the speakers, I think they were just having to work to hard to keep up. My interest was with the 250Dr, which I am wanting to pair up with nac282, hicap ect, I already have a cdx2. The addition of a xps on the cdx2 was quite significant, something I wasn't expecting, almost a night and day moment.

One thing that is abundantly clear with the sopras is they love to be driven hard, they respond magnificently, depth of bass and detail, timing, soundstage, warmth, all quite magical.

It really is a big step up....

Wenger - no doubt the XPS transforms the CDX2.   

@Dan43 - did you post your contact details on your wall?  Sorry - been out for a few beers - might have missed it.

The Strat, yes the xps made a transformation I would never of believed, if I had not heard it for myself ...it's now going to increase the size of the hole in my pocket...lol

I completely agree Wenger! The XPS is a must have. The music really leaps out of the speakers. I'll have to start saving! 

Question, would you get the same effect with a non Dr xps, on the end of your cdx2? 

Thats a tricky one. I've not heard the non DR XPS either. Most people seem to be upgrading to DR versions of their boxes. But you rarely see a 'pre loved' non DR XPS available. What does this mean?????