Pre/Power or Integrated for Focal Utopia Scala?


Hi, been shopping around for quite awhile but would like to get more ideas from you guys. Budget is about $30k+.

Primary music is classical, jazz and trance. No vocals. Key emphasis on dynamics and tonality. I am not particular about soundstaging and so on but expect a degree of detail.

I have tried these few brands:
- Chord
- Spectral
- Karan
- Goldmund
- Passlabs
- Jeff Rowland
- Plinius
- Octave

Each has some plus and minus.

- I find Goldmund power to be very good but not convinced about their pre-amps which can be abit dry. In comparison, Spectral and Karan are abit heavier and have their own tonality.
- I also liked Plinius power amps but their highest end pre-amp has a performance limitation (though good for the price).
- Chord's pre was good but the power abit strange. Not the last word in aggressiveness but good otherwise.
- Octave, as a tube, is missing the low end bite of solid state and not that expressive.
- Passlabs and Jeff Rowland are abit slow for me.

I intend to give Gryphon and Orpheus a try and perhaps ASR.. hope to have some other recommendations.
quest88
Mceljo: Any idea what the Krell you heard was paired with in terms of cabling? Interesting choice as I've not heard the latest Evo series.

Anyway, Scala is indeed a good speaker but I now kind of feel I should have considered the Maestro.. no end to this. :)

Guys, will take Gryphon, VAC, VTL into my list for audition, thnks. LAMM was too slow for me.

Anyone have any idea on Audionet?
I don't know for sure, but I'd be surprised if it was anything other than Nordost and likely mostly Odin.
Consider the Micromega AS-400 integrated. It was used with Focal Utopias at several shows receiving high praise.

I have spent much time with the AS-400 and can tell you it is a very impressive unit.
You should try Accuphase.
I have a great experience with Accuphase and Focal Electra.
For what I know the amps in the Focal's factory listening room are Accuphase.
Thanks guys. I've booked a flight to the HK hifi show to check out more options. Hopefully will get some ideas on the way. Interestingly, think Devialet has been hooked up to Scala lately, but not too sure about class d.

Anyway, turns out the distributor of Accuphase in my country only sells Bose.. wouldn't have imagined.

Mceljo: Thanks, very useful as I'm a Nordost user and was afraid the Krell combo might be too aggressive, though Valhalla has abit of a soft edge. I don't think I can buy Odins though. :)