UPDATE!
Having completed my new car business I'm back in the hunt..
At a lovely local dealer listened to Sonus Guarneri Evolution (24K, but as demos 12K) Focal Electra 1008: $4000/pr (N/I stands).Focal Sopra One: ($9,000, includes stands;
The Sonus--my goodness, that's what incredible sounds like. Detail and space, warm without feeling colored, crisp in a way I hadn't heard before.
Out of my range, but fab.
The Electra--very good--big sound for a little thing. As good or better than the Aerial 5t I listened to. More or less same price.
Sopra one: very very good. Not the Sonus, but not too far away, as far as I could tell. Liked all 3, even the electra, more than Kef Ref one and Totem Element fire. Personal taste all the way, of course.
For single instruments or a string quartet the Electra weren't that far off the other two. But with the orchestra or complex world music, you could really hear a difference.
of course the whole thing was colored by the around 10k worth of cd player and amps and cables I was listeneing to!
So... soon to try the Paradigm Persona B, just off the boat new. And then I want to check out Monitor PL100II, and if I can one of the good Dynaudios.
Then all I have to do is make up my mind.
Thanks for all your tips and good wishes. Happy holidays to us all.
Having completed my new car business I'm back in the hunt..
At a lovely local dealer listened to Sonus Guarneri Evolution (24K, but as demos 12K) Focal Electra 1008: $4000/pr (N/I stands).Focal Sopra One: ($9,000, includes stands;
The Sonus--my goodness, that's what incredible sounds like. Detail and space, warm without feeling colored, crisp in a way I hadn't heard before.
Out of my range, but fab.
The Electra--very good--big sound for a little thing. As good or better than the Aerial 5t I listened to. More or less same price.
Sopra one: very very good. Not the Sonus, but not too far away, as far as I could tell. Liked all 3, even the electra, more than Kef Ref one and Totem Element fire. Personal taste all the way, of course.
For single instruments or a string quartet the Electra weren't that far off the other two. But with the orchestra or complex world music, you could really hear a difference.
of course the whole thing was colored by the around 10k worth of cd player and amps and cables I was listeneing to!
So... soon to try the Paradigm Persona B, just off the boat new. And then I want to check out Monitor PL100II, and if I can one of the good Dynaudios.
Then all I have to do is make up my mind.
Thanks for all your tips and good wishes. Happy holidays to us all.