@gdhal
No, I haven't heard the Reference model. I think GoldenEar are pretty good speakers for the money they're asking, but their entire line sans the Reference model largely targets Focal's 900 series line. My rubs with the GoldenEar products are their tendency to vertically comb a bit and the nature of AMT tweeters in general. AMT's are extremely flat way up into the rafters of their range and that adds an unnatural, though ear-popping, sparkle to them, regardless of how well behaved they are. They tend to be more forward sounding and that leads to them leaning the highs further forward than the midrange. Lastly, I don't find their dispersion to live up to the technical claims. Finding the balance with AMT's between depth and width is a much more difficult struggle than it is with other transducers. Beyond all of that, the Focal 936 is widely noted for it's brutal transparency and sensitivity to nuances in music and gear; a fact that attracted me. It also measures extremely well. And finally, the width, depth, and accuracy of the 936's imaging is absolutely top notch at any price. Much of that has to do with the tweeter producing a better integrated sound with the midrange; a point where GoldenEar's do have struggles.
And you want to tell me that their Reference, which uses yet another AMT, competently competes with Focal's 1000 series, Sopra, and Utopia lines? I'm not ready to buy that jazz. AMT's are great drivers, to a point. I probably won't own another pair until I hear a pair that are less directional than the many pairs I've already owned and heard. That's the main reason I own Focals.
No, I haven't heard the Reference model. I think GoldenEar are pretty good speakers for the money they're asking, but their entire line sans the Reference model largely targets Focal's 900 series line. My rubs with the GoldenEar products are their tendency to vertically comb a bit and the nature of AMT tweeters in general. AMT's are extremely flat way up into the rafters of their range and that adds an unnatural, though ear-popping, sparkle to them, regardless of how well behaved they are. They tend to be more forward sounding and that leads to them leaning the highs further forward than the midrange. Lastly, I don't find their dispersion to live up to the technical claims. Finding the balance with AMT's between depth and width is a much more difficult struggle than it is with other transducers. Beyond all of that, the Focal 936 is widely noted for it's brutal transparency and sensitivity to nuances in music and gear; a fact that attracted me. It also measures extremely well. And finally, the width, depth, and accuracy of the 936's imaging is absolutely top notch at any price. Much of that has to do with the tweeter producing a better integrated sound with the midrange; a point where GoldenEar's do have struggles.
And you want to tell me that their Reference, which uses yet another AMT, competently competes with Focal's 1000 series, Sopra, and Utopia lines? I'm not ready to buy that jazz. AMT's are great drivers, to a point. I probably won't own another pair until I hear a pair that are less directional than the many pairs I've already owned and heard. That's the main reason I own Focals.