There are people saying that Focal drivers aren't built to the same standard as they used to. i.e. They're cheaping out on the parts. Maybe it's worth looking at driver quality and cabinet construction over the years. But why bother?
Do my ears deceive me??
The money is in the bank, thinking of upgrading speakers, but everything I demo is no better or worse than what I have. Willing to spend up to $6,000. Upgraditis?? My main system is Mcintosh MX 134 that I bought in 2003, with a pair of Focal 836v's and a Parasound 5250 (250w/channel) amp I bought around 2012. I either blew the tweeters or crossover on my 836's, so they are in for repair. Since I've owned them for 10 years, I was considering new speakers. The blades are way more than I would spend, but I also demoed the Kef R11s, Martin Logan xtf 200's, Mcintosh XR 100s, and B&W 703 S3.
None of them sounded better than what I'm hearing right now from my BP 2006s. Would I really need to demo them in my room to make a fair comparison?? Or are speakers just not much better than they were 20 years ago? I know I love detail, and tend to lean towards aluminum tweeters. I pretty much only listen to classic rock and roll. Of all I demoed, I really like the B&W 706s. They sounded much brighter/cleaner than the others. But they had the reciever set up so I couldn't adjust the treble/bass. I love a V equalizer curve, and bump up the bass and treble a bit on my home/car systems. Maybe I just have the good luck of prefering cheaper speakers.
Showing 3 responses by kokakolia
@fenderu2 It looks like you answered your own question. Cherish what you have and don’t get embarked by the hype. |
I am thinking about this thread. And the only clear path is not to sell the speakers. Otherwise, listen to some B&W, Sonus Faber or Focal speakers. Audition before you buy. I think that the last thing you want is a neutral speaker. @soix Here comes the EQ police! @fenderu2 better lock his doors and pull down the curtains. But seriously, there's no right or wrong. I notice that treble is emphasized on some entry-level amplifiers so pulling down the treble with tone controls may help. I'm so beyond objectivity here, do as you please. Dialing knobs is partially fun. But a passionate speaker designer prefers to tune the sound in the acoustic domain. Changing the baffle size can increase the 2kHz frequency for example. This is relevant if the driver has a 2kHz dip (some Fostex drivers do). Correcting that 2kHz dip with EQ or crossover components may result in a more 'digital' sound. |