Focal Electra 1008 be 2 and Marten Duke 2 monitors

For me --I've heard both--the Martens seem smoother--but if you're into heavy metal then the Focals have more "bite"

Good Hunting

Team

FYI, there's a very positive review of the Duke 2s on Positive Feedback that may give you some insights into their sound. Since you mentioned "refined" I'd also throw in the Joseph Audio Pulsars in as something worth a listen. Best of luck.

I have heard both in fact IMO I personally feel th Marten Duke-2 is the most musical loudspeaker I have heard and this is in direct comparison to the Magico monitor. The Magico may be or not as accurate these new Accuton drivers are exceptional and Clean,the latest improvement with all
martens speakers was the decision to use Mundorfs best Silver,Gold Oil
Capacitors it brings a new warm balanced sound with exceptional layering
And depth of instrument. The Magicos are a great speaker But not at over
$25k. As far as the Focal ,Nola , or anything in between for this speaker
To be this good and can be purchased for under$7500 it is on of the best buys in a reference quality speaker. Make sure youhave a very good quality stand the Duke stand you can get for around $950 and good cables are a must for these speakers draw out which is on the cd or record.
I would recommend a good quality subwoofer if you want great low Bass
Into the 30s and 20s. The new svs sealed 13.5 is incredibly good
Youcan buy 2 for the price of one JLaudio sub and the quality is very close. This is my new speaker come income tax time .my freind in Boston has had them for over a month and said even at 400 hours they continue
To keep getting better,this is because the Mundorf caps are so huge
And the ceramic drivers surrounds are so stiff. This is a loudspeaker I would recommend with total confidence ,with a sub- subs from hard rock
To full tilt orchestral !!

Thanks for the information and good advice. I'm just hoping that the new Duke have at least  adequate bass w/o a woofer. Would you say the Duke 2 compares well to other stand mount monitor's bass performance? I'm not really a big bass guy. I just want some resonable bottom end. Just for perspective, I was pretty content with my early Quad 63 bass. Most importantly, I value musicality, tonal balance, layering  and a speaker that disappears. I have sound anchor stands with changeable feet that will allow for either 24" or 26" height.

I will be using an Ayre Ax-5 amp to drive the Duke 2, and after seeing tubes most often withthe Martens, I'm hoping quality solid state will work well.

The Duke-2 for sure put out respectable Bass to about 40 hz
You have to give them at least 300-400 hours for the very ridged surrounds
To loosen up. A very fast and articulate Bass ,this Mid- Bass driver is the exact state of the art driver that is used in Martens $100k loudspeaker.

Late to the party. The Marten Duke 2 is one of the smoothest and most musical speakers I’ve ever heard. The tonality is very good and treble is astonishingly smooth without showing any hint of grain or harshness. For a speaker this calibre, I am surprised it doesn’t sound thin, lean or bright. It’s warm, full and lush but at the same time sounding detailed and musical.
I checked few reviews on the internet and the Marten Duke 2 is up there with the very best standmounts. Some preferred it over Dynaudio Confidence C1 and Focal Sopra 1. Highly recommended if you are looking for a highly musical and accurate sounding speaker with incredibly low listening fatigue in small to medium sized rooms. Apart from the sound the Duke 2 looks very nice especially with the original stands.