The anthem is fine and enough power for either. You are using 1-5 watts for most listening. More power will not improve the bass.
Have you tried the room correction in the STR preamp? That has the potential to increase the bass. The STR also has sub management and I personally would just add subs and highpass them in the preamp, this will take the system to another level.
As for the 804d3 I find them lean in the bass and bright on the top end. The Sopra is a much smoother and all around better speaker. How ever the Sopra 2 is not a bass monster by any means and I also find it a bit weak without subs. But it will have more bass than the 804 and be much more balanced.
For the same money you could get the Revel 328be which is much larger and of the same caliber in sound as the Sopra, the 328be will not be lacking for bass. They are often on sale for 30% off if you look around.
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My overall impressions are mixed.
I did an in-depth analysis on Focal’s years ago, and have been watching the reviews and measurements ever since. My impression is that Focal deliberately makes their speakers either "hard to drive" or "scale with amplifier." Two terms that mean the same thing.
Both the B&W and the Focals also suffer from odd off-axis oddities which limits the sweet spot.
If you want the best out of any Focal speaker you should be prepared to get a sturdy amplifier. I’m not sure how the Anthem will fare honestly, it may be fine. I am with James though that you should consider Revel and Monitor Audio as excellent counter points that are easier to drive and will give you a wider listening window. They are also going to sound somewhat laid back at first.
Otherwise, I think that the B&W and Focals each have their quirks and I don't see switching these speakers as much more than a lateral move. IMHO, keep what you have for now and switch to something your ears tell you is a real positive improvement.
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Thanks James, Erik. Good food for thought. I don’t think I’ll get those Focals after all.
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Sounds like you’re looking at the Focals out of convenience/availability more than what they can do for you sonically, and there are many other excellent options out there. What’s your budget and are you looking for new or used? Alternatively, if you otherwise like the 804s you could add a couple good subs and that’d solve your bass issue.
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I don't know what B&W models you auditioned, but I have never heard them described as weak in the bass! I am speaking solely of the Diamond series, though.
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He is using the 804d3, measurements of the 804d4 below (note newer model so could be different). They measure pretty lean and sounded that way to me with lots of sibilance (strong “S” sound probably due to that 5k peak). I find the entire B&W line light in the bass with the exception of the 802 which was ok and the 800 was enough…. But I put a very high priority on bass and honestly can only be happy with subs these days so YMMV.
Eric makes a good point that flat speakers like Revel might sound a little dull to you at first so demo stuff for sure. But after a few days/weeks flat will probably sound fine once you adjust. However If you like the 804 and just want more bass, subs are the answer.
There are lots of good speakers in this price range so I would read up and then demo.
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Not necessarily high watts, but need a 2 ohm stable amp to handle the impedance dip.
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I have heard the Sopra 2 and 3 and I would have to say when set up properly they were some of best sounding speakers I’ve ever heard. As far as the Anthem amp, 400 wpc should be more than enough.
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Hi,
My Sopra 2 are paired with a 120w integrated (Luxman L-509X) and my friends also have Sopra 2 with a 100w integrated (Yamaha A-S3200) in an even bigger room and both setups have plenty of power (volume cannot humanly pass 50% as it became way too loud). I don't power should be a strong criteria in your selection.
The bass is very clean and precise. These are not "loud" speakers and they do not "invent' bass when there is none. At this price point, no speakers are bad and it's more a matter of personal taste, but I agree with another member saying these are, for me, the best speaker I heard (minus the Grand Utopia at the audio show, but it cost the price of a house!)
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Go hear the Borresen X1 monitor with matching
Stands I have heard them all before
A sub is needed if you want low bass
The Borresen is by fsr the best tweeter
That ribbon is open and airy
Another speaker perlisten R5 in the $6k range also with stands
2 exceptional speakers that ate a much better value
And at least as good ,
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I think that the your Anthem will power the Sopra's just fine. I'm driving Sopra No2s with a Hegel H590 (300w/ side, dual mono) and it's never clipped or run out of headroom.
B&W vs. Focal: I disagree with some of the comments, I'm in the camp that the Sopra's will be nice step up sonically. It's a much more robust speaker, better crossovers, much more substantial cabinet (for better bass). The B&W weigh 73lbs the Sopra's are 120lbs.
Having said that, you have a very large listening space and it will be challenging for any speaker that size to fully pressurize it with bass. Subs are an obvious option or perhaps consider the larger Sopra No3. Good luck and cheers.
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I’m running sopra 3’s with a 300B 18 watt and the top of the line Luxman M10X.
the secret is a good power supply. Both sound awesome just different presentations.
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I tried to find the Sopra 2 imedance curve but I couldn't find anything. If the impedance drops down low (2 ohms or so) for much of the audio band then you would need a very robust amplifier for them to sound their best. Your Anthem is rated for 2 ohms and increases its power with each halving of the impedance (400 @ 8 ohms, 600 @ 4 ohms, 800 @ 2 ohms) but it does not have the balls of a Krell or other monster amp.
Assuming that the Sopras have a reasonable impedance curve then your Anthem should work very well. You would have to spend huge bucks to get an amplifier with more current than your Anthem.
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I have a the Sopra 2 fed by a Hegel H390, 250 watts at 8 ohms. PLENTY of power. Room is 17X28. Smooth, clear, extended and quite fast and detailed. Chopin to Foo Fighters, Susan Tedeschi to Snarky Puppy . Always dynamic and, most importantly, engaging. However, there is also a pair of REL low frequency speakers. (REL doesn't like to call them "Subs" because, as they correctly point out, sub-sonic speakers produce sound outside of the range of human hearing. Hence the term "sub" as in "sub-sonic".) My primary use of the RELs is not to fill in the very bottom 15hz in the music, which they do admirably, but is to relieve the main speakers of the responsibility to deliver fully their last 15hz, give or take. All speakers roll off as they approach their bottom. I have the RELs set to start engaging at around 50hz, I'm guesstimating. A number of people here are suggesting low frequency support. Don't brush it off. Sorpra/REL combination is a good one.
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@maxdukecapone I commented above that the size of the OP's room might be better suited to Sopra No3 over Sopra No2. How do you find the native bass output from your No3's ? What is your opinion on No2 v. No3 for the OP's room?
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Anthem specs the amp at 550W at 2-ohm impedance so the STR will drive any speaker without any issues. When the impedance dips below 4-ohm you need lots of current and the STR provides that in spades.
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My 803 D3 also sounded light. Nothing helped except adding two JL Audio subs. Much better. Even made the soundstage seem larger.
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Erik mentioned off-axis oddities limiting the sweet spot. The measurements may suggest that, but in my room that is definitely not the case. Huge soundstage. Imaging is superb. The speakers disappear better and I'm hearing a larger, more stable sweet spot than any speakers I've owned.
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