Has anyone heard the Focal 1028BE ?

I own the 1037 and listened to the 1038 and didn't hear much of a difference. The 1/4" difference in the Berryllium tweeter is NOT substantial. The porting didn't make a huge difference either. Retail the price has risen $500. I'll keep my 1037's ............

Thanks Zenieth. I heard the 1038BE myself at RMAF and was wowed by them but they would be too big for my room since they would sit along a wall that is only 12.5 feet wide.

I did read in one place on the net that the 1037BE was slightly brighter in the highs than the 1038BE. That particular person mentioned that the 1038BE's tweeter was a welcome change in that (in his opinion)the 1037BE had a little too much sizzle in the highs.

In my room (12.5 x 24) the 1027BE or 1028BE would be the right size. I see 1027BE's used for good prices so while I try to hold out for a used set of 1028BE, I am constantly tempted by 1027BE's.

Focal has such a nice sound. I wonder why they are not discussed more often.

I too visited RMAF Tom. It's hard to judge what you hear when they use different electronics than you do at home. I have a large listening area and I run two JL Audio F113's with the 1037's. I don't have brightness issues with the Berrylium Tweaters. Either one 1037 or 1038 would be an awesome addition for you. I love the Focal sound. I went to Focal from Magnepan and have never looked back .....

Zenieth:

oh my... 2! 13" subwoofers with a pair of 1037BE's? The 1038BE/1037BE's already put out plenty of bass..

And I agree different room sizes AND different equipment will make a huge difference in the sound.

In my case I need to go with the smaller 1027BE or 1028BE due to room size. Maybe someone who has demo'ed both will chime in. But nice to see other fans of focal..

I just took delivery of my 1028 BE today. Even before they're burned in I can tell that this generation hasn't the same harshness of the previous Focals. To my ears there is a very large difference in the extreme high and low end. The speed/response of these speakers is also shocking me.

From my perspective if you're in the market for a speaker one notch below "highest end" the 1028 BE won't disappoint and you'd have to spend a lot more money to get better - Focal really did a significant evolution on this generation. If you're willing to make some sonic sacrifices to save the money to get the last generation that is close but not quite there, the 1027 BE is probably a better choice for you.

I purchased a pair of 1028BE2's in June. They're an incredible speaker with unbelievable detail and transparency without hardness. The bass is tight, fast and well balanced with the midrange and highs. They image great and draw me into the music. I find myself hearing subtle details in familiar recordings that were never apparent with my B&W CM7's and trounced the 804D's I was considering to replace my CM's. Also auditioned the CM10 but the Focal dusted it handily as it should for nearly twice the price.

Any opinion on 1028 Be vs. 1038 Be? Let's say in a medium sized room.

The 1038 has deeper bass than the 1028 but the tweeter is higher so you'll need to sit higher or further back to keep your ears within the 10degree angle recommended by Focal.

They are both awesome speakers and I'd go the extra $$ f or the 1038 if I had the room to place them properly. I've got the 1028be2 model and I really love them. They aren't for everyone and they will reveal any deficiencies in your electronics so don't try to drive them with a HT Receiver.

For a room that is 12' x 32' speakers on the 12' wall and listening at 20' would 1028's be ok or should one jump to the 1038?

For that room size, I'd go with 1038. I have had both 1028 and 1038. 1038 is better in every way. Also do note, 1028 is back-ported (plus downward firing port) but 1038 only has downward firing port. Cross-over points are different and 1038 has bigger cabinet for midrange driver, of course not to mentioned approximately 70% more bass driver cone area (2x6.5 vs. 3x7) with bigger cabinet behind them.

Thanks for the Advice.
I ended up ordering the 1038's mostly for the reasons you cited. Can't wait, I demoed the 1028's and loved them so I am looking for good things in the 1038's

Congrats! You're gonna love them.

My room is 26 x 13 with 8' ceilings.  Listening position is approx 9-12 feet from the speakers, which will be positioned about 6 feet from the rear wall and ~8-9 feet between the speakers.

I'm leaning towards getting the 1028 BE II's and augmenting them (if needed) with a fast quality pair of subs (such as REL T9 or SHO-series, SVS Ultra 13; etc) or alternating splurging for the 1038's now. The advantages of the 1028/sub combo are more flexibility when it comes to placement and I can delay the sub upgrade (if needed) into the future.  Looking for anyone who's had experience with both speakers and their thoughts / advice on my plan

I’d go 1038 honestly.  They’re both amazing, but the height advantage of the 38 alone is big.