The Montana's should work with 36 watts, if you don't go too loud. I run mine fairly comfortably with 30 watts of class a, but my peaks are typically below 85db. Among the particular strengths of the Montana's is staying involving at low volumes, btw. They are extremely listenable speakers, which I enjoy very much; I've tried to describe them in more detail on a few other posts. There is a pair up for sale her for a very attractive price (NCtS).
Unfortunately, I've not heard the 20/20. I've listened to the Legacy Focus SE, Whisper, and Helix, the Helix extensively. I'm guessing many people would prefer the Whisper and Helix to the EPS2, as expected, given the price. I prefer the EPS2 to the SE, which is at a comparable pricepoint and fairly similar in design to the 20/20. The SE does have more thump (lows perhaps not a special strong point of the EPS2), but I find the EPS2 to have a smoother, better integrated sound. So my guess is that if you're a heavy rocker, you might prefer the 20/20, and if not maybe the EPS2 (I'm a small scale, female vocal listener).
Member Sgr has listened a good bit to my EPS2s and the 20/20s of another friend, and is a big Legacy guy. Hopefully he'll chime in when he returns from Cancun!:)
John
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I've owned the 20/20's and to this day they were the best speakers I ever owned. Relaxing speakers. You could just listen to them all day long. They had power beyond belief if needed, and sounded great at low levels. If you can grab a pair, I wouldn't hesitate. I place musicality over anything else in a speaker, and that is what the focus 20/20's offer. You will enjoy any music you throw at them IMO. |
Hi Sthomas12321,
Have had a pair of the Legacy Focus 20/20 for a few years now and have not seen the need to replace them. But am looking for something that has perhaps more depth, disappears more easily and maintains the PRaT of the Legacy. |
I like the Montana speakers a lot, I've heard JDoris's several times but they won't have the prat the Legacys do. Upgrade to the HDs they sound much better than the 20/20s. |
I kept bringing in speakers to try to beat the Focus. Nothing ever did. I eventually had to sell mine, I still regret it. I always wanted to try some Montana models. Its hard to beat a large speaker like the Focus. They throw suck a large image. Only large Magnepans & Logans have been able to do that equal to the 20/20's (out of what Ive owned) |
Listened to a variety of Legacy's today including those mentioned above at the Axpona show in Jacksonville, Fl. I think the Kef Blade bettered them, huge sound stage, great, great depth. I really like the Legacy line, my wife was thrilled by these offerings. |
Properly setup, the SEs disappear completely; the HDs nearly as much. They are both fundamentally large improvements over the 20/20s I used to own and go to toe to toe with many other high-end speakers at much higher price points. |
I am another Legacy Focus fan that has been looking for many years trying to best mine. I have driven far and wind looking and listening and so far the legacys are still here. I would really like to hear the Helix someday not that I could ever afford them but I would like to hear them |
Edonsmith,
If you are ever in St. Louis let me know, you can come listen to mine. |
Can anyone tell me their experiences with amps/bi-amping the Focus 20/20s? |
The Focus 20/20's lack that top end, but I just love how smooth & relaxed they are. Everything sounded good in them.
I bi amped the 20/20's once with 2 qty 3bsst Brystons. Couldn't hear anything special vs not bi amping and using a 4bsst. |
The HDs are a big improvement over an already good speaker (20/20s),the SEs another step yet again. I have never had ear fatigue regardless of how many hours I've listened with any Legacy speaker from Focus on up...I bi-amped my 20s and my HDs with excellent results. With the Edge NL 12.1 amp and the refinements in the HDs and the SEs, I've not found a real need to bi-amp them but they clearly could leverage such a setup even if they don't need it to sound their best. |
The EPS-2 Montanas are far better engineered , I told Bill D at Legacy for years to get rid of the gritty ceramic resistors,and Solen capacitors
Garbage in ,garbage out.as of 2012 He finally listened using Clarity
Capacitors but maybe only on certain models. The Focus -SE on up
Is now a good speaker,before that Noway cheap drivers and components.
Montana is totally hand made ,even the inductors are hand wound
And poly caps and 5 percent or less resistors they weigh 135 lbs each
That is the only drawback. The Focus before2011-12 did not put you
In the concert as very involving,good bass and dynamics,though.
The Montana at 92 db,4 ohms even at low volume inner detail and micro dynamics are present. Peter N does not advertise too much ,where
legacy throw $$ at the magazines.i must say though his latest
For $17k are very nice. He finally got the picture,I t old him about using quality Xovers way back in 1997 at the Waldorf show , although through deaf ears. Better late then never . Now it is a matter of choice.
The AMT tweeters he uses are made overseas,but seem to be of good quality,and have their own unique sound and characteristics. |
Just got the SP3's and not only are the sneakers amazing, but the owner of the company is a breath of fresh air. Let's face it, you get what you pay for and the SP3's just kill anything in their investment range but do the same to speakers almost twice their amount$$. Order a set with confidence. Mind Blowing sound-stage!! |
