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Sonus Venere 2.0 or Focal 906

I'm looking for a bookshelf speaker to place on my corner TV stand in a small family room (11x13).

They will replace a pair of Elac Uni-Fi UB5s which are amazing for the money.
I would like a little more musical detail and refinement and a front port (or sealed enclosure) to tame the excessive bass I get with the rear-ported UB5s in the corner.   I'm driving them with the 50wpc Rega Brio 2017 and they  must also handle TV/Movie duty for the family (offer some bass and some dynamics).

I recently grabbed a pair of Vandersteen VLR to try and they do offer another level of refinement over the Elacs that I could happily live with, plus they don't have the excessive bass boom; but I'm not sure they are going to offer the dynamics I'm looking for.  

The Venere and Focal are both front ported with good reviews and can be had around ~$1K new now a days.
I've not heard either speaker or brand for that matter though.   Has anyone heard both and can they say how they compare to each other and the VLRs?   Are they as refined as the VLRs but with similar punch to the Elacs (that have no problem energizing my room with the Rega).

Thanks


ddafoe
contuzzi
413 posts
 
Focal 906 all day.  The new Sonus Faber Sonetto would be a better comparison -- those are pretty great.  

There is a reason the Venere wasn't around for long.  
gammaut
8 posts
 
@ddafoe - Did you have a chance to make a decision? What are your thoughts? thanks!
ddafoe OP
245 posts
 
I grabbed a pair of Focal 906s and they have been very good so far for both TV + Music.

The VLRs are very musical and sweet sounding while the Focal's have a more detailed and forward presentation along with more bass and punch.   Both are excellent speakers for the money and I can see why someone just focused on music (but not at extreme volume...) might like the VLRs better.   For me the Focals work better for movie soundtrack duty and still offer a refined musical experience.

Both are a step up on the Elacs as they should be for ~3x MSRP.   I've sold my Elacs and have decided to sell my Vandersteen VLRs which is tough as they play music that you can sit and listen to for hours (similar to my Spendors in my big-rig system).   If I had more room, keeping the VLRs for a music only system would be a no-brainer.
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