Speaker upgrade around 100k retail


Hi guys,

I'm selling my Focal Maestro Utopia III speakers, which I love very much. Nothing wrong with them, I only have the bug again. So here are the ones I'm considering as next step

- Focal Stella Utopia EM (not the new EVO)
- Rockport Altair 2
- Magico M Project
- Tidal Agoria

My system:

CH Precision C1 + D1 / dCS Rossini
Krell EVO Two
Krell FPB 450 mcx / Lamm M1.2 / Burmester 911 monos
Tara Labs cabling

I would buy them as ex-demo or second hand, price differences are within 10-20k range.

So please share your thoughts, experiences, suggestions. Which one yould you choose?
ssblnt99

Showing 5 responses by fleschler

My choice is either a used half price pair of Von Schweikert Ultra 9s (I've heard the Ultra 11s-1/2 the size, perfect for your room) or 55 Aktive Ultras.  
What do you mean by void mirror image designs?  If you mean avoid, the Lansche looks like a mirror image (top and bottom) around a central tweeter.
Three of the four YouTube Videos of this speaker don't use classic music that I can relate to and the fourth is also not stressing it out. I want to hear it with a classic orchestral and big band jazz recording to get a sense of dynamics and scale. Panel speakers like Maggies do small ensembles and voice superbly but that's not a complete sound for my system. The Soundlabs Majestic 845 stats can do it all but are too large and power hungry for me. They are half the price of the Alsyvox.
No, the Acoras are not the equivalent of the Von Schweikert Ultra series.  However, they are very good for the price but not the best speakers on the planet.  Give me a break.  Every high end manufacturer thinks their speakers are the greatest.  I've heard many high end ($75K to $300K) speakers and wouldn't own many of them.  I find there are more speakers in the $25K to $75K range that appeal to me.   So many high end speakers have such different sounds that they appeal to different listeners for different types of music.  I prefer Soundlabs Majestic 845s to Acoras sonically (the Acoras are very physically appealing) at a similar price.  The Lumenwhites also appeal more at comparable price and do look attractive. 
Many audiophiles love Magico (including Valin of AS). I don’t detest them but I would never want to own any of the dozen or so models I have heard at shows and audio salons locally 18! times. Sometimes I can blame the accompanying electronics (Jadis amps could not handle the 5S) or bad cabling (High Fidelity). Other times, I heard them with VAC equipment that sounded wonderful on other speakers but meh on Magicos. I have not heard the Acoras in person and they are reasonably priced if they are as good as stated but I have heard Lumenwhites and Von Schwiekerts best speakers and they are killer great! People were jumping for joy listening to my jazz and classical selections recreation of the recording space and rhythm with the Von Schweikert Ultra 11s. I just don’t like people stating that a $28K or $38K speaker outscale the realism of a $300K or even a $75K speaker that does what I’ve heard and is the "Best in the World." I have local friends and acquaintances who have $500K and $850K systems that sound less involving than my system. The $850K system sounded rotten to several friends and myself until the cabling (High Fidelity) and the preamp (Ypsilon) were changed. The $500K system sounds very good but very different (great ambiance, less meat on the bone sound than mine). My entire system retail was $80K and the room was $160K. The only equipment I want to upgrade are my speakers and Von Schweikerts are my choice after hearing several hundred speakers. I would get the Lumenwhites but they are a small company with minimal U.S. support should anything go wrong. I want a company that will stay in business for decades if I spend "big" money on equipment.