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
First of all, thank you all for the inputs.

I think I have to be a bit more specific what I'm looking for.

I'm not interested in any horn, ribbon, electrosatic, 300k uber high end or 5k giant killer speakers. Yes, I like to try new things but only in my comfort zone.

I'm looking for conventional floorstanding speakers with diamond/beryllium tweeters and at least 10" woofers which can pressurize a 22x20 room. I don't want to add subs to the system.

The speakers I mentioned are 50-60% off of retail, I would have great  deal on them.

I love my Focals. When I first installed them into my system, immediately was thinking about going for the Stella or Grande. They sounded so great I wanted to know what could be above that level.

But before I spend that money on the next level Focal, I want to consider other options as well.

I hoped someone has personal experience with the 4 mentioned speakers.

Auditioning these speakers are not quiet possible, they are at 4 different dealers, in 4 different countries. I live in Europe.

So do you think in the 100k price range is any real difference or almost the same. Could I go wrong with any of these?

ssblnt99

'I'm not interested in any horn, ribbon, electrosatic, 300k uber high end or 5k giant killer speakers.'

'I'm looking for conventional floorstanding speakers with diamond/beryllium tweeters and at least 10" woofers which can pressurize a 22x20 room. I don't want to add subs to the system.'


Revel Salon 2
B&W 800D3

Buy both and rotate to your heart's desire. The 100k figure has nothing to do with anything.
+1 on Alsyvox Botticelli X. They have no equal. The offerings from Focal, Gamut, Magico mentioned in this thread can all be described as sounding like the listener is sitting in front of a reference loudspeaker. Whereas the Botticelli can be more accurately described as a virtual experience of being 2nd-13th row amphitheater or concert hall (depending on placement). Holographic, mind boggling dynamics, and soundstage that extends beyond any conventional loudspeaker.

I’d go as far as to say that other manufacturers can’t even get a close second or third place. They have no equal. I knew they were special when the only reason I wanted to return to RMAF last year at their new venue (terrible) was to hear them again. And although they sounded better at RMAF 2018 than they did the following year (the new ballroom wasn’t doing them any favors), they still got my best in show. As they do every year, at every show.

No affiliation to the company whatsoever. I’ll keep yelling from the rooftops about these speakers until more people get to hear them, because every audiophile should experience them at least once. And the company deserves recognition for what they’ve accomplished. They’re that good.
Well, based on the updated info from OP, I recommend that if you "love" your speakers, you go up the line to the more prodigious model. Unheard, moving to another brand would be a complete gamble. It could pay off handsomely, but there is less risk of major disappointment when you adore the sound but want more. 

There most definitely would be discernible differences between them. But, whether you would enjoy the alternative set of characteristics is anyone's guess. You may have to start over again with electronics and cabling to obtain satisfaction. It's a safer bet to move up models in a specific brand. No one here can tell you blindly which would be preferable for you, so don't worry too much about how insistent some are about "the best" speakers. They're not the best unless you build the best system with them - that goes for all of them.  :)

I had a similar experinece working up the line of Legacy Audio speakers. A person gets comfortable with, enjoys the pleasures of a certain model, but wonders what else there is to hear. If you are simply itchy, versus displeased, then I think a move upward in the same brand is as close to a sure thing as you will find.  Enjoy the hunt!