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Speaker Upgrade: Focal Maestro vs. Avalon Time

I've almost finished overhauling my system and have been very happy with the improvements (EMM TX2/DA2 and Ayre KX-R/MX-R Twenty). 

The last piece that I need to change out is my Focal Scala speakers - not because they are not fantastic speakers which I have greatly enjoyed over the years but because of three traits that have always bothered me - hot treble, intolerance to sibilance and compression at (very) loud volume.

I've heard both the Maestro and the Time in dealer showrooms with different electronics but won't be able to hear them in my house.

The speakers will eventually go in a dedicated room of about 3m by 5m and will be used for both two channel audio and two channel home theater (using a drop down projecter/screen).

I'm of two minds and my main concerns are:

Maestro
-Worried about hot tweeter/intolerance to sibilance although reports are it is much mellower than the Scala tweeter (which I have to run in -1 position which robs it of some top end energy) - don't want to use jumpers to adjust output
+Will be killer in dynamics at loud volumes, including movies

Time
+Diamond tweeter so no treble hotness
-Unsure about dynamics and whether it will be suitable for dual use in a home theater

Does anyone have any thoughts on the options above?  Any help is very much appreciated.


bar81
bar81 OP
791 posts
 
Sorry, have seen the Sopra line up at my dealer but have not gotten a chance to sit down and listen to them.
bar81 OP
791 posts
 
Well, I guess I was asking too much assuming someone had not only compared the two speakers but in both music and HT environments.

I put a deposit down on the Maestros after speaking with my Avalon dealer who is a good friend of mine.  While he felt the Time was superior to the Maestro for music (naturally) his silence on HT use made it clear that my concern in that regard is justified.  Combined with the insane Avalon pricing ($9k more for Walnut Burl than the Focal) and the fact that the wood will likely be affected by the humid weather in my area, the decision was pretty much made for me. Another bonus with the Focal is that I don't need to rely on a trade-in to get to my expected price point;  I get to keep my wife approved Scalas for use in our living room.
retired-hank
4 posts
 
i was testing with Sopra 3 and Devialet 120 then 400 for over 6 months. the sound was amazing.  I recently upgraded to the Maestro and 1000 Pro combination.  At low volume, it creates a great background companion even though the sheer size of the speakers are very imposing. When i crank the volume up, they sound better and better (even my wife does not mind the loudness because the sound is amazingly clear and un-distorted... it passes the wife-factor test) for every genre of music.
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