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UNDECIDED UTOPIA.

I have put forth a few post lately regarding floor standing speakers in the crowded 10k range. Living in a rural area of the US precludes my listening to speakers before buying, so input from Audiogoners is critical. I have my choices narrowed down to two or three speakers that are WAF certified. As I have JM Lab Micro Utopia Be's, I think it would be a safe bet to move up the line to the Diva or the Alto. On paper, both of these speakers have specifications very close to each other.The Alto's would be a stretch both for my pocket book, think used here, and for my space, think limited placement options here. The other speaker is the Audio Physics Avanti 3. In talking to two dealers that carry both lines, both have stated that they preferred the Diva to the Avanti 3 by a wide margin. However, I would love to hear from Audiogoners who have owned or extensively listened to these speakers. Room= 14x14x8 in a square with a small open passage leading to vanitys for a total of around 210 ft( Master bedroom). It is important for the speaker to sound good or full at lower volume levels, and for the speaker to have really good bass extension. I will not have room for a sub woofer.The Diva's and the Avanti's are similar in specifications, with the Avanti's having a slightly lower specified bass range. However, several dealers have stated that they felt the Diva's to have better bass. Listening tastes=instrumental Classical and Jazz( From orchestral, chamber, to solo). Gear= Bryston 4B-SST amp and BP-26 pre-amp, with an Ayre CX 7E cd player. Sorry for the length of the post, but at this price range, I can not afford to get this wrong.
jhwalker
6 responses Add your response
aball
2,016 posts
 
I know the Divas well and would be very worried about setting them up in a 14x14 room. I think your room is simply too small to properly handle the side-firing woofers. You should look more towards the Altos to avoid this problem. Other option would be to get one of the limited-edition Electra 937 Be which has great specs and is a steal compared to the Alto but it can be hard to find.

I feel that a vertically integrated company like JM Lab can inherently do better than one that outsources its vital parts like AP does. Optimization is WAY easier if you are making all the parts yourself. Anyway, these are my thoughts. Good luck! Arthur
branimir
236 posts
 
I agree with Aball. Even Alto Be will be probably too big for your room. I audition Alto in room 20 by 14 and they overloaded it in midbass. As I said in one of your previous thread decision is a tough one. Maybe new Electra 1027Be could be a solution? It is very nice looking also( WAF!) and price is $7500/pair. AP Avanti 3 is not in the same class as Alto, it can be compared with Diva but, if you like Focal house sound I am not sure that you will like Avanti 3... Important issue here is you room. Will it support Alto Be? Electra 1027Be will work in your room without problems( I hope) but, will it better Micro Be in overall sound quality? If Altos can work in your room then they are the best choice( even if you need to buy them on second hand market ). Altos go to 25Hz(-6db) in-room so they will give you deep bass that you are looking for.
eldarado
381 posts
 
My two cents. If I had 10k to spend on speakers I should have enough money to make a weekend trip to a city that has dealers for the speakers in question. Granted they will sound a little different in your room than in the dealers place. It is all about where the decimal point falls. Mine is a little further to the left than yours and yes I am jealous.

Good luck
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
dont buy anything you cant audition. take some of your udget and travel to the nearest metro area or to an area that has a selection of speakers.
larryi
3,982 posts
 
What have you heard that you like in a speaker? Why do you want to replace the Micro Be? Not knowing your taste, it's hard to make a recommendation.

I personally prefer the JM Lab stuff to Audio Physics. I've heard the Avanti and several other AP speakers and I find them to be so lean in the midbass region that they sound cold, astringent and analytical. But, they do image beautifully and while lean, they are not really bright or harsh on top. I liked, but did not really love the Alto Be, but then again, I only heard it in a dealer's system and not in a system I am really familiar with.

In the price range you are looking at, and coupled with solid state amplification, I personally like the Sonus Faber Cremona. It is not the ultimate in speed, detail, or top end extension, but it is an extremely musical speaker. It manages the tough act of being on the warmish side without being muddled and lacking in clarity. I can only guess, but I bet it would work well with Bryston electronics which I find to be a touch hard and mechanical sounding with speakers that also lean in that direction.

It looks like you are putting together a pretty nice bedroom system. Good luck.
washline
202 posts
 
Aball is right. I have the Altos in a 2.6 x 4.6 meter room and they do superbly. The Divas are fine speakers but the reflecting woofers at the bottom would be a problem in a small room for me, and I actually preferred the Electra 937Bes over the Divas for that reason. In a small space, I believe that a good directional speaker is better. I too bought the Altos without actually listening to them, but having heard the Divas, the Micros and the Electras, I didn't think I'd have much of a problem with them and I don't. They do superbly for me. I"m sure most of the posters are right about the Audio Physics. Those speakers don't look as well put together as the Utopia line. I would however, state that the Electra 927Bes are not very impressive. Having to choose, I'd take the Altos, 937Bes, and Divas in that order. Hope this helps.
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