Usher 718 BE's vs Focal 1007 BE's

the focal may be more 'transparent', but the usher has a lot of 'weight' for a speaker its size. i think this is a sideways move at best.

I listened to the Ushers and was quite impressed but I think that Focals are far better in dynamics and accuracy. I would opt for the Diablo Utopias but the 1007's are a phenomenal second option.

My friend has the Focal 1007 BE in her living room; hooked up to a modest Arcam receiver and a Velodyne sub, so I'm very familiar with the sound.

It sounds good, and transparent, but lean in her system, without that much flesh on the bones of the singers if you know what I mean (she's not that much of an audiophile so she doesn't really care). I actually preferred the sound of my old Sonus Faber Concerto's with my REL sub better, and they were half the price, of course I had much better equipment at the time, than she does. The sound of the Sonus Faber/Rel Combo was warmer, more real, and palpable. By the way, I'm not recommending the Sonus Faber to you either, because I think that would be a lateral move as well.

I think you may be better off keeping what you have, because I agree with the above poster that this sounds like a lateral move at best, and possibly a step backwards at worst.

How big is your room? ...maybe you want to step-up to floor-standers?

If you got the upgrade bug, how about a nice new DAC? That's always good for a year or two.

Rich

Jaybo, Pkancel & Richlane... You guys were all right on with your posts. My audition today of the Focal BE 1007's confirms what Jaybo says about the Focal's being more transparent, and Pkancel is right about the Focal's being more accurate. The Usher's do have that "weight" that makes them very interesting. I did hear more detail with the Focal's, but that may be attributed to the mega money Esoteric CD player my dealer used for the audition... and the room itself. Pkancel... I'd go for the Diablo Utopias in a heart beat if I could afford them. Now I'm wondering if a used pair of the Focal BE Mini Utopias might be the ticket. I'm going to bring the Focal 1007's home to audition sometime over the next two weeks. I'll keep you posted on my findings.