Blade 2, Sopra 2 or 3 or Scala Evo?


Having had my NAD C370/Canton Ergo RC-L for two decades, im now up for a very exciting and an serious upgrade. The Ergo is true full range, but a bit sharp in the treble, the combination gives a warm, intimate sound (a bit small soundscape, midrange with drawn, details ok), and by the way my Audeze LCD-2.2 with Burson Conductor Virtuoso sounds amazing to me.

Have spent quite some time auditioning speakers in different sizes, price ranges, brands, both here in Stockholm and last few years i was living in Singapore (Adelphi is a 6 story shopping mall with audio and high end only stores - go there if you get the chance!! ), ive made the following shortlist.

I've narrowed down to these options (for the moment)
- Focal Sopra no 2 or 3
- Focal Scala Utopia Evo (very different from V2)
- Kef Blade 2

i listen to Drum´n´Bass, EDM, Compressed Pop, Contemporary and classical jazz, some blues, opera and classical and modern and old fart rock. No LPs or CDs, only FLAC and lossless streaming.

Music and how the artform and the artists having created the music (-art piece) - moves me, affects me emotionally either by the fun and joy it creates or just being touched. I want the system to communicate feelings rather than presenting facts. Music and musicians play for me in the room, things should feel they happen in the room (in contrast to feeling transported into the recording, to another place) Slight warmth and very slight forgiving preferred to perfect neutrality.
Electronics? my NAD M51 and the Mac Mini + Amarra will stick for a few years but i intend to buy Moon, Pass Labs, MBL, Boulder, Burmester, Bryston, Plinius (also preferably demo or preowned) depending on which speaker i choose.

Live in Stockholm and will buy in europe, either new, demo or pre owned (thus the huge price range from PMC fact 12 to Scala Utopia 2 for example).
havent had the chance to try any of them in my 6,6x4.2 room (32sqm) with 2.8m ceiling.

Have listened to in different rooms, with different electronics (often weeks or months apart .... )


The presentation between the Focals and the KEF is quite different, Focals (That is sopra and the latest scala EVO) being more airy and have higher resolution and KEF more precise in soundstage etc, But I'm not sure which is most natural and gives the most "singer in the room" feeling.

I wonder if the Sopra 3 and the Scala EVO will give my room to much of the bass (I'll be able to position the quite freely, but they need to be along the long wall) or they will be to lose to the back wall or the listener cramping the soundstage, some reviewers note they need space any experience?


thanks in advance, any comments, suggestions or feedback apreciated !

/Pontus
pontusj
Hi fellow Stockholmer!

You seem to have chosen the Focal EVO already and I wish you a great time with them. Seems like great speakers. I was going to say that Jay's Audio Lab have made some Youtube videos about them and compared them to some other speakers but not the Blades.
Hi there fellow! :-)

thanks for the advice. Had a look/listen to some of the YouTube clips and i fully agree to his opinion on the strengths and what stands out with the EVO, and also what makes it different from the Wilson for example.

the midrange and the treble is less critical to the rest of the equipment, as also he dresses, it works great with lesser cables and electronics but as you up the range the EVO blossoms. Though i find the bass in the EVO to be more demanding, it has all the goods except the punch and the slam until you have your amp, source and especially clean network and power feed is in place. Before its textured, autothorative, powerful, has weight but not the punch. In my room and in my environment and to my ears of course.. 

Bottom line, they are awesome and I don’t after a bit more than two years lean elsewere.

will continue follow Jay channel and see more of the clips comparing more speakers, and I’m also curios how he finds the Pass INT 250 as well..

have a great Sunday ahead!
I also have Scala EVO and love them. Just curious what quiet network switch did you get that made a big difference?

Thank you
hi, i got the English Electric 8Switch. plus careful selection of the streamer/DAC and the replacing switching plugs, power cables, moving router from the room, replacing ethernet cables with better shielded cable etc.. so it wasnt only the switch. If you have fibre coming into your house, which i dont i have copper ethernet the difference im guessing would be lesser.
but as high end audio especially at this level - everything matters!

happy tweaking!