Sopra 2 Amp Recommendation

I had the sopra 2 and a JL 113v2 with the JL CR1 crossover. I ran them with a Pass 250.8 and a Pass XP10 pre amp. They sounded just ok to me and previously I’d had the Pass gear running Focal 1038 BE (which I preferred over the Sopra 2), Harbeth HLS5 S Super- which were excellent and a few other speakers. The Pass gear is neutral to warm or neutral to slightly dark I find. The Sopra 2 were always too etched for me, too recessed and too constrained, not sure what the issue was, the tweeters or mid range flatness) I could never get engaged with them- I sold them and moved onto Wilson Sabrina and then Sasha 2 which sound great with the Pass set up. I think the Sopra 2 are very tricky to mate with an amp and I never figured it out - I just know that all other speakers, including other Focal sounded great with the Pass and the Sopra 2 didn’t- they were uninvolving and not warm, musical or inviting.

The Pass preamp was your weak link...they are awful and pale in comparison to their amplifiers. 

@mattlathrop 

I have had my Sopra 2's for 3 years, I ran them with a BHK250 until about 2 weeks ago when I upgraded to the BHK300's.  I love the sound of this combination, in my room they just sound so natural with a mid-range that makes voices sound real to my ears, and those tweeters are absolutely sweet sounding (if that makes any sense).  I don't notice a lot of heat from the amps but they are warm to the touch.  Good luck with what ever amp you end up with.

@mattlathrop 

I know you want to keep your Anthem, but a used Gryphon Diablo 300 might suit you very well! It will provide a beautiful soundstage and tremendous punch. When I chose my system, it was between the Diablo and a pair of McIntosh MC6111s. (I power a pair of KEF Ref 1 Metas). I went with the 611s because they bettered the Diablo in midbass/bass, along with being warmer. However, when auditioning the Diablo, there were many jaw-dropping moments regarding bass that just made me smile and reflect on how this integrated can do this!

The Parasound line is a good match. It’s warm and I think with the Focal tweets and mid presence it’s a good overall balance. Relatively affordable and IMHO less irritating to me than Pass.

Of course, I’m very much in the minority but if given a choice I am sure listening for yourself you’ll come up with strong preferences.

Some tips for your current setup:

• Tilt the bass so it descends, and lift it 3 dB or more above your mains.
• Try limiting the maximum frequency of the room correction to around 300-400 Hz. See if you don’t like that more.
• If the Sopras are ported, plug them and re-run your room correction. 

Focal's floor standers tend to have a depressed impedance around the mid bass which can make them sensitive to amplifiers, so if you decide to upgrade your amp you want to go on the heavier/high current side.