[runs10k]

The Focal rep was on hand chatting about the technologies of the Grande Utopia loudspeakers. Electronics was mostly Bryston including the 28bsst(sq) amps, B26 pre, Bda, etc. The sound levels were at robust volumes playing a wide range of music as well as varied sources: LP,CD,digital files. The sounds were smooth, very layering and best of all non fatiguing. I hope you get a demo like this in your city!

[James Tanner]

Hi,

Nice 

Where was this?

james

[spinner]

  Vancouver, B.C.... Focal goes well with Bryston for sure

[runs10k]

This event was held at Commercial Electronics at their new store on West 7th. Have you heard these beasts?

[James Tanner]

This event was held at Commercial Electronics at their new store on West 7th. Have you heard these beasts?

Heard them at shows only and have always been impressed 

james

[JBLMVBC]

Looking forward to listen to these today!

Update: I had a chance to listen to two recordings. One was Curt Cress "Thunder" from the album 1992 Bang, a spectacular solo drum. Of course they are nice big speakers well driven by the Bryston, yet come short compared to the clarity of JBL professional compressions. I also found that the low midrange/upper bass brought a plastic sound to the skin of the drums that I do not hear from the JBL paper/fiberglass cones.
The second recording was a Lexar USB drive 24 bit 192KHz "home made" with Neumann 183 stereo pair of our Steinway D. Being extremely familiar with this instrument and how the JBL pro render this powerful piano (and also the flaws in the recording including the challenging room), I found the Focal smoothed things off, tamed the piano.
For a fraction of the money, I'll get a rebuilt pair of 4343 by Kenricksound like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-wXm4Bmfxc&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_O6PMS3Jrc&feature=relmfu

As a client of CE, I really appreciate their effort to bring such speakers for audition. The listening conditions were not ideal and it feels the new space is yet to be transformed partially into a quiet auditorium. But it always takes time to get things right when you move to another space after having been in the same environment for years.
Thanks to all at CE for the opportunity!

[srb]

I'm sure the Focal Grande Utopia EM is a speaker with huge performance, but at $180,000/pair and 500+ lbs each, they're not for everybody.  Actually for very few.  However you can "pick up" a used pair on Audiogon right now for $62K.

But you gotta love the hand crank mechanism that adjusts the articulation of the segmented beast into focus for the listening distance!

Steve

[gaderson]

Had a quick listen to a pair of these at a mastering studio in San Francisco a few months ago (powered by a pair of enormous VTL tube monoblocks), but the meter was running so didn't really get a sense of these in a little control room.

Maybe I should ask if I could audition the ones on Audigon -- just between me and SF;)

[vegasdave]

Excellent! A dream system to be sure...