Focal Sopra 2's vs Titron GoldenEar Reference speakers
 

Hello there, After a long and drawn out process, I’m finally down to a couple of choices for my New Speakers. The two speakers are the Focal Sopra 2 and the Golden ear Triton Reference Speakers/ I’ll either buy the golden ears new or buy second hand sopra’s 2’s only used for 2 months. The price is the same either way. I have heard both speakers in perfectly attuned rooms that were tweaked out. The last set of speakers I purchased sounded very different in my NON dedicated listening room than they did in the store. After this speaker purchase " which is a big one for me at these prices" I don’t want to even think of buying new loud speakers for years. I’m not one to change his gear often. Though I do change my underwear everyday. That was a very poor attempt at humor. If any of you reading this have heard both of these speakers, I would love to hear your thoughts on them good, bad or indifferent. My non dedicated listening room DIMENSIONS are 8 FEET HIGH,20 FEET LONG and 14 FEET WIDE. I will be using Mcintosh solid state preamp and power amp for the new speakers. After the speaker purchase, future purchases and time spent reading about hi-fi will be dedicated to room improvements. I like to listen to music loud, very rarely do I listen at low volumes. I’m 50 percent split on the music of my youth, Metal and punk. The other 50 percent Diana Krall, Duke Ellington
and more audiophile like music. It seems to me at the 11 Canadian price point it’s hard to find a speaker that does it all well. I have to admit I’m a huge mark for the look of the sopra 2 loudspeaker. Of course the Golden ear reference come with built in woofers which is a plus. I’m not a big bass head though. If any of you fine people could offer me your opinions or some insight to either speaker, It would be greatly appreciated. I;m a bit antsy as this is a big purchases for me and I don’t want to mess it up. A huge thank you for taking the time to read this long winded post. Would love to hear some strong opinions. Enjoy the music.

Mikey

As you appear to be in Canada, wondering if you've listened to Bryston and Paradigm, two Canadian speakers? They both offer excellent speakers in your price-range. That ask, the best sounding speakers I've had in my system were Focal and I see myself going back to another set in the not too distant future...... likely a pair of Sopra. Plus, the Sopra No.2 is a considerably smaller speaker compared to the Triton. Can't comment on the sound comparison as I've never seen a Triton "in the flesh". There are many comments on the Sopra models in the Focal forum in the Mfgr's section of AAf.

I'd definitely vote for the Focals over Golden Ears, they have a more refined and engaging sound. I find them to be a bit bright though depending upon the matching electronics but that's a matter of taste and many others find their balance to be ideal.

Heard both and would go for the Focals.
As Bill stated above, they are a bit on the bright side, but your McIntosh gear will balance that nicely.

I've compared the two together in the same room using the same electronics and I went with the Focals. For me the Focal sound was more refined and spacious. Your point about the built-in subwoofer in the Golden Ears is a good one but I find that I don't use a sub when listening to music. The best way to resolve your dilemma is to listen to them both together in the same room with the same electronics using music that you are familiar with. Your choice is a matter of preference and I don't think you would be disappointed with either one. Best of luck.

Again, thank you all for your opinions and insight. I have a few questions. Regarding the goldenear Triton 1 R's, What percentage would you put on these in terms of being equal to the the reference. I read the reviews and what people write about them in the forums and I get the impression they are 95 percent the equal of the references and 3 grand cheaper. What percentage would you put it at? Can you sit 8 feet away from the 1 r's and feel a punch in the gut at loud volumes? Obviously the bass on the reference will win out every time. Leaving base aside, how close are the r 1's to the big Daddy's?
Regarding focal, how would you compare the Kanta 3's which are cheaper than the sopra 2 's and a more recent model with bigger woofers? Do these speakers play Big?
On a completely separate matter, h0w do you all feel about buying speakers from DIY companies like salk and teketon? If something goes wrong I guess you have to package it up and send it back to them. And for me there would be the border stop as I'm in Canada and then off to the company. You can't get your dealer to send it back or take it as it would have to go back to where it came from sent from your home. I don't know, is that risky business for the owner?
Thank you for reading.

I would go with the Focals over the GoldenEars..

y:scratch2:

focal because they look better and who has time for the extra plugs you would need for the golden ears

Good Brother, you make a good point. Still a tough call.