All this being said, the Futuras I did find a bit slow/sluggish and darker sounding. Maybe that is why I found the Tradition series to be a bit bright. Not sure if I listening to Focal or some other brand if I would categorize the Tradition series as bright. The Futuras almost sounded veiled in comparison. One necessarily isn't bad, it may just depend on preference. The difference was very palpable though. You could tell the newer Tradition series has a lighter, airy sound while the Futura had a much denser sound.

For all that own the Futuras, can they be driven with tube amps 80 - 120 watts? Or do you need 300-600 watts of solid state power to effectively drive them? Not planning on blasting them at high levels. I have a normal size listening room of 20x14 feet. Curious if any experimented as everyone seems to opt for the solid state.

I have not driven my Futuras with tubes, but I have gone to as low as 200W solid state and they still sounded good. Having said this, they do respond well to more power (in the bass especially). You could also experiment with separating bass/tweeter since they can be bi-amped so use tube for highs and get s solid state for lows..

Another question, in addition to the tube amp question above... For those that have the chrome top and back Futuras (as opposed to the Anodized Black Tops), does the shiny mirror-like chrome cause any light reflections in the room? Wondering if it can cause issues with light or other with other electronics, other objects in the room.

While each amp has its unique characteristics, you could match an MC275 (or better, a pair running as mono blocks) and having great results. I don't listen at high volumes the vast majority of time with my 300W tube amps. Not that you have to stay with Mc amplification, but those are models many here own and therefore can relate to. I've been told you might get more bass "slam" from higher-watt SS amps and SF speakers.

At this level (even if you like black vs. red AFs :D) you can't go wrong. I say that instead of "go audition" since the AFs are no longer in production, and auditioning with different amps is probably not an option. If for some reason I had to switch over to my MC501s tomorrow from my MC2301s, I'd have great, but somewhat different sound.

I haven't noticed any light reflections with mine, so if there is one, it's not apparent enough to matter to me nor anyone else in my family. Mine are also in a theater setup, with an 86" LCD so if anyone would have reflections, it would be me.... The speakers have a rake to them, so the top does not really have way to reflect light back to you directly. Obviously this is also true for the back spine.

I have used my Futuras with 90 wpc Doshi Jhor amps. They are EL34 based amps and drove them very well in my large 17 x 34 x 9 room. Depending on the type of music, they were a great match. I now use a Pass X250.8 amp. There is more bass impact and definition, with a bit more fine detail.
But the solid state amp doesn't quite have the 3 dimensional sound of the tubes. I enjoy both presentations.


I have no problem with reflections off of the chrome tops.

I drive my Futuras with McIntosh MC 2301’s and rarely run over 50 watts. I also drove them with MC 601’s and preferred the 2301’s at half the power.

Would love to see photos of your Piano Black Futuras. Keep us posted whenever you are able.

I have SF in high gloss Graphite. They're in my living room exposed to direct sunlight. Would this cause any damage to the finish? Would the color fade over time ?
Also, what do people here use for polishing the high gloss finish? My kids left lots of fingerprints.