Olympica Nova V vs. McIntosh XR100
 

I know a long shot, but has anyone heard a side by side comparison of the new Nova V and McIntosh XR100’s? I’m getting the itch to move on/up from my XR100’s (which I’m happy with btw). Just wondering if I would realize a significant gain. Been trolling the Nova V’s and Focal Sopra 3’s.
For the record, I’ve never owned SF’s....
Any input would be great.
Thx!

Not exactly what you're looking for, but here goes:

I've not heard the Nova, but have a lot of experience with the older SF line, the XR 100's and the Sopra 3's.

IMHO, the XR 100's can be a little more heavy handed than the Focal or the SF, but play with a huge scale. In fact, I'm not sure that I've heard more visceral home theater setups than I have with the XR 100's. That said, the S3's are very detailed while the SF line (I've auditioned the newer Tradition line, too) is a bit more "romantic" and silky.

I really waffled between the Sopra 3 and the Olympica III, but ultimately ended up with the Olympica III. The Focal has very articulate bass, but the the mid-range in the SF lines is very engaging and musical to my ear. The bass in the SF is also plentiful, but perhaps not as "front edge" as the focal.

The Nova, from what I understand, trends a little more toward a neutral sound than the Olympica - more along the lines of the Tradition series, but not as "flat" as the Focal.

Truly, I don't think you could go wrong with either.