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Focal Sopra n°2 speaker
The new Sopra n°2 speaker from Focal looks interesting. Has anyone had the opportunity to audition this speaker?
https://www.sempre-audio.at/images/N...pra-No3-04.jpg |
Yes and no. My dealer has a pair of these and so far they sound very impressive. But they are not broken in yet so I have not given them any serious listening. They were being driven by a the new Musical Fidelity integrated. Which I don't think was completely broken in either.
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The Lost Bears.......Hopefully you will return for a future audition after break-in with a few CD's or LP's you are intimately familiar with. I would be interested in your impressions.
The Focal Sopra n°2 has a good sensitivity at 91dB with an 8 ohm impedance. It should be relatively amplifier friendly to a wide selection of integrated amplifiers and separates. https://www.highendaudioexchange.ca/..._N2_Farben.jpg |
I really like the look of these speakers! What is msrp on these?
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I thought they sounded pretty good. Gives a $30-40k speaker a run for its money...
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If so, how do they compare to the 1038be's? |
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Highly recommended from me, as I own them :)
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Dan
One local dealer had a buyer come in a immediately purchase their demos right off the floor. They have been waiting for the replacements for a bit now. According to both the purchaser and the store owners they play way way above their price point. I am looking forward to auditioning them. |
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The 1038be's Electras are on my short list. I actually audition them one more time before I rule them in or out. I'd love to hear how the Sopras compare to the 1038's from those who've heard both.
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The Sopras were of interest to me as well, but I couldn't find any to listen to.
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Would also like to audition. Too bad their nearest reseller is one that I won't deal with.
Appears that the cover for the tweeter is screwed on. Do prefer the Electra's sonics without the covers. |
Focal Sopra No. II
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Don't know if you got a chance to read the review in Hi-Fi News' September edition. They measured the Sopra No. II's sensitivity at 88.2dB & with an actual minimum impedence of 2.6 Ohms at 104Hz. Listening to a bit-perfect rip of Mike Valentine's superbly recorded compilation Chasing the Dragon demo disc, heard them at the end of some higher-end Linn(Klimax DSM, Klimax Chakra Twin) & Naim(NDS/555PS DR, NAC252/SuperCap, NAP300 DR/300 PS DR) electronics. And was able to carry out a side-by-side comparison with some well run-in & warmed-up B&W 804DIII's & PMC Fact 12's. In a demo-room that pretty well approximated the size, configuration of doors & windows & ambient acoustics of my own, this is the first time i can recall hearing Focal speakers sing when partnered by Linn & especially Naim electronics. While revealing of up-stream electronics - especially sources, they seemed airier, more open & silkier in the upper ranges, with a natural subtle warmth in the mid-range & slightly better integrated from top to bottom & extended in the lower registers, than the comparatively brighter & leaner B&W's & drier PMC's. Needless to say. To get best out of the Focal Sopra No. II's they really ought to be fed by quality sources & amplifiers. Even though they're somewhat dearer than the Focal's, i intend to hear them beside the B&W 803DIII's or perhaps even the 802DIII's as they would provide a fairer comparison. That's how good they are. Regards. Bobby. |
Excellent speakers, and the most balanced in Focal's range IMO.
I have Electras and Arias, and have had heard Diablo and Scala (both V1) several times. Seems to me the Sopra has much of the precision of Utopia, the liveliness of the Electra, and the richness of the Aria. I think they must be no longer designing their crossovers via computer and in anechoic chambers, but actually voicing them too. Much better for it. They've always made fantastic drivers, but now the rest of the package is measuring up. I think there may be a bigger version on the way as well. |
I have been told that there is a Sopra 3 in the works expected to be around $20K.
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If you wouldn't mind indulging me Audio Bill, where did you learn of this news from & how reliable is the source? I sure do hope this rumour proves true. Perhaps a few more(subtler) finish options would be appreciated. Regards. Bob. |
Bob - I heard it from several Focal dealers.
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Exciting news!
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The supposed no 3 sopra speaker has been a rumour from day 1 it seems.
However my dealer and distributor I spoke with when I purchased my 2's, said there was no such thing. Its been a while though. Im still raving about my no 2's, but i'd surely look closer into a no 3. |
I heard from a few dealers about a Sopra 3 model being in the works several months ago and that it was hopefully expected around this time. Maybe they will have a new product announcement at CES, or I suppose it's also possible that their plans have changed. Only time will tell...
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I listened to the Focal Sopra No 2 speakers last week and thought they sounded really, really good. So good, I ordered a pair in Imperial Red. I was told by my dealer that the Red and Orange finishes in the beginning they had some problems with and that the speakers are back ordered 8 to 12 weeks. The Black and the Dogato Walnut are available much quicker. Has anyone else had this problem with ordering the Orange or Red colors. I really like the design on these speakers and figured I would go outside the box and get the Red. All of my other speakers are usually wood grain. Just curious to see if this is just the New York area or are other areas are affected as well. I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year. You are a great bunch of guys.
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Rottikid, I think you are in for a treat with those speakers.
I found that my auditions with the Sopra's were excellent and made me pull the trigger. However, having spent alot (really alot..) of time finding the optimal speaker position for my room has made them shine even more. I dont know much about the delivery times, I got mine in the late summer. I bought the black demo set they had at the dealer, as I was told there would be some months waittime for all colours back then. Im sure they will look really great in your room in red! Congratulations & happy new year! |
I heard that the red and orange finishes were most heavily ordered and therefore are taking longer to be delivered, but not that there were any problems with those finishes.
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I ordered mine in white Sept. 3rd. They arrived exactly 3 months later. Have them set up in a temporary room while we are moving until the basement is finished off. Room is not ideal. Right out of the box in the marginal room with cold amps and zero hours they sounded marvelous in all respects just as they did in the audition.
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Well I got a phone call from the dealer today and my speakers are due in sometime next week. I just can't wait. I will keep everyone posted. I will probably have a lot of questions about placement and trying to incorporate my M & K sub. What should I set the Low Pass Filter to. Another question off the top of my head what settings should I use for my Marantz AV Processor. Crossover for the front speakers 250hz goes to 40hz. Also Bass Sub Woofer Mode: LFE + Main or just LFE. The settings for LPF for LFE goes 250hz to 80hz. I appreciate any guidance. The Marantz AV Processor also has Audyssey which I will run for Home Theater. The processor also gives me the option to bypass all settings using Direct or Pure. I will see what give me the best sound when just listening to music. I really don't understand what to set the crossovers at. I really appreciate any and all help you guys can give me. Also could you please explain say why 250 or let's say 120 or even 40 is better. I realize to get the most out of the Sopra No 2's, I need a much better Pre Amp and Amp. I figured I would buy the best speakers I could afford that I loved and upgrade the other equipment a little at a time as I save or better yet hit the lottery. I will be eating a lot of Mac and cheese and pizza for a very long time. I figured I would start with the speakers because they are the most important. I would sincerely like to thank everyone for all there help. I have been going through some really tuff times and my music is the only thing that is holding me together along with my Rotties. I look forward to hearing from you gentleman. I have learned a lot from reading this forum.
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What settings should I use for Marantz AV 8801 Processor for Focal Sopra No2 speakers: I am confused please help.
1. Crossover goes from 40Hz to 250 Hz. What is best setting 2. Setting for Speakers/ Bass Subwoofer Mode. LFE + Main or just LFE Then setting for LPF for LFE goes 80Hz, 90Hz, 100Hz, 110Hz, 120Hz, 150Hz, 200Hz or 250Hz. Thank you so much. Please just tell me the settings to use that will give me the absolute best sound from the Sopra No2 speakers. I look forward to hearing from everyone. |
The Sopras are down 6 db at 28 hz and 3 db at 34 hz. Cutting the sub in at 40 will cut out some of the fabulous low end performance of the Sopras. Maybe that's not important for home theatre. I don't know as I'm a strictly a 2 channel user where the overlap would impact negatively.
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Rottikid, are you using a subwoofer at all, and do you need to setup only for stereo or 5.1 as well?
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I want to setup for both. Am using an M&K MX200 sub. The low pass filter goes from 40Hz to 250 Hz. What do you recommend. The Marantz has Audyssey which recommends setting the filter to 250Hz.
Front speakers I think set to Large. What do you recommend for the crossover. I want to get the best sound possible. I'm guessing 250Hz. For the Bass Subwoofer Mode again I'm guessing LFE + Main. Crossover for the LPF for LFE GOES FROM 250 Hz to 80 Hz. What do you recommend. The rear, side and center channels Audyssey chooses 80 Hz. Is that ok. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me. Want to get everything she for when speakers arrive. |
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Using the highest LPF on the sub itself, which seems to be 250Hz, is preferable, assuming you can't actually turn off the filter. Reason being is that the Marantz is applying a LPF, and applying two filters causes phase problems. Audyssey have consistently maintained that the best setting for all speakers is typically 80Hz. Regardless how "big" the main (Front L/R) speakers are. The reason for this is that Audyssey typically had relatively few filters available below 80Hz for the primary channels, compared to what they make available for the .1 sub channel. My experience is that this is something you should play around with. The choice of what range of normal low frequency material (as opposed to LFE) is sent to the sub or the main speakers would depend on:
Would recommend you set up the Sopras on their own, i.e. in stereo with everything by-passed (direct mode) to find the best position in terms of distance from rear and side walls, toe-in etc, before you even start looking at Audyssey. As per the excellent advice from Superfrg in his earlier post. I like Audyssey for surround sound / AV duties, but not for music. So I would always listen to music in Pure/Direct mode myself, but that's just me. The Marantz has a reputation for having a pretty decent preamp stage, so maybe start saving for a decent 2 channel power amp worthy of the Sopra as the next goal? Or alternatively a very good integrated that has an AV by-pass facility. The Sopra are certainly resolving enough to highlight any deficiencies in source or amplification, whereas something like the Aria line, by example, would be much more "forgiving". |
Glisse,
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain. I have two Amps the Amp I am thinking of using for Sopra No2 is the Aragon 8008x3. The specifications are 200 watts per channel, Frequency 5Hz-20kHz flat, THD <0.05. The other amp I have is the Marantz MM8077 150 watts x 7 channels, 150 watts (20Hz020kHz 0.08& s/n 105db) Frequency response (Analogue In) 8Hz-100kHz +/- 3d. I am thinking of using this amp for the other channels. Will this setup give me the best sound quality? The other question I have which I am confused about for the front Sopra No2 speakers the Marantz AV Processor lets me set the Crossover of the Main Front and Left speakers to 40Hz or up to 250Hz. What setting do you suggest I use. Will 40Hz produce the best sound quality? Please let me know. Can you explain to me how the following would work if it is at all possible. I would like to be able to eventually get another preamp just for listening to music. Is there a way to insert a preamp into the Marantz AV processor to use just for music. Would I be able to select it from the AV Processor say as a source that isn't being used for example DVD. When I want to use the home theater I would just select let's say blue ray player or Directv. All of the amplifier outputs would go to the Marantz AV Processor. The new Preamp would go to DVD when I just want to use the 2 channel preamp. Is this at all possible or is there a better way to do it. Thanks again for all your help. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day. |
The more important specification for the amp, in terms of suiting the Sopra, is how much current it can generate. As a rough guide, whichever amp gets closest to doubling its power rating into 4 ohms will be better at providing the current needed to suit the Sopra. Most likely, it would be the Aragon. If for no other reason than most multi-channel power amps share one power transformer across all channels. So try using the Aragon just for the Sopra ( so 2 channels only). I have not heard an Aragon amp for many years, but my recollection was they were a bit harsh in the treble, which the Sopra is not going to hide. If so, try the Marantz. I'd prefer to put up with softer bass than a screeching top end.
I suspect when you are listening to 2 channel music, you may prefer listening to the system running Pure/Direct rather than using the DSP section of the Marantz pre/pro which will be doing the crossover. This should just send the stereo signal to the Sopras in full range, with no bass management, no delays, etc etc. But I don't know how the Marantz can be configured. So the crossover point for the mains (FL and FR) is only an issue for surround sound/AV duties. As I said in the earlier post, Audyssey would prefer you to set everything to 80Hz, because that is optimum for the Audyssey filters. What will work best will depend on the characteristics of your room, speaker positioning (particularly FL, FR and sub) etc. So just try different settings - although you may get sick of running the Audyssey optimisation after the first 10 times. I would not go below 60Hz myself, and suggest you don't go above 80Hz. For future system development, you have it the wrong way around. The AV system hangs off your music system. There is no point looping a preamplifier out of your Marantz then back into it. Even with the World's Best Preamplifier, the sound could only get worse, not better. The high quality stereo preamplifier you proposed would be connected to whatever power amplifier was running the Sopra. The Marantz AV PrePro would connect to an AV bypass input on the new stereo preamplifier: an AV bypass input means that it bypasses the volume control of the preamplifier, so you can use this input when you want to listen to your surround sound setup. When listening to music, your sources should be connected to an input on the new preamplifier. If your sources, such as a DVD/Blueray, don't have a decent analog output (i.e. their DACs are not as good as, or no better than the Marantz), then there is simply no point in buying a separate preamplifier at this stage. You have bought quite high end speakers, using all your available funds (and perhaps even more!!) on the basis that it is something you can grow into over the long term. Makes sense to me, as speakers that are good, are always good. But I think you need to make a plan on how you will evolve the system, and I would strongly suggest this order:
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Thank you so much for all of your help. I am starting to get a better grasp on what I will need in order to get the most out of the Sopra No2 speakers. I figured I would slowly build my system from the speakers as money becomes available. Can you suggest some amps I can check out that would be a good match for the Sopra's. What would be a good match in the 3 to $5,000 range. I can't wait until my speakers are in. Hopefully this week or next. I will keep you and everyone else posted on my progress on positioning them. As you suggested I will set them up,(position) them first Direct/Pure mode and try incorporate the sub. After that I will run Audyssey setup for Home theater. Thanks again for all your help have a goo night. |
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I use an ATI 6000 series amp im very happy with.
Theres a new 4000 series for less cash. They build amps for Mark Levison and some other brands. Long warranty, Balanced, can be configured for more channels, rock solid and sounds excellent. Hard to beat at the price. |
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