New Sopra No. 3 owner

[jakegt3]

I just took delivery today of a brand new pair of Sopra No. 3's (in imperial red)! I don't upgrade speakers very often, so this is a major event for me.

I auditioned the following speakers before settling on the Sopra's: Focal Diablo Utopia, Sopra No. 2, Sopra No. 3, Wilson Audio Sabrina, Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolution, B&W 802D3, Magico S3, and Rockport Atria. To my ears the Sopra No. 3's were clearly the best of the group.

I listen mostly to classical music and reproduction of instrument tone and timbre (particularly strings), and especially in the midrange, is very important to me. Soundstaging and transparency are also key attributes that I listen for. The Sopra No. 3's excel in these areas. The other speakers I auditioned sounded like very good loudspeakers but the Sopra No. 3's sounded like music. When listening to high quality recordings, they performed a disappearing act that none of the others could match.

Some questions for other Sopra No. 3 owners:

What do they need for break-in time? The owner's manual suggests just 20 hours, which seems rather minimal.

What suggestions do you have for toe-in and rake adjustments? I listen from a single "sweet spot" and want to optimize imaging and depth at that location.