So I finally got to hear what these Focal 1038BE sound like. I was invited to hang out with Steve today at his place nearby my house. The room was rather large but well treated and has enough ceiling asymmetry to cause for good sound.
He has a pair of white 1038BE powered by a mcintosh 205 amplifier.
I gotta say, I thought they were going to be bright or a bit on the sharper side, but it actually sounded unlike my expectations. Imaging was good and the overall presentation was quite musical. I think he has a lot of bass, but apparently he wants more and that is part of the reason why he is going of rthe Scala V2.
I congratulate Steve on a good system, but I'm sure he has an even better one planned.
Always nice to meet a fellow audiophile.