I've been working on this system since highschool. I started with a NAD and B&W 805S system. From there I went to a system using the NAD as a pre-amp and a krell KAV-2250 as a power amp for a pair of N803. That was a big step up.
While the B&W - Krell combination was very good there was somethig about it that just bothered me when I listen for long periods of time. It would just "get to me"
So, I set out to build a system that was a little "warmer." This is a much more musical. Not as "sterile" if that makes any sense. One things for sure I now enjoy my long listening sessions
Hey guys, haven't checked the site in a while. I have carpet so the wood flooring not an issue. However, I did tilt them up a bit and pulled them further away from the wall and that did make a huge improvement. I like the C2's alot but for right now they are just way out of my budget. Chris, I have not directly compared the C1 and C2. What were your thoughts on the differences between the two. Thanks, Vito
Thanks guys for the advice. I do consider my self, blessed to have such a system and I do like these speakers very much (I may have come off as though I don't..) I have been very busy lately, but will be expermenting with your advice, I will let you know what the results are! By the way Kmkhcso I'd imagine these speakers would sound great with that Cary Tube gear, very nice. Thanks Again, Vito
My system is in my bedroom and it doesn't have the best acoustics, so I know that is a source of some of the issues I'm experiencing. (probably the biggest source) However I have listened to them in my dad's acoustically treated theater room. (my I-7 was breaking in at the time, but I also listened to them on a Krell 400cx.)
While I like the Focal, I find that they have a narrow sound stage. The B&W's sounded a little more open or airy, they could project further to the left, right and to the front. They also had a wider "sweet spot". But I couldn't get over that midrange (gets a little harsh with extended listening). I was talking to someone yesterday who thinks it's the Kevlar, phase plug combination...
The b&w's (N803) did have more bass too, more but not necessarily better. I preferred this aspect of there sound.
What I really like about these speakers (Focals) is that they have a much more natural sound to them, especially in the midrange. While they are a little lean for my taste the base, whats there is very accurate. I have been trying to improve the sound staging by changing the toe in and speaker separation, but once again my options are hindered by my room. Overall I'm not sure if I could pick one speaker as being clearly better than the other.
I would sum it up like this, If I was going to sit down and listen to a couple of songs and wanted to here some impressive dynamics I would choose the N803s. However if you sit down and listen through a couple of CD's or more a day then I would choose the Focals, Which IMHO are a more "musical" speaker. I listen to my system a lot (lol, Im have to since I study so much ), so I chose the focals.
