Opportunity to buy some used Focal.

[T.Anders]

I recently bought a used Anthem AVM70, but to get it I had to also purchased his Monolith 7X as well, and it's since replaced my Denon 3700.

Since then I've been looking to upgrade from my SVS Prime Towers, Prime Center, Surrounds and Elevations. I like the Prime system, but it was my first hoorah into the HT world. Since then I now have a dedicated room, and it's time to go away from the Prime's..

He wants $2500 for the Chora 826's, 806 books and Chora center... They were bought from Crutchfield, are in fantastic shape, and they are moving. I've been saving for the last year or so, and I have a budget of about $7500 to spend on speakers in the room, and thought that at $2500 this was a great deal for a good start stepping up from my SVS speakers. I have subs, 2 HSU VTF-3 MK5. I would add Focal's in the ceiling, and another amp.

What are some thoughts?

 

[shadyJ]

The Chora 826 frequency response isn't perfect:

This graph is the only one I could find for that speaker. There is a crossover problem. The graph isn't good enough to tell us how the speaker sounds, but it does show a problem. That being said, $2,500 for the whole 5 channel set isn't a terrible deal. The problems with this speaker might be equalizable, but it's impossible to say with such a sparsity of information.

 

[lovinthehd]

Does he still have them hooked up so you can at least hear them first? Might be a reasonable deal if you really want these speakers and they're in good shape and you can demo/pick them up. May not be all that great a difference to your current speakers and with your budget might still keep looking around too as now seems you're able to perhaps step up significantly (always better than a smaller step, eh?).

FWIW since I wanted to know, here's current Crutchfield pricing:
2 x Chora 826 $ 1918
1 x Chora center $ 631
2 x 806 $ 798
Total $3347....and that's Crutchfield, have no idea if you can actually do better.

 

[NINaudio]

For around $3k, I'd replace the front 3 with Paradigm Premier 800F's and a 600C. I found them much more neutral and enjoyable when I was auditioning speakers. I'd keep the Prime surrounds and elevations for now and see how you like them with whatever you get. It is less important for those speakers to match everything than it is for the front 3 to match.

 

[T.Anders]

Does he still have them hooked up so you can at least hear them first? Might be a reasonable deal if you really want these speakers and they're in good shape and you can demo/pick them up. May not be all that great a difference to your current speakers and with your budget might still keep looking around too as now seems you're able to perhaps step up significantly (always better than a smaller step, eh?).

FWIW since I wanted to know, here's current Crutchfield pricing:
2 x Chora 826 $ 1918
1 x Chora center $ 631
2 x 806 $ 798
Total $3347....and that's Crutchfield, have no idea if you can actually do better.

I looked those up as well, consider they are also on sale. It's around $4,000 retail. I wasn't necessarily looking currently for speakers as in, ready to buy them now, but this was just a chance encounter with a guy selling them, both our kids play baseball for the same high school.

I did hear them, not in room like mine, not with subs. It was a trivial little demo at best. They are in perfect shape. I'm on the fence.

 

[T.Anders]

For around $3k, I'd replace the front 3 with Paradigm Premier 800F's and a 600C. I found them much more neutral and enjoyable when I was auditioning speakers. I'd keep the Prime surrounds and elevations for now and see how you like them with whatever you get. It is less important for those speakers to match everything than it is for the front 3 to match.

Funny you say that. I had Paradigm in my home about 20 years ago. I demo'd the 800F paired with a 2000C in a showroom in Las Vegas a few months ago. A long with Dali Oberon 7's, and Monitor Audio Silvers.

I also demo'd Arendal 1723's as well, albeit quite a bit more expensive I REALLY enjoyed those.

Paradigm is on the short list. I was planning on upgrading just before winter. This just came along at the moment.

 

[NINaudio]

Funny you say that. I had Paradigm in my home about 20 years ago. I demo'd the 800F paired with a 2000C in a showroom in Las Vegas a few months ago. A long with Dali Oberon 7's, and Monitor Audio Silvers.

I also demo'd Arendal 1723's as well, albeit quite a bit more expensive I REALLY enjoyed those.

Paradigm is on the short list. I was planning on upgrading just before winter. This just came along at the moment.

By all accounts the Arendals are great speakers.

 

[T.Anders]

By all accounts the Arendals are great speakers.

I agree. They were fantastic. That's what I'd really like.

 

[lovinthehd]

I agree. They were fantastic. That's what I'd really like.

Sounds like you've answered your own question then?

 

[T.Anders]

Sounds like you've answered your own question then?

Not really. I live in Alaska. Isn't a simple or cheap to get 200lbs+ of speakers here.

The stuff I demo'd is available locally.

My subs I got lucky and my buddy from Texas picked them up in Seattle and put them in his uhaul trailer when he moved up here.

 

[lovinthehd]

Not really. I live in Alaska. Isn't a simple or cheap to get 200lbs+ of speakers here.

The stuff I demo'd is available locally.

My subs I got lucky and my buddy from Texas picked them up in Seattle and put them in his uhaul trailer when he moved up here.

I live in the boonies too (not quite as far out as you probably, tho) so it has been a while since I've had much to demo before purchase. Does Arendal's door to door offer get limited up your way? You need to go to a depot to pickup or ? I spent my career in logistics, tho