Okay than I went shopping last Sat. This is how it went.
First place i went was The Sound Room they mainly carry B&W. We listened to one of the 600 series I wanna say it was the 684 as well as the 704's. Both were very nice and detailed. The 600 series was pretty good but lacked a lot in the lower frequencies. They just didn't click for me. The finish was pretty darn nice. Solid as well.
The 704's really smoked the 6's in depth and clarity. They feild was much wider. These are some really nice speakers He was going to let them go for a steal as they were floor models. But they were dinged up in a few places, the grill had a small rip in it and the face of both speakers were badly sun faded by the frame of the grill. I would have given no more than grand for them that's how bad they were. So leaving not so impressed for the first stop I went on.
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My second stop was Music For Pleasure. They carry Dynaudio, Martin Logan and Focal. I didn't look at the Dyn's at first they are 4 ohm my reciever is not.
Martin Logan is not really my style though they sound pretty frickin amazing.
I was really there for the Focals. They had the Chorus 716 V's and the Chorus 826 V's. We started off wtih the 716's. These are very nice speakers very detailed and crisp. You could hear fingers sliding on guitar necks the gentle deacy of the cymbals and all those details you yearn for. Very wide soundstage, off axis was pretty good too, I had to go pretty far left or right to hear it start to fall apart. Very tight all around good midbass, more than the 600 B&W. I really liked these so far.
bring on the 826 V, what I said above take that and double it. Well pprobably not double, but you get the idea. Same as with the B&W the switch broght a a whole dimension, more depth, wider soundstage, just more life. These are so nice great midbass, detail, tweeters that reproduce the notes without stress on them or you. Oh did I mention the attetnion to detail of
everything. Fit and finish is top notch. Very nice, the salesman probaly thought I was nuts loking up and down the lines at only a couple inches. I couldn't find a flaw, I'm a bricklayer with a grest eye for detail and a very anal retentive personality, so that's a complimant. Good looking speaker even the wife would approve.
Oh yeah they go loud too. I belive they were getting about 110 watts.
While listening to the 716's I was given the nod to do some crankin' (the volume that is).
I gave them quite a bit tha a little more and than some more. No spl #'s but let's say it was pretty loud. Still they were holding togther like a champ. i was pretty amzed at how clear they still were. Never did crank the 826's like that but I know they would take more as well as the 716's still had some life in them. I just didn't want to start a fire in a building with that much high end audio gear.
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On to stop # 3
