Just received my new Focal Sopra No2's (in black lacquer) a few days ago, probably half way thru the break in, these speakers amazed me when I auditioned them, even more amazing in my home. These have exceptional clarity and detail!
I'm looking into the Sopra's. I talked to a dealer and told him what components I had. I explained my sensitivity to brightness and he told me I would be required to change my speaker cable. I'm going to RMAF and hope to hear them.
what are the other gear in your system, including, cables/power cords? This speaker is getting rave reviews all over the place! Keep me posted and Happy Listening!
Congrats on your new Sopra speakers! I auditioned them and found them to have a very impressive sound, with great dynamics, imaging, and detail. Definitely a great buy, although they may not be for everyone (what speakers are?) I prefer a speaker with a more laid back perspective like the Sonus fabers, but can easily see how others may prefer the Sopra'a immediacy. System matching is also critical. Enjoy the tunes!
French speakers have always sounded good to me. As far as I can tell Triangle is no longer distributed in USA, I thought they were tad better than Focal.
My system: PS Audio P10 Power Plan PS Audio DirectStream DAC Autonomic MMS-5A Music Server (with all hi res AIFF files) McIntosh C50 Preamp McIntosh MC452 Power Amp Wireworld Cabling JL Audio F113V2 Sub Woofers (2) Focal Sopra No2 Speakers Sennheiser HD800 Headphones
I would say these Focal's may not be the ideal speaker for everyone. I suspect they might sound too harsh, with electronics that might bring out too much from those fantastic tweeters.
I found them to be the most sensitive and "accurate" in the mids and highs of any speaker I auditioned which I'd characterize as being of a "musical" design.
You have put together a very nice system - congratulations! Do you have a large listening room? I only ask since when I auditioned the Sopra 2 speakers it was in a pretty large dealer listening room, and one of the most impressive aspects I heard was their bass extension and dynamics. So I'm surprised to see you running two JL f113 subs with them. Just curious as to your thoughts on the matter, of course they add weight and an additional room presence! Good listening - enjoy the tunes on your great system!
I heard the Sopra 2 speakers at Quintessence Audio in Morton Grove IL a couple of weeks ago. The day I was there they just received the Sopra 1 monitors which they were getting setup. From what I understand there are Sopra 3's coming around year end, with slightly larger woofers and cabinet size than the 2's expected to be around $20K.
The room is 26'x26', with a 10'x10' alcove, wall to wall carpeting, very little glass.
I moved my system down from the (much smaller) living room to the "man cave" and found my old Velodyne Optimum 10 sub woofer just could not fill the new room. Some of my audio buddies let me know of the advantages of a pair of subs, heard the F113's at a buddies "man cave" and was just blown away! A pair of those might be "overkill", but with all my new toys, didn't want any of my new components to "run out of gas".
I think I'm "done" with hardware purchases for a while.
Good to hear you like them, I alway liked the 1038Be and I am sure these are better. The Sopra 2s are on my list of speakers to hear. Do you use an active crossover? If not it would make a huge difference.
I have had a pair of JL E112s in my system for about two years (pre-ordered them) and run the internal active crossovers. It makes all the difference in the world and lets you cross-over higher (60hz-ish worked best for me)
I am looking at the Sopra 2 but am leaning toward the Magico S1 or Vivid B1 (with duel subs). Have you heard either of those speakers before?
Just picked up my walnut Sopra 2's from Overture Audio in Delaware today. They're very nicely built compared to my 1028be. The method for coupling the speaker to the floor is infinitely better than the Electra series, especially on my carpeting. Not going to comment yet on the sound yet because they are still really tight right now and haven't developed the air and transparency I know they've got. My 1028's totally disappeared in my room after they broke-in but these Sopra's need some time. Focal says to play them continuously for at least 20 hrs before making any effort to position them properly in your listening room. They sure are pretty to look at.
I've had my Sopra No2's for about four months now. After carefully breaking them in, I tried a few variations on their positioning and got them really "dialed in" to the room. They just sound awesome! They have great dynamics, incredible detail, great sound stage, and to me are very "musical".
My JL Audio F113 sub woofers arrived and I had a terrible time integrating them into my system. The subs are just awesome, but I learned that my "man cave" acoustics, for that last octave of bass, is not. So moving the subs around (not a trivial task for an old guy like me), and applying bass traps to some of the corners and walls, re-adjusting the subs, I finally have the sound where I want it.
To me the bass that the Sopra's produce is just excellent, but the last octave or so is not strong enough, hence the addition of the subs.
I really enjoy my setup, sound great at low, medium and (for me) somewhat louder volumes, with any kind of music I throw at them.
Hey Guys...anyone interested in starting a forum or similar to discuss setup with your Sopra's ? I'm just starting to experiment with my pair. The new base is great for experimenting with room placement but I haven't decided where to bolt them down thru the carpet just yet. Stillpoints vs. Spikes??? any ideas???
The Sopra 2 has been reviewed and measured to have a mild mid bass lift, though it isn't enough to create a boom to the sound. This speaker is positioned in manner that its likely exciting a room node. So more work by that dealer would be needed to done. It can be done by ear and even better yet, a measurements microphone and REW.
I'd agree about the bass lift. Compared to my previous 1028, the Sopra goes deeper but with a penalty if your room is boomy. I expect to get the sound I'm looking for, I'll need to invest in better room treatment. SO it GOES in Audio🤑🤑🤑
Directstream DAC has weak bass, it’s a very inaccurate DAC. I would replace it with something else.
Also, if your equipment can take it, go with American 240V power, it’s balanced. You can get rid of the Powerplant and have more dynamics and clarity at the same time.
Personally, I'm a great fan of the active speakers from Focal, out of the world bang for the bucks.
Now that my Sopra’s have some play time they’re breaking in quite nicely. The tweeter has smoothed out similar to my 1028’s and can not be recognized as the source of the high’s. When they were new, I could locate the tweeter and hear where it was located....it did not totally disappear. At around 200 hrs, the tweeter just disappeared into the soundstage....the magic!!! They’re really nice speakers...maybe not for everyone but in my room they are far superior to the Electra series or my previous B&W speakers. The midrange is to die for.....especially with vocals and acoustic instruments recorded in natural space. They really excel in reproducing the third dimension, ambience and depth in a soundstage.
I had the Sopra's "dialed in" to the room, then later, when I added a pair of sub woofers and was dealing with the "boominess" in the room, adding bass trap after bass trap, the soundstage that the Sopra's were really great with suddenly disappeared. No problem, just scooted them forward an inch or two and "boom" that great depth and soundstage returned.
Those Sopra 2's look and sound amazing, I am sure. For those of you not quite in the upper atmosphere financially, you might check out Focal's pro powered speakers, particularly the top of the line, the SM9's. I purchased them for my home studio, after mixing with the Focal Be Twin's in a large studio. The Twin's were until recently, the next speaker down in the line. They are not harsh in the least bit, have tremendous bass extension, and come with quality class AB internal amplifiers, as well as a variety of EQ controls on the back. My Audiophile speakers are Martin Logan Requests, Along with Von Schweikert VR4 Silvers, and I would stack up the Focal's against any of them. Very enjoyable, and believe it or not, my best audio value purchase for the money even at $3800 per speaker (purchased Left and Right separately).
Enjoying the holiday weekend, too hot and humid to play outside, halfway threw the Beethoven symphonies, with these Sopra's, they just sound awesome. I'd say that they really came into their best sound at the six month point, seemed to mellow out some, sound more relaxed. Definitely not on my list of audio equipment to replace anytime soon. I really enjoy the system, seems like I'm "done" with equipment purchases for a while.
Mine are approaching the 6 month point and have really opened up compared to their new sound. I'd estimate around 400 hrs. use. Every time I listen I'm literally floored with how good they are sounding. I'm using a little bit of toe-in, but less than my 1028be. The tweeters cross behind my head but I can't measure how much due to a wall behind my listening seat. Due to not having a rear port, I'm able to push them closer to the wall without the boomy bass that the 1028's had.
In my "man cave" the Sopra's are about ten feet apart, tweeters focused just in front of the listener, found when I focused them that way, they produced a "singer in the room" sound stage. They are much more "relaxed" now that they are about nine months old.
had an audio buddy over, saw the McIntosh blue meters and said that "those tube amps really make those tweeters sing with buttery smoothness", intended to be a compliment. My system is all solid state!
Have had mine just over a month. They sound great and are opening up. I would estimate I have about 100 hours on them. I kept my old system for comparison and enjoyment in a smaller listening room., Hegel H160 mated with Joseph Audio RMXL 25's Mark 2. a very good sounding system with a wide and deep soundstage.
The Sopra's are already deeper and wider with my Hegel H300, its like seeing Pro Ball when are used to Triple A, more of everything on all levels, the sound is so thick, a detailed wall of sound that keeps expanding with volume! When I turn it up, you are enveloped in the sounds, yet still sounds great at a low volume. So pleased with the speakers. Look forward to more hours and the speakers opening up further.
Toneranger....just wait a few months, they’ll sound so much better you’ll think they’re different speakers. The break-in will amaze you with the added detail, smoothness, and way more of the 3D holographic magic. Wonderful speakers !!! Enjoy !!!
Stevizzy.... I am interested in the 700I, which I see you have mated with the Sopra's. A friend has the 600i, sounds great with his speakers, Vienna Acoustics, Baby Grands I think. I am going to try it with my Sopra's sometime soon I hope.
There is a 700i listed here for $6,700 seems like a good price.
Did you by chance try the 600i with the Sopra's?
Does the 700i have a DAC, does it have optical inputs, no phono stage I recall.
My Hegel does sound amazing with the Sopra's but would only consider another Integrated after the speakers hit the 500 Hour mark.
I would appreciate some more details on what you feel are the highlights of the SA 700i, reviews are great, but nice to hear from an owner that has the same speakers as me.
How does the Sopra 2 compare to the Sopra 3 in terms of bass boom since the former is said to exhibit some of that? Also, has anybody compared the Sopra 2 to Harbeth SHL5 Plus? Which is a more involving speaker, not only being detailed, fast and dynamic but having the capability to portray voices and instruments in their truest timbre and tonality. The Harbeth is one of the most natural sounding speakers I have heard by far. Voices and sound of instruments sound just like the real thing through them. Once I switch to other speakers music sounds less like the real thing. I was wondering if the Focal Sopras could match the Harbeth in the areas of timbre and tonality.
I presume the Focals do not sound as warm or lush as the Harbeth with their leaner presentation.
The same speaker will perform differently depending on the front end. My Hegel H300, has a very musical bottom, works great with the Sopra, which extends down to 28HZ. Not a lean speaker at all. As a matter of fact one my daughters Kanye CD's shakes the house.
I have learned blanket statements are never accurate especially with speakers.
I haven't demoed a Harbreth with my Hegel so I cannot comment on how it would compare. I did listen to a nice pair of Harbeth speakers at AXPONA, a very nice speaker indeed.
At this level one really needs to demo as much as possible to come to an accurate conclusion.
The Sopra's sounded awesome in my "man cave", without the sort of low bass I enjoy in adding sub woofers, but the bass the No2's have I found to be very tight, detailed and not at all "boomy".
Now, once I added the subs, the bass they produce in that room, was very boomy. It took a lot of fiddling with positioning, settings, bass traps, etc. to get the subs properly integrated and not sounding boomy. But the Sopra No2's bass (as low as they go) sounded really excellent, again...in my room.
Thanks for the responses. The Focal Sopras have received a lot of great feedback from current owners. Further investigation revealed that they are the European speaker of the year (2015) having won the EISA award. Since there are folks who reported great success driving the Sopras with Naim amplification (I happen to own some Naim amps), these speakers have got me interested. The build quality is superb and form looks classy and elegant. That is one of the reasons I got attracted to these Sopras. Sound-wise I presume they will be fantastic given the pedigree of these classy French speakers. Will need to give them a listen sometime.
Toneranger....I didn't try the Simaudio 600i, so I can't comment on how it would work with the Sopra2. I have a relatively small listening room, but a huge space (cu. ft.) to fill due to a cathedral ceiling and loft above my listening area. My 700i loafs along driving the Sopras. In a normal room without the volume to pressurize, I'm confident the 600i would be awesome. They are both sweet sounding amps. Steve
I recently heard the Sopra 2 at a New York dealer. He had them 3 feet from the back wall and away from the side walls. Were driven by McIntosh equipment. I loved the soundstage, but the bass was boomy. I've read the Focal includes a bass plug to tailor the bass response. Does anyone use it? I really want to like the Sopra but if i can't get reasonably flat bass response I will look at other speakers. thanks
The Sopra 2 that I own do not include any plugs. They don’t have any rear ports as the Electra series does. I had the Focal 1028be2 before my Sopra’s. They tended to have a bass boom when placed too close to the wall. I don’t have that issue with my Sopra 2’s. Give them another audition, with different electronics in a different environment. Macintosh gear tends to be a bit warm and tubby in the bass but I had the opportunity to audition a MAC integrated SS amp with the Sopra’s in a large room and the sound was great at Overture in Delaware. They have great rooms and lots of good electronics to play with. Im using a Simaudio 700i with mine and the bass in very fast and tight. My room is fairly small in dimensions but large in cubic feet due to high cathedral ceilings in my Townhouse. Sidewall reflections are neglible due to a wide but narrow room with the speakers on the wide wall. I have them about 3’ from the wall, with very little toe-in in a semi triangle setup. My listening position is about 1.3 x the distance between the speakers with approx. 2’ behind my ears using sound treatment on the wall behind my ears. I found them fairly easy to setup in my room. They sound awesome.
I have my eye on Sopra 3's. For you owners of 2's and 3's, do you think my 19 ft 8.5 inches x 15 ft 5 inches x 91.5 inches high room is too small for 3's? They are physically the same size as my Exotica III's with powered woofers which I have tamed with room treatments. Thanks in advance for any insights.
Stevizzy, You are right (and I am wrong)---Sopra 2 doesn't have foam plugs (only Sopra 1 does). From what you wrote there is no issue with flabbly/boomy bass response given your setup (3 ft from front wall). That's great to hear. I will go back to the dealer and listen again after they are better setup. thanks.
Hello Fellow sopra 2 users! what speaker cable are you using with your sopra 2’s with good result? I’m using wireworld silver eclipse 7 with good results Hooked to ARC GS150. I reconfigured my system and need to changed wwse7 for longer run. I’m torn between getting a 6m speaker cable or a 6m xlr with a budget of 2-4k to feed my sopra 2. Any suggestions?
@bugredmachine did you get the 3s? I've had Sopra 2s in my 21x14x10H room, and felt they didn't have enough bass compared to my Sasha 1s. I do have bass corner traps in the front. I'm now thinking of Sopra 3s... but concerned about bass. My room is 294sqft, but with high ceilings and on a cement slab... I think I can get away with the Sopra 3s... I had Alexia working well, but hearing all the bass issues in med-small rooms has me hesitating... Any adivce?
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