Focus Audio Classic

I am using a sim audio I-5 intergrated with stellar results
My room is 14 x 16 and the sim makes the f688 absolutely sing in my system. The 70 WPC is very under rated in my opinion, I have hear 6000 (CDN) separates that could not reproduce the sound quality and speed of the I-5.(not to mention PRAT)
I have also heard the mark levenson and jeff rowland intergrated at, at lease twice the price and i would take the I-5 anyday

just my 2 cents
Jason

Thats what I kind of figured but wasn't sure. Yes I have heard the 688's at Tonys. Very large room 26 feet long almost as wide and with vaulted ceilings and opening up into other rooms. In otherwords a Supersize great room.

Bass was real good but no where near as deep sounding as in my room.

Your right about the amp too. The Jungson has just a touch of bloom in the bass region and digs considerably deeper then the Jolida and Cambridge Audio I previously used.

I guess when I get my Eastsound CD5 CDP from Andy at Sekei in a few weeks I'm done. Should be a real nice step up from the $350 Cambridge 300 player I'm using now.

Thanks again Phil

BW Maxx

Great stuff! The I5 is suppose to be exceptional. Did you see the Review of the I5 limited edition in UHF magazine?

I think they are only making 250 units. I know UHF was absolutely in love with this amp. They are going to be using it to replace one of the amps in one of their reference systems.

I've noticed alot of FA owners and even FA themselves when doing shows, tend to opt for quality SS rather then tubes. Real compliment to Focus Audio IMO. Unlike many highly resolving speakers you don't need to tame them, just pick an amp and CDP to allow them to live up to their potential.

"I've noticed alot of FA owners and even FA themselves when doing shows, tend to opt for quality SS rather then tubes"

FWIW, my favorite setup with the Focus speakers is using a hybrid Blue Circle amp (either BC28 or BC206), so technically there's a tube in there. And the folks at Focus tell me that a very popular combination for the 688's in Asia is with the Antique Sound Labs Hurricanes...

Right SS amp with tube pre. I noticed looking at the FS website they seem to have used SS amps at shows. The Ayre and PS Audio being the most common.

I never seen any pictures from shows where they were driver by tubes.

However Tony does use the Hurricanes in his setup along with Audio Aero CDP. Another owner of the 688s used both a Audiomatt tube and Gaincard SS and felt the Audiomat sounded considerably better. However I'm not so sure that 22 solid state watts was enough in his 18x22 room.

Phil, Do you know how much of FA's business in the Far East? Tony, a year ago August when I visited him indicated FA had sold over 1000 pairs of the 688. Amazing for a speaker less then a year old. I know they are the darlings of the orient and if one looks at audioreview of the previous signature series. Almost every owner/reviewer is from Hong Kong, Singapore or Maylasia.

I apprecitate your help. Had the speakers for just over 12 months now and want to do a formal review over at AA in a few months when my system is complete. Amazing IMO no OWNER has written a formal review that I can find, anyway.

Don't think it would hurt to have 1 review to balance those reviews of the Merlins, which seem almost daily, over at AA. Hoping to write something a little more insightfull and helpfull then: "The Merlins are perfect and Bobby is the Man" :) Amazing something so "perfect" turns up in droves used at here A'gon.

Thanks again