Nova Utopia Be $38K - Are they good?

I am constantly struck by how remarkably personal this hobby and individual listening preferences can be. No doubt, our unique impressions and listening styles drive this hobby. At the same time, many impressions voiced here are merely that, "impressions" based upoon limited listening in less than enviable locations. I note above that when I first heard the Novas they were unpleasant. In fact the tweeter was very noticeable, etched, metallic, "in your face." This was in my experience an issue with burn in. I have lived with the Nova Utopias for over 1 1/2 years using, initially using Halcro amplification and now a Dartzeel amp, and after the intial few weeks of living with them, there was no trace of any tweeter or driver for that matter, just music. The midrange and tweeter of the Nova Utopias are their strong suit and in my experience not bettered by any other speaker I have heard. They are to my ear, utterly natural sounding and have all the air and vibrancy of sounds you hear in nature. I would venture to say that if you have heard a metallic sound in listening to the Novas that they were either not fully burned in or the amplification or supporting gear was the cause.

Happy listening!

I can understand Slaufer's argument, and have to agree that component matching is key to getting the most out of such a speaker. If you're happy then it's all that matters. The Dart gear is considered by many to be the best out there right now and perhaps one day I will be fortunate enough to have it in my system. As regards the tweeter sound I heard in Montreal, it may have been a break-in issue ... but I also heard a similar rendering coming out of a pair of Revel Salons that were well broken in ... maybe just not my personal taste ... just my personal opinion.

Well I heard the Nova Utopia BE two times next to the Wilson Puppy 7. As for bass performance the Novas sounded like you would expect, big and powerful speaker.

In the beginning I was blewn away by the Novas. I thought they were a lot better than the puppy. However after extensive listening it was clearly noticeable that the Novas colored more and that the Novas were not as dynamic as the Puppy. Also the Novas needed a really big room otherwise they sounded boomy.

So in the end I got irritated by the color of the Novas and found out that I prefer the Wilson WP7 more. Both the shop owner as my girlfriend agreed also on this part.

So I guess it is a matter of system matching, size of the room and personal taste. In Europe the WP7 and the Nova sell around the same price new (26000 euro). So no price difference. It just is a matter of personal taste. Both are very good.

Peter

That is funny because when I heard the WP7, I thought they were dull and lifeless. I guess one man's "dull" is another man's "uncolored!" Makes you wonder why we even have these discussions in the first place.

It's really funny,as to room/component architecture affecting our "opinions" as to what is good.
I SO want to like the Watt/Puppy,but have never heard them to my satisfaction.I've really tried!I must have resolution,coupled with a real involvement in the recorded content(the little jewel-like Kharma 3.2 shines here,but does not blow down walls,and who cares,except the Wilson/MTV crowd),and few speakers do this.BTW,I own neither.
At the VTV Show I heard the "tiny" Rogers LS35a,driven by a measley 10 wpc Dyna tube amp.Driven by the AMAZING Stelavox rel to reel.Really Spartan stuff,yet it was SO compelling(though not nearly "wall popping" as a Wilson,and there is certainly a contingent liking that sound,which is fine with me BTW)that I truly had to re-think how I wanted to "experience" a system in my own room.
Yes,everyone has their own taste,but one cannot really compare a BIG speaker,like the Nova,to the Watt/Puppy as the Nova surely needs a larger room to do it's thing.It's bass enclosure is far larger than the Wilson,and this matters.
The "it factor"(to me)concernes alot more than loudness/dynamic capabilities of any given loudspeaker.But tell that to the guy next to me,at the traffic light,who is BLASTING his latest mega car stereo/boom box.I have NO doubts what speakers he would prefer,at home!

Best!