So I went to this store in middle-of-nowhere rural Japan today, and they had some amazing speakers (new and used).
I went to listen to the Confidence C1 Platinums and the KEF Reference 1s. I ended up liking the Confidence C1s a lot more. Maybe it’s because I’ve been using the Dynaudio Contour 1.1s for so long I’ve just become used to their sound, but I wasn’t really drawn the the KEFs (though they were clearly a great speaker in general).
After listening to the C1s, I listened to the Focus 340s. They're selling the floor model for cheap:
http://sound-support.jp/14537.htmlI could tell that the sound wasn’t as "pure" as the Confidence 1 C1 Platinums, but there was something I really liked about them. I’m not a basehead at all, but there was something really relaxed and comforting about the sound of the 340s that really drew me. And the floor model for $4,000 seems like a good deal.
One more possibility: They also have a used set of Sapphires for about $10,000, or the same price as the C1s. Only, I can’t audition them. There’s only one guy there, and he says they just don’t have the staff to audition used merchandise. This doesn’t really make sense, since he let me audition everything else, but I’ve long since learned that it’s pointless to try to argue with Japanese people about following rules.
I would be using the speakers in a relatively small room: about 14 X 18 feet.
So, I really can’t make up my mind. I was ready to spend 10K on the C1s, but unexpectedly liked the full-size 340s. I’ve never had a full-sized speaker before. But if I really liked the 340, I can’t help but think that the Sapphire would be just incredible. If only they would let me audition it!
Sorry for rambling. ;)
Any input would be appreciated. Anybody familiar with the Sapphire and either the 340 or the C1s, and could provide some meaningful comparisons?
(I'll be driving all these with a Krell 300 KAVi, listening to mostly acoustic/classical music at moderate volumes.)
