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Am I the only one to opt-out on the Sopra 2's?

I home auditioned a pair of broken-in Sopra 2's for over a week (Clayton M 100's and Naim 272 pre).  I began by loving them but then gradually found them fatiguing.  Then I noticed that I'd been making excuses for them when high notes became painful and the sound stage seemed blurred.   So I tried Dynaudio C1's, also broken in,  and everything was suddenly better.  I ended up with C2's  and could tell a difference even when they were not broken in. All of these speakers were auditioned with a REL subwoofer.  In the end, I not only disliked the Sopra's, I disliked them a lot.  All the Sopra reviews seem to be generally favorable.  I know I'm probably in a minority, but in my system, the Sopra's were a failure.  Its been suggested that my reaction was because I was  used to the Dynaudio tweeters in my Merlin VSM's, but I think it was more than that.  Anyone else have a similar experience?
hinde
kclone's avatar
kclone
680 posts
 
Well, the Mac 452 is very powerful, so how could that be the issue?
stevizzy's avatar
stevizzy
114 posts
 
Before I purchased my Sopra no2's, I auditioned them at Overture in DE using a Hegal then a Macintosh Integrated amplifier.  They were in 2 different rooms, each well damped and setup properly.  I wasn't impressed with them in the smaller room using the Hegal.  Later I decided to give them another listen in a larger room with a big Macintosh Integrated.  There was no comparison.   I purchased a pair on the spot.  These speakers need room to breathe.  
I often see pictures of owners listening rooms with Sopra2's pushed up against the wall, next to a large TV.  UGH!  I guess the WAF won and the speakers lost.  
My setup also has a Plasma between my Sopra's but the speakers are around 5' from the wall behind the TV.  My room is 28' wide so sidewall reflections are pretty much not a factor.  That gives them room to bloom and couple to the room.  
They are also sensitive to crappy electronics.  I'm using a Simaudio 700i which is very smooth and powerful and  it's a great match.
Also, my speakers took forever to break-in.  I lost track of the hours but they are currently 1 year old and have finally settled in.
Nice speakers......I plan to hold on to mine for quite some time which I've never done with speakers before.  

toneranger58
134 posts
 

Dwhite, I assume your speakers are new and the dealers speakers had many hours on them?

I have had mine 8 months and they continue to improve. I have about 250 hours on them. After the 1st month they started to sound like the pair I auditioned at the dealer (well over 400 hours on the demo pair). They need time to break in and they do like to breath. I also have the Simaudio 700I now, a perfect match.

I expect my Sopra's to improve with more hours, up to 400 hours I have read.

Don't be concerned, give them some time to settle in.

crouse99
44 posts
 
dwhite11, if you haven't, connect the Focals to the 4ohm taps.  If that doesn't help, go with the 2ohm taps of your amp.  If that doesn't work, you may want to consider something like the DSpeaker anti-mode.  It will give you the ability to boost the bass.  Although it is anathema to many, I like having tone controls for just this sort of situation.
dwhite11
3 posts
 
Guys thanks for the advice, my speakers are brand new so I should give them a little time to break in before I panic.  Crouse99 the nominal impedance is 8ohm, but I'll try the 4ohm tap and let you know if it changes the sound.  
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