Legacy Focus SE or Magico A3

david_ten +1 1

Let it be known that price does not equate to performance, except at the high end. To better the Focus speakers, I’m looking at $50-60K for Von Schweikert VR55, Einstein and Luminwhite Kyara (also all high efficiency speakers). The Focus will save you big bucks now and can be used with most good amps. As to CD players, I have two, a $6K EAR Acute and a $150 souped up Pioneer DV05 DVD player (twin lasers) which has 6 big new capacitors and a high end A/C cable. The Pioneer sounds 98% as good as the EAR. Shocking. Just ask Oregonpapa about his unit. So, it’s not so much about the cost as it is in the execution of the product and the equipment’s complementing each other. I don’t know about your Anthem equipment sound, but you have a good analog front end. Even Focus SEs used are about half price and probably just as big a bargain.

From a personal perspective, I would not own a Magico speaker and probably not a Wilson. I don’t care for their sound and power needs either.

I auditioned Paradigm's Prestige 95F and found them to be too "brassy" and lacking in the lower end bass. I also auditioned a variety of speakers including the Elac Andante AF-61s, the Goldenear's References, Focals,  B&W 804s and 803s, the Magico A3s, and  ended up ordering the Magico A3s. I have not received them yet. I did not considered the Tekton Double Impacts, despite reading numerous positive reviews, because of aesthetic and size considerations.

I belong to the "old school of thought" that believes that the most critical components in an audio system are the transducers: the speakers that produce the sound, and the ears that receive it (unfortunately, there isn't much that we can do about the later). 

I would not own Tekton Double Impacts because it is noted in reviews that it has a small listening area.  I often have guests (including my wife) and I want them to enjoy the music as much as I do.  It is one of the reasons I sold my electrostats and bought the Focus and Signature IIIs