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Focal Aria 936 / Elac Adante AF-61 / Von Schweikert VR-33 , impressions, thoughts?

Thinking of upgrading my speakers and in the past have just gone with what I thought was a great deal, sometimes that worked, more often it did not!

Have a shortlist right now of those 3 speakers.

Focal Aria 936
Elac Adante AF-61
Von Schweikert VR-33

Presently using Triangle Altea ESW speakers.

What am I lacking right now? Possibly some lower bass, the Triangles are superb in the mids and upper registers but you can definitely tell they are  a little limp below 40hz. And at the end of the day even though I consider them to be fantastic speakers, they were after all only 2k brand new so there are likely better options out there to consider.


So thoughts and impressions on those 3 speakers or any serious contenders in the same sort of price bracket, I am looking at used examples only so think 3k max.

Will be driving them with an Ayre AX-7E integrated which I will NOT be changing anytime soon (famous last words I know!)

Thank you
uberwaltz
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Well the 936 arrived and in system and definitely not quite what I was expecting, yet at least.
Kosst and any other actual owners, if you bought new how long break in did they need?
These are new so obviously not sounding their best but I have not found the speaker house sound to change drastically with break in.
Right now they sound very closed in, bass is loose, vocals and acoustic guitar a little wooly. 
They look good though.... Lol.

Somebody give me words of hope here!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,910 posts
 
If your Triangles sound like mine (Titus) only bigger and better I’d think it over carefully before parting ways.

I added a sub to mine rather than part with them because they do what they do very well and would be hard to replace.

If you are heading in a different direction totally in terms of the sound you want then more power to ya.


uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Mapman.
Early days on the Focals yet and yes there is a good reason the Triangles had bested much more expensive speakers in my system. They would probably do better with a tube amp though as always been very forward in presentation but not fatiguing if that makes sense.

Right now the DeVore Gibbon 8 are #1 of the 3 pairs here. They just do not do anything wrong or call attention to themselves in any area. Polite was one remark,I may just say they pass along the music without adding any further inflections.
But as I said very early days on the 936, they need more hours for sure.
contuzzi
413 posts
 
Get at least 100 hours on them.  They should also be pointed almost straight out, barely any toe in at all.
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Interesting.
My last pair of Focal Chorus 826v worked best with some serious toe in for my room. In fact since then nearly all speakers have sounded their best in here in roughly same position with same toe in. So that is how I plonked the 936 down.

Will have to play more with the toe in tomorrow.
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