JM Labs, Focal Diablo Utopia VS. Micro Utopia BE

I was recently lucky enough to be in a studio with the VTL Seigfrieds running the new Grande Utopia running a original reel to reel tapes from the tape project. The most awesome thing I have seen in audio or most music, Music wasnt really my cup of tea but hearing Vocal that sounded almost like I was 10 feet out in the concert and the singer was singing to me

Also I am very curious about my earlier question is should note the original Mini Utopias retailed for 8K during a time of in which we had Pre 9/11 relationship with france along with oil being near half what it was at the time IE: 1999. The micro Utopia BE came out if memory serves late 2000 or 2001 when oil had a lower cost and the dollar was worth much more. They retailed for the same price but the micro utopia offered you a larger cabinet and a dual angled woofer design. Now I know they spent all the money on the new Berrilium Tweeter but lets be honest they spent a ton of money on there old tweeter its why Wilson used it. This is more of a curiosity about just at what point you no longer save money by buying foreign or when your dollar is stretched further by either getting a better product with better customer service or when an american company has made a distintively better product for a price to to either the slipping of the dollar, International freight, or they just offer you so much you cant say no.

Thanks again Toby

Oh I should give a better Review it deserves that.

The vocals seemed more than lifelike and aimed right at me with the most seamless form of integration i have ever experienced. It truly had reached a point where the system was no longer there and I was at the show with a far better PA than they have at any show ive ever been to. It really made me feel like if I had about a million or 2 to throw into a building built that well and who even knows how much $$$$ in equipment 180K for speakers, the Seigfrieds were 40K. Finally I have been shown that there is a point you can go beyond it sounding great and being there. it would be far worth it as oppose to always saying I will never put more than 15K Into it.

Very few things in life are ever done that well and to witness such a thing is a true joy that we should all be lucky enough to witness throughout life (Ideally seeing more good things happen for people in need than absolutely amzing circuitry) But I can say it was one of the most eye opening jaw dropping moments in audio for me. Not since in my fathers system A conrad Johnson Premier 11A replaced a MV52 have i been that shocked. His system has gone far far better now, but still to this day it is the biggest audio "Upgrade" I have ever been witness to.

By the way the room was set up by Bob Hodus and the tapes were provided by The Tape Project. Just to give credit to the awesome folks who put that together.

I don’t know what the Focal stands sold for back when the Micro Utopia BE’s came out, but according to the Tone Audio write-up, the MSRP for the Diablo stands is $2,000. That might be a contributing factor why the Diablo’s cost is so much greater than the Micro Utopia’s. My Micro Utopia BE’s are on Sound Anchors that sell for a third of the price of the Focal stands. I’m in the market for Diablo’s nix the stands.

In regards to the excess of building costs, I live in northern CA. where the permits up here are literally as or even as much as occasionaly 180% of the job Literally, I also was over exaggerating in figures of building prices.

But wow was that one the most awesome non-sexual experiences I have ever had. It was awesome and I dont want to sound like an audio nerd on this one but it was just simply jawdropping how well the music flowed through, I can only imagine what it would have done for music I like (Im not that into "Audiophile music")