I have never heard the Focals. When you say faithful reproduction, I assume you are talking about timbre (as oppose to sound staging and imaging) - which I think B&W does pretty darn well. Some of the most timbrally accurate speakers I have heard are the Merlin VSMs which may be in your price range used. They are not bass killers, there is some small sacrifice there, but very accurate and realistic in the mid-range. I would say the Thiel is in that camp too, very accurate timbre and revealing, resolved speakers. You are at a price point where there really are a lot of good choices. What if any dealers do you have in your area where you might be able to audition? Thiel has relatively wide distribution, Merlin, not so much, and while they can play with most any amp, they really do need tubes to show their stuff, whereas Thiel almost requires SS to be their best.
