No love for Legacy Audio

@backdoor Okay, there are several comments about Legacy speakers which are either wrong or unusual. As a 20 year owner of the original Focus and Signature IIIs (2 rooms), they are NOT designed for corner placement with sharp angles direction to the listener. My 3 friends with Sig IIIs and 2 with Focuses have them 8’ to 9’ apart (mine are 8’ center to center) slightly towed in (2 straight ahead). One uses it for monitoring (Better Records). They are highly accurate speakers, not the ultimate in resolution, quite coherent for a 7 driver, 4.5 crossover system. They are used bargains, easy to drive, even with a 35 watt 8 ohms (20hz-20Khz)/50 watt 4 ohms Yamaha CR620 receiver.

My issue with the Focus is their flat front baffle (as well as Harbeths) which keep the sound emanating from the box; hence, the speakers don’t disappear. Also, the second problem (worse for me) is the single person optimal seating. My friends who have Von Schweikert speakers have incredible seating and disappearing speakers with all the attributes of the Legacy lower end speakers but at significantly higher cost. I intend to replace my Focus with the ultimate speaker for my listening room being the Ultra 7. Possibly Marten Parker Quintet 2 or VS Ultra 55 passive (I considered the VS VR9 SE Mk2 but it is too huge for my 20’ X 15’ X 10’ room and weighs 600 lbs each). I’m also going to audition the Aequo Audio Adamantis.

I suggest you pull your speakers out at least 2’, possibly 3’ from the wall to give it air and spaciousness. The bass needs room (this is so unlike my friend’s VS VR35 export which is designed to be placed against or with 1’ of the rear wall). Also, they would be in front of your equipment stand. Try angling them slightly (I mean from 1/4" to 2" max).

@kota is correct that room treatment would greatly improve your enjoyment. Even my living room system which is open on one side and windowed doors on the other, has front and rear thick tufted wall treatments (decorative). The Sig IIIs have that rear tweeter and disappear better.

I hope I’ve helped you. 2 pair of Hallographs would also help immensely but are costly, 2 in the front wall corners and two in the middle between you and the speakers angled toward the speakers.

As a former commercial real estate appraiser with 17 studio appraisals, I saw two pairs of Focuses used in studios for the benefit of rock musician playback and one pair in a recent photo of a large professional studio.  All pointing straight forward and not near any walls.  

I went and listened to them in Springfield, IL with my own CD with some of my favorite tracks.  Quality speaker, nice sound but not my cup of tea.

@big_greg You are correct.  The Focus speakers are made for larger rooms.  My room was specially built to accommodate them at a smaller size (those 4 wall built-in bass traps).   Just keeping them away from the side and rear walls is important and alleviates too much bass (overload).   I'm sorry Legacy, but the original Focus are better than the SE and superior to the HD (tweeters mounted in the wrong direction).  The 20/20 has a more difficult to drive low impedance (2.2 ohms versus 2.8 ohms in the bass) but otherwise should sound nearly the same.

I have a pair of Legacy Audio Empires. Although they have a large soundstage they are not my favorite for music, however they are great for movies and games. Dialog and soundstage sounds big, Tie Fighters sound like they’re flying over and passed you. With EQ to boost the lows explosions have a lot of punch too even without a subwoofer, which I was surprised considering they’re open baffle .

Out of curiosity I called them and ask them a few years ago if they have replacement components for them and they said they even still have replacement drivers for them. The speakers are 30 years old and weren’t huge sellers at the time yet I can still get some support from the company if something goes wrong, I think that says a lot about them.

I'm a Whisper owner...and they're the best speaker I've heard in any of my spaces! Pacing, detail, and proper volume of different instruments in the mix is uncanny!!!! They create a ...hate to say it...a holographic space! Oh and I have the original ones...so it used the Step One processor which serves me now as decorative signage, I've found that Audyssey MultEQ-X with REW does a much better job. Now if I went to a Wavelet 2 that may be a different story. Loving these "Dream" speakers and my sweet spot it alot bigger!