From B&W 804 D3 to Focal Sopra 2?

My overall impressions are mixed.

I did an in-depth analysis on Focal’s years ago, and have been watching the reviews and measurements ever since. My impression is that Focal deliberately makes their speakers either "hard to drive" or "scale with amplifier." Two terms that mean the same thing.

Both the B&W and the Focals also suffer from odd off-axis oddities which limits the sweet spot.

If you want the best out of any Focal speaker you should be prepared to get a sturdy amplifier. I’m not sure how the Anthem will fare honestly, it may be fine. I am with James though that you should consider Revel and Monitor Audio as excellent counter points that are easier to drive and will give you a wider listening window. They are also going to sound somewhat laid back at first.

Otherwise, I think that the B&W and Focals each have their quirks and I don't see switching these speakers as much more than a lateral move.  IMHO, keep what you have for now and switch to something your ears tell you is a real positive improvement.

Thanks James, Erik. Good food for thought. I don’t think I’ll get those Focals after all.

Sounds like you’re looking at the Focals out of convenience/availability more than what they can do for you sonically, and there are many other excellent options out there.  What’s your budget and are you looking for new or used?  Alternatively, if you otherwise like the 804s you could add a couple good subs and that’d solve your bass issue. 

I don't know what B&W models you auditioned, but I have never heard them described as weak in the bass! I am speaking solely of the Diamond series, though. 

He is using the 804d3, measurements of the 804d4 below (note newer model so could be different). They measure pretty lean and sounded that way to me with lots of sibilance (strong “S” sound probably due to that 5k peak). I find the entire B&W line light in the bass with the exception of the 802 which was ok and the 800 was enough…. But I put a very high priority on bass and honestly can only be happy with subs these days so YMMV. 
 

Eric makes a good point that flat speakers like Revel might sound a little dull to you at first so demo stuff for sure. But after a few days/weeks flat will probably sound fine once you adjust. However If you like the 804 and just want more bass, subs are the answer. 
 

There are lots of good speakers in this price range so I would read up and then demo.