VAC amps and Focal Grand Utopias at $195k a pair

Hi Dev,
If you had "flew to another country" to listen to the Grands, why not contact Fplanner2000 or other Grands owners (such as Albert Porter) to see if they'd be willing to accommodate a listening session for you. BTW, I know neither of them. Or at least contact a dealer that can give you a demo in a proper setting for as long as you want. At that level, even if you want a couple of days to demo, I'm sure there are many dealers around in the country that you can fly to. I do not understand the reason you want to base your $180k purchase decision on the sound(s) that you hear at the shows.

For all I know, most rooms at the shows never realize full potential of the systems they are trying to show. Hack, my humble home system sounds better than a lot of them.

Hi Kzhtoo,

I did ask Fplanner and met him actually at the show but he did not offer for his own reasons and avoided me throughout the 3 days of attendance but that's okay I really don't care.

I have actually heard these speakers prior on a few occasions over the past years but never with the same Vac gear that I have nor with Solution. I'm not a newbee to audio and wasn't looking to be floored listening to them at the show but ..... If you read one of my last postings you will read I actually heard a pair in someone's home after the show, the designated room was very well done but poo poo on the sound again - I heard allot of similarities as I have already voiced. I prefer both my MBL 101E's and my EA MM3 speakers by far and even that Grand owner did when he came over. I spoke to Brent of Vac who has set these speakers up a few times and got his input, I told him what I wasn't liking and he responded honestly. I spoke to the man behind the Focal's with specific questions even pertaining these two set-ups and he also provided his response.

I have asked Fplanner to provide in detail outlining what his system does in comparison to the show set-ups but you can see that didn't happen.

I have no further interest in these speakers and have moved on, don't even comment on any threads when I see postings but when a posting is directed to me I will.

Dev you are finding out that just because people spend a lot of money on equipment that it does not guarantee good sound. This person may actually love what he has which is great or he buys what reviewers talk about bad. If he was a confident person he would not have avoided you at all. I use to own ESP speakers for years and some of my friends thought the speakers were rolled off in the highs. It did not bother me because I loved them as they sounded like music and not hi fi. That same friends sound was one I did not like lean in the midrange. I did not tell him because I didn't think he could take it. I saw one time he was selling his amp and preamp with his number listed. I said I saw you are selling your stuff and he denied it right to my face. He did not want you to know he made a mistake in the first place. Can you imagine this guy if you were married to him with important matters to take care of. This is a hobby were we are always learning and having fun. Go figure

JWM - If you are talking about me, your "conclusions" are flat-out wrong. I also don't care what Dev does or thinks - it is not my job to convince anyone of anything. It has absolutely nothing to do with confidence in my system, which sounds great, by the way. As far as who comes over to hear my system, that is no one's choice but my own. To presume anything at all from that, as you seem to be doing, is totally ridiculous. Any VAC gear I may have sold previously was to upgrade through the VAC line. Again, not sure how much of your post is directed at me, since I don't think we've ever met. Your lies and false conclusions about me really have no place in this thread, nor anywhere else. Totally counterproductive.

If he was a confident person he would not have avoided you at all.

How did you conclude it's lack of confidence? Is it possible they just don't like each other? Different personalities?

I don't know Fplanner or Dev and never met them so I will not speculate without facts.