Legacy Focus SE or PS Audio FR20

As for testing with my Plinius, of course that would be ideal but virtually impossible given the amp is 35 years old and unlikely to be found in any listening room

@aheydorn  Is there a Legacy &/ or PSA dealer withing a reasonable distance. You could take your amp to the dealer and try it there. As for the speakers my only input is that I have Silverline Sonatas which are 93.5 db efficient. My Conrad Johnson MF 2500A  250wpc didn't sound  as good as my Latino Dyna ST-70 with my Silverlines. Maybe it was the tubes. Maybe 250 wpc is much more power than the efficient speakers need or can use adequately.  IOW,itI was not getting the full benefit of the 250 wpc. It overflowed like pouring a gallon of water into a pint jar. It could be that your 175 wpc would make the PSA's sing better because their  87db can use all the goodness from the Plinius. This is a laymen's observation and thoughts about it.  Also Maybe Call each manfg and pose the question to them.

I have the Focus SEs also. I paired them with a complete Legacy system. Marquee Center, Phantom Sides, Deco Rears along with 4 of their Foundation Subwoofers. I also used their IV Amps. An IV:5 for the Center/Surrounds/Rears and an IV:2 for the Focus's. Bill came to my house to repair one of the subs that was damaged by the freight company. He personally worked on it (he was a master woodworker back in his younger days) for a couple hours before telling me he didn't like the "match", so he took it with him back to Springfield. While here he adjusted my system. All I can say is I have spent a lifetime hunting my perfect system. Well, I found it. I absolutely love it, and so does everyone that stops over to have a listen. If your ever in Ohio your welcome to have a demo.     

@nitrobob ,

where bought in Ohio are you? I’m Tipp city originally (20miles north of Dayton) and visit family many times per year coming from West Michigan. 

@aheydorn looking over the specs for both PS and Legacy speaker models you chose in your post [and pairing with your amplifier], and simply looking at efficiency, you might want to compare the two a bit more here to get pairing ideas.

One is 95db, the other 87db, and both are 4ohms - a starting point to consider when pairing with your existing amplifier being able to control multiple speaker drivers. One other thought to share if you are serious about either speaker/models -

Legacy Focus SE or XD? - Let’s say if you are choosing the Legacy brand, and you want to stick with your amp now - maybe look at the other "XD" model instead, not the SE. The XD version offers an internal subwoofer amplifier to drive the large woofers for you. Your older Plinius 8200 amp would only need to drive the mids/top end driver duty vs all of it. Might be outside of your stated budget, but worth noting in any case.

PS Audio - I have a feeling if you call PS and ask Paul, they are going to want you to buy one of their amps to most effectively drive the FR20s.

After looking over the specs, I’d recommend not considering either speaker brand/model until you try them with your amp first, and then hearing them with a proper amplifier designed to power and control either of these speakers, imo.

Best of luck on the search.

I'm also interested in speakers from Legacy and PS Audio, though probably slightly smaller models than those being considered by the OP. I haven't been able to demo any of these speakers in my home so I've been stuck with reading reviews and viewer comments for now. I noticed that Tony Cordesman, the highly regarded audio reviewer who passed away much too soon, had reviewed the Aspen FR30s (though not the FR20s) in 2022 and the Legacy Focus SE in 2011. 

In Cordesman's review of the FR30 in TAS, he stated "the FR30's midrange and high frequency sound quality was the best I've heard from any speaker to date." 

He went on to say "The FR30 can give you bass that is at least as good as any single integrated reference speaker I've ever heard." That sound is dependent, of course, on having the right room and careful speaker set-up.

Although Cordesman's review is focused on the larger and more expensive FR30, the FR20 has the same planar magnetic high-frequency and midrange drivers that Cordesman raved about in his review. In terms of bass, the FR20 is not the equal of the FR30, but both speakers apply the same design principles and produce bass that blends extremely well with the planar magnetic drivers in those models (according to owners and reviewers).

The Legacy Focus SE also garners lots of praise from owners and reviewers, but it uses a version of the famous Heil AMT for the upper frequencies instead of the planar magnetics used by PS Audio. I'm sure the current version of the AMT is better than the original one, but I have to confess that my experience with AMT many decades ago was not very positive. I originally purchased AMT-based speakers based on the clarity and detail of the AMT, but my experience with listening fatigue and frustration with the poor integration of the AMT with the cone-based drivers also used in those speakers led to replacing the AMTs after only a few months. I'm hopeful that the current AMT drivers are much improved, so I haven't dropped Legacy speakers from my possible audition list.

I must admit that both the Legacy and the PS Audio Aspen speaker lines have positive and negatives for me in terms of size, weight, and aesthetic design. I like the fact that the Legacy models are available in a range of woods and finishes, but they have more of a vintage vibe than I'd prefer. Although the Aspen lines have more of a sleek modern design, it's not necessarily my favorite modern look in a speaker. 

I'd love to be able to have home auditions as an option without having to purchase the speakers first - but that isn't likely to happen. I guess a factory listening session would be of some help, but it's a 4-hour drive to get to Legacy in Illinois and a 12-hour drive to visit PS Audio in Colorado.

I should probably just stop complaining and go listen to some music on my 32-year-old Thiel speakers. 

@aheydorn Good luck with your speaker quest!