Thanks to all who responded to my original post. This is my follow up to let those interested know how it all worked out.
So, the thought of selling these monster sized Legacy Focus speakers filled me with dread, so I decided to do what I had to do to make sure I had given them every chance. I shopped for larger amps, big Krell's and such, a very expensive option. I did some reading on my Forte' amp and it seems to be a well respected amp for its overall performance. So I kind of hated to part with it as well. In the mean time I refurbished a pair of old '80's Bose 601's. they were laying about and I figured they deserved the attention and I could always use the money. So, once I had them all redone, with improved drivers and new crossover, they sounded great driven by my Forte model 3! I mean, surprisingly good! Oh sure, the highs were not as smooth and the bass not as low as my Legacy's, but pleasing to listen to none the less. I've always held the opinion that the amp is what you are actually listening to, the speaker just allows more or less of it through.
I mix sound for a local rock band in my spare time, and it gave me a great idea! I shopped for, and bought a PA amplifier, a Crown XLS 2000. A modern class D amp that makes 650 watts into 4 ohms. (The Legacy's are a 4 ohm load) and I bi-amped my Legacy speakers. Purchased some beautiful locking banana plugs and and gold plated spade lugs, added them to a few lengths of 10 gauge Monster speaker wire. Something I can live with for a while until which time I buy some nicer wires, and honestly, they turned out so nice that I may never replace them! They are driving the lower half of my Legacy's, so the last minute detail may not be that critical. And I have kept my Forte amp driving the top halves of these behemoth speakers.
So, just about a few hours ago, I threw the switch, put in one of my favorite CD's (Brother Cane, their first album of the same name) and I gotta say, WOW! Of course, with a combined wattage at 4 ohms of 1025 watts per channel, one would expect a bit of difference. It's louder, oh my God it's a lot louder! But that is not what I was going for, I was looking for that zing, that emotional connection to the music, that purity of soul and to let the heart sore, to let the blues jerk a tear, to immerse one's self in music.
So, it's only been a few hours and I've only played a few albums just yet, but overall my initial impressions are success! These speakers really sing! The bass is real! Like being there, every instrument blended into the whole, buy easily discerned from the mix when you want to pick it out. Top end so smooth, and pure, again very realistic. None fatiguing even at incredible volume, and still full range even at minute volumes. It doesn't get louder or softer, it gets bigger and smaller, like moving forward and backward from the stage.
I've never had a great deal of soundstage in this room, that could very well be too much furniture, not being able to pull the speakers far enough into the room, but it's not bad, and better than it was before the bi-amping. Or it could be just the visual impact of these giant speakers, it's hard to not know where the music is coming from with these beasts in the room. But there is a great deal of information swinging between them, as they are 10 feet apart. I may experiment with moving them closer together, and farther from the end walls, that could help snap then into focus. But all of that stuff is academic. We are talking about the finer details here, but there is a limit as to what placement and tweaks can accomplish, you've got to be fairly happy with what you started with in the first place for any of that to matter. And so far, I'm elated! My very first hunch was that these Legacy Focus speakers were under powered, and quite often first impressions are correct. Oh, they did not sound bad driven by the Forte alone, my son in law though they were the greatest thing he'd ever heard! But now I'm very happy with how they sound, and I'll reserve making any more changes for the next three months, to just see if this impression lasts. I have a feeling it will.
