Pre/Power or Integrated for Focal Utopia Scala?


Hi, been shopping around for quite awhile but would like to get more ideas from you guys. Budget is about $30k+.

Primary music is classical, jazz and trance. No vocals. Key emphasis on dynamics and tonality. I am not particular about soundstaging and so on but expect a degree of detail.

I have tried these few brands:
- Chord
- Spectral
- Karan
- Goldmund
- Passlabs
- Jeff Rowland
- Plinius
- Octave

Each has some plus and minus.

- I find Goldmund power to be very good but not convinced about their pre-amps which can be abit dry. In comparison, Spectral and Karan are abit heavier and have their own tonality.
- I also liked Plinius power amps but their highest end pre-amp has a performance limitation (though good for the price).
- Chord's pre was good but the power abit strange. Not the last word in aggressiveness but good otherwise.
- Octave, as a tube, is missing the low end bite of solid state and not that expressive.
- Passlabs and Jeff Rowland are abit slow for me.

I intend to give Gryphon and Orpheus a try and perhaps ASR.. hope to have some other recommendations.
quest88
any of the vtl amps preamp/ amps combination is also very good with focal speakers.
i use the sigfired ampsand the 7.5 preamplifier with the g.u em.
Mceljo: Any idea what the Krell you heard was paired with in terms of cabling? Interesting choice as I've not heard the latest Evo series.

Anyway, Scala is indeed a good speaker but I now kind of feel I should have considered the Maestro.. no end to this. :)

Guys, will take Gryphon, VAC, VTL into my list for audition, thnks. LAMM was too slow for me.

Anyone have any idea on Audionet?
I don't know for sure, but I'd be surprised if it was anything other than Nordost and likely mostly Odin.
Consider the Micromega AS-400 integrated. It was used with Focal Utopias at several shows receiving high praise.

I have spent much time with the AS-400 and can tell you it is a very impressive unit.
You should try Accuphase.
I have a great experience with Accuphase and Focal Electra.
For what I know the amps in the Focal's factory listening room are Accuphase.