Hello everyone
Anyone using them with Naim equipment? 300DR maybe ? or tested them vs Sopras?
I was thinking to add a NDX2 to my set up but a session with Scala Evos made me think about upgrading my speakers… unfortunately I could not listen them with Naim equipment…
Hi emrei
I have Scala Utopia Evos powered by 300DR > 552 => NDX 2 > Melco => Rega Aura phono > Rega RP10 tt (with SL throughout).
I originally bought Focal 1028 but did an ‘accelerated upgrade’ to 1038’s then Scalas over a several week period as I slid down the slippery slope of getting back into music. So I haven’t specifically heard them against sopras as i jumped over them, but those I know who have sopra 2’s, love them.
Fwiw, I heard B&W 800’s powered by Krell monoblocks with an NDX 2 (with XPS), in a close to perfect dealer listening room recently, and it wasn’t even close to the clarity, transparency and bass control of the scalas with my current set up as above (note without additional PS for NDX 2).
I also have Isoacoustics Gaia Titan Theis feet on the scalas and imo they are a ‘must’ upgrade, at only 3-5% of the scala purchase price. Youtube the comparison with and without videos from Munich Highend 2019 and it best illustrates the material difference.
Fwiw it’s not possible for me to be happier with the scalas, they produce a sophisticated three dimensional sound stage, they are deeply, emotionally, musical, and you regularly feel that you are transported into the musician’s playing space.
As always of course, they will be sensitive to the system setup, but at least one knows with the new focal ranges that paired with Naim, they have been tuned/voiced to reach their very best likely potential.
I heard these at the Naim factory, driven by a 500 system, and thought they were dreadful. Great for hifi pyrotechnics, with sounds being thrown out of the mix in a ‘wow, did you hear that?’ kind of way, but the music was disjointed and unnatural. A great way to impress your mates, but for a relaxing session listening to music, no way. Unless you can try them at home for a good long time, I’d give them a wide berth.
HH i think we heard the Maestro version which is £14 k dearer …than the one the OP wants. What we heard sounded very poor, so i agree with your advice the OP needs to listen.
All I know is that they cost £28,000 and my SL2s, which I paid £2,000 for, are infinitely more enjoyable to listen to. Everyone’s tastes differ and the OP may love them.
Agreed. Sad part of that day that was the those speakers stood out for me, rather than more positive things.
Evo 3 is 28k€ I think they are the ones
Hello thanks for the elaborate response, we have the same setup more or less, you have the eco 3 right? I already watched the video and read on stereophile about them, looks interesting.
I was keen on a NDX2 but now I am more keen on flipping my sopras with evo 3
I will use cd555 as a source and also have a AK sp1000 which is a mini streamer that can make me happy for Tidal use till next year
How big is your room? Is the 300dr good match in your opinion?
Regards
Current model Evo (3) yes, the room is approx 45 sqm - and the 300DR for me anyway is a beautiful match, though I’ve not heard a 500DR with them.
I heard from a dealer that they also found them flat on first hearing them at the Naim factory, but when they installed a newly delivered pair a few weeks later in their (ie the dealer’s) listening room, they were like a completely different speaker, and they described them as holographic and transcendent.
It’s a description I wouldn’t argue with in my very different room, and while I know their description sounds like they were selling me, I already had mine so it wasn’t a sales push.
Hi I use the sopra 2 with my 300 dr n it’s still sounds better n using a oppo 205 as my cd transport n I use a project evo 10.1 turntable with n I’m very happy with it I’was using it with a supernait 2 dr previously n then the upgrade thing kicked in very happy at the moment 
enjoy
@anon4489532 Nigel - I’ll have to get you over to my place one of these days (I’m not too far from Emsworth) and give you a chance to hear some Focals in a domestic environment. You might even be tempted to agree that Naim and Focal can work well together 
I’m up for that!!!
I wonder how the evo 3s compare to my Sopra 2s
@anon4489532 - ok. Do you know how we can communicate privately eg email? I don’t think the new forum has the messaging facility of the old one.
If you are on Facebook, just search for hungryhalibut.
I’d be interested to see how you get on with this. I, too, have only ever heard Focals in Naim demo systems, and these have invariably been a big turn-off. Keep us posted!
Oh please do then perhaps we can put and end to the relentless Focal-trashing from a certain quarter😴
@anon4489532 Nigel - I wasn’t on FB but registered today in order to find you but despite many attempts my search on FB for hungryhalibut drew a ‘no results found’. Being newbie to FB it might be me, of course, but I’m having no success. 
BTW - apologies to the original poster @emrei for this distraction.
Have just had a go.
Just to come back to your original post. I have Sopra 2 speakers and run them with a 252/SupercapDR/300DR fed from a mixture of LP12 Klimax, NDS/555PS and NAT01 and other equipment and love them. OK perhaps it’s my room, my ears but they work for me. As per usual it’s always best to trust your own ears at the end of the day. Oh and they’re fed from an SL loom.