I did Gary, although i didn’t realise who you were until after the event and the group photo was posted… Agreed, as good as it was, i could think of better ways of spending 100k + but it did remind me that i’ll probably end up with Naim bits occupying my racks again in the future. It’s a brand i’ve spent most of my adult life owning and it does what it says on the tin. I suspect a 272 replacement will be the catalyst for a move…
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It was only on the long drive home that it sank in that…the ND555 could not really be compared to the other streamers due to SL cables, a 552/500 combo. So i was a bit underwhelmed with the final nd555 session…a few more listens, and a great dealer demo, sealed my fate. Hope you are well.
Gazza
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Looks like you got to a good place. Nothing compares to having the kit in your own home with no pressure - the best way to make the final decision. You’ve ended up with a lovely system. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to meet up again. I was interested to hear more about your motor industry days - something for another factory visit 
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Quite frankly i don,t miss my motor industry days. I pop into the Ford research centre now and again, but they have closed the office functions at Brentwood and moved them into the research site. Powertrain is being developed for Europe out of the U.S to make room for the office people( except diesel)…they are betting on EV,s I guess.
Well out of it.
But to be fair…nobody is made compulsory redundant, great pension scheme and i had a great time working around the world for them. Times are changing.
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That fantastic person came to my house to install my Sopra 2s - excellent coup,e of hours!
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I don’t get this bright bit - perhaps it’s because I’m nearing 60 and my top end has dropped to 12 kHz or less but having owned more speakers that I care to admit ( including TDL Studio 3s, Epos 14, 25, 30s and Ovator 6s) the Sopras really cut the mustard. Sitting here listening to a rebroadcast organ prom courtesy of Cameron Carpenter at this very moment via my NDS/555PS DR, I’m more than happy. Not at all bright and the midrange and bass are spot on. Yes, for Organ and when I’m older I might be looking at a pair of those larger than life Spendor Classics but more than happy right now ta!
Classical is my medium, not ear bleeding pop so perhaps these are perfect for solo guitar, quartets and at the far end 64 ft organ pipes.
When i used to be into car audio, I ran a Focal set up in one of my cars so was quite used to the ‘open’ presentation that comes with the Focal range. I’m late 40’s with no noticeable drop off in frequency range but i did find the bright, forward sound of the Focals in the Naim demo room to be a bit more ‘in your face’ than i’m normally used to at home. I just didn’t think the whole system gelled as it should at the price. The lower end Naim / Focal combos work nicely, the high end not quite the same. Richard mentioned the demo at Munich which seems to buck the trend though.
My dealer did warn me that the old Naim demo room was not great…hopefully now much improved, and perhaps some of our comments on the day are not appropriate any more?
The problem with the old dem room was that just where everybody sat was exactly where you would get quite some wide sound variation. So you had to choose your position carefully. Just behind the second row of sofas in the centre was a bass null point that was definitely to be avoided!
My unDRed 500 drives the Sopra 2s beautifully. Much better than the 300DR did at the time.
Phil
I heard some very large Focals with external crossovers at Munich last year, also with ND555 and Statement. They played an orchestral piece but it didn’t sound like an orchestra on the first public day. It was better on the next but still without a great deal of appeal. You reckon it was better this year?
I wasn’t at Munich last year so couldn’t say. I just know what I heard this year. It may have helped that i got to hear the system in the evening after the show had officially closed for the day. However, it was far and away the most convincing demo of the bigger Focals that I’ve heard.
I’m not going to say anything directly negative about the speakers as it’s really not helpful. It’s odd though that this demo was the most convincing, and that so many are unconvincing, and so many are unconvinced. It’s rather damning them with faint praise. Perhaps there is something in the design that makes them hard to match to the room and/or partnering electronics. Clearly there are quite a few people very happy with them. Obviously they are designed to work in real rooms rather than hotel bedrooms and boardrooms and maybe that’s where the issue lies.
If we do get another Forum visit it would be great to leave saying yep, those Focals are the dog’s bollocks!
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Well last year the Kantas with NDX2/202/200 were preferable. How long do they get to warm the systems up at the show?
They may well have just finished the big speakers in time for the show last year, the presentation was in German which I don’t have more than a few words of so I don’t know if anything was said about their vintage. If they were still running in that would explain some of it.
I may have access to trade day (via my Schröder dealer) if I go again but maybe that’s not such an advantage.
I only noticed that cross when browsing through my photos. I didn’t notice it during the visit.
No need to swear old boy!
We’ve been there before end of 1977 when the Pistols album cover was displayed in Virgin’s Nottinham branch and the police took offence to said word claiming it violated the 1899 Indecency Advertising Act. John (Rumpole) Mortimer represented the pistols and the case was dismissed. Unless you’re referring to that other word ‘Focals’
Thank god for that young fella to the left and another in the back. They help to bring down the median age of the group. 
Talking about the Focals, I genuinely don’t understand why so much dislike/hatred towards them? Even more than that which B&W get. I have a pair of Focal 716v at the end of my Nova and really enjoy the music. I have been thinking of upgrading to a pair of under £7k speakers and dont dare to look at Focals because of the bad reputation they have.
It may be best to listen for yourself than be influenced by the Negative Nellies who think only their systems are the right ones.
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