You've heard a decent array of speakers, and the fact that the Focals spoke to you as strongly as they did -- well -- that doesn't always happen so you may very well have your answer. If you have a ProAc or Joseph Audio dealer somewhat nearby you might give them a listen just for reference, but it really sounds like you can't go wrong with the Focals. Trust your ears. Speakers do what they do, and you'll find upstream electronics that will make them sing. Best of luck in whatever you decide.
5-10k budget... so many choices
So its that time of year where I get to combine my tax return and annual bonus. I am looking at stepping into the world of hi-fi and the more I research the more questions I have. I am mainly looking at creating a 3.2 soundstage for 50/50 home theater and music listening. I originally started out with a budget of 5k but after listening to step ups I am open to increasing my budget to ~10k. I have listened to the B&W 702's, 804's, 803's the GoldenEar Reference, the Focal Kanta 2's, and Martin Logan 60t's. After listening I was quickly able to eliminate the ribbon style of the Martin Logan, as for the GoldenEar's and the lower B&W's I was impressed with the accuracy and composure of both speakers and could have otherwise been quite content but it all changed once I heard the Focal's and 803's. I truly felt them, they gave me that indescribable goosebump feeling and I dont know if I can go back. So far if I had to pick one, I would hands down go with the Focals, but since I am starting from the ground up I want a speaker that can grow with my setup. Initially I will be using a Marantz 7012 AVR but will eventually add either 2 channel or dual mono block amplification. At any rate I was curious what other speakers in this range give that feeling of experience and presence, the goosebumps. Ideally I would like to be able to incorporate a center channel and dual subs but at this point I put more priority on the quality and clarity of the towers as they are the stars of the show. Anyway I appreciate and thank you for any feedback and ideas.
Cheers
Cheers