JM Labs, Focal Diablo Utopia VS. Micro Utopia BE

also to ask another question, While the price of labor is less expensive in Asia, at what point does it become more cost effective to buy American VS Foreign

I personally am building a system based on
Conrad Johnson, Parasound, and am thinking of a Modified PS Audio DAC, and a velodyne HGS 18

Mainly because I live in California and parasound and velodyne are less than 2 hours away and the DAC is modified in Southen California somewhere. CJ is of course CJ (cant go wrong). Thanks for your time and look forward to hearing some heated arguments along the way toward either side.

I was recently lucky enough to be in a studio with the VTL Seigfrieds running the new Grande Utopia running a original reel to reel tapes from the tape project. The most awesome thing I have seen in audio or most music, Music wasnt really my cup of tea but hearing Vocal that sounded almost like I was 10 feet out in the concert and the singer was singing to me

Also I am very curious about my earlier question is should note the original Mini Utopias retailed for 8K during a time of in which we had Pre 9/11 relationship with france along with oil being near half what it was at the time IE: 1999. The micro Utopia BE came out if memory serves late 2000 or 2001 when oil had a lower cost and the dollar was worth much more. They retailed for the same price but the micro utopia offered you a larger cabinet and a dual angled woofer design. Now I know they spent all the money on the new Berrilium Tweeter but lets be honest they spent a ton of money on there old tweeter its why Wilson used it. This is more of a curiosity about just at what point you no longer save money by buying foreign or when your dollar is stretched further by either getting a better product with better customer service or when an american company has made a distintively better product for a price to to either the slipping of the dollar, International freight, or they just offer you so much you cant say no.

Thanks again Toby

Oh I should give a better Review it deserves that.

The vocals seemed more than lifelike and aimed right at me with the most seamless form of integration i have ever experienced. It truly had reached a point where the system was no longer there and I was at the show with a far better PA than they have at any show ive ever been to. It really made me feel like if I had about a million or 2 to throw into a building built that well and who even knows how much $$$$ in equipment 180K for speakers, the Seigfrieds were 40K. Finally I have been shown that there is a point you can go beyond it sounding great and being there. it would be far worth it as oppose to always saying I will never put more than 15K Into it.

Very few things in life are ever done that well and to witness such a thing is a true joy that we should all be lucky enough to witness throughout life (Ideally seeing more good things happen for people in need than absolutely amzing circuitry) But I can say it was one of the most eye opening jaw dropping moments in audio for me. Not since in my fathers system A conrad Johnson Premier 11A replaced a MV52 have i been that shocked. His system has gone far far better now, but still to this day it is the biggest audio "Upgrade" I have ever been witness to.

By the way the room was set up by Bob Hodus and the tapes were provided by The Tape Project. Just to give credit to the awesome folks who put that together.

In regards to the excess of building costs, I live in northern CA. where the permits up here are literally as or even as much as occasionaly 180% of the job Literally, I also was over exaggerating in figures of building prices.

But wow was that one the most awesome non-sexual experiences I have ever had. It was awesome and I dont want to sound like an audio nerd on this one but it was just simply jawdropping how well the music flowed through, I can only imagine what it would have done for music I like (Im not that into "Audiophile music")

I agree completely, I also have to give them credit as all hell in sake that the higher you go up the tougher it is to properly integrate. I feel like it couldve come through a bose wave radio and sounded awesome LOL ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration but maybe not, id be willing to bet a system put together for 3K plus RTR would smoke most SACD and Vinyl based system going into the 50K range, Its MHO but wow was that awesome

Much respect to the tape project

I was there and the amount of time they put into it and the considerable cost (I cant fathom it) not to mention the fact that How many people go out and buy a reel to reel? I dont own a record player, I want one but after losing and loaning all my favorite cd's I gave up and moved to ripping them in AIFF. I swore Id never do that. But look at MFSL I just did as I was starting to get motivated and $60+ an album 100+ for CD's. Im happy playing back good old crappy CD Digital as best I can as I cant really afford the gear I have but I kind of manage it, not really I sold my CJ Premier 11A and my Mcintosh MVP871, My pathos integrated (My girlfriend liked it, she really wanted me to buy the 3 watt shanling IPOD Player, I compromised Darn WAF) and am actually kind of stoked at getting to rebuild my system from the bottom up. Anyway I got off subject but I respect them as I dont think there killing it but hopefully they make a new niche and bring down the price over time as the market goes up. I know Id kill to get a ton of "Live" Zepellen but as I said I cant afford which is why theres very few non classical/jazz SACDS