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Focal 1038 be VS B&W 802D : mid-range

Hello there,
If you were to choose one fine loudspeaker based on its sweet mid-range, Focal 1038 be VS B&W 802D, which one would you choose?

In the past I owned B&W 804n, its sweet mid-range very much impressed me. I am in love with B&W mid-range Kevlar unit.
However the 804n is getting old (almost 11 years). it's time to upgrade.

"W" cone is what Focal names it mid-range driver
while B&W uses Kevlar-based driver. Any one with personal experience with these two speakers? Real world comments are very much welcome.
narut
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,830 posts
 
"I wish I lived near a Focal dealer, the times I have heard them they sound VERY clear."

That's because they are VERY clean/clear sounding. Its that French sound, similar but not the same as Triangle. Its in protest to the old classic British/BBC monitor sound, which is much heavier. That old French/British competition thing I suppose.

Most popular US made/designed speakers are more over the place and in the middle but tend more towards that clean, crisp French sound as a whole I think.
rgs92
974 posts
 
It's funny, but a couple of people I conversed privately
with about other speakers that received a lot of buzz
mentioned out of nowhere that they really loved the 1038s in
auditions or at home.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the orignal JMLab Utopias,
which I loved at shows and never found fatiguing or bright
despite the Focal titanium tweeter? Are the 1038s like this
also?
Thanks
stevizzy
108 posts
 
My 1028BE2's are broken in now and I've changed my CD Player to a new Moon Neo260D.

I couldn't be happier and I'm so glad I auditioned the B&W's, Triton and Focals using several amps. The 804D required a lot of power to sound good and had to be played much louder than the Focal. I like the French sound, it's detailed and polite and sounds great from background level to quite loud.
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