Legacy Audio


Does anyone have any impressions of the speakers from Legacy Audio?

I want to purchase a set of two front speakers for stereo music listening only. I listen to a wide range of music types but lately have been on a classic rock kick. However my classical and opera library has to sound good also.

I am concerned with two things - first and foremost sound quality. Second, the speakers need to look nice as they will be going in an area that my wife wants to "look nice". A friend suggested I look into Legacy Audio.

I've only seen their web site and have not had a chance to actually hear their speakers, but I have to admit the web site is impressive. My budget can accomodate up to the FOCUS 20/20 speakers they have, but I would be interested in trying out some of the lower end ones as I'm not sure if my ears will detect the difference - hopefully I can get to one of their dealers one of these days to listen.

Any impressions would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone has any other suggestions for my needs, that would also be very useful.

Regards,
Peter
petequad
I own the Focus 20/20 in the Ribbon Mahogany finish. They are a very musical speaker with excellent dynamics, bass, and vocal reproduction. Some say the highs and therefore, ultimate inner detail is not state of the art. Perhaps this is true, but I don't regret my purchase one bit. If you are not looking for a "hi-fi" sounding loudspeaker system, then this one might be for you.
I have owned a pair of Legacy Signature III's for a little over a year. I upgraded to Sig III's from a pair of Dunlavy's before that company shut down. I have found the Sig III's incredibly satisfying on every level. One of the aspects of Legacy speakers that is most immediately obvious is their excellent bass response. But as the recent Stereophile review of the Focus 20/20 reveals, bass response isn't the half of it. The Sig III's do very well with female vocals and acoustic guitar tracks, which are particularly important to my musical tastes.

My Legacy dealer tells me that the drivers for the Focus 20/20 and the Signature III are identical, aside from the Focus' 12 inch woofers compared to the the Sig III's 10 inch woofers. The Focus provides higher quality internal crossovers, but otherwise the speakers are very similar. For that reason, my dealer has advised me to look to the Whisper as a future upgrade, rather than stepping directly up to the Focus. What I'm getting at here is that you're not at all out of line in considering Legacy models that are lower in the line relative to the Focus.

Regarding your question about "looking nice," the cabinets (mine are rosewood) are rock solid and beautifully done. I wouldn't say that they're innovative in their cabinet design, though. You won't get sweeping lines or polished aluminum with Legacy. You will get traditionally styled cabinets, high quality, well matched wood grains, and precise woodwork.

Having recently secured budget for some system upgrades, I audiotioned a few lines of speakers, but concluded that I am so content with my Signature III's that I'm going to have to look to other aspects of my system to find what I consider to be an upgrade in sound. I could get into the details, but this post is already too verbose.

Happy hunting. Don't rule Legacy out without listening to them first.
I used to own a pair of Legacy Focus speakers. They were very nice, and made the Classics sound like they were under water. Despite their very efficient ratings, you will need a high current amp to get the best and tightest bass out of the 3 huge woofers. They also need a bit of room to sound their best.