Check our review and lossless wav-samples here: English: alpha-audio.net/review/review-marantz-model-30-en-sacd-30n/ Dutch: www.alpha-audio.nl/review/review-marantz-model-30-en-sacd-30n/

@jasonlow7802

3 жыл бұрын

No more...

WOW I truly appreciate the quick shifts between the speakers! When longer clips are demoed and the restarted the differences aren't as easily recognized! B&W or FOCAL for the win imo. The towers were muddy and flat.

@philipnel8471

11 ай бұрын

For me the FOCAl are a bit forward sounding if that makes sense as if the Vocals are pushed forward?

@bikemike1118

11 ай бұрын

The B&W sounds a bit more congested regarding vocals here …to my ears

@williammeincke9071

10 ай бұрын

@@philipnel8471i agree i hear the same

Those Focals OMG amazing!!!

Great video and sound!! Specially the adele track. Listened to many times before but not with this level of clarity. The B&W sounds great.

Those Focals are firecrackers. It sounds like those Dali are playing through a pillow sometimes, and seem a little lifeless. Focals and B&W are clear winners. Focals are easily the most fun and engaging of these speakers. Now you guys have me wanting to get the Focals with a Yamaha 1200 and claim victory!

The Vocals just pop in this video. Beautiful

What a great video keep up this good work. Focal is my taste

Focal and B&W different league. Amazing video. Thanks!👍

Sound comes alive with the Focals.

Impressed by the Focal Sopra!

The B&W's grew on me. I'm not a fan but they had their merits. Surprising. Great vid... lovely amp

Firstly kudos and admiration for the impeccable presentation. Seamless changes, they take hours to complete, sound recording excellent, even the posters complete a perfect video. To my 66 year old ears the Focals produce a more room filling sound than the rest and great clarity. The Dalis come close and the Bowers try their best. I listened with an ASUS Sonic Master lap top. Many thanks.

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for these kind words! Glad you like the video!

@stuclark5081

Жыл бұрын

Yep, I second that, huge amount of work.

Beautiful sound from Marantz Model 30!

@tomwebb7091

2 жыл бұрын

@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 lol no chance you must be lieing.... Yamaha boring, flat, no dimensionality. Marantz has actual harmonic colour and very 3d staging. Even the AS3000/3200 are laughably bad sounding.

@peterprimes497

Жыл бұрын

@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 Yamaha is 50% more expensive so it should beat it somewhat

Focals sound amazing with this combo.

@AmbientWanderer

3 жыл бұрын

i agree

@ivandragicevic6786

3 жыл бұрын

@@AmbientWanderer the best combo

@polyho4903

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, Focals's bass stronger than B&W 805!

@robladw2332

3 жыл бұрын

@@polyho4903 Yes these Focal are real fire crackers without being overly bright. They have pep, energy and are easily the most fun and engaging of the bunch. Dali lack energy and seem to be muffled by a pillow sometimes in comparison. B&W seem to be reaching to hard to be pure audiophile and analytical while they are better than the Dali they lack the enthusiasm of the Focal everywhere except in the top end.

@geraldhilderink5686

Жыл бұрын

I don’t like the focals in the combo.

This gives a good idea how each speaker sounds off-axis. It really doesn't suggest what they would sound like at the listening position with speakers in an equilateral triangle with the listener in a chair.

Super video, very enlightening, thanks! Focal is the clear winner for me.

Thanks for your reviews, it is really helping me to chooce maybe lucky ticket for my next audio journey trip! :)

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome. Thank you for the kind words.

Awesome Video ,such a treat ...

Focal Sopra n.1 !! Very Nice !!

Excellent review, thanks. Focal is very interesting and surprisingly better.

Very beautiful set up ! Thank you !

Crispy and tight with those Focal`s - clear winner here

Dry nice comparator video, cleverly edited. Well done. Floorstander Dali are obvious choice. Better balanced even if rather crisp.

Dali warm, classic sound. B&W bright and crisp. Focal forward sounding.

@mctapia12

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly

@michaelmasztal7871

2 жыл бұрын

The Focal seemed to be the most dynamic, but I'd probably get fatigue listening to them for a long time. I prefer the Dali. B&W ain't doing it for me.

For me it is clearly Focal. Really very good. The Marantz combination with the Focals, that's all I need to listen to music really well.

Wonderful... thi is the propper way to compare speakers.. Thank you.

Most bass and authority Dali...most energetic and analitic sound Focal

Excellent job, guys, thank you! My favourite is 805 D3, but Focall surprised me from the first tones. I think Focall sounds after a while little bit too crispy, BW might be better all-rounder, but probably calls for some bigger power-station :-) What about the same comparison with the new Michi series ;-) Once again, thank you, very professional and unique comparison!

Listening in 2024❤

by FAR the best abc demo i've ever seen for speakers. I used to do this frequently with wires. too fiddly with speakers, making this all the better for me! Focal in this system has to be the best, B&W need very forward wires (which i happen to have in my 803D setup. Sadly, the Dali pales in this setup, added bass sounds very tubby and not tonally accurate. GREAT DEMO! Kudos!

I have come back after a year from first viewing this video. My system is pretty neutral, allowing me to discern differences, in the "better system" comparison videos such as yours. I remember that "around 1000?" Integrated amp shoot out, and how that Primare unit showed out in a most outstanding manner! Having said all that, these "newbreed" Marantz units paired with the Focals are knocking the ball out of the park! No contest, IMHO. Again, nice job, and thank you.

@TheAlphaAudio

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome!

Brilliant video. Focals for me.

Focal is the best of the best. Hands down. 😍🤩💖

Very nicely recorded comparison

Subd. Thank you for these videos. Although not a complete audition it really helps with understanding which speakers to audition in person.

@TheAlphaAudio

Жыл бұрын

That is the idea. Thanks!

Focal Sopra tiene un increíble performance en voces

B&W’s were nice and crisp, warm but but also slightly tight 🔥🔥🔥

I liked the small Focals.

Wow, Focals sound so much better than the others. They are good, but Focal i s on another level.

The B&W 805 D3 speakers have a clean and clear vocal. The mid bass is fast and tight; plus, the high sparkles with details. They do seem to lack some bass (mid and low) especially at the lower region compared with the others. The Focal Sopra No1 speakers have a more pronounced and forward vocal characteristic. They sound warmer than the others. The bass punches low but doesn't sound as well defined as the others. The Dali Rubicon 6 has the tightest bass and can play much lower. The mids and highs are linear; however, they lack just a bit of finesse in the vocal compared with the other two. Personal opinion: sound wise, I prefer the B&W > Focal> Dali.

Focals sound so li(o)vely!!

Congratulations for the video! Great way of comparison!! Dali and focal seems to have a more balanced frequency response. B&W lack of bass?

Focals aint focking around, they are easily the best souding ones here, and everywhere else. That tweeter... that tweeter...

them Focal's though... jeez they sound good!

@nijo6480

3 жыл бұрын

True. In the past they were called jm lab. and back then they were already the best speakers i ever heard. But today they still sound as one of the best. Neck and neck with sonus faber.

I wasn't certain that I'd hear much difference, playing through a PC with AudioEngine speakers and DAC, but the FOCAL's shone. They offered more detail, more brilliance, and a greater vibrancy. I own B&W on my home theater and was a bit biased until I finished all three tracks. Focal was my choice, followed by the B&W.

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it!

The Focal always wins these comparisons. There's a reason that they're Alpha Audio's reference speakers, because they can't be beat.

The Focals are a combo of the other 2 speakers ,but I like the B$W also but not as much as those Focals!!😍😍

The test session of the marantz model 30 amp and above across the spectrum!!!

I also like the Focals combo

Excellent sound tnx.

After listening to the whole video I think I prefer the vocals! ...and again, congratulations for the amazing comparison

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome!

geeze - maybe it's me, not looking to spar with anyone - but I'm just a bit surprised at the affection for the Focals in the comments - awesome speaker, every model they make, but my ears are telling me the Dali's are the most natural of these 3 - Actually, I agree completely with Nike Husk's comment and based on what I'm hearing, I'm buying the Rubicon's. Thanks for posting - excellent vid and great comparisons!

Thanks for video. Found you through your audiogon post. Have to check out Dali's--not a name I'd heard before (I live in US).

I always loved B&W and grew up with them. But as I was experimenting with Dolby A tweaks I've learned that air adds some extension and binding. The focals do that clearly in multiple demo's. Would love to try them on my set.

I can't believe you could actually hear the difference thru youtube. But agree with others, the Focal sounds amazing.

Focal super vocal.Dali best for disco 80 years.

Focal is very musical but in don’t have any idea if it’s going give listening fatigue after a long listening hours. I was a B&W fan ( I still have them) until I purchased TAD S1-EX. Only thing I own from Dali is a subwoofer so just like Focal I don’t have any idea. Thanks for such a wonderful upload.

thanks for your nice test

TOP JOB!! Fantastic video, this is exactly what so many of us actually want to hear. Because hearing is so subjective ‘this’ enables us to actually mane informed decisions due to you excellent recording equipment & techniques! For me personally the 805 D3 was a clear winner because I hear the proportionate pronunciation that makes them far more realistic. I hear the Focal with consistent forward vocal but lacking a mid. The Dali I hear a lovely warm tone but very little definition & no real presentation in the voice. But I could only pick all that ‘blah blah’ out due to your packaged presentation. To everyone else it’s ‘blah blah’ but to me it has enabled me to make a 100% decision on a few things. I went away after initially listening to this & then returning to comment & subscribe. While away I found my perfect match, well, 1 of 3 😂. Great job. My decision is Bowers & Wilkins 805 D3 with MICHI X3. I would like the P5 & X5 but budget……. If I had to compromise I would go 705 S2 with ROTEL RA-6000. Only saying all this in case it helps someone think about a pairing they may not have thought of…… But basically your video enabled me to decide on a speaker, & if I couldn’t match it then I have a good compromise. I didn’t know what I was looking to ‘hear’. Now I do. So thanks! Please do more of these with a speaker pair & different amps, although I know it’s a huge amount of work to put all that together.

@TheAlphaAudio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks man. Glad we can help!

I did blind ABC test and I knew exactly when Focal Sopra is playing.I didn't know that it is Focal until the end but I liked it a lot more then other two. Dali and Bowers are hard to distinguish but both sounds compressed against Sopra.

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for trying!

I like the sound of BnW. Clear n punchy.

It really depends on the pairing. In this video the majority liked the Focal Sopra best, in other comparisons videos it was the 805. What was really interesting was how inferior the tower sounded. I have heard people saying they preferred the simple 2 way 805 d3 over the 800 series towers which were supposed to be steps up in the range. Towers vs bookends would be interesting.

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

We are going to do that pretty soon

Those focals are insane the shimmer of that hi hat and tambourine combo . You can’t hear on the other two.

Very interesting comparisons indeed. Also the concatenated clips works VERY well for 1st impression (in our busy world). Only one thing that makes me think: the microphones (the ones in the centre of the picture are the ones recording it, are they?) seem to record at quite a large angle, ie quite off axis, presumably for better channel separation, but that would be at the cost of accuracy in frequency response.. so, in the listening examples the b&w sounds v nice, but their frontal presentation might be .. rather well lit...?

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Yes... The mics in the shot are for recording. And they are off Axis, but they are also close. So the high rolloff is negligible in my opinion.

@gioponti6359

3 жыл бұрын

TheAlphaAudio - thanks for info! That makes sense.

Dalí the best sound !!

By Far de Focals. Jeetje wat springen die er uit zeg. Die zijn echt awesome. De B&W klinkt continu "bedompd" .. ik weet niet hoe ik dat moet zeggen. Ze sprankelen niet.

Focal -excelent...

I would live to try the 805 dang !

Beautiful video. Very good set up I can appreciate the sound with headphones. What are the name of the songs you have played?

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! You can find all the songs in the description of the video.

@altabriziyehya4735

3 жыл бұрын

Love song - ADEL

Very Nice 💕

in my opinion is the BW Nr. 1, then focal and then Dali; maybe it depends on the music; the both compact speakers do I like more

Zelfs ik als B&W “fan” moet zeggen dat de Focal echt heel lekker klinkt! De B&W lijkt iets neutraler en minder spannend te klinken en lijkt wat fundament te missen, de Dali klinkt in vergelijking niet open in het midden en hoog is nogal terughoudend en het laag is nogal prominent en lijkt niet zo strak, ik zou t graag een keer in het echt willen horen. Bedankt voor de impressie.

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

De Bowers heeft ook écht minder laagfundament dan de Focal. Op elke versterker die we hebben gehad. De DALI is een andere klasse dan deze twee. Dat is hoorbaar.

I will have to say that the Focal Sopra is the win win

Hi, what difference do you find with the Bryston Pass combo vs Marantz 30?

Focal sounds good through this video . I listened through my system. Dali - heavy bass with warm sound . D3 has some issues at lower triple frequencies. Focal vocals separation very good and All rounder and musical

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

That is a very 'spot on' analysis!

@sarahX..

3 жыл бұрын

yes i totally agree with this analysis too ... immediately i especially noticed the beautiful extended natural top end of the Focal with nice integration through to the bottom

This really shows its a matter of taste when they get into this price range level. I prefer focal but I could live with the bw if I had to lol. I'm thinking replacing myml 60xt with book shelf sopra1 bc of my stupid entertainment niche I'm stuck in. Thoughts guys?

Immediately i especially noticed the nice extended natural top end of the Focal with nice presence and good integration through to the bottom... musical. The B&W somewhat shadowed in comparison and did not care for the Dali much

@darrenlomax1283

3 жыл бұрын

Dali Rubicon s are superb in the flesh.

I liked B & W's the sound to my ears is cleaner

Эту композицию Жака Лусье здорово играют АС Lando LBK-312 с усилителем Sansui AU-D7. Было интересно услышать как это озвучат полочные B&W-805D3.

The Focals just sound so well balanced and really musical!

@josephlam9161

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree

@rustypipe

3 жыл бұрын

I agree

@philipgardiner2003

Жыл бұрын

110%

FOCALS !

Wht are those orange loudspeakers ? They got me chills : )

Excelent side by side. How about put de mic infront of each speaker?

You could live with any of them, but my choice would be Focal.

The Focals shine here for me - I just feel effortlessly drawn into the music. The other two speakers emphasise different parts of the music, whereas the Focals have everything sounding just right! I just checked their retail prices - such a surprise! I was expecting the Focals to be from a price bracket above the other two!

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

I agree: the Sopra's are not cheap, but I think it's decent.

@philipgardiner2003

Жыл бұрын

Me too. I own a pair of Electra 1008 BE’s and will never sell them. The Sopra’s are on my short list when I’m ready to upgrade. kzread.info/dash/bejne/mGSBu7uFhqzNo7g.html

Focal , whitout any doubt !

Best played by Focal Sopra☝

Zeer interessante video. Het switchen van de speakers bij hetzelfde nummer toont duidelijk de onderlinge verschillen tussen de speakers. De B&W 805 en de Focal Sopra no 1 zijn aan elkaar gewaagd, de Dali valt hier een beetje uit de toon. Misschien moet er voor de Dali iets aan de opstelling veranderen?

@TheAlphaAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Vergeet niet dat de Dali 4000€ per set kost en de Sopra ongeveer 7500 per paar... :-)

Nice clear musical sound. Yamaha excel with focal.

Focal are my dream speaker....someday

@koipinliew3989

3 жыл бұрын

None of the speakers showcased here are my dream speakers.

@siqueira2005

3 жыл бұрын

Focal !! Bealtiful !!

Focal y dalí tienen coloración cada una en rangos diferentes. B&w sonido muy neutro.

Focal all day!

The one thing I have noticed over the years is small speakers lack some bass due to size. It is simply a matter of physics. The new Whardedale Linton's are getting great reviews and the comments I see is presence. It is kind of an old school design with 1.2 cubic feet. of space in the speaker. My current speakers have 2.4 cubic feet and they are big speakers. Big Speakers sound big before the wife factor took over HiFi.

Focal конечно!!!

Would like to see the Vivid S12 in this group

Focal is the best here for me.

Definitely the black bookshelves sound the best

Focal is a good association.

From this comparison alone I’m surprised that preferred the b&w. They weren’t in my face.

I`m in for the Focal`s