Focal Sopra Nº1 / Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature Review

[@LuxAudio389]

I love this review. You guys brought a knife to a gun fight. Lol The Sopras are masters at imaging, seperation and disappearing. The decay is quicker than their rivals because their drivers are tailored made in house. Very little goes on in the crossover because everything is tailor made on sight. I own the No 3's, Sopra Center, and Kantas No1 in a 7.1 config. I was going to get the 802d3 in the same config and they are totally different speakers. As for your music choices. It's your music, your money, and your speakers, so always have fun and enjoy it. It's amazing that you can play rock and metal on a high-end system that otherwise sounds compressed and noisy because the lack of dynamic range of the system. But that all changes in a properly set up high-end system. Then the music gets unfolded with virtually no compression and inmersive detail with seperation, fast snare and kick drums being fleshed out with life and bass. Guitars and vocals then are also perfectly imaged. Forget about the staunch Audiophiles. Lol No one is ever happy until they buy what they want, but trust me, everyone is always peeking over the fence. Lol

[@bencosturbz7755]

Certainly have boughy a inife to a gun fight in especially in the price aswell 2.5k vs7k

[@philipgardiner2003]

Excellent review and conversation. Thank you. I bought a new pair of Focal Electra 1008 BE's in 2021 for half the price of their original asking price of $5,999. I have them paired with a Hegel H90 (for it's warmth), streaming Tidal through Bluesound Node 2i. Cardas Parsec speaker cables enhance the entire presentation. I have the Bluesound connected to the Hegel via a high-end proprietary coax cable vs RCA to take advantage of the superior DAC in the Hegel. The 1008 BE's are sitting on a pair of custom Sound Anchor stands= no sub woofer needed and the sound stage is impeccable.

[@SirMountainpass]

Add the SW1000 and the overall sound quality moves up a level or two...

[@chasehatton3691]

It mainly comes down to whether the choice of most top music studios i.e Bowers and Wilkins is to your liking or not. Some might very well prefer a more colored and tuned sound as with the Focal. For me, clarity and true fidelity to the original recording is crucial. Hence Bower and Wilkins any day over the Focal.......To me fair , Shane would have been better served comparing the 805 d4 with the Focal Sopra 1.

[@SirMountainpass]

For me the Sopra 1's all day - especially if you add the Sopra SW1000 to the party☺

[@stevenoconnor5693]

Love my 705 s2

[@Maxime-ho9iv]

I discover your channel, nice job guys. I like this kind of format, i.e. to compare speakers side by side. It’s really the way to do it. In the same vain, I would suggest you to compare the Focal Sopra 3 to the B&W 802d3. To me, even tho they are priced similarly, the Focal is so much better, particularly in the highs, which are both more refined, more detailed and smoother at the same time. Also, the foundations are way more solid, it’s like you can feel them anchored to the ground.

[@kevinwest1607]

Focals are beautiful ❤️

[@rafaelruiz-tagle358]

I really love these reviews and comparisons. Thanks so much for posting them! As for me, even if you are tight on the money I say……… You only live once, right? Imagine hearing better sound for the rest of your life. In that perspective, $6000 extra isn't so bad. :-)

[@OCleirigh1776]

Great point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@telelaci2]

This is a silly argument sorry to say. 10k is 2.5x more than 4k. They are not in the same category. Today ... 2 yrs later ... you can buy 705 Signature (not S2 Signature) for 2000 EUR/pair and this Focal is still about 8000 EUR/pair , its 4 times more than B&W. With your logic we could say that, don't you buy VW Golf GTI Clubsport for 60,000 EUR, but buy a Porshe 911 GT3 RS for for 240,000 EUR, and you won't regret it. I think the price is an important parameter, except you are a millioner.

[@doublet147]

I enjoyed the video and assessment of the speakers. Keep doing these. Did you do a frequency sweep on both speakers? I think you should do more of these reviews. Especially in the entry/mid-level. It would be good for individuals that want to test the audiophile waters. They can start to hear what they have been missing.

[@82ivaylo]

I will take a Focal speakers over B&W.

[@valterspelar]

Megadeth Sympathy for Destruction sounds good on the 705s2. Never tried the Sinatures or Focals though. Nice video!

[@JoaoSilva-nm3us]

Well, after all we are comparing 2500€ speakers (B&W) with 7000€ speakers (Focal). There should be no challenge.

[@klaymoon1]

Great video! I think now it’s time to include Magico A1 in the comparisons! :)

[@therealshanelee]

I've put a request in. We'll see what happens.

[@klaymoon1]

@@therealshanelee By the way, Magico needs a fast and stable amp. It's not how powerful, rather how well the amp behaves around 2 ohms and a hair under.

[@marckant3611]

Excellent review!

[@jameschant2740]

I've heard the generic version of the 705 S2 series and that was an amazingly good speaker even in a big room. It has super performance for a deceptively small speaker. So if you're working with budget consciousness in mind then the B&W 705 Signature, a significantly better speaker than the one I heard, might be the better choice than the Focal. If budget considerations allowed it then Focal Sopra will rock your world like you wouldn't believe, so go with that speaker if you want the better one. The tweeter was described on Thomas & Stereo's KZbin channel as having performance detailed like very fine sand versus a jar of marbles in many standard tweeters elsewhere. I couldn't agree more with you guys at Spare Change that these Sopras have a low end as solid as a rock with a middle range is totally spot-on.

[@therealshanelee]

Thank you for stopping by 🥂

[@stevenoconnor5693]

I own the 705 s2 signatures may be improved but not that dramatically to the price difference. I’ve heard both.

[@stevenoconnor5693]

Nothing generic about the 705 s2 lol great speakers. Much better than generic

[@JJJ-dz1he]

805 D3 is one of the best Bookshelf speaker worldwide and sound very differently than any "French" speaker which all tend the same I mean some kind of bright sounding... I'm French so...

[@robovirtuoso1354]

and the 805 d3 costs much less than the Sopra. The beryllium tweeter is expensive I guess. The cabinet of the Sopra doesn't look like it's much more expensive to make than that of the 805 d3.

[@JJJ-dz1he]

@@robovirtuoso1354 Maybe however I don't understand the various range within Focal... Their high-end are the unaffordable Utopia range... So to me the Sopra and Kanta are way overrated and overpriced regarding their true value...if i have to come back to one French speaker brand it would be Cabasse All the way... And perhaps some Triangle in the Magellan range instead of any overpriced Focal... My 2 cents 😉

[@robovirtuoso1354]

@@JJJ-dz1he yes that's also what I was trying to say. Sopra is overpriced. The 805 D3 is at least as good sounding, at a much lower cost.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

Best bookshelves? LOL! The have crazy treble boost with the top end jutting out like sore thumb. The Sopras on the other hand are very neutral speakers.

[@kaelmedia8693]

Great video, love these with you both :) Haven’t heard the Focals so can’t say, would love to hear them! Would be cool to see how they stack up vs 805 D3.

[@therealshanelee]

That was the original plan. Maybe next time.

[@nakamuraamon3154]

Had both focal kanta w/sub and 805d3 w/sub.....what i can say is both had great treble.....as for male vocal i prefer bowers more but for female vocal i prefer focal more.........

[@kaelmedia8693]

nakamura amon Awesome! So basically just need the both setups and swap depending on what we are listening to. Problem solved😄👍

[@ryanstanley2985]

Focal sopra is another league, you got to compare with B&W 805 d3 or now d4

[@lboogie9362]

Nice video bro. I think focal make some of the best speakers in the business

[@dawaniali]

Nice but why there is no sound demo ?

[@zeroice00]

I think I see a Dynaudio Contour in the background of the Audioholics version of this video? Any chance we can get your insight on the differences between the Focal Sopra 1 and the Dynaudio when it comes to sound?

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

Shane calling him Mick is so money. Like they went to high school together ❤

[@fredfungalspore]

What you call the wrap around affect is that what they call sound stage ? I was looking at the 805 D3 But breaking news B&W are releasing in August in my country a New B&W D4 Spoke to importer said different looking speakers and better specs But ??? As usual more expensive I hope you can grab a pair and review Yours in fine Music

[@kortam6065]

the kef reference 1 will blow them outwater in terms in soundstage depth and width,bass, mids.

[@slyfoxx8540]

It's coaxial. It's not gonna beat the sopras for soundstage width.

[@tehgman2]

Liked how mentioned specific song and talked about how they sounded. I would also appreciate a list of the song you listened to. Do you also listen to modern hard rock variants. Any Soad, staind, bring me the horizon? This is more what i listen to and no one ever seems to mention this type of music.

[@dman7776]

Would you rather have sopra 1s with a pair of subs or kanta 2 towers?

[@therealshanelee]

Sopra 1s

[@dman7776]

@@therealshanelee Can the Sopra 1s with subs be made to sound full like the Kanta 2's? Or am I still missing some low-mid freq?

[@omarseneriz5577]

Both amazing speakers, one would have to be seriously nit picking. Most people would never know the difference in quality.

[@frankgyure3154]

Good review. But yo be fair to B&W 805D. I have the 805 but with Kevlar. I’m in the process of revamping my audio/video (please notice I did not say Home Theater). I’ve had my 805 for 15 years and I don’t know if I want to start the profile of new speaker searching. Looking forward to your review with different amps. Do you have any tube amps. Too bad you can’t get your hands on a B&W 805D. Thank you.

[@frankgyure3154]

“To be fair the comparison should be with the B&W 805D.

[@techsamurai11]

Have you upgraded?

[@dajikbatarang1]

Too bad they didn't send you the 805d3. That would be a much better matchup

[@therealshanelee]

Maybe next time.

[@IronCan88]

Damn, $4000 for a pair of 705? I paid $4000 for a 7 speaker Focal Aria package (includes 926 pair, 906 pair w/stand, center, and surround pair). I prefer the focal over B&W as well due to sound stage, air, and separation.

[@martinmbokazi8372]

The Focal Supra No. 1 costs £6500 and the Bowers & Wilkins 705S2 Signature costs £2800. The price difference is £3700 which is massive Therefor not a fair fight at all

[@therealshanelee]

It's mentioned at the beginning and end of the video.

[@martinmbokazi8372]

@@therealshanelee My apologies

[@richarddegannes2928]

Hello, How do you compare these Focal Sopra No1 to KEF Reference 1 for 2.0 or 2.1 stereo? My listening room is 19ft long x 13ft wide x 10-14ft high and opens into another room that is 13ft x 13ft. Thinking of pairing either speaker models with a Hegel H390 Integrated amplifier. I am also open to any suggestions that you might have? Thanks.

[@therealshanelee]

Focals all day. Just my opinion though.

[@richarddegannes2928]

@@therealshanelee Thanks for reaching out. Will these Sopra No1 need a subwoofer?

[@therealshanelee]

@@richarddegannes2928 19ft room is big. I'd add a couple REL's.

[@richarddegannes2928]

@@therealshanelee Thanks, much appreciated.

[@richarddegannes2928]

@@therealshanelee Any major difference between Sopra No1 and DIABLO UTOPIA III COLOUR EVO speakers? Value for Performance?

[@Novilicious]

Nothing beats MLS. Shane, see if you can review the Impression 9’s. 2 steps below the 13s, but at 6K per pair, I think that’s the deal to beat!

[@therealshanelee]

I was thinking about it today actually.

[@Cooliewhistles]

Can you point out to which martin logan speakers you are refering to in the video that you like?

[@therealshanelee]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mV6TiqObhdaMfJY

[@Cooliewhistles]

@@therealshanelee I was hoping it wasnt the 15k ones lol

[@snootz]

In your unboxing video for the Focals you also had the center channel, but there was no mention of anything home theater related in this review. Should we expect a separate review video focused solely on the Sopras that includes your movie performance thoughts?

[@therealshanelee]

It's gonna be on Audioholics

[@mohmadalkabi6803]

I like your videos bro

[@ffdfdfdfdfdfdfdf]

how do they compare to arendal

[@yippie6862]

As of 2022 the Focal's are 3 times the price of the B&W's. Three times! $4000 vs $12,000.

[@therealshanelee]

Unfortunately

[@toddstyles7194]

Gee the 10,000.00 Focal better sound a little better. I paid 1600 for my 705s.

[@WimHulpia]

Heard the B&W's in a shop nearby. Didn't like them at all. My Focals at home sound way more realistic & detailed. Soundstage much wider. I guess Focal has an advantage of making the drivers and cabinets themselves. The cabinets of the focals look more expensive as well. The B&Ws look like cheap cubes. For me it's always Focal.

[@stevenoconnor5693]

Honestly you are more of an analytical listener vs a live performance listener. In many cases based on many variables those fine details are lost in live performances even if you’re sitting up close or near a performance. It’s more natural to miss details in a live performance if you’re going for being there. If you’re just trying to be analytical then you’re looking to hear everything. That being said there is also the variable that no live performance is exactly the same in it’s entirety. There could be subtle to substantial differences. I respect your method but charts would be good. Going for that live performance well that will never happen realistically even with Martin Logan’s or any brand. Too many variables beyond just the equipment. Certainly won’t hear all finite details.

[@oscillatingdailyaudio]

should be using the 805D3's not the 705's for the comparison

[@therealshanelee]

It was addressed at the start of the video just for you.

[@stevenoconnor5693]

The capacitors different. Tweeter is the same

[@robertdawidczyk8804]

Hi chaps with all do respect you actually compare wrong set of speakers Focal's should be compare with B&W805D4 rather than B&W 705 This is completely different league Complete waste of time gents....

[@therealshanelee]

I'm sure it's addressed in the video.

[@rationalcapitalist]

My guess is that the room would have a bigger impact on how the speakers sound than the amp would.

[@therealshanelee]

It would be a factor for sure. But I do have several amps on hand to compare. To say an amp would have less of an impact over the room would be incorrect from what we can hear.

[@doublet147]

A room CAN create an impact. However, I would assume/trust that he tested these speakers in a somewhat 'neutral' environment. If so, certain specific amplification will be noticeable/measurable by the human ear on both sets of speakers.

[@deankim6687]

Focals don’t look very sophisticated IMHO.

[@ralex3697]

Not a proper comparison

[@generynkewicz4871]

Pop music? Seriously? Disappointed. Check out Natalia m. King. Bluezzin t'il dawn.

[@therealshanelee]

Disappointed in what? Elaborate.

[@sgandrew]

Disappointed in not falling in line with “audiophile” type music? Go to an audio show and hear the same type of music for days on end? I listen to everything on my 805s, and when I demo anything from Polk to Wilson. It’d be disappointing to ignore whole types of music. Listen to what you like, standard or not

[@GeoffParsons1469]

So your choice is the right one?

[@robovirtuoso1354]

Snob audiophiles

[@paulhenner8914]

Americans have difficulty pronouncing words LOL...................They are Focals................NOT............Fo - cals

[@therealshanelee]

I guess your the one saying it wrong. They pronounce it Fo-Cal. We're not talking about camera lenses here.

[@billwoolcott4932]

Let me guess...you're British...these are French speakers so expect you would know the proper pronunciation...SMH