Thank you for the replies, hope you do not mind a collective response?
The Sopra 2 are a revealing speaker, (their try to disappear into the background but do like to let you know they are there) but do suffer from poor delivery (given what it is fed) and in my view not only show up poor recordings ( a lot) but poor front end also. I have had Vitus and DAVE DAC in here so know where these speakers live and breathe, they need feeding, a hungry beast :-)
With the 130 driving the tweeters they are too active/on, its off-putting, but this will calm down through run in.
Vocals on the 130 are very very good, not Vitus, but very close IMHO, a good sign. Listen to Tommy 96/24.
Bass is better, but I have SAM at 100% to get any reasonable punch/drive, but it is pretty good. The bass though sits a bit to high up for me.
Joined up, I feel the Devialet overall has a nice foot tapping groove, bit too much on the highs, bass feels it is just about playing the game properly (a bit Rooney but come on be better please), wish the Sopra tweeters would calm it all down a little, too revealing in conjunction with the rest.
NOW, if the 130 dug out the same levels in mids/lows as the highs are, well ....... maybe thats what the 440/1000 are doing.
Early thoughts ..... too rich in the highs, but overall given price etc not too bad at all :-)
EDIT : Looking at Vovox cables and ElsdonWolfor speaker cables (testing) as TQB just weren't working for me, too much dullness, but neutral more than NACA5 as comparison.
Just listening now while a few beers in and turning the volume up it feels like it is all falling apart a little at higher volumes, not as joined up. Apologies I hope this come across as intended and a neutral viewpoint :-) And I am only 2 days into owning/listening also....
The Sopra 2 are a revealing speaker, (their try to disappear into the background but do like to let you know they are there) but do suffer from poor delivery (given what it is fed) and in my view not only show up poor recordings ( a lot) but poor front end also. I have had Vitus and DAVE DAC in here so know where these speakers live and breathe, they need feeding, a hungry beast :-)
With the 130 driving the tweeters they are too active/on, its off-putting, but this will calm down through run in.
Vocals on the 130 are very very good, not Vitus, but very close IMHO, a good sign. Listen to Tommy 96/24.
Bass is better, but I have SAM at 100% to get any reasonable punch/drive, but it is pretty good. The bass though sits a bit to high up for me.
Joined up, I feel the Devialet overall has a nice foot tapping groove, bit too much on the highs, bass feels it is just about playing the game properly (a bit Rooney but come on be better please), wish the Sopra tweeters would calm it all down a little, too revealing in conjunction with the rest.
NOW, if the 130 dug out the same levels in mids/lows as the highs are, well ....... maybe thats what the 440/1000 are doing.
Early thoughts ..... too rich in the highs, but overall given price etc not too bad at all :-)
EDIT : Looking at Vovox cables and ElsdonWolfor speaker cables (testing) as TQB just weren't working for me, too much dullness, but neutral more than NACA5 as comparison.
Just listening now while a few beers in and turning the volume up it feels like it is all falling apart a little at higher volumes, not as joined up. Apologies I hope this come across as intended and a neutral viewpoint :-) And I am only 2 days into owning/listening also....
Focal Sopra No2, 130 Expert Pro with CI upgrade, Melco N1A, TQ Black USB, EWA LS-XXV SC, Atlas Isolated PSU, Ethernet CAT6 via Netgear switch. Melco LAN and Player CAT6.
