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Author Topic: "Audiophile" mastering speakers  (Read 25772 times)

crna59

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"Audiophile" mastering speakers
« on: November 28, 2009, 01:55:19 AM »
This is a first. Focal has a new audiophile speaker out now that they actually advertise as a mid-filed mastering monitor.

Focal Maestro Utopia

A three-and-a-half-way loudspeaker, Maestro Utopia is one of the most sophisticated loudspeakers produced by Focal. To get closer to the Grande Utopia EM model without resorting to an electromagnet, it innovates in the bass with the MDS (Magnetic Damping System) to adapt to the listening room. With its 93dB efficiency, its punchy dynamics and its outstanding definition, its power capacity seems unlimited. Maestro is also suggested as a studio mastering midfield system.

Price $50k

Regards,
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Puget Sound Studios
Bruce A. Brown
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lowland

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2009, 09:15:38 AM »
$50k? I'm sure they're very good, but they'd have to be really exceptional to justify that kind of price tag. If I've got my sums right that's roughly double the cost of the Revel Ultima 2 Studio 2, and that in turn is quite a bit more than many similarly sized/specced/respected passive (and in some cases active) monitors from the 'usual suspect' pro manufacturers.

Where did that price come from, Bruce? - I found Focal's website a bit obscure.
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Nigel Palmer
Lowland Masters
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MoreSpaceEcho

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2009, 12:15:54 PM »
how's the step response?
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crna59

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2009, 01:43:01 PM »
lowland wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 08:15


Where did that price come from, Bruce? - I found Focal's website a bit obscure.


I saw the price of the new Utopia speakers in several audio mag reviews.

Grand  $180k
Maestro $50k
Scala $25k
Diablo $14k w/ stands


Regards,
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Puget Sound Studios
Bruce A. Brown
Mastering & Post Production
Seattle, WA

It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission! Buy! Buy buy....  

TotalSonic

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2009, 03:28:55 PM »
Can anyone out there actually justify $50k for monitors as a good business decision when excellent full range options are easily available for 1/5 of that price?

Best regards,
Steve Berson
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MASSIVE Mastering

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2009, 04:06:13 PM »
Calling Dr. Who...

http://www.specter-web.com/cm/audio/graphics/dalek.jpg
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John Scrip
Massive Mastering - Chicago (Schaumburg / Hoffman Est.), IL - USA

crna59

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2009, 05:01:09 PM »
TotalSonic wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 14:28

Can anyone out there actually justify $50k for monitors as a good business decision when excellent full range options are easily available for 1/5 of that price?
Best regards,
Steve Berson


Stubblebine/Romanowski just got the $180k Grande Utopias.


index.php/fa/13828/0/
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Puget Sound Studios
Bruce A. Brown
Mastering & Post Production
Seattle, WA

It is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission! Buy! Buy buy....  

Jerry Tubb

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2009, 05:15:49 PM »
crna59 wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 16:01

Stubblebine/Romanowski just got the $180k Grande Utopias.


I noticed the similarity... sticker shock for sure!

At some point I realized that perhaps not all mastering operations (and other studios) actually have to turn a profit.

A concept that is totally foreign to us!

JT
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TotalSonic

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2009, 05:32:09 PM »
crna59 wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 17:01

TotalSonic wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 14:28

Can anyone out there actually justify $50k for monitors as a good business decision when excellent full range options are easily available for 1/5 of that price?
Best regards,
Steve Berson


Stubblebine/Romanowski just got the $180k Grande Utopias.



I'm willing to make major bets that the funding for these did not come 100% from mastering gigs.  

I also strongly feel that $150,000 of that cash could have been contributed to charity (or their kid's college fund) with $30k remaining for speakers and the results of their work would not be diminished one tiny iota.

If people want to go bananas with their studio purchases that's all good - but I happen to run a business where purchases for the business have to equate to greater capabilities that lead to greater potential for income - along with the ability to pay for itself in a reasonably finite amount of time.  Do $180k monitors equate to any more income or capabilities than $30k monitors will give you?  Imho absolutely not - obviously OMMV.  I should note that I have ZERO debt for any of my studio purchases - and in this economic climate plan on keeping it this way (and I'm still very happy with my used pair of B&W N802's - purchased for $6k).

Best regards,
Steve Berson
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Schallfeldnebel

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2009, 06:33:52 PM »
Would they really have paid that price? Or is it a marketing stunt from the manufacturer, to make audiophiles believe this is the speaker to go for and pay the full price? More than once I have got calls from distributors offering me equipment for a much lower price. When they could tell their customers we were using their equipment we had a deal.

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Bill Mueller:"Only very recently, has the availability of cheap consumer based gear popularized the concept of a rank amateur as an audio engineer. Unfortunately, this has also degraded the reputation of the audio engineer to the lowest level in its history. A sad thing indeed for those of us professionals."

MASSIVE Mastering

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2009, 10:33:18 PM »
Let's say he got them at half off...  That's still $90k.  

Although I'll have to remember those next time I make any major upgrades (so I have something to show the wife to say "Hey, at least I'm not getting these...").
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John Scrip
Massive Mastering - Chicago (Schaumburg / Hoffman Est.), IL - USA

TotalSonic

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2009, 11:12:13 PM »
MASSIVE Mastering wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 22:33

Let's say he got them at half off...  That's still $90k.  

Although I'll have to remember those next time I make any major upgrades (so I have something to show the wife to say "Hey, at least I'm not getting these...").


Nice strategy!

I keep running the numbers on spending around $30k to get a lathe in here and I still can't justify it (although it is possible my interest in doing it might override my common sense).  Again - how can anyone justify what could be the budget for a decent studio build out on just monitors?

Best regards,
Steve Berson
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Waltz Mastering

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #12 on: November 29, 2009, 12:50:21 AM »
crna59 wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 17:01


Stubblebine/Romanowski just got the $180k Grande Utopias.



Mike R's studio featuring the G Utopia's will be on the cover  of this December's Mix mag "Mastering" issue.
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TotalSonic

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2009, 01:52:14 AM »
Waltz Mastering wrote on Sun, 29 November 2009 00:50

crna59 wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 17:01


Stubblebine/Romanowski just got the $180k Grande Utopias.



Mike R's studio featuring the G Utopia's will be on the cover  of this December's Mix mag "Mastering" issue.



No diss on Mike and Paul as I'm sure they're doing excellent work from their studio - but it seems it's the folks who spend the inordinate amount of cash that are the ones likely to make Mix mag's cover -
which is one of the reasons why that magazine often doesn't seem so relevant to me in regards to today's current business climate.

Best regards,
Steve Berson
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lowland

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Re: "Audiophile" mastering speakers
« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2009, 02:45:26 AM »
crna59 wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 18:43

lowland wrote on Sat, 28 November 2009 08:15


Where did that price come from, Bruce? - I found Focal's website a bit obscure.


I saw the price of the new Utopia speakers in several audio mag reviews.

Grand  $180k
Maestro $50k
Scala $25k
Diablo $14k w/ stands


Regards,


Thanks.
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Nigel Palmer
Lowland Masters
Essex, UK
www.lowlandmasters.com
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