Focal Sopra 1’s or Dynaudio Confidence C1’s?
 

A new pair of discontinued color Sopra 1’s are the same price as a used pair of Dynaudio C1 platinums.

Which would you choose and why?

Having never owned Dynaudio speakers, I can only say that the pairs I've listened to at shows were always underwhelming. Especially their top-end monitors. Having owned a pair of the previous generation Focal 1008BeIIs, it remains the favorite of the monitor speakers I've had in my system. Having listened to the Sopra speakers at my nearest dealer, I've heard no reason to change my thinking. Also, the Sopra is more than twice as efficient & at 8ohm, a much easier speaker to drive than is the Dynaudio, making it friendly to a much wider range of amps (tube or solid-state). And, if you measure your high-end gear "by the pound" (not unreasonable), then the Sopra weighs close to twice what the Dyaudio weighs. Both have stunning build quality. But, would be Sopra for me.

I have owned the Focal Sopra 1s for almost three years. Very happy and combined with or without a good subwoofer they sound fantastic. I have never heard Dynaudio speakers so can't make the comparison.

Just to chime in a bit, I own Focal Sopra 3s and Dynaudio Contour 20s. Not an apples to apple comparison, but I have an idea of each brands sound signature. The Focals lean towards the more detailed end while the Dynaudios have a more relaxed feel, with the tweeter being slightly smoother. I don't feel either system is lacking and both would probably sound great for you. My advice would be listen to speakers as close as possible to those specific models if you can.

Well, I'm going to respectfully offer a counterpoint to Glenn, and say that having owned Dynaudios (Contour S3.4s) for over a decade, I'll go on record stating that, IMHO, Dynaudio is one of the finest loudspeaker manufacturers in the world. Their drivers are all designed and manufactured in-house, and many other loudspeaker manufacturers have OEM sourced drivers from Dynaudio, not least of which were Wilson, EgglestonWorks, Vienna Acoustics, Totem and many others.

Dynaudios are consistently very neutral, but that does not mean they are cool or analytical; they are...accurate. They are also very easy to listen to for hours on end, they will never drive you out of the room, something I cannot say for some Focal speakers I've experienced. They also scale incredibly fast and you will never, ever hear a Dyn "break up" during scaling.

The Dynaudio Esotar tweeters are regarded by many reviewers, owners and manufacturers as one of the finest tweeters ever made, and are a key differentiator for Dynaudio.

As for the Confidence C1 Platinum, this is one of the finest standmount speakers ever made by anyone. They have superb accuracy, transparency, speed, neutrality, outstanding imaging and impressive bass and lower octave response for a standmount loudspeaker. While they are a (large) standmount, they have a performance envelope comparable to a floorstander.

Also, and this should not be overlooked, is the post-sale support and service one can get from Dynaudio North America, evne if you are not the original purchaser. If you ever need a replacement part or driver, Dynaudio makes parts available for 10 years after a product is discontinued, and if you still need a part after that, because Dyn manufactures their own drivers, they will make a single driver for you.

Just my 2¢, take it for what its worth, but if its a choice between a Confidence C1 Platinum and Focal, that's an easy one for me (and yes, I am biased from the 10+ years of very satisfying Dynaudio ownership! ;)).

Are any of you using subs with your 1's or are you happy with the level of bass? I have the 1028be's now and am concerned I'll be taking a step backwards going to a set of bookshelfs (without introducing a sub into the mix). While I'm not a basshead by any means, I like it when it's there. :-)

I can't speak for the Sopra 1's but you will most definitely NOT be going backwards with a set of C1 Platinums; this is not a bookshelf speaker. It is a large reference-level standmount. I've known many owners that bought them thinking they would add a sub, only to find out that bass response is so good from a C1 that they didn't need to add a sub...FWIW.

If you like your 1028s as much as I did my 1008s, then the Sopra would seem a natural progression (that is what I should have done).

Had a chance to listen to the C1 Platinums, the new C20's and the Sopra 1's today at a local dealer. I did the Dyn's first, and thought they sounded good (the C20's only slightly better than the model they replaced). Then I had them put the Sopra 1's in and it validated that I am a bigger fan of the Focal house sound than I am the Dynaudio sound. I prefer the extra sparkle from the Sopra's that I don't think the Dyn's deliver. YMMV.

Could not agree more. I've never heard a pair of Dyn's that I wanted to take home and have never listened to a pair of Focal's that did not 'light my fire'. Your 'extra sparkle' description is a good one.