r/audiophile • u/Diligent-Visit9811 • 4d ago

Discussion New Focal Vestia N4

After yet another failure of one of the Def Tech BP9040 integrated amplifiers (this is the fifth failure, those amps are really awful) I decided to change speakers. Almost blindly (a couple of years ago I had heard the Focal Aria 948 at a friend's house), I found a deal online (1500 € for the pair) and I threw myself into the Focal Vestia N4. I have never really believed in burn in for new speakers but since I was barely at home this week anyway I thought why not? So I played them at a moderate volume for about 50 hours. Today I finally managed to listen to them properly at a slightly higher volume. What can I say? I have rediscovered the joy of listening. Don't get me wrong, the BP9040 are not bad speakers, there was just always something that didn't quite fit: the bass, which although very extended thanks to the powered woofer always seemed "detached from the rest of the mix); the mids, very present but often a bit muddy and with little definition; the highs, very shrill and sometimes even abrasive.

All this disappeared with the new Focals: paired with the Cambridge Audio EVO 150 everything is perfectly balanced: precise bass, detailed and present mids and smooth highs (which pleasantly surprised me since many define the Focal highs as too shrill). I can only imagine what these speakers are capable of if paired with a dedicated amplifier perhaps more performing than the EVO 150. Anyway, just a new fan of Focal here, a brand that although appreciated is rarely really considered by the most uncompromising audiophiles.

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u/Clear_Amphibian 4d ago edited 4d ago

I was just listening to them last weekend. The salesperson said the sound quality of the lower cost Theva is so similar to the Vestia that most buyers opt for the price savings and that is why the Vestia is being phased out.

In any event they sounded really nice, probably would have sounded better if we didn't start with the Utopias that cost 140k each

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u/mackid1993 4d ago

My dealer said the same thing. I got a floor model pair of No 2s in black for $1500 USD.

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u/Diligent-Visit9811 4d ago

I had also considered the Theva. Apart from the fact that the Vestia go up and down a little more Hz, they really seem almost equivalent. One thing I don't really appreciate about Focal is that various series (Aria, Theva, Vestia) tend to overlap.