JM Lab Alto Utopia or SF Amati Homage

Howardlee

Howardlee

New Member
Dear Mcintosh audiophiles,

I need your advise on the speakers for my C200 and MC501. If it is possible, please also suggest the matched speaker cable for the speaker you choosed.

I have listerned to Amati Homage couple times and love the special sweetness presentation of the speakers. But I also heard that Focal JMLab is a great platform for McIntosh to demo the magical Mc sound. (Nova Utopia is the speaker that stereophile used when the magnizing gave MC501 the best product of the year in 2003).

both are about same price range in used market (Alto Utopia is about 1000 less than Amati Homage) . Which one will you pick? and why?

thank you for your input!!!
 
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Howardlee said:
Dear Mcintosh audiophiles,

I need your advise on the speakers for my C200 and MC501. If it is possible, please also suggest the matched speaker cable for the speaker you choosed.

I have listerned to Amati Homage couple times and love the special sweetness presentation of the speakers. But I also heard that Focal JMLab is a great platform for McIntosh to demo the magical Mc sound. (Nova Utopia is the speaker that stereophile used when the magnizing gave MC501 the best product of the year in 2003).

both are about same price range in used market (Alto Utopia is about 1000 less than Amati Homage) . Which one will you pick? and why?

thank you for your input!!!
Click to expand...
If I understand correctly, you have heard the SF Amati but not the JMLabs Utopia? It would be best if you actually heard the speaker you are potentially buying. I know the SF Amati is a great speaker, I have heard it, you have heard it and "love it". I've heard the Alto Utopia as well, I prefer the Amati (I may be a bit biased here :D) but does that really help you? You really should hear both for yourself. :yes: Once you choose the speaker, if you really want to choose a pair of speaker cables that compliment your system you can "borrow" as many cables and ICs from the cable company library as you want. www.fatwyre.com
 
I can't say much about the Amati Homage because I only heard them once in a not so nice sound room. However, I can give you some feedback on the JM Lab Utopia. I own a pair of Mezzo Utopia ($13K) and a McIntosh MC602. The Utopia is not a nice speaker. What I mean is they are very very revealing. Most people may not like the lack luster sound at first impression, but once you spend some time with them you will hear the truth in the music. They don't sugar coat the sound. You feed it garbage, you'll get garbage. McIntosh pairs well because they can deliver power and dynamics with very low distortion. When you audition the Utopia, give your ears time (a few hours) to adjust because they aren't used to such vivid musical experience.

Stereophile Review:
http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/953/

umezzopic1.jpg
 
They are wonderful speakers - one of the best combo's I've ever played with were the Grande Utopia's on Halcro DM68's (or 88's, I don't recall over all the drool and... crotchal-region-expansion). :drool:
 
dj_AmTraX said:
I can't say much about the Amati Homage because I only heard them once in a not so nice sound room. However, I can give you some feedback on the JM Lab Utopia. I own a pair of Mezzo Utopia ($13K) and a McIntosh MC602. The Utopia is not a nice speaker. What I mean is they are very very revealing. Most people may not like the lack luster sound at first impression, but once you spend some time with them you will hear the truth in the music. They don't sugar coat the sound. You feed it garbage, you'll get garbage. McIntosh pairs well because they can deliver power and dynamics with very low distortion. When you audition the Utopia, give your ears time (a few hours) to adjust because they aren't used to such vivid musical experience.

Stereophile Review:
http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/953/

umezzopic1.jpg
Click to expand...

DJ,

thank you for taking the time to write such an honest appraisal. Just like the Utopia don't sugar coat the sound, you did not sugar coat your review.

While your words are definitely going to turn some people off (e.g. me - because I want a warm and forgiving speaker), they are going to get some other people (e.g. my neighbor who wants to ear the unvarnished truth) excited.

A great speaker cannot be all things to all people. It will be loved by some and disliked by others.

Thank you for telling it like it is!

Alberto
 
forzaroma said:
DJ,

thank you for taking the time to write such an honest appraisal. Just like the Utopia don't sugar coat the sound, you did not sugar coat your review.

While your words are definitely going to turn some people off (e.g. me - because I want a warm and forgiving speaker), they are going to get some other people (e.g. my neighbor who wants to ear the unvarnished truth) excited.

A great speaker cannot be all things to all people. It will be loved by some and disliked by others.

Thank you for telling it like it is!

Alberto
Click to expand...

I am glad my comments helped you get a feel for them. If you have the time and if a JM Lab dealer is near you, don't cheat yourself by not auditioning them. I spent several months going from dealers to dealers auditioning ProAc, B&W (Nautilus) & JM Lab (Electra & Utopia) and back for more auditioning. I am still very happy with them. Nothing I've heard since my purchase has made me doubt my decision. The only speaker I may add (not replace) is McIntosh XR200. I like having the ability to change things up when I feel like it. Sort of like a new experience each time I do that. :D
 
Most people want the truth, the question is, can they handle the truth? :D Or does the truth lie in a handful of CDs on the shelf... :scratch2:
 
I have heard both quite extensively and agree with the comments above. I would probably add that the Focal tweeters take some getting used to and they don't float my boat all and that includes the Grande Utopia although the new Grande Utopia is much nicer sounding than the previous version.

Like Serge said, you must listen to both but if it was me I would say no to be. :D
 
From december I have the Focal Utopia 3 La Scala with
McIntosh 501. It is a fantastic sound. You just never want
to stop listening. The only bad thing is the price.
Cable Audioquest Mon Blanc and KLR Tranparent.
Sergio
 
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