Focus Audio Master 2

[Kenneth Larson]

Reviewers have the same problem, but new gear is pushed into our systems whether we want it or not. There I sit, grooving to fantastic tunes, positively reveling in the wonderfulness of the system (not really my system, unfortunately) . . . and then I’ve got to box up a component and replace it with a total unknown. Is it any wonder I’m so poorly adjusted?

With its vestigial grille off, the Master 3 is anonymous -- no markings or insignias are visible on the front of the speaker to identify its brand. It’s a light-sucking monolith that instead radiates elegance and menace. I really like that. Around back is a nameplate identifying the maker and model, and two sets of juicy rhodium-plated binding posts. As in Focus’s Signature line, the Master 3’s ports blend seamlessly into the cabinet, a nice touch that speaks volumes about the high level of carriagework for which Focus is famous.

The cabinets and supporting infrastructure, too, have received significant attention. Assembled from multiple layers of MDF, the cabinet walls vary in thickness from 1" to 2". Inside, the drivers are wired with silver, and the crossover components themselves are all of top quality. The Master 3 reposes on a plinth that’s finished to match the speaker, the plinth standing on four sturdy-looking spikes that I made sure rested on coins (all heads up for better sound!) to prevent them from puncturing my wood floor.

While the Master 3s proved quite easy to place, they did turn out to be quite sensitive to small changes in position. I ended up with the speakers about 30" out from the front wall and 36" from the sidewalls. Even though the Master 3s are rear-ported, their proximity to the front wall didn’t result in boomy or inappropriately elevated bass.

Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval interconnects carried balanced signals, and Acoustic Zen Matrix handled single-ended duties. Power cords included Shunyata Research Taipans and Cardas Hexlink 5 cables plugged into Shunyata’s Hydra Model-6 power conditioner via my dedicated AC line. I used Pro-Ject’s own supplied interconnect to join the RPM 10 turntable to the Ayre phono stage.

Listening to the high frequencies -- and indeed, to all music -- through the Master 3s was a wonderful experience, in large part due to the utter relaxation engendered by Focus Audio’s implementation of the Revelator tweeter. When I sat down in front of the Master 3s, especially when playing well-recorded classical music, I could feel my shoulders drop and my jaw unclench. That doesn’t happen very often.

Swapping over to John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman [Impulse! GR-157], the Master 3 passed the acid test that is Johnny Hartman’s voice. Through the best speakers, Hartman’s voice manifests itself as a physical head right there between the cabinets; through lesser transducers, he mushes down into a boomy blob. That head, therefore, should not extend downward to a bloated chest. As I noted earlier, the Master 3s did interact with my room somewhat, which resulted in a tiny bit of chestiness in certain passages, but I was able to somewhat ameliorate that effect by piling up an obscenely large tower of cushions at each first-reflection point. While this helped with the midrange in my room, the cushions looked ridiculous, and I removed them after ensuring that the problem was indeed my room and not the Master 3s. Still, even with that slight lower-midrange hump, Hartman’s gravy-rich baritone was almost perfectly proportioned, each word hanging in space with an almost supernatural corporeality.

Despite their monstrous cabinets, the Master 3s threw a satisfyingly large soundstage, with perfectly proportioned images appropriately located in three-dimensional space. David Byrne’s richly atmospheric Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Music from the film "Young Adam" [Thrill Jockey thrill 133] is one of those rare audiophile bonbons that isn’t acoustically recorded but that still manages to cast an absolutely huge soundstage. The Master 3s put everything perfectly in its place: the piano took center stage, just a bit forward of the plane of the speakers, while the violin was clearly slightly rearward. Every cymbal stroke was rendered as a distinct event and portrayed with an almost sensual richness (that tweeter again!) that made me shake my head in pleasure and surprise. The only fly in the Master 3s’ imaging ointment -- and one of the only flaws of any kind that I found in these startlingly good speakers -- was that there definitely was a narrow and well-defined sweet spot. While the Master 3s imaged quite well off axis, the picture clearly snapped into focus only when I sat smack-dab in the middle of my couch.

But just to be sure, I took a deep breath and rammed Mr. Bungle’s California [Warner Bros. 47447] into the CD player. This complicated music could easily be used as a blunt instrument with which to club baby seals to death, and Management has officially forbidden me to play it at hi-fi shows while I’m displaying Ultra Audio ID. Anyway, I jumped ahead to "Goodbye Sober Day" and cranked up the volume as loud as I could stand it. This track blends a Zappa-esque musical jumble sale with operatic leaps and Tibetan prayer chants, and Mike Patton’s percussive vocals proceeded to batter me backward in my chair as the Master 3s rendered every musical squarewave with the kind of authority I’ve experienced only at live shows. Lord only knows what the neighbors must have thought. The Master 3s are possessed of outrageous dynamic range, and while they can play stupidly loud, they don't fall apart at low volumes. And unless your room is absolutely huge, I can’t imagine you’ll have much need of the larger Master 2, at least not if you value your hearing.

As intimated earlier, the Master 3 was not about bass bombast. Rest assured, it did have plenty of bass (it’d be surprising if it didn’t, considering the size of the cabinet and woofers), but this speaker wasn’t a braggart. When the music contained low-frequency information, the Master 3 reproduced it -- boy, did it ever -- but that LF info was always in proportion, always presented in context. In fact, a casual listen might lead you to think the Master 3 even a touch lean, or at least bang-on neutral down in the bass. Thinking that would be a big-ass mistake. The Master 3 produced ample bass, all right, but it was tight, well-controlled, accurate bass that I would think is exceptionally low in distortion. All of that bundled together in the same speaker resulted in low frequencies that were thoroughly satisfying over the long term. There was no overhang, no boom, just the perfect amount of richness to ensure that these speakers left my attention solely on the music.

I think by now you’ve got the impression that I really enjoyed the Master 3. Well, I sure did. However, the Master 3 doesn’t merit a blanket recommendation. Although I may be stating the obvious, you should make certain that your entire system is beyond reproach before you purchase a pair of these speakers. While Focus Audio’s Signature FS888 is also an exceptionally good speaker, I found the Master 3 far more revealing of the quality of ancillary gear. About halfway through the review period I swapped out my Anthem P2 for a pair of Conrad-Johnson Premier 12 tube monoblocks and was absolutely startled at the resultant difference in sound quality. While the P2 is a phenomenal amp -- and not just for the money -- the additional refinement of the C-Js was immediately obvious. A later switch to an Audio Research VT100 was just as audible, if not more. If you invite the Master 3s into your home, you’d better set aside some extra cash to ensure that you can fine-tune them to your satisfaction.

There’s one more potential caveat to consider before you race out the door to purchase your own pair of Master 3s. In the hunt for higher resolution that the Master 3 does indeed provide, it sacrifices a little of the Signature line’s easygoing nature. While in no way abrasive or ruthless, the Master 3 is not quite as silky-smooth as the FS888. In my opinion the Master 3 is the more neutral speaker, less overtly smooth and rich, while retaining a healthy dollop of that Focus Audio richness -- but if you’re looking for a rich chocolate truffle of a speaker, the Signature line might be more to your palate.

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