I can't speak to the past versions of the Olympicas but I did an extensive demo with the Nova 3s and a Hegel H390. I thought the pairing was excellent. The Nova presentation was a tad too warm for me so I ultimately went in a different direction but I can see how the sound would be very appealing to many listeners. I listened a lot of different speakers and while the Novas are expensive they seem to be worth the money compared to the competitors. Side note, make sure you're going digital out of the Node and are utilizing the very good DAC in your Hegel. Good luck and cheers.
Sonas Faber OLYMPICA versions
I have a Hegel 190 with Blue Node 2 (using the Hegal DAC) using Sonus Faber Concerto & Rel sub for speakers. This creates a lovely sound in my 17x20 ft room with vaulted ceilings, but I'm ready to upgrade for a little more mid range and sound stage. Seems Olympica 2's might be a good choice, but I'm a little confused, seems not all Olympicas are the same, there are several releases over the years. Are some versions higher quality or generally better sounding then others?
I am not an audiophile, and most of the music I play is old blues and rock, but I do enjoy hearing it in it's best possible form.
Thanks
Ben
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Note that the iii are the latest version Nova and the ii are not. I auditioned the Nova ii and iii. Same basic house sound but the iii’s are much fuller and go deeper. Both are very nice speakers but I think the iii’s would probably be better for your room size. You’d probably be very happy with the ii’s unless of course you listened to the iii’s. |
Big difference in price, I wonder how much difference in sound?
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I'd love to have Sonus Faber Amati Traditional but a) can't afford them and b) be a crime to drive them with my Hegel 190. Which is why I hesitate to go down the upgrade rabbit hole. My crib as a child was generally located under HAM radio tube gear. If I went down that path, I'd need a different house. to accommodate the upgrades ... thanks for the response ... Ben
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I owned Olympica 3’s for a number of years. The 1, 2 and 3 designations are: stand mounted, floor standers with one woofer, and floor standers with two woofers. They are all great sounding… subject to exactly what you would think.
The newer version of the Olympics line is Olympica Nova 1, 2, and 3. Same form factors.
All are great speakers that focus on natural musical sound. The older and newer are much more similar than different. While I have heard the Nova quite a bit… to me they sounded like Olymicas… I was not trying to critically assess them. I am sure they sound a bit better than the previous version… but of the same character. If I had a choice I would buy the new Olympica Nova 3 as it fits your space… meaning the two subwoofers would be appropriate for the size of your room. If I already had Olyimicas I would d detailed comparisons to decide if trading up would be worth it.
Btw, I traded my Olympicas for Sonus Faber Amati Traditional… a great upgrade.. but of course at twice the price. I highly recommend them. I will not be brand switching. |