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Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage?

i would like to know if the sf strads(or anything really) sound good enough to
justify the price. with tad audio, wilson maxx's, avalon
eidelons, rockports, etc. in that price range, imho spending $40k defies rationality, unless you're trying to move enormous am'ts of air in an unusually large room. if i was a loudspeaker manufacturer, throwing everything i know and the best materials available at the project, i feel i could come up with a pair of speakers for under $30k that could do 20-20 with the utmost transparency and musicality, look beautiful, and complement most living rooms with "average" attention paid to acoustics. i trust m. fremer's descriptions of the sf strads (they image like a "3d curtain wrapped behind the baffles??") about as far as i can throw a piano. the sf amatis at $24,000 didn't make enough bass "in his (stupid) room".
THAT review ended with something like "they were to die for". then he sells those and gets wp-7's. however, the rockport antares, uglier than two 600 POUND(!) gorillas, are his "reference" by which everything else must be judged. so much for s.phile's choice of speaker reviewers... so could any MUSIC lovers who actually owns sf strads comment on their sound, and/or why you chose them over something else? should sf have put a 10 in. woofer in the amati's (i think so.)
should m.fremer do something about his freaking room before they hand him another pair of $40k speakers to review? (i think so.)
btw, have a happy and a healthy....
french_fries
semi
649 posts
 
It's true Sonus Faber build their speakers like furnitures and arts.

It's true you paid a big portion of the bill to the nice cabinets.

It's true the asking price does not reflect the sound quality all the time.

But have you seen a Toyota Camry or Honda Accord to appreciate over time? Isn't some Ferrari overpriced in the beginning and continue to increase its value over time?

I am a big fan of Dynaudio and Sonus Faber, the two extreme of speaker manufacturing. But Dynaudio depreciate like any other products especially when replacement model is substaintially better. Check out Sonus Faber's used value here. You are buying art, and art is priceless often time.
cello
645 posts
 
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Chris,
.
Get the Stradaveri and use the change to get your wife into therapy so she can see things more clearly (as you and I do).
.
Rgds, Larry
howie
230 posts
 
From reading articles about Sonus Faber, I hope they've made a concerted effort to train a new breed of cabinet makers. That kind of cabinet making skill is going to become a lost art very soon.
sirspeedy70680e509
1,064 posts
 
I get the impression that those,critical of the pricing of this speaker,would love nothing more than to own a pair.Myself included.Cabinet cost IS what drives the prices of this level product.Take a look at other competition like the hideously expensive Kharma Exquisite series,or,Wilson products,Avalon(which I own),the Utopia series from JM Labs and the BEAUTIFUL Venture Aodio stuff.Also,the American dollar is weak overseas,so,why be so tough on a product that all in all seems to be priced quite competitively(most high end stuff is way overpriced,but,elite moving coil cartridges seem to be doing well,and look at those prices).The only company that I know of,but,have not heard product from,that seems to have GORGEOUS cabinetry and design integrity is the usher stuff.
samsca
32 posts
 
I recently bought a pair of Guarneri's for my computer room and I have been smiling from ear to ear ever since.
This company makes magical sounding speakers and they are works of art. They are like Ferrari's. You should just buy them , enjoy the sound , beauty and I'm sure they would be a conversation piece when entertaining (instead of all those awful looking ..rockport,maax etc).
There is a special passion that surrounds Sonus Faber, maybe its cremona history or old violin makers. With that seductive refined elegant sound.
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