2. amps-preamps
  3. 161027-6055

Integrated amp suggestion for Sonus Faber Olympica 2

I recently acquired a used pair of SF Olympica 2s. The speakers are currently driven by Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II and placed in the media room which is roughly 20 x 15, carpeted, no windows. Although, I enjoy the sound quality overall, I get this nagging feeling that perhaps the Cronus Magnum (100 w) is not providing enough juice to drive the speakers well. The soundstage width and depth are not as good as I thought they would be, and I can sense that the amp is not able to drive the woofers to their full potential. BTW, I swapped to 4 ohm taps, and while it did result in an improvement, it’s still not enough.

I know this because I’ve heard the same speakers at a dealer and a friend’s house driven by more powerful amps, Audio Research and Pass Labs respectively. And yes, I understand the room plays a big part but even then I think good upstream amplification makes a big difference for these speakers.

Ive been searching the internet but it seems most suggestions are specific to Olympica 3, which is not considered an easy load by any means. I’m not sure how the 2’s compare with respect to power requirements -- are they more or less demanding than the 3’s? I would love to hear from folks who either own O2s or have heard it driven by good electronics that can make the speakers shine.

I’ve been told that SS is the way to go with these speakers. But truth be told, it will be hard to give up the tube qualities that I love -- air, instrument separation, three dimensional, holographic sound and heft. From what I gather, if I want the same qualities in SS, I have to spend major bucks. My max is around $5k, preferably used to get the best value.

I have been considering McIntosh MA352 (used) given that they are a hybrid design. Would love to hear from someone who has paired the O2s with this particular amp. Of course, I’m open to other options, SS or tubes, if they are able to drive the olympica’s to their full potential and still check all the sound quality boxes that are important to me. My budget is $5k used. Thank you.
128x128arafiq
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
This is why I never even consider a speaker less than 90dB sensitivity. Preferably 95 or more. Because then just about anything will drive it. Certainly any tube amp 20 watts or more. 

I would give Dave a call at Raven. See if he thinks a Blackhawk will work for you. At least then whatever higher sensitivity speakers you get next will have that wonderful tubey magic.
mrklas
441 posts
 
I'm a bit surprised - I've own Sonus Faber Sonnetto V and previously Sonus Faber Venere 3.0 and don't consider them hard to drive.  (I avoided the Olympica's because I could afford them but set a budget).

Raven is a quality unit - I would talk to them.  I'm sure they have a least one client with your speakers.

I currently have a McIntosh amp MC 302 and am very pleased.  I've heard Raven amps with Sonnetto Vs and I was impressed.  If you decided to change amps because of preference - that's one thing. 
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,681 posts
 
So I think some clarification is in order here ...

Before I bought the SF O2’s, I auditioned quite a number of speakers, including high efficiency ones like Klipsch Forte III, Devore O/96, Proac D48R, etc. I also auditioned Harbeth SHL5+, PMC (forgot the actual model), KEF Reference 1 (last year), and a few more. So it’s not that I don’t understand the pros and cons of low sensitivity speakers as @millercarbon seems to be assuming, although his input and guidance is very relevant and generally spot on. But for whatever reason, I never seem to warm up to the sound of high sensitivity speakers; there is something about them that I don’t get along with. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference and I’m sure many of you will disagree. Admittedly, I haven’t heard all the high sensitivity speakers under the sun, so I’m quite sure there are some that I might have liked. But as a general rule of thumb, I don’t buy speakers that I cannot audition. And of all the speakers that I auditioned, the Olympicas and Harbeth SHL5+ (I already own P3ers and love them), connected with me emotionally. In fact, I could have bought the Harbeths and be equally happy.

Having said that, if I had not heard the Olympica’s II driven by more expensive gear, I would have been perfectly fine with the Cronus Magnum II. In fact, I played around with positioning last night and already notice a substantial improvement. I’m also going to contact GIK next week to get some room treatments. So it’s not really a matter of not liking or enjoying the sound, it’s just that now I know that these speakers have much more to give and hence my original post. And I knew exactly what I was getting into when I bought the speakers.


soix
9,566 posts
 
Yeah, as your speakers are listed at 4 Ohm impedance I can see why the Rogue might be a bit challenged.  Why not keep it all in the Italian family?  There’s a Unison Research Unico Due hybrid integrated available here now that can pump out 290Wpc into 2 Ohms that I’m sure the Olympicas will appreciate, and the tube input stage and SS output stage biased toward Class A will give you a good dose of that tube magic.  The only problem is that it’s only $1600 here used, which may just not be expensive enough for you.  Heh heh.  Anyway, just another option.  Best of luck. 
More to discover