Speakers sonically similar to Sonus Faber?

Selah and Fritzspeakers both make models that fill your bill, I'd think: comparatively relaxed speakers, which is how I think of the SFs I've heard.

For that money, you could also find the Montana EPS2 used, another non-fatiguing, musical speaker that I preferred to the Cremona M, and found impressively close to the expensive Elipsa. The Monrana is not small, but it is a front-ported D'appolito array that plays well close to boundaries, and can be set up surprisingly unobtrusively.

Good luck,

John

If you enjoy the Sonus Faber sound - and you're not alone, it's a very easy sound to love, very lush, warm, easy on the ears - and the Venere is out of your price range then there's a great chance you'll love an older pair of the Grand Pianos. You can pick up those up for $1200-1800 pretty easily, depending on whether it's the original version vs the "Home" version. Someone in my area was selling a pair of the floor standers last month for $1250, and I wasn't looking for speakers but I remember thinking that if I were in the market and had $1300 to spend I'd have a hard time beating that deal or getting more speaker for that amount of money.

I have owned the Grand Piano Home floor standers, and my only advice in regards to those is to have some amplifier power on hand. In my experience, they won't sound good on the end of an AV receiver - they need more power.

I've also owned both the Concerto monitors and Concertino monitors, both in "Home" version and the original bi-wire version, and they're all very nice. I found the "Home" version of both to be a little brighter than the original versions - the originals are a little warmer and sweeter in the top end, but the difference wasn't dramatic and you may not hear that same difference in your room, with your music and your own ears.

I've never owned the Domus so can't help there.

Whether you'll be happy with monitor vs. floor stander will depend on the volume levels you require, type of music, and whether you plan to use a sub. But with all the older SF stuff, they've been depreciated to the point that it's all very affordable and you won't lose much money if you try it and want to upgrade down the road. They're all great looking, especially with the walnut.

Usher 718

The EPS2's are wonderful --- I have a pair as my main speakers. I actually chose them in the same context you are in. I loved the Cremonas from SF but did not want to pay that much. The Montanas I bought were used (demos from a dealer less than a year old) and I got them at 1/3 the price of the SF speakers. The Montanas are great speakers... no doubt and often available used as so many have been purchased.

"Speakers sonically similar to Sonus Faber?"

None... Call me biased.