Finally...subwoofer that's aesthetically pleasing!

$750K and the subs are passive.  What a day we live in.  But whoever buys these doesn't even care as value is not even close to a consideration.

@james633 wrote:

Just and FIY, the subs are passive. They had the 2000 watt Mac amps driving the sub section…

@mganga wrote:

$750K and the subs are passive. What a day we live in. But whoever buys these doesn’t even care as value is not even close to a consideration.

The Suprema subs themselves are passive (as opposed to active, rather than just powered) insofar they don’t have built-in amps and electronic crossover/DSP, but they don’t house any crossover components that would be met by the output side of the amp(s) that’s supposed to feed the 15" woofers either, so they’re intended for outboard active configuration with the supplied line-level electronic crossover and amps of one’s own choice. The main towers however are passively configured with built-in crossovers, and optionally can be high-passed through their active XO integrating them with the subs - an important feature.

Sonus Faber are to be commended for realizing the importance and necessity of housing the subs section separately to the mains, both for the sheer size required of the LF-range as well as the opportunity offered to place the subs and mains where each of them will perform more optimally than if they shared the same enclosure and position.

However, and this is not trivial, they seem also to have realized the importance of using the same amps (again, optionally) for both the subs and mains sections, an awareness here that is rarely if ever really seen with subs and mains divided speaker systems, even statement products. They could have supplied their subs with built-in amps, typically class-D, but I’m sure they decided not to for the reason just outlined.

Going for tonal coherency top-to-bottom when using separately housed subs is vital, in the same manner that’s given when using a single stereo amp to power the total frequency range of passively configured speakers, but with the advantage of having an extra amp exclusively powering the subs, while the mains amp - when high-passing the main speakers - will be relieved of LF power requirement. It’s what I’ve found out myself, i.e.: the importance of using what’s essentially similar amps top to bottom with subs and high-passed mains, although I run both the mains and subs actively.

I’m not trying to defend the $750k total-pricing of the Supremas, but kudos to them for not stuffing amps into the subs that would then be different from the ones used for the mains. At that price level I can only assume the buyer will not be troubled with the extra investment needed for separate subs amp(s), not least when there’s potential for an even better, more coherent sonic outcome.

Thank goodness for trust funds! What a colossal, shameless, er, investment? I guess it’s worth it for the bragging rights, eh? Gotta wonder about their business model a little though. A 5000% margin and a target market of at least 10 Saudi Arabian princes. I’d grab a set before they’re all snatched up!