Sonus Faber Electa Amator III vs. the Bowers and Wilkins 805 D4?

@OP As previous posts have said and well described the differences between two quite different sounding loudspeakers. Although harder to find in the US, it would be useful to listen to a pair of Harbeth M30.2XDs as a point of comparison. And for a bit of a wildcard, also, a pair of Kef LS50 Metas - much less expensive but very good value.

I love the B&W sound, very accurate with tons of color. I think speakers are the most personal selection of all equipment. 

I think the change in Sonus Faber house sound (to be more neutral less warm) was about fifteen years ago? I think.

So I used an AI. The output must be verified… it’s usually good.. but can be very wrong.

1. Guarneri Homage: This iconic speaker was first introduced in 1993 and has gone through several iterations since then. The original Guarneri Homage is highly sought after by audiophiles and can fetch a high price on the second-hand market.

2. Electa Amator: The Electa Amator was first introduced in 1995 and is another classic Sonus Faber speaker. It features a 1 dome tweeter and a 6.5 mid-bass driver in a compact cabinet.

3. Guarneri Memento: This speaker was introduced in 2000 as a special edition of the Guarneri Homage to celebrate the company’s 15th anniversary. It features upgraded drivers and a more refined cabinet design than the original Guarneri Homage.

4. Extrema: The Extrema was first introduced in 2002 and is a unique stand-mounted speaker that features a curved cabinet design and a 1 dome tweeter and a 7 mid-bass driver. It was designed to provide exceptional sound quality in a compact package.

5. Toytown: The Toytown was introduced in 2003 and is a small stand-mounted speaker that features a 1 dome tweeter and a 4 mid-bass driver. It was designed to provide high-end sound quality in a small, unobtrusive package.

I recently set up a pair of Electa Amator III for my Dad.   These speakers are special.   Beautiful sounding , build quality is off the chart.   Haven't heard the latest B&W 804 but I lean more toward the SF sound anyway....

I don't think you can go wrong with the SF.

@ghdprentice

I’ve found references to the Electa Amator II being more traditionally voiced than the III.  And what I've read is consistent with what you say about the Guarneri Homage. 

I’m curious -- did you become a S. Faber aficionado before or after the shift to greater neutrality?

@oddiofyl

"Beautiful sounding" is subjective. It would be helpful to know which sonic attributes constitute beautiful to you and in tandem with which components.