Sonus Faber Question


I spent (wasted?) a lot of time switching amplifiers in and out of my system, never quite achieving the sound I was chasing. There were a lot of sideways moves. Then I purchased a demo pair of Sonus Faber Sonetto III's. After playing these through my system I finally feel I'm headed in the right direction. This speaker sound signature is the type of sound I've been seeking out. However, I get the feeling these speakers are really just scratching the surface of what Sonus Faber can offer. Unfortunately, I'm not independently wealthy. So the question is what speaker would you recommend as the next appreciable step up to capture more of the Sonus Faber essence / what should I expect to have to pay on the used market to get there? Thanks in advance!  

 

Current Equipment:

Sonus Faber Sonetto III's

HiFi Rose RS250A

Denafrips Pontus II 12th

Rega P6, Neo PSU w/ Hana low MC

Rega Phono Pre

PrimaLuna Evo 300 Integrated

Kimber Cable Cables, Interconnects, Etc.

jdm11

@jdm11 , SF Olympica series are basically successor of former Cremona line and are priced accordingly, somewhere in the middle of SF range. Olympica 3' price was around 12t eur in Europe when it was launched, very close to the Guarneri Evolution (around 15t eur, with the stands)  which was part of the same generation of speakers (in terms of date of production). Aldo some can object to the very notion of 'monitor' speakers (to be equal or better than standmount) it is generally considered among SF fans that Guarneri is 'better' product, or at least was made with that intention.The US importer of SF obviously thinks that way, as he has put hefty price on GE, making it some 10t usd more expensive than O3 (in europe that difference is perhaps 3t) Anyway, if speaking only about the speakers and if you can find them similarly priced, Guarneri is more refined product of higher quality. It will have less bass (which in smaller rooms might be an advantage), but 'more' of everything else. Depending on music that you listen (jazz or classical for example), you should enjoy it more. It will 'demand' higher quality electronics to show its best, must be said. At the end, it all depends how demanding you are. Olympica 3 is a great allrounder, but if you wish something more, or something 'special', I would look at other solutions, including ones from Franco Serblin's new company, that I have mentioned before. Last, but not least, imho all SF benefits from amps that have more power. They can work with tube amps, but are not build with intention to be paired with them.

https://www.atma-sphere.com/en/resources-paradigms-in-amplifier-design.html

https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1285:nrc-measurements-sonus-faber-olympica-iii-loudspeakers&Itemid=153

Any thoughts or comments regarding the 

Serafino G2? I’m just beginning my search for new speakers. 
I listened to the KEF Reference 5 Meta. I was very impressed. 
Thanks to all. 

OP,

 

If you stated this already, I apologize. What kind of music do you listen to?

My feeling is that, unless you are a real head banger the PrimaLuna Evo300 should be adequate and you will experience a very significant improvement in sound quality. I use the word adequate because there are a lot of variables… I am feeling like I am getting pretty far out on a limb here. I have a PrimaLuna amp in my office. The pairing should sound very good. But, the power level is getting a bit low. From my listening to the ARC i-50 with the SF Nova Olympica was in a small room and they sounded fantastic and not at all constrained, but in a very large room it might be different.

However, I think ithe purchase would be very low risk. I think they would sound good / great and if PrimaLuna is either slightly underpowered or less refined, then you should be able to enjoy them until the time comes you can upgrade your electronics. In many ways this would be a classic upgrade cycle. Get a better speaker… save up and then upgrade electronics. So, from this perspective… sounds like a great move, gettin speakers you can grow into over time.

 

@krell303  Thanks for pointing out the brand - a free consultation would be great and totally agree on the WAF. Awesome find appreciate it.   

@rick_n Another nice find thanks for that - totally agree on the WAF for this as well!

@alexatpos I appreciate you taking the time to compose that post - it definitely helps me understand the product lines in terms of chronology and potential quality as compared to one another. Very helpful since there have been so many lines over the years, and being new to the brand myself, sorting through pieces when they have become available on the used market has been difficult in terms of ranking potential value and quality relative to one another. Interesting regarding the SFs as well - good to have more options from the same family more or less to choose from.  

@ghdprentice  Thanks for jumping back in. I'm definitely not a headbanger (anymore) - my tastes are in blues, jazz, 70s and 80s, Floyd, Dead, singer songwriter, reggae, 40s-50s vocals, CSN, Radiohead, Talking Heads, female vocals, eclectic along those lines. No loud metal, rap, opera, country, very little classical. And you're definitely not out on a limb just curious to get your guess having heard the i-50 pairing. Otherwise I'm just searching the internet for random reviews and opinions. Hearing that you have a PrimaLuna in your office makes the guess even more educated. So your summation makes a lot of sense to me in regard to the low risk move and its place in the upgrade cycle. A very helpful post. If I start now and make wise moves in this and future upgrade cycles maybe my system can look like yours at the end of the day. Wow!