Another @soix +1 but I would have thought the Arias with subs would be more than adequate for HT. If you are happy with overkill Wilsons or more expensive Focals for HT but Sonus Faber Amati every time for music but I agree with ghdprentice that SF and Macs are not a great match.
Sonus Faber Amati vs. Wilson Sasha V (and perhaps vs. Focal n3)
I am looking to upgrade my dual-purpose home theatermusic system. Currently I have a 5.2 system with Focal speakers (Aria line) driven by a Marantz Cinema 30 + Emotiva XPA-5. Source is Tidal with Wiim Pro.
I will replace the Emotiva with a McIntosh Mc462 + Mc255 (saving the two additional channels for a possible expansion to 7.2 down the road). I also plan to add a C2800 for 2-channel listening through its HT Bypass.
I am torn, though, on the speaker choice. At first, I was considering the Focal Sopra 3s since I am relatively happy with the Arias. However, the more I read, the more I was drawn the Sonus Faber Amati. It is a gorgeous speaker, and seems to garner significant praise for its musicality. I worry, though, about its dynamics for HT duty. The matching center (the Vox) is also extremely expensive, especially compared to the Sopra center.
I also started to consider the Wilson Sasha V. I have also admired Wilson speakers and I think the design, while polarizing, might fit with our contemporary decor more so than the very traditional Amatis. The Sashas, though, are 50% more than the Amatis and Wilson seems to have its fair share of detractors.
I plan to find time to audition each of these, but it will be in a dealer’s showroom and probably won’t accurately reflect the experience in my (less than ideal) room. I’d very appreciate any thoughts or opinions on these three speakers and how they might compare. Thank you!
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- Replace Cinema 30 with Marantz AV10 flagship Prepro - Replace that shrill sounding awful Emotiva with Rotel RMB-1585 ( fat boy is a hidden gem) - Front/Center/Right: Borresen X6, X3 or X2 floorstanders (depending on your budget) - Surround left/Surround Right: Borresen X1 bookshelf When you use a low cut and let subwoofers take over at 80 hz and below, the Borresens will slam you all the way to Chinatown for movies. For music, sonically, the Borresens beat out the Sonuses and the Wilsons and the Focals, etc (this is common knowledge thse days). You also don’t want a terrible looking Wilson (hog) sitting there in your living room causing an eyesore, do you? Increase WAF, make wife happier.
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During my extended audition of the Sonus Faber Liliums the dealer had them powered by the McIntosh Mc451 dual mono monoblock amps. Sounded fantastic with top tier MSB Dac and I believe MSB preamp. The reviews I read/viewed often have them powered by the more powerful McIntosh Mc901 dual mono monoblocks. |
@jetter It’s interesting the dealer wasn’t using a Mac pre as I’ve heard some Mac owners say their preamps are a weak link relative to their amps, so I wonder how much of what you heard was the lack of a Mac pre in that system? Just a thought. |
Sonus Farber, recommend and use only Mac equipment in all their demo rooms and I have heard from a couple of people that they tried what the rig they currently had an it didn’t sound anywhere near as good. I have been looking at SF and have been talking with a local store and the local distributor and I asked both of them on a conference call about why and I was told all about the synergy Mac and SF have. |
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