B&W vs. Sonus Faber

I own B&W D3 speakers, but I really like the sound of Sonus Faber when I have heard them.  McIntosh room at RMAF 2018 had some Sonus Faber bookshelves that sounded really special.  However, Sonus Faber with their soft dome tweeters is just a little laid back in the high frequencies.  Pairing with a laid-back McIntosh amp didn't give me a fast enough sound, but it still sounded very good.

In my opinion the B&W is likely going to be a better pairing with the McIntosh amp if you want a faster and more exciting type of sound, due to the diamond tweeters.  It depends on what kind of sound you're after.

Even though I can really appreciate the Sonus Faber, it's still just a little bit too laid back in the highs for my tastes, even with a high resolution amp.

B&W on the other hand will grab your attention immediately. Once you take them home, YMMV.

B&W D3 are a very revealing speaker and can be picky with components.  The amp/preamp can make or break this speaker as I have heard D3 sound like crap or sound boring but also sound totally amazing.

The Sonus Faber are going to be more forgiving on bad or flawed components, so they will likely sound more "pleasing" in a higher number of systems.  But they are not going to be as transparent or accurate in the high frequencies as the B&W diamond tweeters.

B&W D3 can be bright if you have poor electronics or electronics with a specific voice. They can really shine with proper matching of components. (i.e. avoid putting silver or silver-plated cables in a B&W system).