From Sonus Faber Extrema to...

I run Electa Amators with Red Stadium subwoofers powered by BAT VK 60 mono blocks. Surprised you can run the Extremas with a modestly powered tube amp. I sometimes think of moving to larger speakers without a subwoofer and simplifying my amplificationsystem but have so far balked at the costs of such an upgrade. Besides as I get older I am not sure I would appreciate anything more than improvements in the low to middle range and I love the tweeters on the Amators. 

I am very surprised nobody mentioned Revival 

I am wondering why Vandersteen models are not being recommended?

as much as I’ve read about the Extremas, if it were me, I’d be hard pressed to sell them

having owned Olympica III’s, and based on reviews and comments re: the Extremas, it sounds like a couple of sonic characteristics are part of the SF house sound:  1) big, wide, deep holographic soundstaging which provides an immersive listening experience, 2) a natural, relaxed (for lack of a better word), engaging sound quality that includes detail, image specificity, instrument and vocal spotlighting, yet doesn’t wear one out at higher volumes  -  they are forgiving speakers that have a knack for making most anything sound good

the craftsmanship, materials, and architecture of SF speakers is unmatched IMHO; I am of the opinion that most speakers are just not very attractive, period: robots, stands, huge draperies, metal boxes, obnoxious horns, exposed drivers, multiple drivers, alien looking things, etc., but….SF speakers?  I can look at them all day long

I owned a pair of Extremas a while back and made the mistake of selling them. Really think hard about getting rid of the, They are spectacular speakers!

If I had a set of Extremas, I think the only speakers that I might move to in their place would be a pair of SF Elipsa SE's.  

I cannot imagine that almost 30 yrs in speakers development wouldn't have brought any advantage on the table. 

@robertofabbri - yes, there have been improvements and yes, you can get better sonics “for a price” by simply going up the SF product line.

No, there are no short cuts - we cannot tell you if:

1. You’ll like the change
2. if the change is worth “your” money

The best lowest risk is to do nothing, sonics stay the same.

The next best least risky option is to demo within one’s own system while keeping the old component for comparison, otherwise the risk of sideways or less is unavoidable. Only “you” can decide what’s best for “you”

The riskiest is to sell your current speakers first, then hoping the next speakers are a “subjective” sonic upgrade.  One can buy and sell used to minimize costs and try different speakers, but shipping and handling speakers can be a pain.

Love the space.

I would go for Sonos Faber speakers versus b&w.

That's a lot of weight on those bookshelves. Those records really heavy.  No doubt secured extremely well on the wall along those rails.

I would Drift away from bookshelf speakers.

Hi Robertofabri,

I am also a lover of Sonus Faber, and I currently have a couple of Olympica II, they sound very good. As an amplifier I use an Audio Analogue Puccini Anniversary that drives them without problems. Regarding your thought of changing your Sonus Faber Exstrema and in relation to your excellent system, you should, as others have already told you, go up a lot to have a real improvement, you should turn to the Sonus Faber Guarneri (stand) or the Sonus Faber Serafino (but here we are on high prices). In your place I would be like this since you are already at a very high level.

Kind Regards

Alessandro Catalano

Roma/Italy

Your SF will be near impossible to replace for sound quality. Maybe an Avalon Eidolon as per @Gregm. Have you thought about a pair of CJ Premier 12?

Beautiful!
 

I hope you are as happy with your SF speakers as I am with mine.

😁

Anyway, I'm still not convinced to do any step.

About sound quality, the SF driven by the CJ are a great match, with lush voices and a richness in the musical message to die for. The CJ is a bass beast too. I just have sometimes the slight feeling that the 2x125watts are not enough.

The two Accuphase in mono overcome this limitation, but they are not magical as the CJ and they bring some fatigue when listening at higher levels.

Thanks everybody for your contributions.

The fear of a sidegrade given the investment amount is my main concern. And to own something very difficult to sell, too.

I have a XTZ sub, and a MiniDSP SHD with Dirac that I employed for some experiments, but I ended turning off the sub and the correction and enjoing the SF better without any further help. Maybe a pair of subs rather than one would be a different story.

Actually I could be in a "acute upgraditis" kind of situation. I'l try to shut up the voices that I hear, but still I cannot imagine that almost 30 yrs in speakers development wouldn't have brought any advantage on the table. Moreover, some light wood finished speakers would be a better suit in my living room (yes, I'm that kind of guy who cares about appearance... Well I'm Italian after all...)

Aggree with @oddiofyl above -- sacrificing the Extremas + a few k will NOT buy you significantly better speakers... Maybe the Eidolons - if they're going for very cheap nowadays BUT the sound is far from what you're used to.

IMO, the best thing to do is:

a) buy 1-2 subs (SVS are excellent value for money)

b) model your room (REW is wonderful and free)

c) place subs accordingly.

In my room the sub is facing the main speakers and brings clarity and punch to the bass.

Good luck those are nice speakers - I had a pair back in the day!

I don't think what you get for them plus a couple of grand would put you where you want to be.  Easy to make a regrettable,  lateral move with that scenario.   

I would also pair them with a really good sub. A REL , maybe a S/510 or S/812.  That would put you around or a little above that $2k allowance for upgrade.  I think it would really add impact and depth to an excellent system. 

Roberto lovely room and balanced system, those Extrema's are classics Franco Serblin designs I believe. You haven't really said what you're looking to improve if anything I'd suspect low bass. Have you considered trying pairing a really good sub with the Extremas?

My ever faithful Revel Salon 2 speakers have been around for over a decade and a half, but I have no plans to replace them.  Why?  Because still I love the way they sound, even compared to todays more contemporary speaker offering.   The age of my speakers makes no difference to me.  It's all about how they sound.  There will always be something better or different out there to choose from.  But, at some point, you have to find speakers that you love, and just be content with them.  Recommendations and suggestions from others are always welcome.  However, as you well know, you're going to have to audition speakers until you find the ones that you love.  And, when everything is said and done, based on overall sound quality and your budget,  you just may discover that your current speakers are your best option after all  Happy listening.       

My impulse advice: Eggelstonworks Andra III.

Personally, I'm smitten by B&W 800 series D3 (I own 804D3). Best speakers for atmosphere, depth and detail I've ever heard (diamond tweeter?).

Always lusted for the Extremas. Always unaffordable (to me).

"They sound lovely paired with my Conrad Johnson MV125 or with the couple of Accuphase P360 amps I own, bridged to monos (actually I think the CJ is a far better match). "

Based on your own comments, you're just  showing signs of "audiophool upgrade for no good reason" syndrome.

Since there isn't at least a $15k fund for a nice used pair of SF's, why bother?

Reposition/room enhancements(if allowable)

Stay away from audio forums and listen to music is what I would do.

Beautiful system. I agree that a CJ amp would be a big improvement.

I am a big Sonus Faber fan because of their relaxed, natural / musical nature. There really is not any other speaker like it, other that Serbin. I am very familiar with Wilson and B&W and they are very very different, as is Avalon than the Sonus Faber. 
 

If my understanding correct, that you want to sell yours and buy speakers with the money you get from them, that is an absolute no… you will be taking a big step down. If your going to add $5 - $10K to it then look at used Sonus Faber… Olympics .. Serefino… there are many. CJ or ARC are really great electronics paired with SF. 
 

you want to explore then you’re just gonna have to go listen to Wilson (fast highly detailed), B&W (rock speakers), and Avalon and see if they impress you. 

It depends on what you think you are missing.  I own a pair of Vienna Acoustics Liszt speakers which I really like, but are always on the lookout for others.  I previously owned the Avalon Ascendents and the Liszt surpassed them, especially in the bass.  The Avalon customer service is bad.  I recently listened the the Wilson Audio new Sabrina.  My complaint with Wilson has been the upper end treble.  These are better but not to my taste.  I prefered the Liszt to the older version of the B&W 803's.  I use a tube pre amp and solid state mono block amps.  (Herron Audio).  Just my two cents.

https://speakerchoices.com/index.html

Beautiful system.  The speakers you proposed are all nice but very different in presentation from the Sonus Fabers.  What is your possibilities to travel to some high end stores that display a model you are curious about or attend an audio show to experience many options.  Certainly either option will not give you exactly how they will sound in your home, but also it can rule out some aspects of the presentation you do not think will work for you.  

Yes it would be the best case scenario, but it needs an amount of liquidity that I don't want to throw in. Furthermore, I'm quite sure I can sell my Extrema in a blink, not so sure about any other expensive speaker I could think about.

I would imagine you have had them for quite a while and have brought you many years of joy.  If that's the case, to avoid the regret of selling them off, I would explore other speakers by making those purchases one at a time while keeping the Extrema's on standby just in case I couldn't find anything else I liked better.

I'm in a similar scenario with my Vienna Acoustics speakers.  I have looked around at other offerings, but I just love the way they sound and look so I don't think I could sell them before finding something "better," only possibly after.