Sonus Faber Olympica 2 (used) - I loved this, much better than the sonetto in every way goes lower but lacks some in the bass output vs the sonetto.Why not get these and add subs?
Looking for recommendations for a pair of full range speakers for ~8k or under
What would your recommendation be? These are some of the speakers I have tested and liked:
1. B&W 702–S2 (new) - incredible for only 5k and I love the bass output with 3 drivers but the vocals can be a little harsh on some recordings. Maybe a good warm amplifier can help with this? I am also interested in the 702 Signature version going for 6.5k but not sure how it differs.
2. B&W 804 d3 (used) - Maybe my favorite of everything I’ve heard so far, better that the 702 in almost every way and not as harsh but I miss the extra output from the 702’s 3 bass drivers. I’m just not sure if it’s worth an extra 2-3k plus being used. I love that it goes lower though. Was seeing it used for ~7k online
3. Sonus Faber Sonetto 8 (new) - good bass and musical but Lacks some of the definition of the B&W - 7k
4. Sonus Faber Olympica 2 (used) - I loved this, much better than the sonetto in every way goes lower but lacks some in the bass output vs the sonetto. Was offered a trade-in in my local store for 6.5k
5. Sonus Faber Olympica 3 (used) - I haven’t heard this but I imagine It would be a perfect match for me with the extra bass driver and I’m seeing some used for under 8k online.
I feel like my comparisons weren’t too good with very different rooms in different stores and amps so I am wondering what you guys would recommend of these options or if you have other recommendations either used or new under 8k. I can’t go too crazy though since I can’t spend too much on an integrated amplifier (~2-4k). Any Focal or other brands I should listen too also? I will also be using them for 2 channel home theater as well as music. I will likely be getting an integrated amplifier that complements the speakers I choose. I listen to a wide variety of music types and my room is about 14 x 22 with high vaulted ceilings. I appreciate any advice since I am new to high end speakers coming from a not so great soundbar.
1. B&W 702–S2 (new) - incredible for only 5k and I love the bass output with 3 drivers but the vocals can be a little harsh on some recordings. Maybe a good warm amplifier can help with this? I am also interested in the 702 Signature version going for 6.5k but not sure how it differs.
2. B&W 804 d3 (used) - Maybe my favorite of everything I’ve heard so far, better that the 702 in almost every way and not as harsh but I miss the extra output from the 702’s 3 bass drivers. I’m just not sure if it’s worth an extra 2-3k plus being used. I love that it goes lower though. Was seeing it used for ~7k online
3. Sonus Faber Sonetto 8 (new) - good bass and musical but Lacks some of the definition of the B&W - 7k
4. Sonus Faber Olympica 2 (used) - I loved this, much better than the sonetto in every way goes lower but lacks some in the bass output vs the sonetto. Was offered a trade-in in my local store for 6.5k
5. Sonus Faber Olympica 3 (used) - I haven’t heard this but I imagine It would be a perfect match for me with the extra bass driver and I’m seeing some used for under 8k online.
I feel like my comparisons weren’t too good with very different rooms in different stores and amps so I am wondering what you guys would recommend of these options or if you have other recommendations either used or new under 8k. I can’t go too crazy though since I can’t spend too much on an integrated amplifier (~2-4k). Any Focal or other brands I should listen too also? I will also be using them for 2 channel home theater as well as music. I will likely be getting an integrated amplifier that complements the speakers I choose. I listen to a wide variety of music types and my room is about 14 x 22 with high vaulted ceilings. I appreciate any advice since I am new to high end speakers coming from a not so great soundbar.
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You really should hear the Sonus Faber Olympica IIIs. I owned and enjoyed a pair of B&W 804S speakers for over fifteen years, paired with a McIntosh MC402 amp. Upgrading two months ago, I considered the newer SF Olympica Nova II, as well as Focal Kanta No. 2s and Wilsons (all new), went with a preowned pair of SF Olympica IIIs, and could not be more pleased. Everything the Olympica Nova IIs did well -- and that's a lot -- the Olympics IIIs did better. The sound in my system is seamless, organic, and with bass that despite similar specs, seems much deeper than the B&W 804S. Room size is important, especially if you listen to rock or orchestral music at venue-realistic levels. The 804s or Olympica IIs may not be adequate for a largish room such as yours -- 803s or Olympica III might be preferable. Two more thoughts. If you do go with Sonus Faber, be sure you get an amp with sufficient power to drive them. Also, you may wish to audition Focal Kanta No .2s, which may be available at your price new (if you negotiate a decent discount), or preowned. These are impressive speakers, though more analytic than the Sonus Fabers. |
The used Olympia’s are nice if they were well taken care of. My personal favorite in this price range is the Magnepan 3.7i. They will work wonderfully with your theater giving you a larger sound stage. Your integrated should have at least 100 watts/ channel. These will out perform any point source speaker under $10K. They will not go as loud. If you are a head banger look elsewhere. |
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@gg107 I agree those might be the right choice if I can find a nice deal. Do you think the McIntosh MA252 integrated amplifier with 100w per channel is enough? I was offered a store trade in for 3k. Also I was confused by your wording are you saying you prefer the original Olympica 3 to the new Nova version? If so, how do they differ? |
@km1181, I'm no expert on amp-speaker matching, but I think the McIntosh MA252 -- which apparently offers 160 wpc into 4 ohms, the speaker impedance of the Sonus Fabers, and 100 wpc into 8 ohms -- should be sufficient, and a good match. Perhaps others will chime in on this. I did not hear the new Olympica Nova 3; I heard the Nova 2, and the Olympica 3. The Olympica 3 was my clear preference. And when I auditioned the Olympica 3s, it was with a McIntosh integrated ss amp that was lower-powered than my MC402, though I don't recall the model. The audition -- with speakers placed in an office building's hallway, not a room set up for listening -- was so impressive that my spouse and I just wanted to keep listening to music -- we momentarily forgot why we were there! There is a worthwhile Youtube video from a Canadian dealer comparing the Olympica Nova II to the Olympica II. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv8dvVIdguk. The conclusion seems to be that they are very close, with the newer model offering only a slight improvement. |
I like the models you are evaluating. And here’s my two cents....note - I’m on my 3 different set of Sonus fabers and I selected my initial Sonus fabers over the B&Ws. The B&Ws tweeter irritated me ears - too bright. I’ve owned the Sonetto Vs...I liked them a lot. I chose not to go with the VIIIs because at that price it’s really close to the Olympica price and there is a difference in the presentation of details between the two lines. The Olympica provide more 'details' than the Sonettos and from my listening I'd take the Olympica IIIs over the IIs but I do like the Olympica IIs. And for reference I replaced the Sonetto V with Olympica Nova Vs....they are a significant upgrade even though I felt the Sonetto Vs were amazing especially for $5k. Good luck and enjoy! |
Hi IT really depends on how you listen to your Music and know why you "fell in love" with this hobby. If you know this, everything else dosent matter and you can better choose the speakers that is to your taste. I do not need headbanger high bass and the room shaking. I like a big soundstage, the corect timber of the guitar, Piano etc. and air around each artist ind the soundstage with realism. I like the sound to be presentated coherent from top to buttom. If you like this without too much bass, then i Would choose the newest Quad 2812 (over the 2912, it sounds Best when integrated correct) If you need more bass then ad subwoofer. A's another one wrote, the magnepan and subwoofer is Best bang for the buck and you maybe would be satisfied with that option too. |
I also agree with mijostyn, there are so many better quality speakers out there for the same or even less money. If you have a McIntosh amp, I wouldn’t buy a warm sounding speaker like Sonus Faber unless I listened to them with your amp 1st. McIntosh would be a better fit with a neutral sounding speaker or the Foward sounding B&W’s. Your amp is on the low side for power so magnapan speakers wouldn’t be a good fit, nor would Totem speakers. For your size room, I would pair your amp with a very good stand mounted speaker that’s at least 87db or higher efficiency rating with 2 Rel subs. If you upgrade your amp to the larger mc352 or similar for example, then you open up your choices for bigger floor standing speakers. |
Put 1k from the speaker money to the integrated and get a NAD M33 integrated streaming amp. It’s got Dirac Live room correction and the sound is great. 200 WPC into both 8 and 4 ohms. 7k will get you a great set of speakers and the Dirac Live will only serve to better their sound via room correction. I love mine and use Monitor Audio Gold 100 bookshelves in a small room. |
Lots of good recommendations but IMO buy a nice pair of used Vandersteen 5As. These were more expensive speakers then most of the recommendations above. Have built in subs and 11 band EQ so you can dial them into your room. You can drive them with different amps with ease - Tubes - hybrids - SS. The other option would be used Verity speakers. Happy Listening. |
Take a moment to define full range because it's really dependent upon the music you listen to. One of the things I find it challenging is to find a speaker in your price range to breaks 30hz without a sub, that doesn't have some other characteristic that I find distracting. Understand early on that what you imagine in a speaker might not exist, so find something that you can enjoy and appreciate. |
No mention of Tannoy in that list, shame...I’d advise you to take a listen, as for that kind of money you could have yourself a pair of Ardens! They are $4000 each available at Upscale Audio. Buy them and be done! https://upscaleaudio.com/products/tannoy-arden-loudspeaker |
Check out Spatial Audio. Great full range speakers that can do so with just about any amp. Mine are getting 20 tube watts and can go deep, cast a super wide soundstage, and makes things sound uncannily real. They even make a version with self-amplified bass drivers for deeper bass. And they’re open baffle so the bass and everything else has as little room interaction as a speaker can have. New Record Day just posted a video comparing spatial against Revel and a few others using a binaural mic so you could hear how they reproduce piano and bass. The Spatials really do something cool in that department. Worth a listen and they’ll do a home trial as well. |
Marten Oscars, Dynaudio Evoke and Contours, Totems, will all be great choices if you have a chance to try them at home. And then there are about 10 other brands I love, some already listed here. https://www.avantgarde-acoustic.de/en/products.html https://sonneraudio.com/ https://www.gato-audio.com/eu/loudspeakers/bookshelf.html https://www.dali-speakers.com/products/dali-menuet/ https://www.dynaudio.com/home-audio/evoke/evoke-10?c=walnutwood https://www.marten.se/products/ https://www.buchardtaudio.com/shop https://www.josephaudio.com/products https://totemacoustic.com/ https://www.salksound.com/gallery.php https://soundkaos.audio/soundkaos-audio-speakers https://amphion.fi/ http://www.diapason-italia.com/en/index.html https://www.canton.de/en/products/reference-k/ http://www.vienna-acoustics.com/ https://www.indianaline.it/tesi-vinyl-series/ https://www.trenner-friedl.com/index.php?menu=product&sprache=en&second=pharoah |
I saw someone recommend maggies and While I don’t own a pair they are amazing to listen to. I’ve seen Dynaudio C4’s as low as $8800! Dynaudio bass is pretty special, a used pair of meridian dsp 7200’s, Vienna Acoustics listz presentation will put jazz musicians in the room with you. Too many speakers too little time. |
myjostyn, IMHO Tekton makes terrible loudspeakers. They shove any multitude of very cheap drivers in cheap enclosures in arrays that frequently make no sense. They sell because they are cheap and go loud.......When you set up a question like " speaker under 8K" in the title you get all the Tekton clowns chiming in trying to convince us they have found audio nervana with an inferior designed poorly braced junka** cabinet with off the shelf sub par drivers. |
@km1181 I have a set of Dynaudio Contour 60i and my room is very similar to what you describe for yours. The Contour 60 (the 60i is the latest generation that began delivering last September) are still around and most authorized dealers are selling their floor demo units for around $7K. The new models sell for $11K. Great sounding speakers as long as you have the amp that can drive them. They do like current to get them going. SS amps, 150 watts and your good. Tube amps only if you can afford high powered ones. I have all tube front end and a SS amp that delivers 300 watts into their 4 ohm load and, more importantly, plenty of current. I never get near needing all that power and they play tremendously in my room. Best of luck to you. |
I never said that mine were the best. Only that the previous generation can be had for around his budget, what the power requirements are, and basically how they are worthy of his consideration. Others had mentioned Dynaudio so I thought it fair to offer some information that may help him. That's fair, relative to his question. |
If you liked the 804 D3 you should consider the Joseph Audio Profile at $7k/pr. IME JA speakers do pretty much everything better than a corresponding B&W model including that they image/soundstage better and are as detailed but sound more natural, musical, and less clinical. I haven’t heard the newer Sonus Faber models but from what I’ve read they sound like they’d be another great option along with Usher, Vandersteen, and ProAc. FWIW, and best of luck. |
@km1181 I hate to jump on the “buy what I bought!” bandwagon, but... I was also looking into a pair of pre-owned Sonus Faber, but after reading some glowing reviews and talking to a couple of very satisfied owners, I ended up buying a new pair of LSA speakers. Due to space constraints, I went with the LSA-10 monitors, but you’ve got plenty of room for their full size floorstanders. The LSA-20 Statements (their flagship model) are on sale right now for 50% off retail. You can order them right here on Audiogon for $2999 shipped. This includes a 30-day in home trial. Coming in that far under budget for a pair of outstanding speakers would free up some of your funds to invest in a nice separates setup with which to drive them. Good luck, and happy shopping! |
I'm owning Dynaudio Contour 60 driven by Krell and Linn. The worst buy i could do. This speakers trasforms every music in a freeze-dried gruel. Messy soundstage, totally wrong timbre, no dynamics, boring, eventually disturbing. Sound is compressed, wooden boxes which sound inside out, no texture, no detail. Avoid post 2016 Dynaudio products. Eventyually go for their previous product which sound great like the C4 (very ugly, i know). |
