Opinions on the ; Rosso Fiorentino Sienna or Volterra II Speakers

I won't go into the same level of detail as @audiothesis, but I will gladly share my experience with the Rosso line and what has consistently drawn me in across the various models. I own the Certaldo (1), but hope to be able to upgrade to the Volterra II someday.  

First and foremost, for me they strike a perfect balance of being exciting while also being comfortable. Some speakers are very smooth and laid back, but seem to feel boring when you put on something more aggressive. Black Sabbath tends to be a good example. At the same time, they offer a sense of ease when the music calls for it. Acoustic single mic recordings feel engaging and spacious, without sounding like a single wall of sound. I can equally enjoy an Analog Productions pressings of Louis Armstrong followed by a mid quality stream of early Metallica. All the beauty of the classic Armstrong recording will be presented in a precise and refined manner, but I can still somehow enjoy an early Metallica album with all of it's grit and energy without being taken out of the moment being forced to focus on the poor recording quality. To offer some comparisons, nothing quite does Black Sabbath like a good set of JBLs. But the Rosso's come quite close. And some laid back speakers can create a great sense of depth to the sound of a great recording, but they make poor recordings sound flat, sharp, and sometimes unlistenable. 


So that's high level. But if I had to pick one element that has always really stood out to me with Rosso it's the vocal intimacy. That's probably the one thing that constantly draws me in. That's the element that makes me stop what I'm doing and give the track my full attention. 

When considering the whole line, your budget should be a big consideration, but so should the size of your room. If you have enough space for the Sienna, they are worth it. Excellent base quality, big sound, but still outstanding imaging and layering. If you're in a smaller room, I think the Volterra might be a better fit. My room is 13x15, and as much as I'd love to consider the Sienna, in reality it just might not be a good fit. If you're looking between series 1 and 2, I can say that from what I've heard the changes are well worth focusing on series 2. The top end in the series 2 are exceptional, especially in the reference and flagship series. It really brings another level of clarity and laying, without becoming overly sharp or critical. 

I've heard quite a few speakers in my life. I can see why some people might have other preferences. But I'd pick the Rosso's vs competitors I've heard on almost every price point they offer in the line. Pair it with the right amp, and they are downright stunning for my taste. 

The problem buying a speaker from a not very well known niche manufacturer is that you'll never be able to resell them cuz nobody knows about them.

The nice thing about since having my Certaldos is that I don't worry about resell because I have no interest in moving away from them until I can afford to move up to the Volterra II... and honestly a Volterra III might exist before I can write that check. I fully understand that for many people they start shopping for the next speakers before the current ones even arrive. It's a big part of the hobby for most people. If you like to shuffle speakers in and out, it's certainly something to consider. But I've stopped shuffling since getting Rosso in the house. I would likely replace every other component in my system before I start speaker shopping again. Obviously never say never, but the sound on these just don't get old for me. Sure, other speakers look interesting. But none have captured my attention in quite the same way. 

…..well it would seem at this point that no Audiogon members currently own either the Sienna or Volterra II Speakers. Interesting and note taken by the original OP regarding these speakers. Thank you all for responding.

Sorry, I'm a little confused by this statement. @mboldda1 has the Volterra II, I believe he mentioned that in his comments. Upgraded directly from the Volterra 1. @davejumpin also mentioned that he has the Sienna. So there are members here that have both. 

Anyway, hopefully you can get ears on them and decide for yourself. Obviously we can share our opinions all we want, but it has to be your ears that love them. Have fun with the process! 

PS - if you're looking in Sienna price range, I think a flight to audition speakers is a small expense for the insurance to ensure you love them. I never understand people that are willing to drop that kind of money based only on word of mouth, but to each their own!  

Personally, I feel that investing 10% into the price of a speaker to set up live demos is a good insurance policy to ensure you end up with a speaker you love for a long time. With a $35K budget, that easily justifies a couple flights to see what you connect with. Especially with the possibility of a dealer covering flight costs after purchase. 

On the other hand, some people enjoy regularly changing up gear, and I get that. If you know that you're the type to change every few years no matter what, I'd patiently shop used. But if you're looking for a longer term speaker, I think a flight or two for live demos is a good investment. Between LA and NYC you can usually find just about anything you want to demo with some phone calls and planning. DFW, Denver and Chicago seem to be other cities with good audio networks if you wanted more options. 

That's totally valid. I'm not sure where you're located, which is a factor as well. Unfortunately, physical hifi shops just aren't as common these days. I'm in DFW so I do have the luxury of being able to find Rossos, and many other brands, within driving distance to audition in person. However, there are still several brands I would love to consider that would require a flight to audition. Fleetwood, Triangle, Tannoy and even several of the brands you mentioned: Wilson Benesch, Franco Serblin, Vimberg, and Avalon would all require an out of state trip to audition. 

This is true for most people in the US. If you want to audition high end speakers, you really only have a few options. 1) stick with options in driving distance 2) Travel to an audio show and hope the brands and models you want to hear are represented or 3) order blindly based only on reviews and hope for the best 4) take a dealer trip. 

That experience isn't exclusive to Rosso. It's the reality for the vast majority of the higher end hifi industry. Most places simply don't stock speakers that retail over $10K. And outside of a major cities, most places don't stock hifi gear at all. I know you said "fly all over the US" but that really isn't the case. If you plan a trip to the LA area accordingly, you can find most brands available in the US there. 

Also, if you were just talking about the Elbas, then the price of a trip probably isn't worth it. But if I was shopping in the $30K range - I think a trip to LA is pretty cheap insurance if you're not satisfied with the options available in your area. Not exclusive to any one brand. It's just probably the best place to hear the largest number of brands outside of a loud and crowded audio show.