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Sonus Faber Olympia III Nova 5

Hello,

I am looking for advice from anyone that has heard the Sonus Faber Nova 5's.  My current system runs a Macintosh 312 Amp and Macintosh C49 preamp.  I have a Mac power cleaner as well.  I am looking at adding an Aurender music server in the near future.  My current floor speakers are Sonus Faber Olympia III.  I really like my current speakers but was thinking of upgrading to B&W 800 D3's because I have been mesmerized by their sound in showrooms.  I got to speak with a vendor I trust and he guided me towards the Nova 5's.  The Nova's reviews are good but there aren't a lot of them.  Before you respond by saying go listen to them and it depends on personal taste, I live in Nashville and the nearest showroom is 5 hours away.  I am going to go listen to them but before committing to the trip...has anyone heard both or have other recommendations? I am big into used equipment simply because on a middle-class salary it makes better sense to me.  Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated my friends.  Sidenote..I am more interested in feedback on the speakers but the vendor is also suggesting a Pass Labs amp instead of my Mac.  What do you think?
Ag insider logo xs@2xdrrmtaylor
theo's avatar
theo
2,684 posts
 
I recently listened to the III Novas and had heard the previous version III in the same room and similar Arcam Pre and Classe’ amp.
The biggest difference to me was that the Nova wasn’t bright and more subdued and maybe a little too laid back for my taste. I was comparing them to the Kanta 2 and in my opinion they were a tad bright, but not sure if it was the electronics. They were using Cambridge, can’t remember the models. The Kantas delivered much more bass but the Nova 5 should easily fill that gap. I would say if you love your III’s you really love the Nova 5.
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drrmtaylor OP
5 posts
 
Thank you for the input!
dwaber
3 posts
 
I recently auditioned the Olympicia Nova III back to back with Olympic Nova V. There is a large difference between the two, larger than I expected, at least to my ears. The V's really had a 'presence' in the room, even at low volumes, that the III's did not have. Bass was outstanding through the V. I like the III's, they sounded great, but those V's were magic. We were streaming through dCS Bartok DAC and Ayre AX-5 TWENTY integrated amp.
brubin
121 posts
 
Wondering how you did with the Nova 5s?  Did you get them yet?    I just ordered a pair and will provide an update in a few weeks.   The pass labs are an excellent choice. I would highly recommend the PS Audio BHK  Amp and preamp.     

Bill
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