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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
audio-b-dog's avatar
audio-b-dog
11 posts
 

I have owned a pair of Nova V's for several months now and I am very impressed. I have pretty good front-end equipment, though. Turntable: VPI Prime Signature, cartridge EMT HD 006, phono preamp ARC PH7, Preamp Pass XP 30, amp Hoveland Radia (the only non-tube amp Hovland ever made, and it is soft and detailed and perfect for the speakers). I also run a Moon 280 D streamer.

The store from which I purchased the speakers demoed a Nova 3. I liked its clarity and warmth. The Nova V's have similar mids and highs, but with much more bass. After a week I began to wonder about the treble. It was soft and pleasant but in a way sounded a bit veiled. One week later the speakers began to open up and the treble became much more "transparent." I am using the word "transparent" because I have read in a number of reviews that the Novas were voiced by a new owner of Sonus Faber and he wanted more open (transparent) highs.

Bottom line, I love these speakers. They are far more expensive than speakers I've previously owned which were more in the $4K range. I was running a pair of Golden Ear 2+, and was considering upgrading to the GoldenEar Reference, which would have been a big improvement over the 2+. These Sonus Faber, however, are in an entirely different universe. 

I was going to compare the Nova V's to similarly priced Magico, which would have required traveling several hours. I didn't bother. I guess it was love at first hearing. And now that I've lived with them for at least several months and they've opened up, I haven't regretted my choice at all.

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