Sonus Faber vs Wilson


I currently own a pair of absolutely gorgeous Serafino Tradition speakers. They are about 3 months old and I’ve finally got them positioned nicely in my room. They are being driven by a Gryphon Diablo 300. Great soundstage and imaging even off access. Tremendous detail and I just love the way the speakers look. I must add that it’s really important to me how all this stuff looks in my home. I love the tight fast and nuanced delivery of the Gryphon but not loving the way it looks…alas..that sound made the decision for me and I’ve hidden it away so my wife doesn’t have a coronary.

So….this brings me to my newest quandary. My local dealer has a gorgeous dedicated listening room in the lovely Biltmore hotel just minutes from my home. (Very dangerous…!) There are a pair of Wilson Sasha DAW speakers that sound…well…that sound like the best speakers I’ve heard. I absolutely HATE the way they look…and I would dread getting them up the three front steps of my home…but that sound….

Do I keep the lovely sounding and gorgeous looking Serafino’s or swap them for the ugliest best sounding speakers I’ve ever heard.? 
(There is an $18k price difference so there’s that too…!)
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Showing 9 responses by jomonhifi

@jond - He was driving the Wilson’s with a Gryphon Mephisto and a pair of ARC Mono-blocks.

I’m not worried about the Diablo’s ability to drive those Wilson’s if that’s why your asking…

He’s got a Diablo 120 that we wired up to the Wilson’s… Total F&cking Magic…!
The Wilson’s are just a little “easier” to listen too. I’m going to need a barn or a separate house for all this stuff… 
@onhwy61 - Very true… I think saying this all “out-loud” really helps to synthesize my gut feeling… and that’s to realize that the $250k system in my local showroom is probably going to sound pretty nifty… What did the Wizard of Oz say…?? “Don’t go looking past your own backyard…” or something to that effect…

Thanks guys…!

keeping the SF’s
keeping the wife
hiding the gryphon


I started this journey in March of this year with a $5000 budget and…well….

Mcintosh MA252 - SF Sonetto 8’s - BluSound

Mcintosh MA352 - SF Olympica Nova 3’s

Gryphon Diablo 120

ARC Ref 75SE (didn’t fit - sounded lovely)

Gryphon Diablo 300 ❤️❤️

SF Serafino Traditions & Aurender A10

DCS Bartok 

Assorted thousands in wires and connectors..

The financial hit keeps on hitting…and…well…I’m having a blast…!

I had no idea it could all sound so lovely… it’s bringing me tremendous joy and I just love tinkering with it all.


So…..it’s been well over a year since posting about this lovely quandary.  My gorgeous Serafino’s are now being driven by an Audio Research 160s with Nordost Try 2 Speaker wires, a new Ethernet switch and Ansuz power distribution. I’m sitting in my chair listening now…. 

Sonus Faber is about to release the new Amati… Joseph Audio has a gorgeous floor stander and then there are those DAW’s….

Hopefully my dealer AudioSalon will get a pair of Pearl Graphine’s soon for me to listen to.

Ain’t this fun…?

And oh god…. I did upgrade to the Rossini Apex and got the clock..!
 

help…!