Upgrade PSB Synchrony One B to Sonus Faber Grand Piano Domus?


Value at 1900 CAD? seems like a decent price. I am hearing that the low end might be a bit loose and not great for busy rock/pop/rap which is definitely part of what I will be listening to. I listen to a wide range of music but mostly indie rock, electronic, rap, pop and a bit of acoustic and jazz but definitely less than the aforementioned genres. there’s only a couple reviews out there so trying to get a better sense of if this is a good upgrade for me as I do like the PSBs. Going for a demo soon but it seems the room will be a little cramped so want to take that into account and get some impressions here as well

Running my current setup with a subwoofer cerwin vega cvhd-12s. it’s nothing special just a 12” home theatre sub but rounds out the PSBs nicely.

Powering with an onkyo tx nr676. I think I want to upgrade that if I get the SF but seems to be doing my PSBs justice.

Just a little turned off by this review since I enjoy some busier and not perfectly mixed music https://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio ... 515/review

But can’t tell if they are being critical because they are actually bad at this type of music or just not up to super high standards.

Has anyone heard these? Just want to make sure I am getting a clear upgrade. I think the PSBs are more neutral from what I understand?

ragnoletto

That generation of Sonus is a little soft on the top end.   Definitely want to hear them first.  

 Not sure i would spend $2000 on a 20 year old pair of speakers.   Those were $4800 new, the equivalent of about $7700 today.     So from a value perspective $1500 us is a fair price.   

@oddiofyl +1.  Yes I’ve heard them.  They image/soundstage very well but skew warm and full in the mids with a polite and relatively subdued treble.  To me this is a speaker more suited to classical, jazz, blues than rock, rap, EDM, etc. — think more refined than raucous.  For the music you listen and for a serious upgrade I’d save my $$$ for some ATC speakers, but you’ll also need to up your amp game for those as they require robust power to shine but will reward you greatly if fed properly.  Just my $0.02 FWIW and hope it helps somewhat. 

Thanks guys appreciate the feedback. I definitely like a punchy speaker although some roll off and warm mids that accentuate the vocals are also up my alley it sounds like these might go too far in that direction. I am thinking I might hold off and demo some newer speakers at nearby stores. 
 

also thinking that I would probably really benefit from a sub upgrade in the meantime because I think my PSBs are a lot better than my current sub. And then save up to spend more on standers in the future. 

Look at Rythmik for subs — big performance/$.  Also, your PSBs are pretty solid so make sure you spend enough to make more than a sideways move — hence my ATC recommendation.  Something like these would also likely be a significant all-around upgrade for around the same price as the Grand Pianos, and the seller offers returns.  Best of luck. 

https://tmraudio.com/fresh-arrivals/joseph-audio-prism-bookshelf-speakers-burgundy-pair/

Yeah I definitely wanted to avoid a sideways move where it is better at some things but lacking at things my PSBs excelled at. Those look very nice but unfortunately in Canada I’m like at an extra 350 in shipping. So I guess the pianos are more like 1400 your money. 
 

I’m also looking at dirac live maybe getting a minidsp or something comparable to get the most out of my current gear in my room. I am thinking if I were to spend extra on sub eventually I would want to have something like that to get the most out of it. What are your thoughts on these room eq solutions?

Agree with everyone above. Those Sonus Fabers are really nice for certain genres, but probably not what you listen to. I'd skip them. So many other great choices in that price range to choose from. 

Something like these would be worth keeping an eye out for…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650235646-atc-scm-19-v2/

Not sure you need to resort to DSP.  Using some proven methods for sub placement and adjustment settings you should get a sub dialed in pretty well.  Here are some helpful guidelines for placement and fine tuning fyi…

https://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/crawling-for-bass-subwoofer-placement

1. Turn the Subwoofer Level control completely counterclockwise to its minimum; 2. Turn the Subwoofer Cut-Off Frequency control clockwise to its highest frequency (i.e. 150 Hz). 3. Set the Phase Alignment Control to 0°; 4. While you listen to a bass music or video selection in your primary listening area, have an assistant turn up the Subwoofer Level control until the subwoofer can be clearly heard; 5. Have an assistant try the Phase Alignment control until you hear the most bass. Your subwoofer and front speakers are now in phase. Do not change phase alignment again unless you move the subwoofer or the front speakers to a different location in the room or move or remove large items of furniture or room furnishings (i.e. carpet, draperies, etc.) 6. Turn the Subwoofer Level control completely counterclockwise to its minimum.

7. Turn the Subwoofer Cut-Off Frequency control completely counter-clockwise to its lowest frequency (i.e. 50 Hz); 8. Slowly rotate the Subwoofer Level control until you match the subwoofer output level with the level of your front speakers. Bass should be clearly audible, but not intrusive; NOTE: If using an A/V receiver or processor to control crossover setting, skip the next step and set the subwoofer cutoff frequency control to ‘Bypass.’ 9. Slowly rotate the Subwoofer Cut-Off Frequency control until you hear the best subwoofer/main speaker blend. If the sound is too ‘thin,’ you have not set the frequency high enough; if the sound becomes ‘boomy’ you have set the frequency too high. Adjust until you find the most natural balance.  The sub should not draw attention to itself.