Upgrading Speakers

Could be your last speaker.  I'm listening to a 20 something year old pair of Concerto and they still sound pretty good

My Dad just picked up a pair of Electa Amator III.   Incredible speaker.   The fit and finish is off the chart.   The sound ????    You probably have an idea if you are looking at the Nova.  I really like SF ...   Have they ever made a bad speaker ???  

Absolutely, I would do it. I moved from Cremona to Olympica iii… huge improvement in all aspects of sound. I think I had those for about seven years before upgrading again to Amati Traditional.

I am a huge Sonus Faber fan since I first purchased the used Cremona as a test. Incredibly natural sound, detailed but not remotely etched… if I ever buy another set of speakers it will be the Sonus Faber Lilium.

The Moon products will get the job done. You will get a huge improvement in sound quality with the speakers and be in a great position to upgrade your preamp / streamer / DAC at some later date.

The Olympica are capable of supporting your electronics and much better equipment as well.

A couple years ago I was going to comparing the Sonetto line with a different company’s speaker. I liked the Sonetto better. Then they had me listen to to Olympica Nova II which they had just received as a loaner from the distributor. That was a noticeable upgrade and I immediately ordered the Nova III. A lot more money but well worth it.

Phil

oddiofyl

 Have they ever made a bad speaker ???  

Have they made a natural sound speaker? No. Now natural sound speakers are coming up from here and there. The speaker buyers should consider an unnatural sound is the right choice at this moment. Alex/Wavetouch

Killing me softly - (Natural vs. Un-natural sound), PA speaker comparison. Female voice

About 2 years ago I decided to buy new speakers and I listened to so many it drove me nuts. I had heard the Olympica III and did like them. Then at the last Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Sonus Faber did the world debut of the Olympica Nova series. I was disappointed as the person running the demonstration was either deaf or was testing to see if he could blow them up. The volume was painful. So when they started showing up in the local dealer showroom, I listened again and thought wow these are fantastic. But they were beyond my budget so I wrote them off although I stopped in and give them a listen each time I was there. Then the last day I told myself that I need to make a decision. I had narrowed it down to a few speakers and then I just couldn’t bring myself to commit. I found myself back in the room and finally told the salesman that even though they are above my pay grade, make me a deal. And he did and I have never regretted my decision to spend more. If you have been happy with the Sonetto (Also on my short list at the end) you will love the Nova III’s

good luck and happy listening

I think you'd be happy with the upgrade.

I have owned Moon amps (M400s versus 330As) and upgraded from Sonetto Vs to Olympica Nova Vs...the deal was too good to pass up and the IIIs are excellent speakers.

I think you'll notice a difference in details especially during dynamic peaks of the music.

Good luck in your journey!

Thank you for your responses. I see that we're all either SF or Moon enthusiasts or SF and Moon fans because you've al encouraged me to take the plunge. Much obliged folks.

Sonus Faber has always intrigued me if not for the beauty and craftsmanship alone. Based on a few reviews of their most recent models, I've gathered they've tried to improve things like detail and treble.

Has anyone listened to the latest generation of Nova-level SFs versus the previous and what their impressions are? I ask because I love detail, and don't want to venture too warm.

Sonus Faber made a significant change in there sonic presentation about ten years ago with the release of the Olympica and some other models that increased the level of detail adding a bit more treble without loosing their natural sound with great rhythm and pace.

@ghdprentice Are there any big jumps in their lines where stepping up yields a bigger result than others?

They are pretty consistent about jumps per $. I think you are wondering if there is a special spot. No… only if you can afford to match the very best to your room.

Each double in price is a real jaw dropper.

So in my large room Olympica -> Amati -> Lilium are all huge jumps. The Serifino would sound right if I had a much smaller room.

Yes, thinking about this, any 2x jump is going to be really impressive and if more, even better.

@ghdprentice That makes total sense. Fortunately I have a local dealer I've visited in the past that carries the full line, I've always been curious about in thinking about future next steps from the Focals.

I spent an hour yesterday auditioning the Olympica Nova III at the local dealer's listening to a wide range of musical genres. When I got home I then went through the same genre assortment listening on the Sonetto V's. there was a marked improvement in the clarity, detail, sound-stage and overall dimensionality (if such a word actually exists) in the presentation of the music from the Nova III.  Bearing in mind the Nova III is thrice as expensive as the Sonetto I'm not sure that I can justify spending three time as much as I did to replace Sonetto with Nova III. I'd be grateful for links to any actual comparisons between those two models if anyone has seen any.

OP,

You must also consider the venue. it is not inconceivable that they might not sound a lot better in your room, perhaps with your equipment.

What's the most musical sounding SF floor standers under 12K?....Medium sized room...

@mbmi

I would say they are equally musical, but perform better at the highest level.. So, at that price level… Olympica Nova 3

Thanks ghdprentice.......I have Borresen X3's that I love with my Aavik U-150 integrated,.  but I've always been intrigued with all the positive reviews that the Audiogon community has for SF,,,I'll never sell the X3's but may just pick up a pair of those Olympica Nova 3's.

If you have the budget, why not?   Looking for group justification?  OK speakers are always the weakest link, so go for it. 😁

I too find the SF speakers to be very well behaved and best I have heard on the shelf in the last year. For some reason, the Sonetto line is not in stores here. Lumina and then the big ones. I would love to hear them as the Lumina IIs need to stay at moderate levels. 

You must also consider the venue. it is not inconceivable that they might not sound a lot better in your room, perhaps with your equipment.

i agree with this statement from @ghdprentice 

most difficult variable to factor in in any speaker 'upgrade'

Good question. You might want to ask this question in the 'Speakers' forum as well as the 'Misc Audio' one - you might get a wider range of responses....