AudioAficionado.org

AudioAficionado.org (https://www.audioaficionado.org/index.php)
-   Sonus Faber (https://www.audioaficionado.org/forumdisplay.php?f=19)
-   -   Sonus Faber Serafino (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=45074)

Ym2000 02-07-2019 05:54 PM

Sonus Faber Serafino
 
Does anyone here own Serafino Traditions? Which speakers did you compare them to and why did you choose Serafino? Any comparisons to Guarneri? Thank you in advance!

delfi87 03-18-2019 02:50 PM

Tradition series
 
It seems the newer Tradition series has been pretty divisive among previous Sonus Faber lovers and owners. Some feel they have moved too far from their previous seductive "house sound" while others seem to think they are the best Sonus Faber have ever made. Wondering what all your thoughts are. I've love the sound of ages past, even through the the Futura. What are your experiences in relation to previous Sonus Faber models?

Also, does the Violin Red or the Wenge finish look better in person?

carszen 03-19-2019 02:43 PM

I have had a pair of Serafino Traditions for about 18 months now and absolutely love them. I can't provide much insight versus older SF products, even though I have listened to them on occasion. I did however audition a number of competitors at various dealers including: Martin Logan up to the CLX, Monitor Audio's new line, B&W 802D3, Magico's, Wilson, Vandersteen, Olympicas, and Focal Sopras. Plus a couple of trips to Axpona. In the end the Serafino was an easy choice since it does so many things well. The drivers are beautifully integrated, the speakers disappear and image effortlessly, plenty of bass if presented by the material, and extremely detailed without being harsh or strident.

As a bonus, the cabinetry is beautifully rendered, and the size and shape fits into a living space. Important to me since I use these in a family room versus a dedicated listening room. I chose the Wenge mainly to blend with our transitional decorating, but the Violin Red is gorgeous and would fit well in a more modern setting. I know there is a lot of white noise about how the manufacturer markets this line, but the sound quality is what sold me.

My speakers are fed by McIntosh 501 monoblocks and a MX122 PrePro which provide a great match. The selling dealer demonstrated these with an entry level Accuphase integrated, maybe 50w/channel, and the sound was fabulous. Not sure whether that would be enough with all material, but great on jazz etc at reasonable levels. I can't really say enough good things about these speakers. And despite the skyrocketing cost of high end audio components, I think these are a comparatively good value.

Masterlu 03-19-2019 04:08 PM

carszen... Welcome to AA! :wave:

bart 03-19-2019 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carszen (Post 957824)
I have had a pair of Serafino Traditions for about 18 months now and absolutely love them. I can't provide much insight versus older SF products, even though I have listened to them on occasion. I did however audition a number of competitors at various dealers including: Martin Logan up to the CLX, Monitor Audio's new line, B&W 802D3, Magico's, Wilson, Vandersteen, Olympicas, and Focal Sopras. Plus a couple of trips to Axpona. In the end the Serafino was an easy choice since it does so many things well. The drivers are beautifully integrated, the speakers disappear and image effortlessly, plenty of bass if presented by the material, and extremely detailed without being harsh or strident.

As a bonus, the cabinetry is beautifully rendered, and the size and shape fits into a living space. Important to me since I use these in a family room versus a dedicated listening room. I chose the Wenge mainly to blend with our transitional decorating, but the Violin Red is gorgeous and would fit well in a more modern setting. I know there is a lot of white noise about how the manufacturer markets this line, but the sound quality is what sold me.

My speakers are fed by McIntosh 501 monoblocks and a MX122 PrePro which provide a great match. The selling dealer demonstrated these with an entry level Accuphase integrated, maybe 50w/channel, and the sound was fabulous. Not sure whether that would be enough with all material, but great on jazz etc at reasonable levels. I can't really say enough good things about these speakers. And despite the skyrocketing cost of high end audio components, I think these are a comparatively good value.


Welcome to AudioAficionado carszen!

Solid first post. :thumbsup:

delfi87 03-19-2019 07:20 PM

Serafino vs. Futura
 
Thanks for the detailed response @carszen. I have the chance to buy a pair of Amati Futuras (dealer trade-in) or the Serafino Tradition. I'm not able to a/b these two models side by side though and not sure which pair to go with. This will be my destination speaker, so have a tough time with the decision. Wondering if the newer series is too much a departure from the Futura and older models (but as you said, you felt the modifications were positive, not negative).

If anyone else has any experiences (positive or negative), feel free to chime in. Thanks!

carszen 03-22-2019 09:37 AM

Thanks for the welcome messages. I have gleaned a great deal of info from this site and happy to contribute if I can.

Delfi, I can't offer any specifics on a comparison between the two since I don't have deep experience with the earlier models. What I have noticed is that the newest generation of speakers from most manufacturers tend to have a greater emphasis on detail, which I really appreciate since I have owned a number of planers from Apogee, Magnepan, and ML. Planers excel in detail, but with many other compromises.

Historically, there was a tradeoff in some area to get detail, at least in this price range. Now you can have detail without harshness or forgoing other factors. Nothing wrong with many older speakers, but in my opinion current products are generally a big improvement over past generations. A little surprising since we are dealing with the same basic components, but apparently benefitting from things like computer simulation, CAD, etc. FWIW, one dealer I spoke with favored the Serafino over the other two speakers in this line. I continue to be rewarded each time I turn them on.

Just my opinion, but I hope this helps some. Good luck with your purchase. I don't think you can go wrong in either case. If you do go with the Serafinos, give them plenty of time to break in.

Ym2000 04-17-2019 02:15 PM

Finally set up my speakers!

https://i.imgur.com/GViDBB5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Tq15KgU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NsNMe2w.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aguU6Sj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zGJwqkM.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cTYVpvu.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/V3RJF0l.jpg

Higgens 04-17-2019 02:28 PM

Lookin’ good. The photography is outstanding.

rjryan 04-17-2019 03:19 PM

Fantastic pics! Congratulations on your Serafinos!


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:58 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
©Copyright 2009-2023 AudioAficionado.org.Privately owned, All Rights Reserved.