Need some advice.
 

I Currently have a pair of 802 diamonds V2 and have the opportunity to upgrade to a pair of Sonus Faber Amati Futuras. I have been very happy with the 802's and could easily live with them for a long time. My question is what can I expect in upgrading to these speakers. Is it a night and day difference or more subtle. Auditioning them is not a possibility so I need to rely on the feedback of members on this forum. Thank you in advance for your replies. Joey.

:lurk:

Although I do not own either model, I do own B&W N804 (far cry from the 802 Dia V2) and Sf Cremona Auditor Ms, the 802D and Futuras are bothe very excellent speakers. You have a tough position to be in to make that decision. You win either way.

Good lord that's a tough decision. If i was lucky enough to be in your position I'm not sure which way i would sway and I sure as heck wouldn't be comfortable without an audition. Good luck Joey.

Champagne problems indeed!
Good luck!

The solution is for you to listen to the Futura ans see if they suit you.

I've compared the 804 to the Cremona, though not side by side, and my preference went for the Cremona which was more musical. The 804 lacked emotion, it was good but it was missing that little something to make it interesting.

I'd pick SF over B&W any time.

What Georges said: try to compare.

Having heard both speakers on various occasions - but not side by side - my choice would be the Amati Futuras.

Hrmmm, I have a friend that may be selling his Futura's, too.

Versus 802... I am torn. I'd probably give the B&W the win if it was the ref 800's. But the Futura is one of the few SF speakers that made me even do a double-take.

The 802's certainly go lower and are brighter on the top end with that diamond tweeter, but they Futura presents a certain lush quality that is far superior to the SF of old that were basically just warm and gushy.

The build quality of the Futura is more like a piece of art/furniture - it surpasses B&W in just about every facet. They are gorgeous to look at, so if WAF is an issue, Futura may be worth a look into.

Ah man very tough one. I own the 802's and 800's however would love to also own the Futura's, they are beautiful speakers to look at, I have never heard or seen them in real life however. It will be interesting so see the responses here, hopefully you'll get some people who have heard them both, in the same room with same equipment.

I own a pair of 805d's (stand mount - I bought these first) and Cremona M's (floor standing). Very different from what you're looking at and from each other so I can only comment on their house sound. The 805d's to me are very transparent, but rather clinical. The Cremona M's to me are more musical and emotionally involving - some might say slightly warm and/or romantic. When shopping for my 2 channel system I compared the Cremona Auditors to the 805d's and the M's to the 804d's - same results. So the 805d's, which are very fine speakers, ended up in my home theater system (with matching B&W center and surrounds) and the Cremona M's in my main 2 channel system. Horses for courses.

Now the 802d's are wonderful speakers that are in a whole different league from my gear as are the Futura's. Auditioning the Futura's is critical to see if you like them and to try to discern your preference. If it were me, and it's for a two channel music system, I'd go for the Futura's because I'm a Sonus faber fan boy. If the speakers were for a home theater system, I doubt that I would bother with a change as I'd undoubtedly be happy with the 802d's in that setting (and you've indicated you are happy with the speakers). I am as bad as anyone when it comes to new gear acquisition syndrome, but honestly it depends at the end of the day on your individual preferences and how the speakers will be used. Good luck and I'd be surprised if you can't find some way to demo the Futura's in the Valley of the Sun. Chris