Sonus faber Chameleon speakers NEW

[Venere]

Originally Posted by Capcom

I think i would reserve passing final judgement on these until someone has had a chance to do an in depth listen and review. Best not to judge a book by its cover.

Agree on reserving judgement on their sound or their value prop, but I can judge their looks based on the pics and I'd certainly rather have my Veneres. I've never been a fan of any product that had interchangeable colors for fashion appeal. Just an expensive version of a reversible belt. Nor am I a fan of the name. I like a product that knows what it is and what its purpose is. Not one designed to change to fit your moods. Oh, I'm sad today. Lets put the blue panels on the SFs and listen to some Joni Mitchell. No thanks. Too formaggio-ey for me.

[Masterlu]

Maybe they'll offer paisley Formica panels too.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Venere

Oh, I'm sad today. Lets put the blue panels on the SFs and listen to some Joni Mitchell.

Venere.......

[Still-One]

Originally Posted by Venere

Nope. Says available thru their dealers in April. .

Some dealers might be able to offer some lines online.

[Capcom]

According to a Sonus faber product announcement e-mail i just received, more colors will be offered in the future...in part it says...
" To stay up-to-date on all the new finishes that will be released in the upcoming months, visit our website at www.sonusfaber.com."

I'm not a big fan,either...but to be fair I could see someone being attracted by the option to change colors. If they turn out to sound good (probably), added to the reasonable prices...all the better for them.

[larevoj]

The flexibility of this product seems to target the mass market. Also allow channels to import an entry model with less configuration in type of finishing to allow consistent flow of production. If this strategy works for SF this may become the bread and butter product for them.

I am surprised that they are offering a even cheaper product versus Venere that is fairly new in the market. This is after SF took a big gamble and went thru a great length to prove Venere market viability. I am even more surprised that they are making these right in Italy instead of China. This does put a big question in their continuation of production base in China and possibly a move in restoring its made in Italy identity.

Obviously this is not targeting the Olympica and above customer base. That is why the design direction is more contemporary since the mass market is pursuing the same trend. Don't be shock to see wifi enabled active portable or stereo system from SF in the near future. These markets demand are real and quantifiable like what Naim, Martin Logan, B&O, Dynaudio and others have follow suit.

I have not heard the new line of Chameleon so I cannot judge its performance. As critical as my ears are but at this price point I have to be relevant. Like others here I do appreciates their top line range especially the Aida, Stradivari and Guarneri Evolution. I think these will continue to improve upon and my hope for them is to improve in their quality. It's the simple things that matters and don't over complicates.

[Masterlu]

My personal opinion...

[piolaxo]

Agree with the overall sentiment -- not my cup of tea. At first I looked at them with
more DNA (colours and textures) from Focal, so that shouldn't resonate all that well.
It's not meant to sound as a derogatory comment, just trying to imply that it doesn't
look like a SF. I think the first culprit for this is having no wooden panels on it.

Going back to the car's analogies, I think these companies should create a new brand
targeted to different groups. In this way, SF could stay in the same level (and pricing)
whereas a new brand should cover speakers like this one. This Chameleon speaker
is not bad looking, it just doesn't look like a true SF.

[bart]

Originally Posted by larevoj

The flexibility of this product seems to target the mass market. Also allow channels to import an entry model with less configuration in type of finishing to allow consistent flow of production. If this strategy works for SF this may become the bread and butter product for them.

I am surprised that they are offering a even cheaper product versus Venere that is fairly new in the market. This is after SF took a big gamble and went thru a great length to prove Venere market viability. I am even more surprised that they are making these right in Italy instead of China. This does put a big question in their continuation of production base in China and possibly a move in restoring its made in Italy identity.

Obviously this is not targeting the Olympica and above customer base. That is why the design direction is more contemporary since the mass market is pursuing the same trend. Don't be shock to see wifi enabled active portable or stereo system from SF in the near future. These markets demand are real and quantifiable like what Naim, Martin Logan, B&O, Dynaudio and others have follow suit.

I have not heard the new line of Chameleon so I cannot judge its performance. As critical as my ears are but at this price point I have to be relevant. Like others here I do appreciates their top line range especially the Aida, Stradivari and Guarneri Evolution. I think these will continue to improve upon and my hope for them is to improve in their quality. It's the simple things that matters and don't over complicates.

Good post.
Let us listen first and then judge.
I don't even disapprove of the looks.
I can see younger people liking these, more than the for them old fashioned wood veneers (which I do love!).

Other brands like Focal, Naim are also launching cheap products, with success.
My dealer says that if it weren't for the cheaper streaming products of Naim, he would have had difficulties to survive the past years of crisis here in Belgium.
Mind you, it is the same dealer who has over 30 pairs of expensive speakers in his store! And who has sold 3 pairs of Amatis already this year.

When I was at the 'Cost no Object Show' a couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a young man, in his 20s.
He had purchased an all-in-one from Naim one or 2 years ago, and now that he had more money, he was looking for un upgrade to separates, 3 times more expensive.

So, in that show, at the same time, cheap streamers, a Mu-so (1125€), and the Naim Statement (150K) were playing.
I'd rather see people buying some SF Chameleons that they can upgrade to Olympicas later on, than Bose, that they can upgrade to... more Bose?

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by bart

Good post.
Let us listen first and then judge.
I don't even disapprove of the looks.
I can see younger people liking these, more than the for them old fashioned wood veneers (which I do love!).

Other brands like Focal, Naim are also launching cheap products, with success.
My dealer says that if it weren't for the cheaper streaming products of Naim, he would have had difficulties to survive the past years of crisis here in Belgium.
Mind you, it is the same dealer who has over 30 pairs of expensive speakers in his store! And who has sold 3 pairs of Amatis already this year.

When I was at the 'Cost no Object Show' a couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a young man, in his 20s.
He had purchased an all-in-one from Naim one or 2 years ago, and now that he had more money, he was looking for un upgrade to separates, 3 times more expensive.

So, in that show, at the same time, cheap streamers, a Mu-so (1125€), and the Naim Statement (150K) were playing.
I'd rather see people buying some SF Chameleons that they can upgrade to Olympicas later on, than Bose, that they can upgrade to... more Bose?

Bart...I view this move exactly as you do. This move is aimed at broadening the customer base by going to the high end of mass market pricing and attracting new and younger customers for whom these price points will still be a bit of a stretch but as they grow in age and economic means will be the natural buyers for the upper end lines.

Pricing in Europe/US:

Chameleon B Minimonitor: €750/$899/pair
Chameleon T Floorstander: €1,750/$1,999/pair
Chameleon C Centerchannel: €450/$549/pair

So clearly by high-end audio standards these are entry level products at an entry level price but by mass market standards these will still be pricey, especially for younger folks in their 20s and early 30s. SF should introduce a good set of headphones and use those as the hook into this demographic. The phones become the lead in to these Chameleon speakers which will then lead to sales of the mid- and higher-end products in the SF line. I understand the hesitancy but these are not aimed at the traditional high-end audiophile with means. I know we have done surveys on this before here on AA but a quick sampling will show that most of us are middle-aged on up and predominantly male (and we will be all dead in the coming decades). Not a good business model to continuously focus on an ageing and limited audience without having a way to replenish interest in these nichey products with new blood.