advertisement


Sonus Faber Concertino Homes seeking more excitement!

C

clogman

pfm Member
Could really do with advice since my trusty HiFi shop has shut.
Love my SF speakers, but they could do with a boot up the backside as it all sounds very nice and lovely, but it's just too easy to get up to brew a cuppa...

Current: Arcam 75+
Arcam CD93 & Squeezebox Touch through Wyred4Sound DAC1.
Lovely clarity and detail, fair soundstaging (2D) but too polite (tweed jacket with elbow patches...).

"Auditioned" on various dealers' setups:
Nait 5si: not sure about bass definition. I miss some of the mid-range transparency I love as a trade-off for the added oomph. Loved 3D soundstage. Demo very harsh in treble - Agnes Obel Philharmonics unlistenable IMHO (what was that dealer doing?)
Rega Elex-R: lacks detail. Better overall character than Nait, but missing out all its good stuff.
Reconsidered budget and listened to Primare i32 with multimedia board: wow! BUT demo with SF speakers waaaay better than mine. And don't really need a new DAC. And after adding phono & headphone amps a lot more expensive. May just about be able to raise the cash as discounted to £2k. Dealer doesn't have i22 to compare.

Demoing Saturday with own speakers & DAC.

Also considering Roksan K3 and M2 at other dealer.

Any tips? Should I consider Unison Research Unico Secondo or would that not get me the change I want?
Moon is probably just out of my range, but...
 
I would be tempted to try some old Naim (Olive). You can pick up some great deals here on the forum, and if they don't suit, usually send them on without taking (much of) a hit.
 
The 'Tino Home is a lovely speaker , I've had a couple of pairs ( as well as other SF's , I'm a bit of a fan ) .

Try and have a listen to them with a good quality valve amp of around 30 watts they will give you a completely different presentation compared to the SS amps you have listed .

It is an urban myth that SF's need loads of power , the "Home" series are easy to drive at a flat 6 ohms .
 
I have Sonus Faber Concertino with an original Naim Uniti and they make a great combination. Really like the overall presentation and how they compliment each other; from such a neat package.
 
lennyw said:
I would be tempted to try some old Naim (Olive). You can pick up some great deals here on the forum, and if they don't suit, usually send them on without taking (much of) a hit.
Click to expand...
Try a second hand pre/power to inject a bit of life into them.
 
Can I suggest a left field option?

EWA M20 pre and power combo, ideally with 2 M20 power amps. Or, if you want to shove those SF through a wall with class A power (which has intelligent tracking power supplies so won't get hot) - try an M50 power amp.

Your sounds stage won't be 2-D anymore...

Designer of EWA kit is Colin Wonfor, who was behind the Inca Tech and Magnum amplifiers, and consulted for Naim quite a lot too.
 
Alan Brown said:
Can I suggest a left field option?

EWA M20 pre and power combo, ideally with 2 M20 power amps. Or, if you want to shove those SF through a wall with class A power (which has intelligent tracking power supplies so won't get hot) - try an M50 power amp.

Your sounds stage won't be 2-D anymore...

Designer of EWA kit is Colin Wonfor, who was behind the Inca Tech and Magnum amplifiers, and consulted for Naim quite a lot too.
Click to expand...

I hope Colin will get success

I'd love to try his amplifiers and the LS-25
Bet OP's Arcam amp will get a challenge ��

The Claymore retro at 1800 is quite something to beat the competition out there
Tough market
 
I have always been under the impression that Serblin era SFs were polite, not really 'hard-rockers'. I have got SF Domus Grand Pianos and Cremona Auditors on Linn front ends, and they are beautiful in every way, but probably not the most dynamic of speakers, if that is the right word.
 
early said:
A typical preconception, valve amps needn't be soft, soggy or woolly.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of the Bristol Sound and Vision show 2017 I attended and I peeped into a room where there was a valve based system playing and there was a room full of old men listening very seriously to some slow time jazz. It reminded me of a song which went like this " The ladies on the bus say hush,hush,hush"
 
I've owned original biwed Concertinos for 20 years or more now - I wouldn't call them polite. While I've never heard the later Home versions, internet wisdom suggests they were built down to a lower price/performance level.

All I can say is my Concertinos do not work with all amps - A&R A60, sounding stunning into other speakers, is dreadful trying to drive the SFs. While a DIY push/pull hybrid valve amp with around 30 watts is fine, as is the current early Rega Mira in my office system. Best sound I've had with them was using an ML No. 29.

I think you need to borrow an amp and listen to it driving your SFs in your room before making a decision.

Richard
 
Have you thought about changing to a less polite speaker?

I actually like SF, but in an odd way. I'd buy some if I lived in a massive house and wanted some speakers to play music during cocktail parties in the third reception room. Genuinely Lovely.

But not as my only speaker.
 
Whaleblue said:
Have you thought about changing to a less polite speaker?

I actually like SF, but in an odd way. I'd buy some if I lived in a massive house and wanted some speakers to play music during cocktail parties in the third reception room. Genuinely Lovely.

But not as my only speaker.
Click to expand...

Sounds right to me. No interest in SF speakers since founder Franco Serblin bowed out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top