Solid, dependable, smooth, clear, will take anything you can toss at them. Provide true audiophile quality.

3 point risers are a little wobbly and leave substantial indentations in the carpet

This is a review of the Sonatina II. I recently purchased a Manley Stingray and that move brought out some deficiencies in my B&W 602's. Which is not to say that the 602's are poor speakers. On the contrary, in their price range ($600 new, $350 used), they are excellent performers. However, I was looking for a speaker that would allow the Stingray to perform at full capacity. Since my room is fairly small (11X16) and I have an M&K MX100 sub, my initial thought was to acquire some better monitors. Reading through AudioReview, AudioAsylum and other sources, I thought that ProAc SC's, Merlin TSM's, Totem Signature 1's or Tyler Reference Monitors might be the ticket. However, I then starting thinking about floorstanders; ProAc 1.5's, B&W 804's, Totem Hawk's & others and I read & learned about Silverline's...manufactured in my own home town. Already owning a California made amp and a California made sub, I thought it would be cool to go with a California tri-fecta. The topper was that the Sonatina's were extremely highly reviewed and sounded like very tube-friendly speakers. Now that I have had them for a while, I am extremely happy with my choice. The sonic match with the Stingray and the M&K sub are spot on! I have no doubt that there are better speakers out there, and to someone else, something else would sound better, however I don't think you can go wrong with the Sonatina's. Especially if you are getting into tubes. They are solid, look great and provide an excellent soundstage throughout the high, mid and low tonal range. The low's are more than acceptable (I just like the sub "oomph"), the high's are excellent and the mid's are superior (creamy smooth). And with this combo (and my Arcam 8se, a good, but not superior cd player), 40+ year old recordings of Ray Charles & Ella Fitzgerald sound great. New HDCD recordings, Chesky and Mapleshade & other better recordings sound....incredible. As for tubes not rocking...the Manley Stingray (and these speakers) cranks! Not in a 250 watt per channel solid state way, but in a smooth, listen all night and not feel like you have lobsters crawling out of your ears way. It's a revelation.

Seamless, large soundstage, good imaging.

Will still need a sub-woofer if you like bottom end rumble. Narrow slanted cabinets makes them tippy.

I have a pair of the MKII that have been factory modified. For several months I was very happy with the Sonatina IIs. Liquid highs and mids with a decent low end. But as the initial wow wore off I found the SEAS mid-bass & bass drivers to be slow and out classed by the LPG dome mid & tweeter. Alan Yun was happy to work with me and we settled on replacing the SEAS drivers with the Dynaudio 6.5" drivers he uses in the SR17. So four drivers, some crossover changes, and $900 later I had a setup that sounds like a single transducer, seamless. What a difference as the dynaudio drivers are lightling fast. As I bonus I got a deeper bottom end. I can listen to these speakers all day long and at any volume. I still use my sub-woofer below 40Hz to give me that low end rumble. Only so much you can ask from a small cabinet and a 6.5" woofer. My Silverlines are feed by the following. Arcam CD72 cd player deHavilland UltraVerve pre Belles 350A amp MIT Terminator Bi-Wire cables

Similar Products Used:

Aerial Accousics Model 5

Finally, speakers that allow me to listen to music without reminding me that it is being reproduced. Drop-dead gorgeous midrange. No listening fatigue whatsoever. Gorgeous fit and finish.

The Sonatina's are not the last word in detail. My Tyler Acoustics Linbrook monitors with their SEAS magnesium drivers have greater detail, but on the flip side, the Linbrooks can become fatiguing after a while while the Sonatinas deliver a balanced musicality and smooooth sound that makes me want to keep listening well into the night. As you would expect with the modestly sized woofer, deep bass is lacking, but even when I listen without a sub, this has never really negatively impacted the listening pleasure I derive from these speakers.

I love these speakers. The Silverline Sonatina Mk2's offer a superb combination of musicality and physical elegance. I have 5 audio systems and currently have, or have recently owned, Dunlavy Alethas and SC-3's, Tyler acoustics Linbrook monitors paired with an ACI Titan 2 sub, Tag McLaren Calliopes, PBS minis and Epos M12's. The Sonatinas have an extremely slim footprint and only take up as much room as my stand-mounted monitors, but they deliver a much more full-bodied and compelling sound. The finish and seams on the rosewood veneer are absolutely flawless, and these speakers are just plain gorgeous to look at. I purchased the Sonatinas without ever auditioning them based on the rave reviews alone. They serve as the front speakers in my home theater system and are paired with a Denon AVR 4802 amp, Rel Storm sub, PSB C5 center, Boston Acoustics micro 90X surrounds, Pioneer DV656A DVD/CD player and Cardas Cross biwired speaker cables. From the first moment I hit "Play", I was blown away by their musicality. The standout is a lush, smooth, "authentic" midrange that imbues female vocals, strings and wind instruments with absolute magic. High frequencies are clear and entirely unfatiguing. The lower frequencies have excellent drive, speed and visceral impact. When using my home theater for stereo listening, primarily classical and jazz, the lack of a large bass driver is noticeable only with occasional triple forte orchestral passages, and in those cases the Rel sub nicely fills in the gaps. The Rel is more indispensible with LFE for movie soundtracks. I was so impressed I tried the Sonatinas in my main system in place of my Dunlavy Alethas. My associated equipment is: Pass Labs X250 amp, X1 and X-ono pre/phono, Cary CD 303/200, Rega P25 turntable with a Benz L2 Glider MC cartridge, MIT 350 and Nordost Red Dawn XLR IC's and Cardas Golden Cross biwired speaker cables. The result? Music that made the components disappear. You could have convinced me that Renee Fleming was singing in my living room. Although deep bass is missing, by no stretch of the imagination is the bass lightweight on these speakers. They do a great job with Rock and driving Jazz as well, all the while delivering an extremely musical balance. These are without a doubt the biggest bang for the buck speakers I have heard. Bottom line: The Sonatinas are back in my home theater system and I am considering replacing my Alethas with another pair of Alun Yun's splendid speakers. Don't hesitate if you are considering Sonatina's for your system unless you restrict your listening to headbanging music, or you are willing to spend much more. The Mk3's just came out, so the Mk2's are likely to drop substantially in price.

Similar Products Used:

At home, Dunlavy Aletha, Dunlavy SC-3, Tyler Acoustics Linbrooks, Tag McLaren Calliopes, PSB Minis and Epos M12's. I have listened to many other floor standing speakers as well, and in the Sonatinas p

Very well made cabinets-real wood-precise craftmanship-gorgeous look especially in briarwood. Huge soundstage, well balanced, easy to position

None that I''m aware

As soon as I''ve connected these speakers to my Belles 150A and I turned to one of my favorites vinyls: Eagles-Hotel California, I knew what I was missing all these years....Suddenly it was like a new world that I was discovering behind a wall of unheard notes on a newly, heavenly, magically and misterious musical elements. My ears could not believe that a song well known for so many ears, could sound with that much revealind detail and focus. The highs were stratospherical, the mids smoother than the finest velvet and the lows deeper than the Marianes abys. I don''t think that anybody could find any similar sounding speakers below 6K. The cabinets, especially in briarwood finish are extremelly attractive and could enhance any living room or "music room".

Similar Products Used:

Nothing could be "similar", maybe... JM Labs Grande Utopia... My setup is: Belles 150 A power amp, Alchemist Forsetti MKII pre amp,VPI TNT 3.5 table- JWM 10 tonearm, Lyra Helikon MC, Musical Surround

SWEETEST MID-RANGE AND HIGHS COMBINED WITH TIGHTEST FASTEST BASS EXTENDING FLAT DOWN TO 25HZ. SLEEK, SWOOPY DESIGN WITH SUPERB FINISH QUALITY.

NONE

READ DOUGLAS' AND JOHN'S REVIEWS BELOW, THEY ARE BOTH WELL-WRITTEN AND DEAD ON ACCURATE. IN FACT IT WAS JOHN'S REVIEW THAT PROMPTED ME TO SEARCH OUT THE SONATINA'S FOR AN AUDITION. DOUGLAS' REVIEW HAD NOT YET BEEN WRITTEN.

AFTER LOCATING SILVERLINE AUDIO'S WEBSITE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE FACTORY SHOWROOM IS A MERE 40 MILES FROM MY HOME IN THE GREATER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. ONE AFTERNOON ABOUT A MONTH AGO I WAS IN THE AREA AND DECIDED TO DROP IN. I WAS GREETED BY ONE OF THE HONEST-TO-GOD NICEST HUMAN BEINGS I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE TO MEET, ALAN YUN, PRESIDENT, OWNER, DESIGNER, ENGINEER AND CHIEF-COOK-AND-BOTTLE-WASHER AT SILVERLINE AUDIO.

ALAN WAS BUSY UNPACKING FROM HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN FROM HI-FI '99 WHERE HIS SONATINA'S WERE VOTED SPEAKER OF THE YEAR. HE HAD JUST UNPACKED AND WAS LISTENING TO A PAIR OF BEAUTIFUL SONATINA'S FINISHED IN BIRDS-EYE MAPLE.

THE MOMENT I HEARD THE SONATINAS I KNEW THEY HAD EVERYTHING I WANTED IN A SPEAKER. THE SWEETEST MID-RANGE AND HIGHS, I'VE EVER HEARD ALONG WITH A FAST TIGHT BASS EXTENDING FLAT DOWN TO 25HZ. THEY AIN'T HARD TO LOOK AT NEITHER. THE DESIGN IS SLEEK AND SWOOPY WITH THE BEST FINISH QUALITY I'VE SEEN ANYWHERE.

THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS LISTENING TO MY OWN AS WELL AS ALAN'S FAVORITE MUSIC ONLY REINFORCED MY FIRST IMPRESSION. ALAN WAS DRIVING THE SONATINA'S WITH A $16,000 KRELL SET-UP THAT HE USED FOR THE SHOW, INCLUDING A 600 WATT/CH STEREO AMPLIFIER APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF YOUR AVERAGE SWITCHING LOCOMOTIVE ( I THINK THE KRELL MAY WEIGH A BIT MORE.) SIZE ASIDE, AND THE FACT THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN CRAZY ABOUT THE FORWARD AND EDGY SOUND OF KRELL, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE SONATINA WAS IN A CLASS BY ITSELF. ALAN MENTIONED THAT I MIGHT PREFER THE SONATINA'S LINKED TO AN 8 TUBE-AMPLIFIER OF ALAN'S OWN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE, A TREAT I HOPE TO EXPERIENCE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

WELL, ANYWAY, THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT MY SEARCH WAS OVER, THE BAD NEWS WAS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE $3,800 ON ME, AND I FEARED THAT EITHER ALAN WOULD DISCOVER HOW MUCH THE SONATINA'S ARE REALLY WORTH AND RAISE THE PRICE OUT-OF-SIGHT, OR THAT THE SUPPLY OF SONATINA'S WOULD EVAPORATE BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE BANK AND RETURN WITH WIFE IN-TOW TO SELECT THE FINISH OF HER CHOICE (ROSEWOOD, IF YOU CARE).

NOW THAT I'VE HAD THEM A SHORT-WHILE I'VE DISCOVERED A FEW MORE THINGS ABOUT SONATINAS. THEY HAVE A LONG BREAK-IN PERIOD. THEY START-OUT SOUNDING FABULOUS, AND GET BETTER. THE HIGHS AND MIDS GET SWEETER, AND THE BASS GETS WARMER WITH USE. ALAN RECOMMENDS APPLYING CLEAR LIQUID TIRE DRESSING SPARINGLY TO THE WOOFERS CONE AND ALL WITH A SOFT CLOTH ONCE A MONTH TO IMPROVE BREAK-IN AND PROMOTE LONGEVITY. A SOFT NATURAL FIBER PAINT BRUSH SHOULD BE USED TO REMOVE DUST FROM DOMED TWEETER AND MID-RANGE. ALAN ALSO RECOMMENDS LEMON PLEDGE FOR THE FINISH. I'M USING LEMON OIL FOR THE ROSEWOOD.

ANOTHER THING I'VE DISCOVERED ABOUT THE SONATINAS IS THAT WITH THEIR 93DB SENSITIVITY, THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM WOULD DICTATE THAT OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE SHOULD TOP-OUT WITH RLATIVELY LOW WATTAGE SET AMPS, BUT I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT SONATINA WILL REWARD YOU TEN-FOLD FOR EVERY QUALITY WATT YOU FEED HER. I BEGAN DRIVING MY SONATINAS WITH A SINGLE SUNFIRE STEREO AMPLIFIER 300 WATTS/CH. SINCE THEN I HAVE ACQUIRED A SECOND SUNFIRE AMPLIFIER, AND AM EMPLOYING BOB CARVER'S RECOMMENDED BI-WIRE MONO APPLICATION. WHICH IS TO SAY ONE SUNFIRE AND 600 WATTS FOR EACH SONATINA WITH EACH SUNFIRE BRIDGED, ALLOWING ONE CHANNEL TO BE DEVOTED TO THE WOOFERS VIA THE VOLTAGE TERMINALS, WHILE THE OTHER CHANNEL IS LINKED TO THE MID-RANGE AND TWEETER VIA THE CURRENT TERMINALS WHICH HAVE A TUBE-LIKE ONE OHM OUTPUT IMPEDENCE. THE RESULT IS, WELL WORDS CAN'T GET YOU THERE, BUT I CLOSE MY EYES, THE SONATINA'S DISAPPEAR, AND RECORDINGS BECOME LIVE PERFORMANCES ON A SONIC HOLO-STAGE.

THE REST OF MY GEAR IS QUITE AVERAGE : THE SUNFIRES ARE LINKED VIA PRE-OUTS FROM A HARMAN KARDON AVR-75, AND MY CD'S ARE PLAYED ON A MARANTZ CC-48 5 DISC CHANGER. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT I SOLD MY SUBS, BECAUSE EVEN FOR HOME THEATER THE SONATINA'S ARE BASSO PROFUNDO.

ALAN THINKS THE SOUND CAN BE FURTHER IMPROVED WITH SILVERLINE'S NEW LINE OF SPEAKER CABLES AND INTERCONNECTS. CHECK THE CABLE SECTION FOR MY REVIEW IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, AFTER ALAN MAKES ME A SET.

Similar Products Used:

SONATINA STANDS ALONE IN A CLASS BY ITSELF.

Fantastic Midrange with tweeter that is sweet and extended

lower bass and lower midrange could use some warming

I had owned these speakers previously. Associated equipment were:

Pioneer DV-333 Transport
HT Cyberlink copper
MSB Link DAC 2
HT Truthlink
Custom Made 20K Shunt Attenuator using Goldpoint attenuators with Caddock Resistors in the critical range (actually almost all positions) with Cardas internal wiring and Cardas Silver/Rhodium Jacks. One Input, One Output, No Selector Switch
JPS Superconductor
AES Super 25 in Triode Mode with Stock KT-88s
TG Audio Silver Speaker Cable

My room was small and very active.
Because of my small room the tweeter, though extended and sweet, was just to hot for my room. I employed the 1/4 covering toilet paper trick and this cured it.

The tweeter is extra nice. Even nicer than the Sol 5.3 tweeter which I highly regard. The Sonatina showed it lacked the last word in HF reproduction. Track 4 of Mariah Carey Rainbow Synth showed this clearly.

The upper midrange on this speaker is extra special. Female vocals are just mesmerizing. This speaker can stop and go on a dime. On track 11 of MC Rainbow, there is a left to right ping pong of the male voice which is captivating on these speakers but much less so on the Sol 5.3.

In the lower mids, the Sonatina is leaner than the 5.3. In fact the 5.3s are a little humpy at about 100Hz and added a chestines to The Blues Doctor, Drink Small.

However, the Sonatina can be very punchy although lacking the weight of some other speakers I have heard.

Soundstaging width, depth and height are VERY good. Imaging is pinpoint and sharply deliniated.

My biggest gripe about this speaker is some coldness or lack of warmth throughout the midrange. I suspect that many people like the warmth of the 5.3 although they err on the other side of neutral in this regard as compared to the Sonatina. I feel that most people felt this way and Alan Yun has responded by making the Sonatina 2 crossover to the bottom 6.5 woofer down low. Suppossedly, there is more warmth and more oomph down low.

The finish is first rate although I would rank it below the furniture grade stuff from Aerial or the Sonus Faber Amati(yeah, listened to that one too).

With regards to the competition in this price range, this speaker kills most speaker in this range and can outperform others in some areas. The speakers I have not heard that might give this speaker a run for the money(in this price range) would be Coincident Super Eclipse and maybe the Talon stuff.

As a comparison to the ProAc 2.5, I found the 2.5s a bit uninvolving emotionally but better at bass.

As a comparison the B&W 804, there is no comparison. It aint even close folks.

As a comparison to the SF Grand Pianos, the GPs are a fine music transducer. Seductive it is. However, the Sonatinas are MUCH more detailed and revealing. The way the GPs make music though, is tantalizing.

As a comparison to the Platinum Audio Solo, the Solo is SUPER holographic and throws a medium size stage. Some instruments sound colored though so I would easily choose the Sonatina.

Monitor Audio stuff cant compare.

Vandersteen 2CE. Hey, this speaker was so dark, lacked a soundstage and was boxy sounding.

The Aeriel 10T was very nice but the bass was indistinct and the soundstage depth was poor. They are more full range but the Sonatina would be my choice. They are more revealing and throw a deeper stage. Tonal shading, although a bit light, was better on the Sonatinas.

The Dyn Audio 1.8 Mk II is nice but the Dyns are expensive for what you get. The 3.0s are very nice. I think a head to head would be interesting. The 3.0s are definitely more full range.

The Sol 5.3 can't throw as big or deep a stage. They do not possess the start and stop on a dime speed that the Sonatina has, they also have a hump which may be pleasing but is DEFINITELY noticable on male voices. However, at $1800, the Sol 5.3s are a good bargain. At that price, there just isnt much to compare with.

Similar Products Used:

I have owned Soliloquy 5.3, Spica Angelus, RBH 61-SE and have listened to: Dynaudio 1.8 Mk II, 3.0s, Canton Karat, SF GP, PSB Silver, various ML, Meadowlark Shearwater HR, Vandersteen 2CE, Aerial 7B, 8, 10T, B&W 804, 803, Pipedreams, Thiel 3.6, MCS1, Paradigm various, NHT various, Monitor Audio Various, Platinum Audio Solo, etc etc

It's sad to see such a good speaker being discontinued.
Nevertheless I was fortunate to snatch a pair of store
demo with brairwood finish. They look quite elegant
and have become a piece of furniture in my living room.

The speakers were fully broken in, a big plus for me.
I drive them with either the Jeff Korneff custom 76/45
integrated amp, or the Sun Audio 300B SET with
the AVVT C37 tubes. The rest of my system can be found
in another review (silverline panatella ii).

The sonatina footprint is quite small, certainly smaller
than the panatella ii. It has 3 spikes rather than 4.
The tweeter and the midrange softdome are from LPG while
the dual woofers are from SEAS. Needless to say is its
signature 90+db (93) and the flat 8Ohm impedance from
top to bottom.

I waited no time to put the sonatina into the system,
first driving it with the 76/45 amp that was used with
the panatella ii. The highs were as revealing as the
Panatella. But the midrange was way smoother and
denser. The bass was deeper, more controlled, polite,
and prominent, vs the more explosive bass in the panatella.
The soundstage was noticably deeper and layered.
I heard more detail but not the "in your face" type.
The degree of relaxation, refinement, and delicacy
elevated to another level. The panatella although
sounded very good with the 76/45, was not as smooth and
full-bodied, and more forward. However it's still my
2nd favorite for the 76/45.

Then I switched to the Sun Audio 300B. Everything
was as expected: more strength, more dynamic (but
less than the sovtek 2a3 that I had), but at the same
time giving up some 76/45 magic in the midrange to
highs, i.e. not as relax and realistic (The 45 really
excelled in this area).

While I haven't listened to the new sonatina,
I have no doubt it would be as good, although I
prefer the older cabinet style.

Another 2 thumbs up for silverline speakers.

Folk music used:
Esther, Belafonte the complete concert, Sympathique,
Cold Dog Soup

Vocal used:
Pavarotti the recital, Mozart Leider, Vienna Boys Choir,
Tchaikovsky international competition The greatest vocalists

Misc classical used:
Tchaikovsky international competition the greatest pianists,
New world symphony, Tchaikovsky violin concerto #1,
Paganini 24 Caprices, Four Seasons, Carmen Fantasia
Rachimaninoff Piano concerto #2, A theme of paganini

soundstage, bass, nice looks

tweeter aberations

I recently had the opportunity to home audtion a pair of the "old style" sonatinas. I am trying to match a pair of speakers to a tube amp, so I got excited at the opportunity of trying out a 93db sensitivty speaker. The sonatinas have gotten nice reviews at soundstage.com and on this page also, so I figured to give them a run. This particualar pair was a store demo. At first all seemed well. Bass response was great, and the soundstage was big and detailed. Images very stable. But then when I played piano music selctions from Gershwin (a Phillips EMI recording..high quality) or Billy Joel, started to notice something odd. There was a lot of distortion coming from the tweeter on the left speaker. I had not really noticed it previously becasue I suspect that i was playing music with lots of other "stuff" going on that masked that distortion. But there it was, clear as day, impossible to hide when all that was being played was a piano stressing high notes. In fact, it was really bad and made them impossible to listen to. I removed the bass portion of the bi-wiring, and of course it was even more pronounced. I reversed channels to see if perhaps my amp was the culprit, but the problem failed to travel, so i could only conclude that it was the speaker. Okay I said, I got a bad pair with a lone bad driver. No problem...I went back to the store and got another pair (used pair) and brought them home. Again, all seemed okay at first, but then again on the same types of music (in fact I used the same CDs)I heard the same tweeter distortion, albeit less pronounced. I did the same thing with the channel switching and the bi-wiring with the exact same results as with the previous pair. So what gives? It seems to be too much of a coincidence that two pairs from the same line of speaker would have the same issue. It really makes me wonder if there is an issue with the Sonatina's tweeter reliability. I am not trying to knock these speakers...many of you have said how great they are. However, a few of the reviews here also point out bad experiences, and I am wondering if this is what they heard. It also makes me wonder if this type of problem is what contributes to so many sonatinas and silverline products are available on Audiogon despite the fact that silverline is a relatively small manufacturer. I mean to say, I would expect lots of B&W speakers to be available secondhand for example as they sell a lot to start with. But the available pool of silverline products should be alot smaller. Anyways, I am curious if anyone out there has had a similar listening experience as I did with this speaker or others from the same company? Because of this, I have to give them a fairly low rating.

Good stage and imaging; good dynamics

spectral balance; thin and bright presentation; box colorations

Okay, okay. Get the tar and feathers ready. I read the same reviews - that's why I bought them. I can only say (as can all of us) that in my room and system, I was sorely disappointed. I was ready to hear the magic, but it never happened. My room at 23 by 26 may have been too big, but as my little Opera Duetto monitors do the bass thing better with only one 4" midwoofer each, I tend to think it was the speakers. I could live without the bass, but I noticed several things that kept pulling me out of the music. First, there seemed to be a suck-out in the upper mids, lending a slightly thin and bright sound to voices and some instruments. Second, I noticed a mid-bass bump that has not appeared in any of the other eight pairs of speakers in this room, smearing detail in the bass. Lastly, I noticed a marked box coloration in the upper-mids/low treble region which was easily audible on percussion instruments such as vibes. I sold my Gallos for these, and the Gallos (which had their own faults) were superior in most respects, and more musical over all. I drove the Sonatinas with a pair of Atma-Sphere M-60 Mk IIs, which should have made them sing, but they didn't. Maybe it was the combination, maybe it was the room, but with 15k of electronics and wire, they should have acquitted themselves better than this. After three months, I gave up. Despite their reputation for presenting a benign load for tube amps, I bet they would fair better with some solid state gear to get control of the woofers. I would also guess that smaller rooms might work better. I'm not here to trash these speakers, but only to give fair warning - speakers at this level can't be all things to all people. Alan Yun is like the nicest audio guy on the planet and I really wanted to make these work. In the end, I couldn't. I will put some stars down below, but I don't believe in this rating system. I would hope that balanced comments might help people thinking of buying the product; I hope mine are of some use to someone in the future. Buyers should also be aware that there are almost always two or three pairs of Sonatas and/or Sonatinas available in the Audiogon classifieds (not that this means anything by itself).

Similar Products Used:

Eminent Tech LFT VIII Planars; Gallo Nucleus Reference; Opera Duetto monitors

transparent, natural mids and highs; clean bass

I've listened to the above speakers at length, and to various more expensive speakers (Talon Khorus, Wilson Watt) at stores. The Thiel 2.2s were dry and, in my room, slightly bright. They were also not very dynamic. The Aerials lacked the resolution and detail of the Silverlines, and sounded rather dull. The sonic signature of the Totem Forests was not altogether unlike that of the Sonatinas, but the Silverlines clearly bested the Totems in linearity and overall balance. The Sonatinas are also more efficient. All of the speakers I auditioned had certain strong qualities, but only the Sonatinas lacked weaknesses.

I've heard the Sonatinas in several settings, ranging from a cramped carpeted room to a large, concrete-floored warehouse, and in all cases they have impressed me with their clarity and detail. I have also heard them with all types of amplification, ranging from inexpensive tube integrated amps to absurdly expensive solid-state amps.

Soundstaging and imaging are good, although Silverline's monitors are arguably even better in these respects. Definition and low-level detail are exceptional, better than any other speaker I've heard near this price. Overall tonal accuracy is outstanding--vocals and instruments sound just as they should. The crucial midrange is immediate and palpable, wonderfully natural and open.

Overall, these are by far the best speakers I've heard in their class. They share many sonic characteristics with the the larger and more expensive Silverline speakers (Sonata, La Folia), and may be the ideal choice for a medium-sized room (my listening room is about 15'x16'). They sound especially magical with tube amplification.

My system includes:
Linn LP12 w/Syrinx PU-2 arm and Benz Micro Gold cartridge
Linn Karik/Numerik transport/DAC
Magnum Dynalab FT-101 tuner
Linn Kairn preamp
Rogue 88 power amp
Kimber PBJ and Silver Sonic BL1 interconnects
Kimber 8TC speaker cable

Similar Products Used:

owned Thiel 2.2; auditioned Totem Forest, Aerial 7