I have now owned he Sonus Faber Amati Homage for 8 years, and I don not expect to part with it for many years to come. The sound of instruments is beguiling,the timbre of a violin and most other 'natural' instruments unmatched. I listen to Classical music, jazz, acoustic, but also to Led Zeppelin for instance. In the past years I have improved on the rest of the HiFi chain, and the Amati's have always grown with it.

This speaker is rather picky when it comes to amplification, I thought the Amati Anniversarion was even better, until I had found a good match for the Homage. Now I know they are pretty much equal, with the newer Anniverario being easier to drive. (I haven't heard the Futura yet)

First of all I am good on writing a review and English is my second language but I have own these speakers for about 7 months now and so far the best speakers I heard and owned so far,I am driving them with recaps krell ksa 150 amplifier and also recaps kbl preamplifier and the results is so good and I can't even explained ,The emotion and involvement in the music is so strong,before I got these speakers I have a pair of Jm lab alcor and also the vandersteen 3a signature and the sonus are so much better in any category that I heard.The emotional attachment for me on these speakers is so strong right now and a lot of people say they are great using tubes also but I have not try that yet ,I have a mcintosh mc 30 and mcintosh mx110 z completed recaps by Terry D..in my bedroom connected to Yamaha ns-2000 speakers and I can't even find a time to try the mcintosh to drive the sonus because I just don't want to touch these setup..

This review is for the new Anniversario!
Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario is a really high end loudspeaker. Feed them with a amplifier and signal source in same high end class and you will have a music system you never get tired to listen to for ever. This speakers will give you all the musical information the orchestra can offer. From the big drums to the small piccolo flute, the wooden sound from the stings and the timbre of the cymbals and triangles. The stop and start time in the 2 new 220mm woofers with magnesium membranes are the most precis low frequency transducers available today. You can feel and hear this no over-shooting and precis bass-response.
The 150mm midrange device gives the well known Sonus Faber midrange, the timpani, brass and voices are clear and open. The new 25mm ring radiator tweeter give a superb transient response without any over-shooting in sound. The design wood and finish are in highest class. The speakers are art sculptures with high wife factor! The price is high but it is not easy to get better speakers in this class. I have experience with B&W 802 and 801 but SF Amati are better in all aspects.
Amati is no hard to drive speakers. Some times I use a 2x40W tube amplifier Hovland Sapphire with topp results but mainly I use a 2x400W Jeff Rowland 301.
No bad words can be said about this speakers only superlatives!

Most enjoyable music reproduction I ever heard.

none

This review is for the anniversary model. I would recommend placing these wonderful speakers in medium to large room. I am around 20 feet away from them and they are truly magnificent. I tested many amps and went for Audio Research reference tubes (magic). The amati's dissapear and after awhile you forget about them and are calmed by the elegant music that is produced. They really are instruments. I guess you can say that they are a modern day escape. They can take you to audiophile heaven for hours. They even sound amazing in home theatre. I have them hooked up in 2 channel as well as 5.1, movies are mesmerizing and concerts sublime. I started with Guarneri's years ago which I love and now use them as rears in 5.1 and also use a rel stentor3 sub without any center (i run it in phantom mode) the amati's in front with guarneri's as rears is just amazing , the rel is also great and disappears. Also run a krell s-1000 processor with the audio research reference amps.

Customer Service

never had any problems

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b&w, wilson, avalon, proac, focal, mission, opera, quad

looks only

not worth the $... $20000 only listen to jazz and musical but not rock and roll?? Are you joking??

I dont pay $20000 for its looks. I only pay $20000 for its sound because I listen to music with my ears not with my eyes.

So dont be fooled you fools.

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My cheaper JBL systems are more flexible as I can listen to most music.

Strings Reproduction

lacking bottom power slam

I do not own this Jewel (hopefully someday) only relating my experience as i am listening/analyzing it (as audiophile?) from where I bought my Concerto. This is the best electro-acoustic transducer system for strings reproduction (violins, guitar,cello), solo piano, forthright jazz and classical. But to play a bit of rock or fast music you need bottom octave power and slam. Further analysis to complete the musical spectrum meant that it needs high quality subwoofer from 25hz down to the lowest the music can reach (9hz?) depending on canorous programme. With that in mine nothing beats it to replicate a real musical instrument. Just a suggestion to those no-cost-object buyers to try it with REL Studio or to a lesser degree two REL Storms. I read a review where JMLabs MezzoUtopia still fitted with REL Studio and everything went even better. Another appropriate design is a three-way spkr which includes a built-in subwoofer (Von Schweikert DB-99/100). The nuances and subtleties in music reproduction is somewhat filled-in or refined with added subwoofer, there is such completeness in its overall presentation. Why do they design speakers with stupendous/extravagant woofers (Alon Grand, MartinLog Statement, Genesis2, Slamms..etc). - TheNeverEndingStoryOfHighFidelity, Happy Listening, LiveOneDayAtATime.

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Cremona, Concerto, Duntech, Apogee, Wilson Watt/Puppy

Mid. range (Vocal) and over all musical (you have to lisen for youself).

expensive $$$$$$$$$$

OK, owning this beauty for 2 years and its about time post the experience ! Visually, anybody saw it will praise the style and excellent wood work so is the outer beauty matches the inner beauty ? Summary of Amati's performance in one word is "Musical", even it did not have powerfull bass and highest high but it sure sounds right to my ears. I know some people (reviewer) said Amati add color to the tone/music (alter the harmonic content ?) I do not know but I do know every gear in the audio path add some thing (color,think about Tube!) but I enjoy music more then before after I have them.

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B&W silver sig. (25), Elac Doles Vita, JM Lab Mini-Utopia, Utopia, Thiel 6, Wilson W&P 5.1,Avalon Duo, Audio Physic Virgo

Excellent in both sound and look. Can accept wide range of amplifiers with different output range and internal setup. Gentle voice sounds like real artists performance with you.

Dont invite friends to your place or you will lose them...........I have few friends claimed to give up HiFi after listening to Amati at my place. And seems that I also infected by the Amati Virus, feel sounds in other places/setup is like rubbish now, no more interest to spend time to listen.

If you are looking for ways to be more involved in the music ocming out from speakers, Amati can archieve for you. If you are think HiFi is a piece of good looking furniture, Amati is your goal. Just got it from friend after really serious thought. I know it is big money and was doubted that I might not be able to get back the value of every dollar I spent. However, buying Amati proves that I am wrong. I have experienced various legend speakers before, but none can bring me the current status. I can reach a very good tonal balance with Amati even when I am using normal amp. My theory of driving Amati is to use "small" output power amp rather than huge power. The best combo that I listened was Amati driving by VAC 300B model, talking about 18w per channel only. I also used to listen it in HiFi show playing with Siltech new model tube amp, which sounds really harsh, like Goldmund and Venture. Apparently, I am using Italy brand called Aloia 10.01 + 13.01 combo, 40w per channel only. However, Amati is already sounds super. High resolution but musical. Never feel bright nor lack of power. I can hear more details than other gears like SF Electa Amator II, B&W Matrix 802 S3, Elec Dolce Vita, Dyna Contour 1.8 MKII, etc. Position is very very good, like singers perform beside you. My next target is to test Amati performance with newly bought Opera Ref 6.6 tube amp.........KT66, 25w per channel. I believe that tube amp is good mate to Amati. I dont feel regret to own this speaker. But feel a bit reluctant to ask friends to visit my place. Also need to sequeeze my daily spending budget from now onwards.

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SF Electa Amator II, B&W M802 S3, Elac Dolce Vita, Dyna Contour 1.8 MKII

Very muciscal.

None. Maybe you will find a missing of some miro details but who cares?

If you like to enjoy music, try these speakers. You do not need to pay attention to normal Hifi characters because they are out of discussions. The only thing what you need to do is to enjoy the music with relaxation. The speakers do disappear immediately and you are now sitting in a 'concert'.

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B&W N800, N802, JM Lab Mezzo Utopia, ML Odyssy, Revel Studio, Avalon Diamend, etc.

I came in the vendor studio just about a few hours after they unpacked these LS. I went in, because I thought it were the Sonus Faber Cremona. They were playing it quite loud to break them in, with a jazz CD with saxophone and contrabass. I and my wife had a few months earlier the opportunity to hear the JMLab Mezzo Utopia in the same shop (with 8 tubed amps and 1 transistor amp: I would''nt give 1 cent for a transistor amp: no depth, no width, no...), and I thougt my rather cheap Cabasse were as good in my big huge room as the 5 times more expensive Mezzo Utopia in that quite little vendor room. But the Mezzo Utopia in that quite little room were just a bit technically better than my Cabasse in my huge room, so it was no need to buy them. When I heard the Amati in this little vendor room, I felt it was different, these speakers were not just technically better, they were music. They made a very realistic sound, I just was astonished of the big contrabass and saxophone they reproduced, filling half the room, and I had the impression the instruments were in the room. I would buy the Amati immediately if I had the money right now. I heard the Revel F30, F50, Ascendo E, Ascendo M, Cabasse Pacific, BW 801, Isophon Europa, JMLab Mezzo Utopia, and my comment about these is that they are technically good quite on the same level with a preference for the faster Cabasse, nothing more, and no need to change them for my rather cheap Cabasse Egea. The Amati are different, they are, as many said, emotional, and perfectly suited for jazz/classic, and are just instruments. Those who listen too rock/pop must make their own judgment. (by the way: the so beloved BW 801 can''t make any sound when connected to a tube amp)

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JMLab Mezzo Utopia, BW801, Revel F30, F50, Isophon Europa, Dynaudio 3.3