very heavy to move. good but "masculine" looking

Finally sold my beloved Electa Amator I and bought a pair of these tanks. Used as second set in master bedroom (!). Driving by a pair of old RCA theater amps (4*6550 per channel, 150w), a Klyne preamp and a mere Kenwood LD player. The sound is pure yet dense, like real music, no matter it's vocal, string or percussive instrument. Soundstage and imaging even better than the elegant Electas. Cannot imaging if I had time to put them in the premier setting, driving by Jadis JA200 and Wadia... Nevertheless I am satisfied now. The finest "monitor" speakers ever made (though quite large and especially deep, and heavy too), IMHO. As they can be found only second-hand now, they will be GIANT KILLERs if you a lucky to encounter a pair in perfect condition. Get one and you will never regret the decision. Not to mention the wood craftsmenship... Look better than most of your furnatures unless you are a millianaire.

Similar Products Used:

Thiel, Apogee, Sonus Faber Electa Amator I, AE2, Ensemble Animata

Weight. It very heavy to move around.

It is worth every penny spent on these speakers!!! I've owned quite a few pairs of speakers, most of them are quite respectable. However, the EXTREMAS are for my taste in a league of their own. They are very very musical and very very involving. These pairs are classics. The parts used are premium high quality audiophile parts. I can't imagine listening to music without the EXTREMAS. I think Sonus speakers are really made to produce music.
I have been upgrading for the nth times and I think this time i found what i really wanted. Good luck to you all in your search for your own audio perfection. Associated equipments are FPB-200, Quick Silver 90 monos, Music Reference RM5-III, Classe CDT-1, DAC1 and Timbre TT-1. Cables used are Transparent Reference and Ultra cables. Each individual system set-up is an art, we should know what we really want to avoid the unreasonable spendings, am talking from experience. Happy listening!!!

Similar Products Used:

Concertino, Concerto, SMGc, MG1.5, DCM TF-600, Kappa 9.2, Apogee Duetta Signature 2

weight, requires proper and adequate amplification

Have been in the hobby for quite some time now, and i have tried dozens of speakers. My speakers vary from cone to planars and electrostatic, after many years of listening, i finally stop with the EXTREMAS. Before these i've tried quite a few sonus speakers bec. they just suite my taste. The EXTREMAS for me are one of the better speakers ever manufactured of couse with the proper amplification and cables. Hans of Florida, " if you are really Hans", please try Krell and transparent products on the extremas, am quite certain you will want to keep the extremas. If you have a pair of these, i suggest you explore its potentials and you won't regret keeping them. Happy listening!!!

Similar Products Used:

EAI, EAII, some sonus concert series, magnepan speakers, and the Quest etc.

Life size and realistic representation of music. Musicality, natural tonality & looks etc.

weight and bulkiness

After years of searching and trying out other speakers to try to replace my EXTREMAS, i have not succeeded in doing so!!! I would agree with MR.Ludwig that these speakers are one of the finest if not one of the best piece of audio product ever manufactured to produce music. Believe me, have also tried lots of different speakers and i think am stuck with this pair of EXTREMAS. KEEP THEM IF YOU OWN ONE!!!

Similar Products Used:

Sonus Elaecta amator I & II, avant garde, AEII, B&W 803 nautilus, Monitor audio Silverline

Detailed, neutral,

Expensive

The best speakers I have ever had, and possibly, will have. Sound quality depends on gear you have. Not suitable for low power equipment or cheap one since it will reproduce the real thing.

In short, these speakers are the best I ever owned. I Wont trade them for anything.

Similar Products Used:

S.F.Electa, Mirage M1, Near,etc.

I heard the Sonus Faber Extremas, at the Stereophile show in 96, in NYC. I heard it in the Meridian room. I can tell you this, I was blown away how good these speakers sounded. The Extremas were so sweet and articulate sounding. Plus the bass was fast and tight. I later learned, the 7 inch midbase on the Extremas, is by Scanning. Scanning started Scanspeak and worked for Dynaudio. The Scanning midbase is incredible. Verity speakers also use the Scanning Drivers. The Extremas use the Dynaudio Esotar for the tweeter, which is one of the best tweeters. To sum this up, the Extremas were amazing sounding.

This is an update to my earlier review on the Extrema. I recently upgraded my beloved 160wpc push-pull tube power amps to the Pass Labs Aleph 1.2 monoblocks, which are SE and rated at 200wpc. Whilst I expected my system to sound better, I was quite unprepared to hear my Extremas sing even better than they did before. The mid couldn't be better as my NOS tubed power amps already did those well but the top end and bass were more extended, and the bass slam was most impressive especially since the Extremas are now sited in a very large room. I would give it six stars if I could.

I recently had an opportnity to upgrade my old speakers, which were a pair of Sonus Faber Electa Amators. Having heard everything from Genesis (300s), Wilsons (Witts, Watt Puppies), Quintessence, Pro Ac, Thiels (3.6, 2.2), Focus 78, JMLab, Aerial Acoustic (10s, 8s), Avalon (Eclipse), I finally decided to go back to Sonus Faber. I traded in my beautiful Electa Amators for an even more beautiful pair of Extremas, their current flagship model.There were one or two speakers that were arguably better but the Extremas are everything the reviews said they were: transparent, dynamic, amazing soundstaging (both deep and wide) and, oh, so sweet sounding that, after the system settled down, the music I played often raised goosebumps especially, but not only, if I play it late at night when the AC lines are quiet. Maybe I should look into a line conditioner so that I can enjoy it like that all the time ....

I Listened to these at the Stereophile show some years back. WOW ! These speakers make anything elce I ever listened to pale into the far distance. They have an impact that will stop your pacemaker, a realism that is scary, soundstaging that is holographic. Treble does not end, bass nut-tight. There is no real x-over in these things. My reference speaker- and I should know since I use to sell KEF Reference. $10,000 two-way use to be Stereophile class A.

These are good speakers, but definitely overpriced. Totem Mani-2's matches the Extrema performance in all areas, and actually exceeds it in deep controlled bass. I would rate it 5 stars for performance, but since the Totems cost less than half as much, I give it 3 stars.