Sonus faber has designed and handcrafted some of the most renowned speakers for almost forty years. We love the rich sound they produce and the beautiful cabinetry work, sure to enhance any room.
The Guarneri Tradition is best described as “everyday luxury” because they represent all that and more. This collection is one of the most iconic bookshelf speakers Sonus faber creates. It was introduced in 1994 and is now enjoying its fourth update offering improved structure and technology.
Sonus faber is an Italian manufacturer of handcrafted speakers, headphones, and other high-end audio equipment based in Arcugnano, Veneto, Italy. The company was founded in 1983 by Franco Serblin. Sonus faber is one of several audio brands owned by McIntosh Group, which also owns McIntosh, Sumiko, and Fine Sounds.
Old World Craftmanship
The system is a two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mount speaker utilizing a two-way full para-aperiodic vented box along with their “Stealth Ultraflex System” and “Zero Transmission” technology. The drive units are a 28mm (1.1″) dampened apex silk-dome tweeter and a 150mm (5.9″) sandwich-cone mid/bass driver. These provide a frequency range of 40Hz-35kHz (4 ohms impedance).
“These are hand made in Italy, and in no way have they had corners cut. These are crafted like a fine instrument and are the best constructed Sonus Faber’s I have ever seen.” – from an online review
The speaker cabinets closely resemble an 18th-century violin shape. The curves of the sides change and double, producing larger volumes, especially on the back, and making better control of the internal resonances possible. Notice the brushed aluminum, which enhances the line, along with the “Sf” logo, silk-screened on glass.
The visible back panel is extruded aluminum, part of the Sonus faber trademarked Stealth UltraflexTM system. This design acts as a vent favoring airflow through the duct while controlling its speed and reducing turbulence and distortion.
The new Wengè finish includes maple inlays for a unique aesthetic appearance. The exterior combines Titanium finished brushed aluminum and coffee-colored leather. It is visually one of the most stunning visual aesthetics on any speaker. A rich red finish is also available.
The Guarneri Tradition stand is a Carbon Fiber monocoque construction with an iconic curved outline. Due to collaborating with Pagani Automobili, this approach results in a much lighter and acoustically transparent sound than its predecessor and ensures maximum structural strength. In addition, to reduce resonance to a minimum level, the hollow interior of the stand has been treated acoustically and filled with amorphous material.
Compared to previous speaker stand designs, these are sleek, sophisticated, lighter weight, and almost minimalistic.
You’ll Appreciate The Sound
We slightly toed the speakers toward the listening position and found that the Guarneri Tradition delivers tremendous transparency, with well-defined instrument delivery with a subtle level of impact. In addition, stereo imaging is accurate and detailed. Finally, the sound is bigger than many speakers of their size and performs without any apparent strain. With the right amount of break-in, you’ll begin to appreciate the magic of these speakers.
Why Buy These?
Our clients will buy these because of the fantastic build quality, the unique design, the Sonus faber heritage, the distinctive sound signature only Guarneri Traditional produce, and the fact that they look like pieces of art in your room. One client who recently gave our system a listen described his experience as “ethereal.” These are speakers people will lust over.
Stop Into Our Listening Room and Enjoy
For our demonstration set up, we married the Guarneri Tradition with a McIntosh C2700 Tube Preamplifier, McIntosh MC4362 Quad Balanced Amplifier, Moon 280 Streaming DAC, and McIntosh MT5 Turntable.
Our demonstration includes a pair of REL T/9x subwoofers to add depth to the low end. We also deployed an AudioQuest Niagra power conditioner and bi-wired with AudioQuest cables.
Please bring your favorite LP when you visit the store, or we can serve up something from our library for you to enjoy listening to these fantastic speakers.
