New Sonus Faber Sf16 Unveiled in Sardinia, Italy

[The Computer Audiophile]

This thing looks amazing in person!

 

 

better quality photos / video coming soon.

 

[video=youtube_share;YWw6NXCt1gs]

 

 

[sphinxsix]

SF is a good name for this.. Notice the photographer's open mouth..

[Priaptor]

Ok I will start the guessing game.

 

It's a High End George Forman grille for the person who has everything:

 

 

Chris, what is the thing?

[sphinxsix]

 

 

 

Chris, what is the thing?

A new trend in speaker design (soon a very trendy one) - a drone-speaker

I'd rather Sonus Faber left the 'lifestyle' audio to Bang & Olufsen and concentrate on what they do best..

[Priaptor]

A new trend in speaker design (soon a very trendy one) - a drone-speaker

I'd rather Sonus Faber left the 'lifestyle' audio to Bang & Olufsen and concentrate on what they do best..

 

Agree.

[Kal Rubinson]

SF is a good name for this.. Notice the photographer's open mouth..

and the photographer is MF.

[The Computer Audiophile]

It's a very cool all in one unit, similar in concept to the Naim Mu-so, B&W Zeppelin, etc...

 

I'm not sure what the comments about leaving lifestyle to B&O are all about. Sonus Faber builds some great loudspeakers and has a great design team. What's not to like about better sound and subjectively better looks than B&O?

[Elberoth]

Inspiration:

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

That's 100% correct. They showed a photo of that today during the unveiling.

[MikeJazz]

It's a very cool all in one unit, similar in concept to the Naim Mu-so, B&W Zeppelin, etc...

 

I'm not sure what the comments about leaving lifestyle to B&O are all about. Sonus Faber builds some great loudspeakers and has a great design team. What's not to like about better sound and subjectively better looks than B&O?

 

Sonus Faber was Franco Serblin visions come true. He would never think about a "lifestyle" product. None of his creations compromised it's form...

 

It's not bad that it's being made, it's just not in the spirit of what this brand was all about.

[esldude]

Sonus Faber was Franco Serblin visions come true. He would never think about a "lifestyle" product. None of his creations compromised it's form...

 

It's not bad that it's being made, it's just not in the spirit of what this brand was all about.

Plus one.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Sonus Faber was Franco Serblin visions come true. He would never think about a "lifestyle" product. None of his creations compromised it's form...

 

It's not bad that it's being made, it's just not in the spirit of what this brand was all about.

If true, he would have only built one loudspeaker. The absolute best without compromise.

[sphinxsix]

It's a very cool all in one unit, similar in concept to the Naim Mu-so, B&W Zeppelin, etc...

 

I'm not sure what the comments about leaving lifestyle to B&O are all about. Sonus Faber builds some great loudspeakers and has a great design team. What's not to like about better sound and subjectively better looks than B&O?

The only problem with designer/lifestyle audio is that it in 95% cases it looks better than it sounds. Unfortunately for me personally looks are important but the sound even more so. Compromising the sound for designer's visual conception isn't simply a right path for me. And it is true not only for audio gear.

[sphinxsix]

If true, he would have only built one loudspeaker. The absolute best without compromise.

 

Too intelligent comment to be true

MikeJazz +1

[The Computer Audiophile]

The only problem with designer/lifestyle audio is that it in 95% cases it looks better than it sounds. Unfortunately for me personally looks are important but the sound even more so. Compromising the sound for designer's visual conception isn't simply a right path for me. And it is true not only for audio gear.

I hear what you are saying, but the very equipment you use has compromises. Whether those compromises are for looks, price, marketing, or something else, they are compromises.

 

Plus, people are putting the cart before the horse by suggesting the sound of this unit may be compromised. Unless you are hear in Italy listening to it, you are only guessing.

[sphinxsix]

and the photographer is MF.

I never thought that one day I'd comment on MF's open mouth.. Greetings to whole 'Stereophile' crew! (Watch your mouth while photographing lifestyle audio )

[bkinbk]

This is a little on topic ... but my wife and I just returned from a trip to Sardinia and it was paradise. So much so that even my Tidal "driving" playlists sounded great coming through our rented Fiat's crappy speakers.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Sonus Faber was Franco Serblin visions come true. He would never think about a "lifestyle" product. None of his creations compromised it's form...

 

It's not bad that it's being made, it's just not in the spirit of what this brand was all about.

 

Franco's first product, the snail, that Adam posted a photo of, was a lifestyle product. It's that product on which the Sf16 is based.

[The Computer Audiophile]

This is a little on topic ... but my wife and I just returned from a trip to Sardinia and it was paradise. So much so that even my Tidal "driving" playlists sounded great coming through our rented Fiat's crappy speakers.

 

This place is wonderful! I was outside on my laptop posting on the forum today while streaming Tidal. Life is good in Sardinia. No wonder it's a Blue Zone ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone ).

[MikeJazz]

Franco's first product, the snail, that Adam posted a photo of, was a lifestyle product. It's that product on which the Sf16 is based.

I see the connection. the Snail was created as a prototype of wich only a few were produced. The idea is interesting though. the careful choice of wood and the way it was crafted Is a hallmark from Serblin and his most interesting products. Not dsp and class d...

[esimms86]

This place is wonderful! I was outside on my laptop posting on the forum today while streaming Tidal. Life is good in Sardinia. No wonder it's a Blue Zone ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone ).

 

For you, Blue Zone, Bluesound and Bluetooth could be the trifecta and reason enough to say farewell to Minneapolis winters. Heck, even Garrison Keillor is getting ready to leave the building.

 

Seriously though, 1400 W Class D and selling for 9900 euros retail with production limited to 200 per year. This and the new Sennheiser Orpheus should be paired for product placement in a Hollywood movie, what with the sf16's wings and the Orpheus' tubes springing out of nowhere to make a cinematic statement about one way for the modern successful man or woman to live.

[The Computer Audiophile]

For you, Blue Zone, Bluesound and Bluetooth could be the trifecta and reason enough to say farewell to Minneapolis winters. Heck, even Garrison Keillor is getting ready to leave the building.

 

+1 :~)

[MikeJazz]

If true, he would have only built one loudspeaker. The absolute best without compromise.

 

I think this is extracting too much from what I said...let's see if I can make myself understood.

 

Rega products say a lot from Roy Gandy. The turntables have his "dna". The man thinks his turntables should be low in mass...The form of his products follow his beliefs and designs principles.

 

We can like of not but this brings some authenticity to the product.

 

At Linn, the same happened with Ivor Tiefenbrun forward thinking...and their products have a lot of his "dna"...

 

Famously at QUAD, Peter Walker ideas (that would today seem exotic for most folks) have decisively made impact on many products, including my lovely ESL's (even after several exchange of ownership).

 

Each designer that have some own ideas and principles, will reflect this in product design and final products. Sometimes with huge success, sometimes with monumental failures..

 

The spirit and dna of Franco Serblin, well I cannot see it the sf16, even if there is superficial inspiration.

If he would be still alive, would he be passionately involved in a project that is heavily based on huge class D power sound tailored by DSP? Would he be interested in building a "machine" to process Tidal streaming? Surely not, it was simply not his world.

 

The Company is managed differently nowaways and while their "drawings" are impeccable accross the groups brands (Sonus Faber, ARC, Wadia, McIntosh), the design choices taken in this project I see no connection with Serblin.

That was just my point.

 

It's clever from them to explore the brand value. It's a business. Not a job of craft and passion.

[sphinxsix]

I hear what you are saying, but the very equipment you use has compromises. Whether those compromises are for looks, price, marketing, or something else, they are compromises.

 

Plus, people are putting the cart before the horse by suggesting the sound of this unit may be compromised. Unless you are hear in Italy listening to it, you are only guessing.

I have to admit - I'm not a fan of all-in-one systems. I believe by choosing separates I can always create a system more suited to my sonic expectations. I'm also not a fan of lifestyle audio for the abovementioned reasons. Indeed not being in Sardinia I cannot say what SF16 sounds like but I'm afraid that I can be sure about two things. First - for 10000 Euro you can buy a better low end response system and second - you can buy a wider stereo for much less than that Imagine listening to speakers (not detachable I assume) spread by what looks like 1m distance from comfortable standard 2,5 - 3,5m distance.? In my opinion Sonus Faber is taking a risky step from Sardinian cliff into 'lifestyle' territory. Will they make enough money on SF16 (what's next, Italian wallnut and leather finished portable radio Sonus Faber - Gucci brand.?) to compensate for possible brand image loss.?

[esldude]

I think this is extracting too much from what I said...let's see if I can make myself understood.

 

Rega products say a lot from Roy Gandy. The turntables have his "dna". The man thinks his turntables should be low in mass...The form of his products follow his beliefs and designs principles.

 

We can like of not but this brings some authenticity to the product.

 

At Linn, the same happened with Ivor Tiefenbrun forward thinking...and their products have a lot of his "dna"...

 

Famously at QUAD, Peter Walker ideas (that would today seem exotic for most folks) have decisively made impact on many products, including my lovely ESL's (even after several exchange of ownership).

 

Each designer that have some own ideas and principles, will reflect this in product design and final products. Sometimes with huge success, sometimes with monumental failures..

 

The spirit and dna of Franco Serblin, well I cannot see it the sf16, even if there is superficial inspiration.

If he would be still alive, would he be passionately involved in a project that is heavily based on huge class D power sound tailored by DSP? Would he be interested in building a "machine" to process Tidal streaming? Surely not, it was simply not his world.

 

The Company is managed differently nowaways and while their "drawings" are impeccable accross the groups brands (Sonus Faber, ARC, Wadia, McIntosh), the design choices taken in this project I see no connection with Serblin.

That was just my point.

 

It's clever from them to explore the brand value. It's a business. Not a job of craft and passion.

 

Well written.