Great review! I had a demo recently of the SF Olympica Nova 2 and a Sonetto VIII that were both paired with a MA7200 integrated amp. Both very nice speakers and sound. Nova 2's I found to have more detail and natural reproduction of the musical instruments like the piano, violin, cello, etc. Whilst yes the Sonetto VIII had that extra bass, the Nova 2's did provide a higher level of bass than what I expected they may be able to provide. You won't go wrong with either the Nova 2's or Sonetto V or VIII. Pairing with McIntosh was very nice. These are all expensive pieces of equipment but what you get as an outcome/output from it is magical.
got my first set of speakers some days ago and I did go with the sonetto III and wauw just LOVE THEM! I used to play alot of classical music myself back in time and thies SF just sound so TRUE! The nova would be an upgade in the future, did see that my sonetto III did go down to around 30hz with room gain so thats just AMAZING
Hi Veno, yes, Sonus faber aims for accuracy rather than a pleasing-but-artificial sound signature. Sonetto III is a great value in their line. We're glad you love yours
@@GramophoneMD Yes and I am diffently so happy with my choice. Yea nice step intro the hifi world as my first set uf speakers. I run it with the Arcam SA30 and I think it sounds wonderfull!. If I was to upgrade amps what would you think would match solid with it ?
Hello Pale, interesting that you had a chance to listen over a long period of time and you are impressed. Some speakers artificially exaggerate one or another part of the sound spectrum to catch the casual listener's ear - not these. They really shine over an evening of your favorite music
With the price of their dedicated stands... Im curious why one would buy the olympica nova 1s over the 2s you have here? Are the 1s easier to place in a room? Is there a sound difference?
Nice speaker and I’m likely going to get this or the Nova3, however Sonus Faber are a bit ambitious in their claims. The speaker cabinet is not 14 inches, that 14 inches is the base outrigger width. The bass drivers are not 8 inch they are effectively more like 6 1/2 inch because they measure them from the far edge of the enlarged chassis. Same issue with the mid driver. I don’t think the bass drivers are made in Italy, the cone is but I think the rest of the bass driver is imported. Not that impressed the crossover is on a PCB but at least the components are ok.
Thanks for your informative clip. Just a quick question. Can SF olymica II deliver a good sound quality and sound stage with just one mcintosh tube amp (mc275)?
@@GramophoneMDI listened to it with the X5 and Yamaha as3200. I decided the Yamaha had my vote. I’ve decided to get the nova 2 and Yamaha but a bit hesitant on the cost. Amp is ok I guess at 10k but not sure how these speakers can be worth 19k in my country. That’s a lot of money for a speaker with a single bass driver.
Hello Sir, could you please advise the best cables for my system. I have MA7200, Nova iI (thanks to your recommendations; what a presenter!) and Thorens 1601. Someone recommended Cardass cables. I would appreciate your view on this. My budget is up to £2000. Im not sure if I need to spend that much. Many thanks
I'd take the Nova 3 over the 804 D3 in almost every circumstance personally, now the new 804 D4 is a bit of a different story. Whereas the D3 was much too bright for me, the D4 is more balanced but still manages to retain all of that Diamond tweeter detail while being less offensive over long listening sessions. Between that and the Nova 3 it is much more a matter of preference. D4 for more detailed and analytical listening, Nova 3 for a sweeter, and smoother sound.
Question I’ve heard the Nova IIs what is the difference between the IIIs vs the IIs in a smaller room 12x15.5 are you better off with the IIs? Amp is ma8900 great video and thank you!
I have listened to them and was amazed by the beauty of the sound. I just have one concern: the fact that it's a 4 ohm speaker. The store that demonstrated it to me used a McIntosh MA7200 Integrated Amp which has no problems with 4 ohm. My Musical Fidelity M6si may have nearly the same output (200 wpc) at 8 ohms as the MA7200, I am not convinced that it will be happy driving the Nova II. Since the MA 7200 costs another 10K, I would prefer to stick my M6si. Does anyone have any experience with this combo?
Your amp is rated for 4 ohms, into which it produces 400 watts. It'll do just fine. Give me a call at one of the showrooms if you have interest in the Nova IIs. (410) 381-2100 - Luke
@@GramophoneMD Hi Luke, what are the main differences between the Nova II and Nova III ? Would be powered by an MA8900 so plenty of power. Was originally looking at Sonetto V but i've seen many people lately put them for sale or upgrade up to the Novas, have not heard them yet re budget Nova II seems more likely. Great videos thank you.
Hello Shop, the new one is similar to the old. It has in our view slightly upgraded aesthetics (although there are fans of the older look); with similar driver sizes, but an improved tweeter. The Nova 2 seems to have slightly better bass - a bit deeper, and plays more dynamically. Midrange details also seems better on the new one
MC352 works well or anything up the range from that I'd say. They sound really nice on a NAD M33, Naim Uniti Nova, and Classe Delta as well. For higher end Mac I'd say ideally a MA12000 or the combo of a C2700 Preamp, and any balanced power amp such as a MC462.
