News - November, 2021
Sonus faber Acquires De Santi
Sonus faber announces the acquisition of the esteemed De Santi woodworking factory in San Martino di Lupari, Italy.
Article written by Lee Broderick
We all consume music differently.
Sonus faber strives to create transformative musical moments for every listener - whether you’re a passionate advocate of vinyl, CD, streaming, or a cocktail of all three.
But now, as a new generation of young, upwardly mobile music lovers emerge, it’s crucial for brands to bring products to market that service their needs and technological expectations. This new generation of premium listeners - born into the dizzying universality of streaming platforms - yearns to experience truly spine-tingling musical moments, but with a level of ease and versatility that is sometimes difficult to achieve from more traditional HiFi setups.
That’s where premium wireless systems like Duetto and Omnia come to the fore. Duetto and Omnia allow the luxurious, artisanal craftsmanship of Sonus faber to reach deep into a modern, versatile listening space. Listeners are afforded the freedom and convenience to instantly switch between streaming services, analogue listening, and television audio with ease, whilst retaining a listening experience underpinned by the unique design characteristics of Sonus faber.
In this article, we’ll look at Duetto and Omnia, and discover how luxury wireless speakers are inviting a whole new generation of music lovers into the world of premium HiFi.
It’s hardly a controversial or revolutionary thought, but it’s worth taking some time to consider how transformative the last two decades have been on music.
The accessibility, economics, creative process and consumption of music have all experienced seismic change since the turn of the century - arguably representing the biggest cultural and industrial landscape shift since the advent of recorded music.
For those of us in our 30s and 40s, we’ve grown up right in the eye of this technological storm. We became musically aware during the death throes of physical CD sales, playing our part in the rise of torrenting, Napster, and the like. We saw the advent of iTunes, and bought into the stabilisation of a new normal - music as files in a computer folder, played through iPod headphones or the speaker on a phone.
Next came the all-conquering streaming services, putting a dizzying array of musical possibilities into the palm of our hands for the very first time. For those of us that still remember the HMV ‘Five Albums For £50’ sale, the accessibility and affordability of streaming still feels like some sort of beguiling witchcraft.
Whether we like it or not, this is the musical reality we’ve inherited. And the truth is, there is much to celebrate about this new normal. The monopoly of the big labels and recording studios has been (somewhat) broken. Making great music is easier than ever - marking a rampant creativity that is only set to be amplified by the rising power of AI.
Few who have lived through this dizzying era of change would be willing to part with instant, universal access to all recorded music. Not many of us would do away with these pleasing, user-friendly apps that package up handy playlists and use machine learning to intelligently alert us to our next musical obsession. And quite frankly, who can blame us?
Yet there remains a deep, significant drawback to all this technological advancement. And that’s how we listen to music. Owning a decent HiFi system used to be one of the key markers of adulthood. For those of us born into a generation experiencing music as a non-physical commodity, this changed. The way we listened became more casual, with cheap headphones, laptops or iPhone speakers replacing home stereo systems. The magic somewhat seeped out of the music listening experience.
But as this millennial generation of music lovers stretches further into adulthood, two important things are happening simultaneously. The first is relatively simple - for the first time in their working lives, millennials are starting to achieve comfortable levels of wealth and disposable income. Many will now be in the lucky position of having money to spend on quality electronics to adorn their home for the very first time. The second important thing is more difficult to quantify, but just as important a factor as the first. Millennials are starting to push back on lives filled with distraction, instant gratification, and noise. They yearn for lives that feature more substantive and meaningful moments. For millennial music lovers, this partly means casting aside cheap, forgettable music reproduction in the quest to find a deeper and more gratifying musical experience.
So how to achieve a more elevated, transcendent listening experience, without relinquishing the universality and convenience of modern music streaming?
That’s where products like Duetto and Omnia truly shine.
When it comes to wireless freedom and flexibility, two products in the Sonus faber stable stand out.
First, Omnia - a beautifully convenient, all-in-one wireless music system.
Second, Duetto - presenting much of Omnia’s listening convenience and connective capabilities in a more HiFi-familiar, active two-speaker bookshelf solution.
In many respects, Duetto and Omnia can be considered two sides of the same coin - Duetto is the more classic stereo-style solution, whilst Omnia’s one-box design makes it perfect for areas where space saving is an important factor.
Both products offer listeners a unique opportunity to interact with and experience their music in myriad ways. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on the feature capabilities of Duetto - but rest assured that much of Duetto’s defining characteristics are shared by its one-box sister solution, Omnia.
Upon unboxing the Duetto, the first thing that strikes you is its striking looks. Restrained and refined, with a subtle nod to Sonus faber’s local history of stringed instrument production in its deep-curved back and teardrop front grille - it’s the understated yet unquestionably high-fashion aesthetic that we’ve come to expect from Sonus faber. It gives Duetto the kind of lifestyle cut-through that pushes it beyond the realms of standard HiFi design. This is a stereo system equipped to complement the interior design of any modern home.
Duetto’s cabinets are made of solid wood, and come complete with stunning vegan leather finishing on the speaker’s upper surface. On the master speaker, a beautifully rendered touch screen panel provides a surprising level of playback control. The overall visual effect is tantalising. Duetto, much like its all-in-one sister speaker, Omnia, feels unmistakably luxurious. But don’t let this refinement fool you. True to the tenets of Italian precision engineering, there’s plenty of raw power beneath the surface of these pleasing bookshelf speakers. More on that later.
Duetto’s careful balance of classic elegance and contemporary design continues under the hood. Its soft dome tweeter is powered by a best-in-class 100w Class AB Amplifier, providing excellent linearity and sonic accuracy. A separate 250w Class D amplifier supports the custom designed paper pulp midrange woofer, delivering the mids with an analogue softness that elevates Duetto’s sonic performance beyond all-synthetic competitors. Utilising organic materials where possible is a keystone of Sonus faber’s decades-old design philosophy - this continues to be championed throughout Duetto’s internal and external build.
Connectivity with Duetto is vast, covering a whole host of wired and wireless options - key to Duetto’s flexibility and compatibility within the listening space.
From Duetto’s discrete input point on the lower rear panel of the master speaker, a panoply of wire-in options is made available. RCA Line and MM Phono inputs (with a built-in phono stage) allow for a turntable or alternative analogue system connection, alongside optical Toslink, LAN and USB inputs. HDMI ARC and E/ARC allow Duetto to be utilised as robust audio support for a home cinema system. Finally, a sub out allows for the addition of an external subwoofer.
Next, to its wireless credentials. Connection is established between the master and satellite speakers using Ultra Wide Band technology. Upon setup, connection between the two speakers, and subsequent connection to home WiFi, is straightforward and achieved in minutes with the help of the proprietary Sonus faber app. Once connected, it’s as simple as choosing your preferred playback option, and hitting play.
Duetto provides frictionless in-app connection and control to streaming services via Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and QQMUsic. AirPlay 2, Chromecast Built-In, and Bluetooth Aptx HD allow for even greater connectivity outside turnkey streaming connections. And for the audiophile, Duetto comes Roon Ready, allowing for granular EQ control alongside Roon’s formidable music library and management systems.
All this means Duetto effortlessly does a lot of things for the modern listener.
Still an avid collector of vinyl?
Connect your turntable via the MM phono input, and with Duetto and Omnia’s built-in phono preamplifier, you won’t even need to invest in a separate phono stage for your record player.
Want to take movie night to the next level?
HDMI E/ARC makes utterly immersive movie experiences a breeze. And no need to sacrifice the ease and universality of streaming - with playback and control achieved from within your preferred music app. All transitionable with the push of a button, or the sweep of a finger across the onboard controls.
So we’ve established that Duetto undoubtedly delivers for ease of use and connectivity. But what about that transcendent listening experience?
Be in no doubt, Duetto packs an utterly bewitching sonic punch. The soundstage is broad and immersive, transients are beautifully rendered, the mid-range is warm and deeply satisfying. The low end delivery on Duetto is, quite frankly, astounding. The sub-bass delivery that’s been squeezed into these beautiful units really does need to be experienced first hand. Even at relatively low volume levels, the low end performance lends heft and emotion to every track. What’s more, room placement settings in the Sonus faber app allow listeners to retain optimal bass delivery, even if placed near to a wall. Duetto’s effect on your music is nothing short of magical.
These speakers draw you in - deeply immersing you into the music that you love.
No question, this is premium HiFi listening with a wireless-enabled kick.
In Duetto and Omnia, Sonus faber have brought their uncompromising approach to audio engineering to the wireless listening market. 45 years of experience cultivating leading design concepts and flawless acoustic engineering have been poured into a new listening medium. By upholding their Natural Sound philosophy in Duetto and Omnia, Sonus faber are looking to the future whilst honouring a prestigious past.
This next-generation approach to luxury audio has crossover to all kinds of listeners. For classic HiFi enthusiasts looking to downsize their systems or invest in a secondary system for a different room, both products represent an exciting opportunity to retain audiophile quality whilst reducing the volume of equipment in your home. For CI Installers, these products benefit from no discernible or extemporaneous cabling - both perfect for a retrofit solution that requires great sound and vast connectivity.
Maybe you're still not fully convinced by active, wireless listening?
For those of you who crave a true separate HiFi experience, there’s stunning options within reach in the Sonus faber range.
The Lumina and Lumina V Amator both sit around the same price point as Duetto, delivering much of its beguiling musicality in a passive configuration.
Sonus faber is cultivating an exciting future for the contemporary listening experience. In Duetto and Omnia, you get an uncompromising approach to audio that delivers your music, your way.
Article written by Lee Broderick.