Sonus Faber GUARNERI MEMENTO

Folsom · « **on:** 31 May 2006, 12:13 am »

I got a chance to listen to these at a local shop in Bellingham while visiting a friend.

Everything sounded great until there were heavy left or right sounds... This could of been the recording, the stupid network cables (MIT) or? Still though they sounded confined like they were coming from speakers... an attribute defined best in WAL-MART SPEAKERS. I simply found that disturbing on $12k speakers.

When everything was going on good the soundstage was great, they where not to soft (a problem I run into with to many speakers, then combined with tubes EEW). They were powered by a Balanced Audio amplifier, I forget the CD player. They are 4ohm speakers (yuck).

They are fairly accurate speakers except that right left thing as far as I can tell... That is enough for me to never want them actually.... Perhaps there is a way to correct this, I am not sure.

I have enjoyed other speakers more at a much lower cost, but these are definatly nice for a purest point, with non left or right heavy orientation music.

I am just curious if anyone else has listened to these and would care to comment.

Levi · « **Reply #1 on:** 31 May 2006, 02:09 am »

I am not a fan of bookshelf speakers.

I did audition a Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor which is connected to a McIntosh MA2275 2-Channel Stereo Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier cables by monster sigma and Sony Super Audio CD PlayerSCD-XA9000ES as source. Needles to say, my expectations where not met. What factors could have affected the sound? Poor synergy? Poor AC quality? Breakin? Surely I don't know.

The Cremona Auditor like the Guarneri Memento I am sure can sound really good if there is synergy in components chain.

I like the sound of BAT amps. They do like to be paired with Balanced preamp using a fully balanced connection XLR from input to output. Which preamp did you say it is?

Folsom · « **Reply #2 on:** 31 May 2006, 06:35 am »

It was an integrated unit, tube pre with SS amp.

Levi · « **Reply #3 on:** 31 May 2006, 01:28 pm »

Interesting.

Knowing SF build quality and that the Memento is in the Homage line, I doubt that the speakers are defective. It has to be paired with the right electronics I am sure.

LordCloud · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Jun 2006, 09:50 pm »

I too am NO FAN of speakers that can't do the left right thing properly. But in my experience, especially lately, it has been more a matter of placement in the room, room acoustics, and then everything else that determines whether a speaker will image and soundstage correctly. I have to say that I am also a fan of time and phase coherent speakers, and no other type of speaker has imaged properly to my ears. But I have heard many speakers that were not time and phase coherent that did an admirable job of soundstaging as long as the aforementioned factors were taken into consideration.

Folsom · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Jun 2006, 07:02 am »

It was a Balanced Audio integrated unit.

Levi · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Jun 2006, 03:20 pm »

The new BAT separates are pretty good sounding. I noticed in a shop that when you put the SF speakers 5-6' apart away from other speakers makes a big difference in sound.

No doubt SF makes some excellent sounding speakers. They surely has WAF and when setup properly can be very satisfiying. The best place to audiotion speakers would be at your home.