I am looking to make the last remaining upgrade in my system. I've been using the Focal Chorus 836 V's for a few years now, and everything else around them has been upgraded. I'm interested in purchasing a used pair of Sonus Faber Olympica's, just trying to decide between the II or III. Price difference seems on average to be around 2K. Is there that much of a difference for that amount of money, and if so; in what way? Has anyone here gone from the II's to the III's? I can probably swing purchasing the III's, but that would wipe me out for a bit, financially, but I also don't want to skimp at this point if it's really worth it.
Hello there I'm not going to lie to but these prices are waaaay above what I go for but what I will say is,your old speakers are about £1200 & the "cheaper" Sonus are 8k!!! So right of the bat you'll DEFINITELY hear a HUGE difference in sound quality(bare in mind it may NOT be to your liking though!!!). You WON'T hear such a big difference with the two Sonus's though two reasons,they are a lot closer in price than your current speakers &, they'll both have the Sonus "house sound" most if not all speakers from the same manufacturer will have a house/similar sound, I'm not being funny but these are the basics you should know/learn when you're looking to spend this type of money. Saying all that if you really want what you've earmarked,go with the "II" & use the spare cash to buy more music,a used car, redecorate,nice present for your partner etc.(you'll have that much left over). Good luck -evo777
I went through the same deliberation process : SF Olympica 2 or 3. I could arrange a listening session in the listening room of my dealer comparing the two, and I could use my own amplifier. The test was done in more or less normal circumstances, since his listening room resembles a living room. And yes, the Olympica 3 is a tad better than the 2, most notable in the bass extension. Was it a big difference ? Certainly not ! Was I willing to spend 2K more for them ? Not really. Taking into account my rather small listening room I purchased the Olympica 2, and have been happy with them ever since. I drive them with a Lavardin IT integrated and although the amp delivers only 2x 55 watt, I enjoy a gorgeous, full organic sound, especially with classical music and jazz.
I have olympica 3 and they are amazing. I auditioned the 2 but I was going from a pair of Von Schweikert VR-4jr which had a very nice visceral thump in the bass. I didn’t want to give that up! I would look at the low end Spec’s for your current speakers and pick the SF pair that match that. The miss and high should be identical. Btw my olympica 3 didn’t supply that thump I was looking for despite all their incredible strengths. I added a sumiko s.9 sub and everything is perfect
For the OPs reference I’m running a Cary Sli-80 in triode mode. 40 watts per channel. Drives my olympica 3 to volumes far beyond what I listen to.
The Olympica III is a wonderful sounding speaker. I say stretch the budget and eat Ramen noodles for a while. I *almost* bought a new pair a few years ago, but went for Focal instead. Either way, if you're forking over that much cash, I'd try to audition an SF to make sure the house sound is right for you. Focals are WAY different from SF.
Thanks all for the insight and advice! I am using a VPI 299D amp (looks like either 38 or 40 WPC depending on tube selection) with a Herron phono stage. I only play vinyl with this setup and it's mostly jazz and pop/rock/alternative and some occasional classical thrown in for good measure (no metal, rap, country). I'll try and arrange a demo at my local high-end shop - hopefully they have some SF's in store.
I've heard the II's and III's a couple times but only at the dealers. I liked both very much but the III's had a bit more detail. They would be worth the extra cash to me. Either way you won't be disappointed. I've been a Sonus Faber owner for a few years now and can't say enough about these great products or the company.
I hate to ask this, and pardon my ignorance, but could you dumb that down for me, or; how would I check for that? Here's a link with some specs if that's of any help: VPI - 299D Integrated Tube Amp | Shop Music Direct Is it the "Power Consumption AC-120V @ 280 watts"?
I just looked at the impedance curve for the Olympia 3.It dips down to around 3 ohms in the bass region.That is quite amplifier hostile and highly unlikely to suit a tube amp.Not sure about the Olympia 2 but it is probably similar.They really ony suit high power and high current SS and Class D amps . Unfortunately many modern speakers have impedance curves like that nowadays because they use two or more 8 ohm woofers that are really more like 6 ohm wired in parallel when they should be using 16 ohm ones.
Just got back from the 13 hour car ride to retrieve the Olympica 3's. Man, these are beautiful speakers! Questions: any general advice for positioning of these particular speakers (out from wall/closer to wall, toe-in, etc.)? These are angled upwards, and I've never owned a speaker like this before - should I leave them that way (what is gained by this design?)? Haven't moved them around much yet, but placing them in my former speakers position the soundstage isn't great - sounds squashed in the middle.... I know all speakers are different, so this isn't really a surprise, but boy are these heavy and a little cumbersome to move. What's the general rule on soundstage - wide separation between speakers vs. closer together / little to no toe-in vs. lots of toe in? Thanks!
Congrats. With new (to me) speakers, I usually start with no toe-in, unilateral triangle of about 3 metres, and go from there. Presently doing this with a nice pair of original Cremona Auditors that I found locally. Nice speaker, a modern affordable classic in my book. The angled front is by design, as it is benificial for phase alignment of the drivers.
do 13 hours by car, spend all that money ... It's hard work, but I tell you that you did well !!! we only live once! Congratulations on your purchase. You'll see in a few weeks they'll be even better. What cables did you attach to it?
Thanks! I am using Audioquest CV-8 cables. I probably should upgrade those next, at some point. All my cables/interconnects are Audioquest, and are the last remaining remnants from my original, combined audiophile upgrade about 4 years ago...
I think you have some playing to do with set up. My OL 3s have a huge, precisely defined soundstage that goes well above And outside the speakers. place them well into the room if you can even 2 feet or more. I can’t Lee mine too far from the wall when I am not listening due to room constraints. I have wood floors and go Herbies footers which have a Teflon bottom. I can easily move my speakers into position for listening and then back out of the way whenever I want (I found the best position and marked the floor with a sharpie) Definitely set them up with the designed rake as this is important for phase as mentioned earlier. Also try the bass slots facing each other and facing away from each other to see which loads your room the best! enjoy...
the cables are not bad, come on. But ... something more serious ... these speakers deserve it ... calmly ....
Similar issue now debating between SF Sonetto V and Olympica Nova IIs primarily just want to ensure the IIIs are not that much better. Sonnettos are in there for budget, the Novas tend to get up there. Would pair with a MA8900 McIntosh and I'm told they make a great pairing. Thoughts from those who have the speakers and ideally with a McIntosh pairing? Thank you, great info here.
Sorry late to respond to this old thread. Yesterday I picked up my new MA8950 at my local dealer. While there, I demoed a few speakers. For demo set up the dealer used his, just received as well, MA8950 and SimAudio Moon 260DT (transport) The exact same components in my system . We just demoed CD (redbook), but I gotta tell ya... The Olympica Nova III blew me away. I had no idea my system was capable of this. At this price point (20 large) a little big for my pocketbook, so perhaps the Nova II may be in my future. He did not have a Nova II, so now I am curious. The pairing between the 8950 and SF was remarkable. Truly an eargasm.
I have just come home with my SF Olympica Nova ii. Auditioned today, with Macintosh singles and Acuphase 550 cd transport. Sounded great, but the wonderful thing is that with my modest gear, Rega Elex R, and Rega Apollo, in my room, they sound even better. Just wanted to say thanks to you guys on here as the positive comments on the Olympia ii's gave me the confidence to go for it, and to realise, that as much as I love my Harbeths C7es3, (kept for 2nd system with rega p3, trade in value wasn't good) that they are not the be all and end all. Literally dumbfounded at how good these Sonus Fabers are, and bass is so much better. Funny thing is I live in Italy, SF factory is about a 3 hour drive away, so just shows the grass in not always greener on the other side. It ain't bad here either. Anyway, just glad I trusted the opinions on here and went to hear for myself. Cheers.
Has anyone replaced the bridging plates on their Nova speaker terminals with OFC/ OCC jumper cables and if so did you hear a difference?
