Is this future or contemporary classic from Sonus Faber? First impressions stuns you with the gracious delicate beauty. This must be a most beautiful Sonus Faber speaker up to date. Fine, almost mirror like aluminium brushed top cover panel, almost erotic large fine brushed mirror back and speaker resonance feet adds an extra modern touch to them, while keeping the recognisable Sonus Faber DNA. Design and finish is impeccable, as one would expect from this highly appreciated Italian speaker manufacturer.
Wood galore
While Stradivari wooden segment might be a bit to dense for some tastes, Sonus Faber designers managed to carve Amati Futura in a new more refined way. Texture of the wood is almost strikingly life like and new kind of red violin finish is even more eye capturing. Those speakers are an art pieces and surely belong into MOMA!
Seductive sound
Step up from previous Amati series? A big one! There is still recognizable Sonus Faber in-house sound imprint in the new Futura's, but step ahead. Sound is much more open, deep and dynamic, yet never harsh and on the musical side. They managed to convey all the music regardless of genre effortlessly, with impact, precise dynamic and glamorous sense of space. It shows, that Sonus Faber made real effort to achieve the end result.
Neutrality of morality
New Amatai futura is not a study of neutrality, but disclosure of passion and musicality. They let you travel directly insight of the music with the biggest charms and in a Italian way. Everything is at large with these speakers. Emotions, looks, dynamics, sense of music and place of happening. Your priority might vary about sheer amount (or order) of those, but don't passion stop you from experience them even if your not a Sonus Faber fan. Music reassembles passion, right?
Sonus Faber Amati Futura vs Franco Serblin Ktema?
I received numerous emails regarding Wojciech Pacuła review conclusion about Franco Serblin Ktema speakers and mentioned accent. It might be, that Mr. Pacula did not heard them in a right or best set. Nevertheless we live in the world of different opinions and with enough room for all respected views. Just recently I heard Ktemas. They might be hard to match and need a certain amplifier to show their best, but I simply cannot say, that they are frequency accented or defunct in any way. Interestingly I still found Ktema's one of the most natural and almost horn like dynamic speakers in their ability to represent music. It's must be the matter of synergy and proper matching.
Should I say that Amati Futura took a bit of inspiration from Franco? Top cover with company signature, highly polished aluminium and almost chrome like speaker feet surely blend into similar aesthetic philosophy. They are both work of art, but with different concepts. To use closest analogy, Caravaggio-Boltraffio?
They are similarly priced (with Ktema being a bit costlier) with a bit of distinctive nature. Sonus Faber Amati Futura strikes you with the timeless gracious sense of triumphal passionate energy of recordings and Franco Serblin Ktema's addresses music within natural character of the music.
Harmony
I heard Absoluta's Italian high-end audio company amplifier in few set-ups and it unmistakably pairs with Italian speakers. Absoluta preamp and power amplifier
Extro
Like always it seems that Igor Kante Ubiq-Vklop is step ahead of other European high-end dealers having new components almost instantly. It was great to hear Sonus Faber Amati Futura at Vklop headquarters in Slovenia. Many thanks for his passion and time.
More deep review will follow. Until then, take some of your time and cherish your aesthetic ability and do your ears service by the close encounter of the new (third) kind.
Matej Isak: text & photos
Mono & Stereo high-end audio magazine
March 2011, All rights reserved
mi(at)sgn.net
matejisak(at)gmail.com