Sonus Faber Venere S
Upstatemax
Posts: 2,670
Now that I've had the Venere S speakers for a bit now, I figured it was time to post an official review.
As they have continued to break in I'm continually impressed with the scale and expressive soundstage from these. I've mentioned in other threads how I've just been opened up to what can happen to your music when you let it open up and remove the congestion. Instrumental separation and imaging is vastly improved over anything I've personally owned/ had extensive experience with.
I have been using and listening to mainly bookshelf speakers for several years now ( I consider the Totem Arro basically a tall bookshelf...), the last towers I owned were the RTi A7's. Not the most musical speaker out there.
This speaker purchase is my first step into trying to climb the ladder into 2ch bliss and refine my system. I tried to pick a speaker that I can grow with and compliment future upgrades. I also wanted something different than I have ever had in my system. What a great place to start; a big Italian pile of wood and drivers! My wife seriously wanted to hate them. The sheer size at first was a shock, especially coming from the Arro's. But the well sculpted shape, attention to detail and styling of the walnut veneer quickly make you forget about the size of the speaker and appreciate them as a style element to the room as much as the sound.
One of my favorite aspects of the Venere S is the balance of the soundstage. Detailed, but forgiving and musical, lush midrange that's capable of punching through complex and layered recordings, and a fast articulate bottom end that avoids being boomy and intrusive.
Albums that took on a whole new life for me were numerous, but the two I think I enjoy the most are Santana's "Abraxas" (DSD download) and Manson's "Pale Emperor" (44.1/24 FLAC download). The soundstage for both albums opened up and instruments took their own places and the midrange was able to push through and compete the experience. Abraxas is just an awesome album to me. Well layered and the percussion work is just a blast and a perfect compliment to Santana's guitar work. The opener, "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" is just fun. The chimes hang in the air and Santana's guitar swirls around the soundstage while the rhythm picks up and the song continues to add layer and layer...
Manson's Pale Emperor is a whole different beast and pushes the speakers ability to play low while needing to maintain detail and midrange. To me the most Classic Manson song on the album is "Deep Six". More in your face and centric to a heavily overdriven guitar. I was not certain how the Venere's were going to like it. They were able to sprang too life and were capable to belting out biting guitar riffs without complaint. A metal head might not approve as much as me, but I was more than satisfied with the ability of the Venere's to let loose. "Warship My Wreck" is one of my favorite songs on the album. It's a cemented by a driving, thumping bass line while showcasing gut wrenching and volatile vocals, all layered with guitars and effects that can easily get compressed out and lost. The Venere's are capable of producing a layered soundstage, thick with texture and detail. Instruments remain firmly planted in the soundstage with lack of smearing.
To flip things around and to give a different feel, Manson does a few of the songs with a switch to acoustic guitar and stripped down arrangements. The first, "Day 3" is fantastic and really shows off the ability of the Venere's to deliver a rapid, driving bass line. The aluminum cones keep everything fast, tight and accurate. Just the way I like my bass...
Another one of my favorite albums is Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy (DSD download). Armstrong's horn is well mic'd and lush. Wonderful texture and pinpoint placement in the soundstage. Overall, just an outstanding recording that the Venere's just love to play. The outstanding horns in combination with Louis' thick and powerful voice AND then Velma Middleton's sultry, buttery smooth vocals is clearly where the Venere S' love to live...
One of my favorite, relax and possibly pass out asleep in my chair albums is The Chopin Project from Olafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott. This is more of a dream scape and non-traditional take on some outstanding Chopin offerings. The highlight of this album, for me, is the violin work; particularly on "Nocturne in C Sharp Minor". The range of emotion played on this track is palpable and heartbreaking. The ability of the Venere S to pick up the range of the violin is truly important to me. It's hands down my favorite instrument and the ability of a speaker to be able to produce everything from the gentile, delicate play demonstrated on this album to a full on assault in some other recordings is something I needed to have this time around.
The Arro's simply lacked the body and presence to sound and feel real, the Venere's help make me forget I'm listening to speakers.
I've had and heard detail like these, I've heard great bass, but I have not had the SCALE that the Venere's have been able to bring to my system. Not just the scale, but the detail, bass and cohesive soundstage all working together.
I finally feel like I have a speaker that makes me want to dive deeper into the music and just relax and enjoy the tunes. Close the laptop, leave the phone in the kitchen, lock my family out of the house, pour a drink and enjoy...
As they have continued to break in I'm continually impressed with the scale and expressive soundstage from these. I've mentioned in other threads how I've just been opened up to what can happen to your music when you let it open up and remove the congestion. Instrumental separation and imaging is vastly improved over anything I've personally owned/ had extensive experience with.
I have been using and listening to mainly bookshelf speakers for several years now ( I consider the Totem Arro basically a tall bookshelf...), the last towers I owned were the RTi A7's. Not the most musical speaker out there.
This speaker purchase is my first step into trying to climb the ladder into 2ch bliss and refine my system. I tried to pick a speaker that I can grow with and compliment future upgrades. I also wanted something different than I have ever had in my system. What a great place to start; a big Italian pile of wood and drivers! My wife seriously wanted to hate them. The sheer size at first was a shock, especially coming from the Arro's. But the well sculpted shape, attention to detail and styling of the walnut veneer quickly make you forget about the size of the speaker and appreciate them as a style element to the room as much as the sound.
One of my favorite aspects of the Venere S is the balance of the soundstage. Detailed, but forgiving and musical, lush midrange that's capable of punching through complex and layered recordings, and a fast articulate bottom end that avoids being boomy and intrusive.
Albums that took on a whole new life for me were numerous, but the two I think I enjoy the most are Santana's "Abraxas" (DSD download) and Manson's "Pale Emperor" (44.1/24 FLAC download). The soundstage for both albums opened up and instruments took their own places and the midrange was able to push through and compete the experience. Abraxas is just an awesome album to me. Well layered and the percussion work is just a blast and a perfect compliment to Santana's guitar work. The opener, "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" is just fun. The chimes hang in the air and Santana's guitar swirls around the soundstage while the rhythm picks up and the song continues to add layer and layer...
Manson's Pale Emperor is a whole different beast and pushes the speakers ability to play low while needing to maintain detail and midrange. To me the most Classic Manson song on the album is "Deep Six". More in your face and centric to a heavily overdriven guitar. I was not certain how the Venere's were going to like it. They were able to sprang too life and were capable to belting out biting guitar riffs without complaint. A metal head might not approve as much as me, but I was more than satisfied with the ability of the Venere's to let loose. "Warship My Wreck" is one of my favorite songs on the album. It's a cemented by a driving, thumping bass line while showcasing gut wrenching and volatile vocals, all layered with guitars and effects that can easily get compressed out and lost. The Venere's are capable of producing a layered soundstage, thick with texture and detail. Instruments remain firmly planted in the soundstage with lack of smearing.
To flip things around and to give a different feel, Manson does a few of the songs with a switch to acoustic guitar and stripped down arrangements. The first, "Day 3" is fantastic and really shows off the ability of the Venere's to deliver a rapid, driving bass line. The aluminum cones keep everything fast, tight and accurate. Just the way I like my bass...
Another one of my favorite albums is Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy (DSD download). Armstrong's horn is well mic'd and lush. Wonderful texture and pinpoint placement in the soundstage. Overall, just an outstanding recording that the Venere's just love to play. The outstanding horns in combination with Louis' thick and powerful voice AND then Velma Middleton's sultry, buttery smooth vocals is clearly where the Venere S' love to live...
One of my favorite, relax and possibly pass out asleep in my chair albums is The Chopin Project from Olafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott. This is more of a dream scape and non-traditional take on some outstanding Chopin offerings. The highlight of this album, for me, is the violin work; particularly on "Nocturne in C Sharp Minor". The range of emotion played on this track is palpable and heartbreaking. The ability of the Venere S to pick up the range of the violin is truly important to me. It's hands down my favorite instrument and the ability of a speaker to be able to produce everything from the gentile, delicate play demonstrated on this album to a full on assault in some other recordings is something I needed to have this time around.
The Arro's simply lacked the body and presence to sound and feel real, the Venere's help make me forget I'm listening to speakers.
I've had and heard detail like these, I've heard great bass, but I have not had the SCALE that the Venere's have been able to bring to my system. Not just the scale, but the detail, bass and cohesive soundstage all working together.
I finally feel like I have a speaker that makes me want to dive deeper into the music and just relax and enjoy the tunes. Close the laptop, leave the phone in the kitchen, lock my family out of the house, pour a drink and enjoy...
Comments
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Nice review.
I have had few hours with a pair at a local retailer.They are in a close to perfect room on a tube amp that is way out of most budgets. I always wonder if the are going to be that great when I get them home.
This gives me a real sense of what to expect. One day.
Enjoy!Main room- RTiA9 x4, CSiA6, in ceiling Atmos RT-70 x4, SVS PC 4000 x2, Marantz 8805A, OPPO 203, Emotiva DR3 G3, Emotiva XPA-2 G3, Emotiva XPA-5 G3, Emotiva X300, Sony 75" 940E, Panasonic Plasma VT50, PS Audio Power Port X2, PS Audio AC-5 x8, AQ Rocket 33 Biwire speaker cables, AQ King Cobra XLR IC, Furman PFi20 W/Cullen cable, SoildSteel S4-4 rack, Gik room treatments
Office- Legend L600, in ceiling Polk RC80i, Marantz 7704, OPPO 203, Pioneer Elite PDF-59 CD, PSA Stellar 300, Sony 55" 800B, Gik room treatment
Master BR- Signature ES60, Signature S35 Center, Signature S15 Dolby Height, LSI700 in ceiling, SVS-SB4000, Marantz 5012, Emotiva XPA5 G2, OPPO 203, Pioneer DVL-919 Laser Disc, Sony 55" OLED
Patio- SDI Atrium8 x3, Emotiva A-100 amps x3 -
Excellent review. I'm glad you found a speaker that begs you to sit and listen.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Nice Review.
Can we come by with some Cigars and Scotch for a demo?
My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160
Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |
ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4
Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |
Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |
Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |
Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's
Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's | -
Very nice review.
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Mikey081057 wrote: »Nice Review.
Can we come by with some Cigars and Scotch for a demo?
Funny enough, I read this comment while lighting up a cigar with a glass full of whisky next to me...
Ask anyone who knows me, if you show up with good cigars and whisky, we are going to be the best of friends! -
Upstatemax wrote: »Mikey081057 wrote: »Nice Review.
Can we come by with some Cigars and Scotch for a demo?
Funny enough, I read this comment while lighting up a cigar with a glass full of whisky next to me...
Ask anyone who knows me, if you show up with good cigars and whisky, we are going to be the best of friends!
@Wardsweb !!
Nice man. Beautiful speakers for sure and even better that you love the sound.
Cheers. -
Good review, thanks for the update/feedback.
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Great review. I have heard those speakers at a local shop here. I liked what I heard even though I had a limited time with them.
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Great review! Nice speakers, I liked these during a brief listen. I absolutely love the way these look.2.2 Office Setup | LG 29UB55 21:9 UltraWide | HP Probook 630 G8 | Dell Latitude | Cabasse Stream Amp 100 | Boston Acoustics VS 240 | AUDIORAX Desk Stands | Mirage Omni S8 sub1 | Mirage Omni S8 Sub2
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What an exceptional review! I absolutely Love the looks of the Venere S, and it sounds as if they perform as well as they look.
Enjoy!!! -
Letting the Venere's entertain my two most important guest:
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Thriller baby! by Sherman, on Flickr
Sometimes you just need a little "Thriller" in your life! My kids love to just let loose and get their boogie on!
