Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo Review and Impressions

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Now that I've had my Certaldo's for just over a month I wanted to share my initial impressions with them, especially after getting requests from @marvda1, @maxward, and @jumpindick.

First let's go through the room and associated gear as well as a little background. If you don't care for these details, just skip ahead. The room I'm in now is still new to me because we just moved back in August, so I'm still learning the problem spots and tricks with this room, while dialing in these new speakers. My previous room was my living room - about 15 x 20, speakers on the short wall (only a few inches off the wall) with the left side open to the dinning room/kitchen, bay window on the right. Tile flooring, large mirror on the backwall, TV on the front wall, and the couch was all the way up against the backwall. The only thing helping this room was that the couch was a large plush sectional, we had an accent chair, and a decent size rug. But overall, my previous room was bright, and the center image was always going to be drifting a little left.
The new room is massively different. A little smaller at 15 x 13, but this is a dedicated room now. The floor space in the listening area is effectively a little smaller because we have our records on the left wall, so the room is kind of 15x12 functionally. Speakers are also on the short wall now, and the room has new carpeting with a fairly thick pad. Two small windows on the front wall, and various art pieces around the room. Far from perfect acoustics, but Luckily I had my Usher T-515's in here for a few weeks before the Certaldos arrived. The room certainly isn't as bright, and the low end room gain was reduced as well compared to my previous space. Not bad things my any means.

For gear, I'm running vinyl, CD, and streaming. Vinyl gets the most play time, followed up by streaming than CDs. The analog side of the chain consist of the Mofi Ultradeck + MasterTracker cartridge feeding into a Sutherland 20/20. On the digital side, we have the Cambridge CXN pulling double duty as the streamer and as the DAC for the CXC CD transport. All the interconnect cables are Zu Mission cables, and for the coax I've been bouncing between a Kimber DV30 and Douglas Connection Bravo Digital. I think the Douglas is going to have a long term home in the system. I've also had a couple other coax cables and a Benchmark DAC3 on loan. The speakers are being fed by my Mastersound Duventi via Wireworld Mini-Eclipse 8 cables. Running in 20w pentode mode, the amp provides more than enough power for these speakers in my room for my listening levels. I don't think I'm hitting 100db at any point, but I also don't strive for that. Usually my averages are around mid 70s with peaks in the mid 80s via my phone db meter.

Now finally, on to the main event, the speakers! Like the entire Rosso line, the Certaldo's build quality is exceptional. Aluminum front, leather, glass side walls, solid base, robust cabinet build, quality spikes, magnetic grills with some quality styling. You can't ask for much more from these in the build department. The first thing that jumps out at me from the sound is the unique bass response. The speakers dig fairly deep, spec'd down to about 40-ish hz I believe, but they don't ever really punch you in the chest. Another review I read on these said the bass was "polite," and I think that's a good way to put it.
It works quite nicely in my smaller room, but I do think in a larger space the bass would feel lacking, something to keep in mind for anyone considering these. I also have to wonder if moving up to a higher powered solid state amp at some point might give them a little more oomph, but I'm in no rush to change things. I do regularly notice the bass digging deeper than the Ushers ever could. Prior to the Ushers I had JBL Studio 580s, and those speakers packed a wall of punch in the low end, but they were often one note. The detail and texture provided by the bass with the Certaldos is simply exponential compared to anything I've had long term in my home, and with the smooth laid back nature in the low end it never gets tiring and allows you to listen for hours on end. A lot of listeners love speakers with a good punch, and if you want that more visceral feeling from the low end you'll do better with the Elba 2s or moving up to the Volterra. Although I'm quite happy with the low end, that is one area I could see where people would wanting more.

The top end of the Rosso sound is one of the biggest things that keeps me coming back. I love a good soft dome tweeter as I'm fairly sensitive to a sharp high end or analytical speaker. I also seem to consistently prefer the tone on a well executed soft dome tweeter. I will admit, the current Usher diamond tweeters are very impressive. But that's also just not the sound I care for. The Certaldos provide massive amounts of high end detail, but does so without over accentuating anything, or moving into the range of being hyper-realistic. Again, this smoothness and balance gives me the ability to listen for hours on end without fatigue. Yet it someone also brings enough detail to the mix to keep things exciting and has me regularly rediscovering my collection.

Now the midrange is the real star of the show here. The way these speakers (most Rosso speakers) handle vocals is simply captivating. These speakers really do make all genres of music enjoyable, but a strong vocal performance is what sticks with me. Some of the strongest examples I've come across so far are Johnny Cash - American IV, St. Vincent - MassEducation (the acoustic one), and Djelem Djelem (thanks again for the suggestion @jumpindick!).

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Dialing in the soundstage has taken some time, and I honestly might still not be done. Getting depth in the soundstage happened fairly quickly, and is something these speakers do well. I believe I have the speakers placed a little more than 2 feet out from the front wall, but honestly I haven't measured it. I've just been moving them around by ear. I couldn't really get them to open up the left to right sound stage at first. Once I moved them a touch closer together and removed all the toe in, it was like I unlocked a new level of what these are capable of. I will admit, it's still not the widest sound stage I've ever heard - but my room also has no treatments and is physically somewhat narrow. Because I've heard these speakers in other settings, I do know they are capable of a wider soundstage than I'm getting, the room is the limitation here. Another rabbit hole for me to dive down in time.

The strongest statement I can give to the detail of these speakers is by comparing my two main sources. With all the previous speakers I've had in my home long term, I have always played more vinyl but didn't feel I was giving up too much via streaming/digital. Those two sources very much felt distinctly different, but I didn't feel one was exponentially above the other. But with the Certaldos, that has changed. When I'm listening to a good pressing, I can tell I'm getting more out of the vinyl end than my digital side. Better tone, more detail, much much smoother sound. Granted, this should be expected given the massive price differential between those two sources. Now I find myself simply enjoying my vinyl more, for longer periods of time, and only leaning on streaming for previewing new music or when I want playlist or to bounce around. It's also been helpful to have this extra detail while comparing a few coax cables and the Benchmark dac3. It simply doesn't take nearly as much effort to discern the differences between each piece, because I'm getting more of what each piece brings to the table. I even had a non-audiophile friend do a quick A/B test with two of the coax cables. I was fully expecting him to struggle to find a difference or a preference, but I was wrong. He quickly was able to string together differences he heard and identify his preference between the two. To me, that really says a lot about the speakers and what they can revel. They clearly have a flavor of their own, but they still allow you really see what each piece of the chain is bringing to the sound.

The last bit that I'll mention is despite all this detail, and mentions of laid back elements to the sound, some might be worried these speakers are dull, or potentially too reveling. That is where the Rossos stand apart from so many others. Yes, the bass is more laid back, but not so much that The Weeknd and Billie Eilish become drab and dull. Yes, they are reveling, but not so clinical that poorly recorded music like Metallica sounds like utter garbage. (I test every speaker with Metallica before it can find a place in my home. If it ruins some of my favorite tunes, it ruins my fun.)

These speakers may not be for everyone, but in my size of room I think they work wonderfully. Just like every speaker, they lend themselves better to certain music than others. But these do such a great job of minimizing trade-offs. They can rock hard when with Rage Against the Machine, breathe life into Louis Armstrong’s Trumpet, they dig deep for electric music, convey the emotion in the music of The Beastie Boys – The In Sound from Way out, and create a great sense of space both in synthetic recordings and in natural spaces. But above all, they simply touch your soul when a powerful vocalist takes center stage of a great recording. I’ve been eyeing these for a long time, and I’m happy to say they have a secure slot in my system for the foreseeable future. I will likely be changing out the entire front end of the system (starting with digital and cables) before I really give a strong look to another set of speakers for my main room.

F1nut

Nicely done, thanks.

pitdogg2

I've never been disappointed in the Rosso speakers I've had a chance to sit in front of.

Very nice review Willy !!

SIHAB

Nicely done.

erniejade

Very nicely done. Later on, do you think you might add a sub? I would think a sealed sub set to 45 hz would integrate easily with them.

maxward

Thank you for the thoughtful review. I’m going to have to listen to a pair of Rosso speakers sometime. Oh, I noticed two ads in the latest The Absolute Sound from Audiothesis, one for the Elba 2s. I’m not sure if they have been advertised in any major magazines.

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erniejade wrote: »

Very nicely done. Later on, do you think you might add a sub? I would think a sealed sub set to 45 hz would integrate easily with them.

Honestly, I don't know. If I was in a bigger room I think I'd want one, but honestly it's a nice comfortable balance in my current room. I don't mind the laid back bass because it's so textured and well integrated.

I'd rather focus on cables, power, etc to see what I can squeeze out of these before adding a sub. Yes, those things will ultimately cost more, but they'll also improve the full spectrum. Plus it opens the temptation to trying some higher end solid state options. I'd imagine if I upgraded cables and power supplies across the board I will likely see a noticeable impact in the bass region. I actually have a pair of Libtec speaker cables in the closet that I know brought more low end to the JBLs, so I could just try those again.

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maxward wrote: »

Thank you for the thoughtful review. I’m going to have to listen to a pair of Rosso speakers sometime. Oh, I noticed two ads in the latest The Absolute Sound from Audiothesis, one for the Elba 2s. I’m not sure if they have been advertised in any major magazines.

They are worth getting ears on if you can. I really feel like they've struck a nice balance with their sound.

Nightfall

Were you previously running Elba's or is this your first pair of Rosso?

Nightfall

The forum was having problems double post.

joecoulson

Nice thoughts and Thank You for taking the time to review.

Now if I only knew someone who sold this brand...

txcoastal1

joecoulson wrote: »

Nice thoughts and Thank You for taking the time to review.

Now if I only knew someone who sold this brand...

I felt a Joe mama joke coming on....but it's no fun since you're name is uhhhh....Joe

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Nightfall wrote: »

Were you previously running Elba's or is this your first pair of Rosso?

I haven't owned the Elbas, but I haven heard them in multiple rooms with various amp combinations at Skip's place. This is my first set of Rossos that I've been able to bring home.

Nightfall

Congrats man, making big moves.

Clipdat

Nice review.

halo

Glad you've found something that checks off most of the boxes. Sounds like you're close to getting them dialed in with placement and, perhaps, room treatments.

I haven't used his setup methods but they may be helpful to you:
https://youtu.be/CyTkwkK8ON0

Thorton

Very nice review. I’ve always enjoyed listening to Skip’s Rosso set-ups at Axpona.

We kind-of follow a similar test procedure when auditioning new speakers or equipment.
“Yes, they are reveling, but not so clinical that poorly recorded music like Metallica sounds like utter garbage. (I test every speaker with Metallica before it can find a place in my home. If it ruins some of my favorite tunes, it ruins my fun.)”

It’s great when well recorded material sounds even better but if Metallica – Master of Puppets sounds worse with any equipment I’m trying, it gets sold or shipped back.

Enjoy your new speakers!

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halo wrote: »

Glad you've found something that checks off most of the boxes. Sounds like you're close to getting them dialed in with placement and, perhaps, room treatments.

I haven't used his setup methods but they may be helpful to you:
https://youtu.be/CyTkwkK8ON0

I have seen this, and although I didn't follow it exactly I did use a lot of those basic principles and some of the estimated measurements.

PSOVLSK

I’m considering moving from my Usher MD2’s to a pair of Elba II. Might have already made a move if not for about 5 fairly major unexpected expenses in the past month. BUT...I love everything about my MD2’s so it would be hard to part with them.

Anyway, great review and enjoy your speakers!!!

ZLTFUL

PSOVLSK wrote: »

I’m considering moving from my Usher MD2’s to a pair of Elba II. Might have already made a move if not for about 5 fairly major unexpected expenses in the past month. BUT...I love everything about my MD2’s so it would be hard to part with them.

Anyway, great review and enjoy your speakers!!!

I don't think you would be disappointed in the least.

My Silverlines were the speakers I swore I was never going to part with. But the Elba IIs took EVERYTHING I loved about the Silverlines and turned it up to 11.

They just do so many things right.

marvda1

What he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfasdSp7TuY

tophatjohnny

ZLTFUL wrote: »

PSOVLSK wrote: »

I’m considering moving from my Usher MD2’s to a pair of Elba II. Might have already made a move if not for about 5 fairly major unexpected expenses in the past month. BUT...I love everything about my MD2’s so it would be hard to part with them.

Anyway, great review and enjoy your speakers!!!

I don't think you would be disappointed in the least.

My Silverlines were the speakers I swore I was never going to part with. But the Elba IIs took EVERYTHING I loved about the Silverlines and turned it up to 11.

They just do so many things right.

Isn’t that equivalent to what is End Game Speakers? 😃
And it is a nice feeling when we can say that! As confident Skip talked about these babies I was sure enticed myself! Congratulations to all that have speakers they feel are their Forever speakers!
Great review no doubt!

displayname

It dawned on me that I probably should have called out in my review that I'm dealing with the Certaldo series 1 here. All the series 2 lines are a big jump forward, and I think the Elba 2 has a good chance of surpassing these Certaldo 1s. If you're hunting these out in the used market, make sure it's clear with version you're getting. Just some additional food for thought.

Nightfall

Wait there's a Certaldo V2 but the Pienza V2 is still not done yet?

displayname

Nightfall wrote: »

Wait there's a Certaldo V2 but the Pienza V2 is still not done yet?

That appears to be so.
https://rossofiorentino.com/certaldo/

indyhawg

Great Review. Congrats on the new speakers

Nightfall

Have you had a chance to compare the Pienza to the Fiesole?

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Nightfall wrote: »

Have you had a chance to compare the Pienza to the Fiesole?

Never back to back, and I've only heard Pienza 1 and Fiesole 2. There is a BIG jump in detail. F2 digs much deeper than you'd think, and adding the super tweeter brings out loads of extra detail. The imaging really steps up to another level. The trade offs are you still need stands, maybe a touch less bass, and I remember in Skips larger room it seemed like it was taking a lot of power to pressurize the space. In the smaller room he had them in at LSAF it seemed to be less stress on the amp. So if you want the Fiesole in a larger room, the amp might be a factor. Or that might be where the Certaldo is a better fit. That's really one of the keys of working with a good dealer. I could totally see the Fiesole being a prefect fit for some rooms/systems, but the Certaldos in a different room. Same budget, but maybe not one size fits all.

I think if someone was purchasing new, the Fiesole might be the better buy - assuming you have the amp and appropriate sized room for them. And you have to factor in that quality stands add to the total cost. If you're happy with the Pienza in your current room, I would guess you would probably be more happy with the Fiesole vs Certaldos in the same room. BUT that's really just a guess because I have not heard the Certaldo 2s. So take all the feed back with a big grain of salt since I haven't done Series 2 of both in an A/B or extended listening.

tonyb

Excellent review.....thanks man.

displayname

Update
Yesterday Skip came over for a couple hours to hang out and try a couple things. We tried some of the Star Sound points under the turntable and amp, as well as their record weight. (Spoiler: I was impressed) But most related to Certaldos he also brought over the Norma HS-IPA1 integrated amp. We wanted to see if bringing in some more power might change the bass response of the Certaldos in my room.

For reference, my amp is a 20 watt tube amp, and the Norma is 75 watts into 8 ohms, 150 into 4 ohms. On the upside for me, the amp change didn't really increase bass output, so no need to rush to change that piece. The Duventi is feeding the Certaldos just fine for my space.

So then came the next step, placement. We moved the speakers around pretty significantly. Pushed them much further into the room, probably close to 4 feet from the front wall, as well as almost right up to the front wall. We all also brought in some big pillows and blankets as makeshift treatments and bass traps. We did get the bass to pick up a small amount pushing them closer to the front wall, but at the expense of pretty much everything else. So we landed with the speakers pretty much right back where we started. What's the big takeaway here? My room is sucking up bass somewhere. Every room has its challenges, and now I know my biggest challenge will be addressing bass response.

Eventually I'll sit down with some test tones and figure out where the big drop offs and cancelations are starting, and I'll progressively play with various things to address the issue. As always in audio, the adventures continue!