The new Olympica Nova range from Sonus Faber pays tribute to the renowned Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), who constructed the Teatro Olimpico during the Renaissance.
The Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III is the second floor-standing speaker in this series, offering remarkable performance for its size and footprint. Its design draws significant inspiration from studies conducted on the brand's flagship model, the Aida.
SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA III: CONSTRUCTION
The Olympica Nova III retains the "asymmetric lyre" shape of Series 1 but with further refinement and complexity.
Sonus Faber offers it in two finishes: Walnut (light wood) and Wengé (dark wood). Both finishes are superb and leave no room for criticism. The assembly of 9 wood pieces, seamlessly joined, evokes the hulls of Italian Riviera-style boats.
They are coated with a beautiful satin varnish. A hexagonal leather piece surrounds the midrange/tweeter drivers. The top and bottom edges are encircled with a brushed aluminum detail for a striking effect.
SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA III: SPEAKERS
The speakers are meticulously designed and manufactured by Sonus Faber.
High frequencies are handled by a 28mm silk dome tweeter, the new H28 XTR3 (Dampex Apex Dome). It features a powerful neodymium magnet for perfect linearity and excellent dynamics. The tweeter's membrane is paired with a phase alignment piece for reduced directivity and linear response.
The midrange MW15 XTR2 features a 150mm membrane crafted from a blend of cellulose fiber and natural resins like Hemp and Kapok, ensuring the most neutral and linear performance possible.
Low frequencies are reproduced by two 18cm woofers, the W18XTR2-04, with a sandwich construction of cellulose and syntactic foam.
The speaker employs a progressive slope crossover optimized to minimize phase shifts between the three drivers, with crossover frequencies set at 250 and 2,500 Hz. Components such as air-core inductors, Mundorf capacitors, and silver-coated copper wiring ensure high-quality performance.
SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA III: BINDING POSTS
The binding posts are unique to the brand and this series, featuring exemplary craftsmanship and finish. They accept banana plugs, spade connectors, and support bi-wiring or bi-amplification.
SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA III: INSTALLATION
The speakers rest on a stunning stainless steel base with 4 adjustable spikes. Sonus Faber includes counter-spikes to protect your flooring.
To fully appreciate the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III, pairing them with a high-quality amplifier is strongly recommended. In our testing, we positioned the vents inward, placing the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III speakers 70 cm from the wall and over a meter away from side walls.
SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA III: TESTING AND LISTENING
After approximately 30 hours of break-in, we were amazed by the scale and openness of the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III speakers!
The soundstage, reminiscent of the Nova II, is even more expansive and demonstrative with the Olympica Nova III. It impresses with remarkable width and depth, offering precise and stable imaging of performers.
The beautiful midrange characteristic of the Nova II is still present, enhanced by added scale and substance, contributing even more to presence and realism. The Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III truly brings musicians into your living room!
The level of transparency and neutrality achieved surpasses previous models and ranges, prioritizing realism and musicality over hyper-definition.
Designed to be fatigue-free for extended listening sessions, the Olympica Nova III offers exceptional performance in terms of bandwidth (40-35,000 Hz) and realism. It is particularly suited for larger spaces exceeding 30 square meters.
The low-frequency reproduction is another highlight, delivering deep bass with energy that seems to exceed specified numbers. This spectrum, paired with a capable amplifier, remains articulate, dynamic, and physically engaging across all music genres, even at high volumes.
At its price point, few Hi-Fi speakers offer such a fine balance and convincing harmonic richness as the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III floor-standing speakers. They are as visually stunning as they are sonically impressive! Highly recommended.
AWARDS:
- Diapason d’Or
- Soundstage! Network - Reviewers’ Choice
- Soundstage! Network - Product of the Year 2020
FranckFloorstanding speakers
Principle: 3-way bass reflex
Tweeter: 1 x H28 XTR3 neodymium magnet, DAD 28mm
Midrange: 1 x 150 mm MW15 XTR2
Bass: 2 x 180 mm W18XTR2-08
Crossover frequency: 250-2500 Hz
Bandwidth: 40-35,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 90 dB SPL
Impedance: 4 ohms
Recommended power: 50W - 300 W
Dimensions: 1104.5 x 370 x 459.8 mm
Weight: 35 kg each
Customer reviews
Récompensées
Elles ont obtenu la récompense Meilleur Achat du magazine Haute d'avril/mai2024. A ce niveau de prix, le magazine délivre d'habitude le label Référence mais le commentateur n'est pas un spécialiste de la hifi. Il a néanmoins qualifié ces enceintes d'art et de Beauté du son.