Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mount loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1.1" (28mm) damped-apex silk-dome tweeter, 5.5" (150mm) sandwich-cone mid/bass driver. Crossover frequency: 2.5kHz. Frequency response: 50Hz–30kHz, ±3dB on-axis. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Recommended amplification: 40–150W. Long-term maximum program power: 60W.
Dimensions: 14" (354mm) H × 8.7" (222mm) W × 14.5" (368mm) D. Weight: 20lb (9.5kg) each. Shipping weight: 58lb/pair (26.4kg). Dedicated stands: 29.85" (758mm) H × 12.25" (300mm) W × 15.35" (390mm) D…
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply & Ittok tonearm, Spectral MC cartridge; Day-Sequerra 25-year Anniversary FM Reference FM tuner.
Digital sources: Bryston BCD-1 CD player, BDP-3 media player, BDA-3 DAC; Oppo Digital BDP-103 universal BD player; Roon Nucleus+ with Core V1.4 (build 300) stable (64 bit).
Preamplification: Bryston TP-2 30 step-up transformer; Bryston BP-173.
Power amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.534, ML2 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: KEF LS50.
Cables: Digital: Bryston 75 ohm BNC to RCA;…
Sidebar 3: In My Room
I measured the Nova Olympica 1's in-room frequency response with a digital track of uncorrelated pink noise and Studio Six Digital's Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) module in their Audiotool's smartphone app. I set this module to 1/6 octave, 1-second delay, flat frequency response plot, full frequency range (20Hz–16kHz), no peak tracking, averaging mode, and log frequency scale. I started by averaging five room responses across a 2' horizontal window at the level of my ears sitting in my listening chair. Averaged across this broad window, the Nova Olympic 1's frequency…
Sidebar 4: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system to measure the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova 1's farfield behavior with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. For the speaker's nearfield response, I used an Earthworks QTC-40 mike, as its ¼" capsule won't obstruct the radiated sound. The Olympica Nova 1's specified sensitivity is 87dB/2.83V/m. My estimated sensitivity was very close to that figure, at 86.7dB(B)/2.83V/m. Although the Olympica Nova 1's nominal impedance is specified as 4 ohms, the solid trace in fig.1 reveals that the impedance remains above 4 ohms for the entire audioband. The…
Sidebar 4: Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: When it comes to electroacoustic design choices, Sonus Faber's tradition, approach, and philosophy is to trust human perception over measurements, valuing vivid and natural sound over all else. However, we do feel that measurements, instruments, and technology are essential tools in achieving the final goal of the most natural sound reproduction possible. We always place emphasis on the electrical behavior of our creations; our impedance response never drops below 85% of the nominal value and always with minimum phase rotation (within ±36…
Hi-fi is like cake. Most people enjoy listening to music, and most people like cake.
People who like cake tend to like different things about it. Some people like a flourless cake, some people like a fluffy angel food cake, and some like a cake loaded up with little pieces of carrot and God-knows-what-else. People who like hi-fi also tend to like different things. Some like punchy, forceful sounds, some like realistic, natural tones, some like texture and color, some like "air," and some like to hear things go whooshing from one speaker to the other. It's all okay.
If hi-fi is…
I'm happy to say that some of that upper-mid graininess turned out to be a matter of (additional) running in, as is the case with so many speakers. After about three weeks of fairly steady use, the Maargas' upper mids lost some of their excess texture—but not all. Neil Young's vocals in "Speakin' Out" and other selections on Roxy: Tonight's the Night Live (LP, Reprise 566051-1) remained overly textured and thus a bit fatiguing in the long haul. (The same was true of Nils Lofgren's hammy guitar solos: His guitar sounded less like a Strat and more like an especially gritty Telecaster.) The…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Floorstanding loudspeaker with a single horn-loaded full-range driver and a pair of powered, isobaric-loaded woofers. Drive units: 8" twin-cone driver with 25mm-diameter voice-coil and high-compliance surround; two 6" × 9" paper-cone woofers. Frequency range: 28Hz–20kHz. Sensitivity: 98dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Minimum required amplifier power: 2W.
Dimensions: 41.2" (1035mm) H × 7.5" (190mm) W × 21.6" (550mm) D. Weight: 62lb (28kg).
Finishes: Piano black or wood veneer sides with metallic gray pipes, standard; additional colors…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Garrard 301 and Thorens TD 124 turntables; EMT 997 tonearm; Ortofon SPU Century and EMT TSD 15 pickup heads.
Digital sources: Hegel Music Systems Mohican CD player, Mytek Liberty D/A processor.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 & T2 and EMIA Phono step-up transformers, Shindo Laboratory Monbrison (2017) preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Air Tight ATM-300R, Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion, Shindo Laboratory Cortese, Jadis Orchestra Black.
Loudspeakers: Altec Flamenco, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93.
Cables: Digital…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
After driving to Sasha Matson's place in upstate New York last September to measure the Wilson Sasha DAW speakers that he reviewed in the January issue, I stopped off at Art Dudley's place in Albany on my way home the next day to measure the Rethm Maargas. As always, I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Maarga's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield and spatially averaged room responses. I used my usual Krell KSA-50 amplifier for the quasi-anechoic measurements but measured…