In 2022, Sonus faber introduced the Omnia wireless speaker system which was well-received and well-reviewed. Inside its stylish cabinet, the Omnia houses an innovative stereo speaker system with both wired and wireless connectivity support. However, Omnia’s non-traditional single cabinet styling might not appeal to everyone, so for those who like a more traditional compact music system with two independent speakers, Sonus faber has announced a new active (powered) wireless stereo speaker system, the Duetto.
We got a sneak peek at Sonus faber Duetto last week during the Leica Cine 1 UST Projector event at House of Sound in New York City. During our brief demo we were quite impressed with both the sound quality and innovative design.
The reality is that high-end wireless loudspeakers have improved so much over the past three years that it’s starting to feel like the rock has begun its descent to the bottom of a very long hill and the playing field is going to look rather different in a few years. Sonus faber will continue to offer its rather extensive range of passive loudspeakers, but the writing is on the wall.
Design
The Duetto’s design follows the Sonus faber philosophy of reproducing natural sound using natural materials. The lute-shaped wood cabinet is combined with an elegant and custom-designed heatsink that guarantees stiffness and musicality while avoiding internal resonance.
The Duetto also has a leather top interface SENSO which allows users to control and set up the speaker functions such as volume, input selection, and connections.
From Chief of Design Livio Cucuzza: “Our intention behind expanding into the wireless speaker category is to provide our consumers with the Sonus faber authentic sound quality they know and love combined into one versatile package. Duetto is a true Sonus faber stereo system, blending 40 years of premium speaker design, Italian style, and materials with modern technology and streaming features…Today’s streaming capabilities do not compromise quality but rather offer an even higher quality for an almost infinite choice of music. Place the Duetto in your preferred space, choose your favorite source, close your eyes, and enjoy a one-of-a-kind listening experience”.
Inside the Cabinet
Duetto incorporates a 2-way speaker system, featuring a 0.7” tweeter and a 5.25” mid-woofer formulated from scratch in Vicenza, Italy by the Sonus faber research and design team.
Tweeter: The silk dome tweeter has a copper cap to amplify the driver’s emphasis on the lower frequencies, while keeping the highest notes smooth and clear, and encompasses a waveguide ring that increases an out-of-axis response and guarantees an astonishing listening experience from every part of the room.
Mid-Woofer: The paper pulp mid-woofer is rigged with surround suspension and a neodymium magnet to achieve the deepest frequencies and is enclosed in the new Sonus faber Organic Basket which prevents resonance and eases the airflow production by the long excursion of the driver.
Amplification:
- A 100W class AB amplifier for the tweeter that supports accurate and smooth high-frequency reproduction.
- A 250W class D amplifier that supports the power needed from the mid-woofer to deliver deep and firm bass.
Wired Connectivity: Users can easily connect to a TV through the HDMI and optical inputs, to a turntable using the internal MM phono preamplifier, and to an active subwoofer that can be automatically recognized through the Duetto setup system.
Wireless Connectivity: The Duetto is WiFi Certified and features a full suite of digital connections to popular audio streamers including AirPlay, Chromecast, TIDAL, Spotify, Roon Ready, and Bluetooth.
Tip: Duetto is fixed with UWB (Ultra Wide Band) technology that avoids latency and interference in the connection between the two speakers. UWB also guarantees a very wide frequency spectrum to send data signals at high speed.
Sonus faber App
The companion Sonus faber app users to customize all the settings for all Sonus faber wireless products, such as the Omnia and Duetto.
Specifications
- Speaker Type: 2-way Curved Vented box (Bass Reflex)
- Tweeter: .7-inch with Ferrite Magnet system, copper cap, Silk dome and dedicated Waveguide
- Mid-woofer: 5.25-inch with Neodymium Magnet system, copper cap and Aluminum ring, Long excursion design
- Crossover Point: 1,900Hz
- Frequency Response: 37Hz –30,000Hz
- MAX SPL (Sound Pressure Level): 105dB @1m
- Amplifier for Tweeter: 100W Class AB
- Amplifier for Mid-woofer: 250W Class D
- DAC: SABRE, AKM (specific chip model numbers not provided)
- Wired Connectivity: RCA Line/Phono IN, Optical, HDMI ARC/eARC, SUB Output
- Streaming Support:
- Airplay
- Chromecast
- Spotify
- TIDAL connect
- Qobuz
- Bluetooth Aptx HD
- Roon Ready
- Speaker Dimensions (HWD): 342 x 210 x 272 mm (13.4 x 8.3 x 10.7 in)
- Speaker Weight: 6.8 kg/15.0 lb
- Stand (Optional) Dimensions: 740 mm/29.1 inches (H), Base 298 mm/11.7 inches (W), 371 mm/14.6 inches (D)
- Stand (Optional) Weight: 7.8 Kg/17.2 Lbs
Availability and Pricing
The Sonus faber Duetto will be available through authorized Sonus faber dealers starting October 2023 for $3,999 USD per pair.
Duetto stands are sold separately for $749 (pair)
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Randall Lewis
October 9, 2023 at 9:41 pm
They probably are well designed, great sounding small speakers. But at $4K a pair, that’s pushing the limits for a near field speaker system. A lot of competition at that level.
Ian White
October 9, 2023 at 11:24 pm
Randall,
When I first saw them, my initial thought was that the price was really high for the reasons that you mentioned. Small two-way with $800 stands. KEF, Dynaudio, Buchardt, and a few others have some very compelling options at/below that price. We do know from the Leica Cine 1 UST event that they are very good speakers and rather beautiful but I can see how some might bristle at the price.
IW