Sonus faber recently announced its new high-end Fenice loudspeakers at a special event in Venice, Italy. Sonus faber will only be producing 30 pairs at a cost over € 140,000.
Sonus faber proclaims the new loudspeakers have skillfully joined research in the construction with refined and elegant style, making the Fenice a true object of high design.
Sonus faber says the Fenice loudspeaker is destined to change listening to music in a private environment, radically exceeding what has been produced in this sector so far. The Fenice loudspeakers incorporates three new patents in one system, further enriched by new technical adjustments in order make the product unique and inimitable, one of the most expensive in the world. Fenice is destined to change the audio world dramatically.
For example, the Sound Field Shaper, true geometry in listening, which, thanks to the possibility of moving the rear speaker, even adjusting the intensity, permits creating a customized sound field, able to make 3D listening, recreating the intensity, warmth and pleasure of a concert hall.
Or, the internal treatment of the reflex ports with insulating material, an extremely astute technical expedient. In the internal construction of the loudspeakers, an opening toward the outside, is usually built by means of ports of various sizes. Now, these internal tuning ports, treated with the proper material, permit obtaining tune frequencies tied to a pure sound and an of the low frequencies better than ever.
Finally, the suspension and decoupling system of the floor loudspeakers, which, combined with the innovative “mass-damper” system, permits avoiding the vibrations naturally created by every loudspeaker, by dissipating them inside this internal device.
Listening, therefore, as a unique emotional experience is independent from the presence of the loudspeakers and starts wandering within the mind. Considering the uniqueness of the product, Sonus faber has decided to produce 30 Fenice pairs only and award them to its authorized partners.
Cost: over € 140,000
System:
3.5 way, lyra shape design, state-of-the-art vibration cancellation optimized, sound field shaper variable geometry radiation, stealth reflex , loudspeaker system.
Acoustic enclosure:
As an evolution of the “Lute shape”, Fenice introduces the “Lyra shape”. Technically speaking, the dual curvature, special cross grained plywood, used in a double thickness constriction layer damped configuration, has significant advantages compared to the single curvature variant used previously, in terms of low coloration.
The enclosure is decoupled from the floor through a patent pending suspension system, eliminating any vibration transmission and acoustic feedback. The “Anima legata” system is based on the two clamshells, i.e. CNC anodized Aluminium machined vibration “conveyors” ( on the top and on the bottom of the cabinet ) that “collect” the vibrations coming from the cabinet walls and the transducers, like the parabola of an antenna. The two clamshells are rigidly connected by a special steel rod, a high speed mechanical interface, the “Soul Pole”, that concentrates the vibrations to the “Multiple Tuned Mass Damper”, a device usually used in record height skyscrapers and F1 cars to critically damp structural resonances, by oscillating in anti-phase.
High frequency spectrum:
A 25 mm ultra dynamic linearity hybrid Neodymium/Samarium-Cobalt Larsen/Goeller ring radiator, visco-elastically decoupled from the main baffle board. It is implemented with a natural wood acoustic labyrinth rear chamber, with a mechanical anti-resonator designed for this application.
Middle frequency spectrum:
It is the key element among the drivers designed for the Fenice. The “6.5” cone has been chosen according to the most natural sound, by blending a traditional cellulose pulp with Papyrus and other natural fibers . The powerful Neodymium magnet system with the 1.5″ voice-coil, is of the “well hung” type. The basket of this unit has been thoroughly optimized to eliminate any resonance, it is fully CNC machined from solid billets of Avional and Gun metal. The combination of the 2 different metals allows to eliminate any mutual resonance. The same way as the tweeter, the midrange is decoupled from the main baffle board.
Low frequency spectrum:
The two 10″ woofers have been designed to blend perfectly with our special midrange, and at the same time to have absolute definition in their range. The solution has been an innovative “sandwich” cone structure where the high-tech syntactic foam core is covered on the two external surfaces by coated cellulose pulp skins, that have the same sonic character of the midrange cone. The 3″ voice-coils on Kapton formers allow an unlimited dynamic performance and low hysteresis.
Infra low frequency spectrum:
For this frequency range, the king of the diameters has been chosen; the 15″. For maximum rigidity here also a sandwich structure has been selected, in this case the skins are made of nano carbon fibre, on the syntactic foam core . The 4″ voice-coil has been optimized to have progressive damping, through the use of both Kapton and Avional in the former, to control the Lorentz currents performance to different listening rooms, it is possible to adapt the SPL of the infra woofer.
Sound field shaper:
To control the direct/reverberant radiation of Fenice, the sound field module can be optimized in terms of azimuth and SPL. The tweeter is a ring radiator dome derivative, with the peculiarity of optimized off-axis radiation. The mid-woofer is a 4.5″ unit, a “classic” Sonus faber choice, in this case a 4th generation derivative of the unit used on the original Minima. It is powered by a Neo Hexadyn motor and uses a cone with the same paper pulp/papyrus/natural fibers as the front midrange.
The crossover:
The crossover has the new “progressive slope” structure, with optimized phase/amplitude response, as already seen on the Cremona M and Liuto range. The absolutely maximum quality is used in terms of the components: Mundorf Silver/Gold/Oil capacitors, Jantzen cross coil inductors.
| Frequency response: | 20Hz – 35000Hz, Stealth Reflex included |
| Sensitivity: | 92 db spl (2.83V/1m) |
| Nominal impedance: | 4 ohm |
| Power handling: | 100W – 1KW, without clipping |
| Dimensions: | 1713 x 747mm x 791mm (HxWxD) |
| Weight: | 610 Kg per pair – net weight. |
About Sonus faber
Founded in 1983 thanks to the will and passion of a few audiophiles, Sonus faber is a company that has decided to make a better use of manual ability and competence when constructing its high end loudspeakers. It is based in Arcugnano, Vicenza.
Sonus faber, that is 'handmade sound', is a continuous attempt to create, thanks to the study of state of the art technologies joined with skillful craftsmanship, loudspeakers able to reproduce a unique sound experience. From the point of view of the design, they harmonize with every environment, exalting architectural lines and enriching elegance, thanks to the work of the designers. Many famous musicians such as Uto Ughi and Salvatore Accardo listen to these loudspeakers.
Sonus faber has launched a wide range of products and collections on the market that meet all listening needs: from Toy, created for the neophyte who is approaching the hi-fi world, to Vintage, an evocation of the recent past, Liuto, loudspeakers shaped by Renaissance echoes that exalt sound capacity, and Cremona and Homage, homages to the city that has guarded the secrets of the art of making stringed instruments for years. Research and development are therefore aimed at knocking down the closest barriers in listening, at the service of a pure sound. Sonus faber has always been following the mission of research, and, convinced that only thanks to it and the study of innovative practices can a product be competitive on the market, has always invested all its energy in innovation. This is the true motivation that underlies the development of Sonus faber; technical-scientific development and product innovation, which have enabled the company to rapidly grow, with a continuously increasing turnover, even in economically hard times, such as the ones we are experiencing now.
A company with over 30 employees and just as many collaborators, made strong by a massive presence on the global market (over 40 countries in all), among them a branch in Hong Kong dedicated to the promising Chinese market.
