Opinions on the ; Rosso Fiorentino Sienna or Volterra II Speakers

Hello garebear and riaa,

I know I've spoken to you both recently about RF but I will follow up with some information here.  All reviews we have on the products in the US are available at the link below.  There isn't much out there yet on the Volterra or Siena, but I do have some coverage of the Fiesole 2 which is in the same bloodline as the Volterra.

https://www.audiothesis.com/news/categories/rosso-fiorentino

Here is another link covering the Volterra 1 that for some reason I omitted.  The reviewer has since moved up to the second generation and he is a member here who might be able to contribute to what the 2 offers over the 1.  For me, I found better dynamics, lower self-noise floor, easier integration into systems, a little mellower top end with, strangely, improved detail, and texture upon texture from top to bottom.  The line as a whole does not spotlight, but allows details to happen naturally in the frequency they were intended to be heard at.  In other words, these elements are subtle as intended instead of highlighted by the upper midrange.

https://www.thesoundadvocate.com/2018/10/falling-for-the-rosso-fiorentino-volterra-loudspeakers/


Unlike the DEMO setting used on TV's at Best Buy, the Rosso Fiorentino line might not immediately impress through eye-catching settings and then irritate you later on.  They are born and bred to be natural and organic while layering music upon itself.  The correct harmonic structure has the ability to grip musicians immediately, but often times I have to 'introduce' the layering of the music so listeners can begin listening spatially as opposed to just tonally. So many listeners simply haven't heard this level of layering in a system and is one of the key elements that makes RF punch above their price points.

Either speaker could easily be a destination speaker - the one pair of Volterra I've had replaced by a client were replaced by a $60k speaker - but I find the Siena 2 to be the most effortless speaker Francesco has made to date.  It was a 98% complete redesign implementing everything he has learned over the last decade and the result is a mesmerizing experience.

I like to think of Rosso as the Greg Maddux of the audio industry.  They don't have the blazing fastball of Roger Clemens or the imposing figure of a Randy Johnson, but they offer an extremely well executed speaker that can excel in a variety of ways and with a plethora of music with no real weaknesses apparent.  They also have the staying power in a system where clients who buy them really don't move away from the brand, but build around them.

urbie,

There is truth to your words, but Rosso Fiorentino is not a brand that is going to stay that way for much longer.  I have worked with the brand for six years now and been acting distributor for about four.  We are establishing ourselves and the TAS review was a pinnacle for the Elba 2.  Other models will be getting reviews shortly and the brand will continue to grow.  At this point in time, the dealer network is expanding and interest is growing across the country.  There are things happening behind the scenes to prepare for the growth because the writing is on the wall.

Speakers are the toughest product to establish due to it being 'easy' to build and the market is flooded.  The RF line is not a 'me too' brand and anyone who has spent more than a passing moment with the brand can attest to that.  They are destination speakers that those who want a taste of the high end can strive for without having a six figure bank account.

In my time working with the brand, two pair of Rosso have hit the used market.  One was the Volterra mentioned above that was replaced by $60k speakers.  The other was a pair of Elba 1 where the client had extreme medical bills and had to sell.  He called me to apologize (new one for me) and assured me once back on his feet, he would be ordering a pair of the Elba 2.  I do get trade-ins, but that is only to move up the line to a higher tier model or to the second generation. My point here is that owners don't really sell the speakers because it is that difficult to find products to better them without spending a substantial amount of money.