Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage vs Extrema


Looking to complete a second room for 2 channel system only. The room is 14' by 16' with 9' ceiling. Probably will not use a sub, but will remain an open issue. Music is primarily jazz, female vocals and small classical pieces. Any opines and/or experiences always appreciated.

Thank you, Dave.
1985tqc
As the room is quite small, and you listen to small music ensembles, you can easily live with the Guarneri.
As to additional thoughts on other spkrs...
Possibly the small Verity audio whatever they're called.

IMO though, the SFs are more enjoyable than the products you mention. I assume you have an amp to drive them? Both use up quite a lot of energy -- the Extrema being by far the most difficult of the two (and also the better spkr in a larger room).
Up to $8,000. for the pair.

Some have suggested the Gamut L3 or the Wilson CubII's Any additional thoughts???

Dave.
Guraneri's do get the mid's so right, and that covers 90% of your enjoyment(like the Zanden digital combo) that driving them with tubes or good s-state in a room size of your specification-vocal female jazz, small chamber/classical music(it sounds as if I started the thread).Go for it!
DaveyF, your right the Skaaning on the Guarneri's is a custom made Skaaning driver.
I was looking at a pic of the Skaaning midbase driver they sell on Madisound.
It looks totally different then the Skaaning midbase driver on the Guarneri's.
I found a really good post by Alex on using a sub or subs with the Guarneri's.
Here's the link.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?rprea&1045413633&read&3&4&
to be exact mr Skaning also founded Dynaudio.

As for the Guarneri vs Extrema, it's tough choice if I was to choose and the Extrema was in mint condition I'd pick Extrema.
Audio technology and Skaaning is the same thing
http://www.audiotechnology.dk/iz.asp?id=4|a|132|||

Mr. Skaaning founded audio technology, after Scanspeak also worked for Dynaudio.
I thought Audio Technology used to be called Skanning, just a name change?

Being a former owner of Extrema and Guarneri, I will say you can't go wrong with either. Personally I will get Guarneri, it's very coherent and refined but does lack bass. I like tube gears, Extrema just doesn't work with tubes and that explains the departure of Extrema. My room is too large for Guarneri to fill, so I settled with Amati.
Twilo, the G's do not use a Skanning mid/woofer. They actually use a custom made driver from Audiotechnolgie.
This driver which is from Denmark is specially made for SF and is several times the cost of the Skanning drivers.
What did you hear driving the G's, because since they are so incredibly accurate, this would have a big impact on their performance.
How about the Wilson Benesch ARC's. better sounding than either. Less money as well. The WB Curves are less money than both and sound better than Sonus Faber Amati. I have heard the above at a friends house when he was auditioning speakers. Shocking isn't it!!!!
My friend owns the Extremas and I'v heard the Guarneri Homage.
The Guarneri Homage has a really nice midrange.
They sound really smooth.
The only thing, they lack bass.
Your definitely going to need a sub with them.
Personally I would rather have the JMlab Micro Utopias.
The Micro Utopias are the 2nd best monitors i'v heard behind the Extremas.
On the Extremas. Those speakers are incredible.

Here's what I can tell you about the Extremas.
The Extremas having no capacitors in their crossover and require some hefty amplification
They also use a unique Skanning midrange.
Skanning makes only Polyprolene midbases and woofers.
On the Guarneri Homage speakers, they use a 6 inch Skanning polyprolene midbase driver with the Dynaudio Esotar tweeter.
The Skanning 7 1/2 midbase woofer on the Extremas is a Polypropelene driver with Carbon Fiber.
The Carbon Fiber part of the midbase driver is made by Sonus Faber, not Skanning.
The Carbon Fiber made by Sonus Faber for the Extremas uses the best material.
This Carbon Fiber when combined with the Polyprolene has a sound that has to be heard to be believed.
The Extremas when powered by a good powerful amp or amps will sound unbelievable.
They have a sweetness in the midrange that I never heard from any speaker.
The speakers are very sweet and articulate sounding.
The bass is fast and tight.
A great amp on the Extremas is the Meridian 557 amps bridged.
This is what my friend is using.
The 557 amps bridged are like 800 watts.
One 557 amp couldn't power the Extremas.
My friend and I tried it.
But when you use 2 Meridian 557 amps bridged.
Holy Moly did these speakers sound incredible.
It was night and day when you bridge them compared to using 1 557 amp.
1 557 amp just wasn't powerful enough.
1985tqc,
Both are great speakers and you can't go wrong with either. The Extremas are more difficult to drive properly ( require great class A amplification). For my taste, the Extremas are better overall.
Look at my system and you will see I replaced the highly thought after Hales System 2 Signature's ( which I owned for nearly 17 years and are a great speaker) with the G's.
IMHO, they are the best small speaker in the world and I have heard the Magico Mini's, Extrema's and many other
contenders, including the Kharma's etc.
The Extrema's are very nice, but no way as accurate as the G's, again IMHO. They do a better job on the bottom end than the G's, but that's it.
I would go for the G's, much easier to drive anf exactly for your taste in music...even if you might include the sub in the future! Extrema are more "full-range" but you will need very good and powerfull amplification,even in the room you have...and still maybe a sub!