Will Sonus Faber Serafino G2 be too much speaker for my space?


Hello Audiogonners.  I am a lover of Sonus Faber speakers and currently have Olympica Nova III.  I have an opportunity to purchase a mint pair of Serafino G2's locally for a good price.  Based on my experience listening, and all the comparisons between the two models, I am convinced the S2's are a better more engaging speaker, with better bass and more resolution up top.  I don't want to afford the next level Amati's.  

 

My only concern is the Serafino might be too much speaker for my space. I don't have the ability to try them in my space before buying.  I've included my system with a photo of my space in my profile.  It is 14'x20' with 9' ceiling. I have no room treatments except the WAF variety (carpets, drapes, upholstery) and it has to stay that way.  The Olympica's sound fine and do not overpower the space.  Do you think the Serafino's will be too much?  Anyone with experience with the Serafino in a space approximately of this size?  I've read all the reviews I can find and cannot find an answer to this question.  Thanks in advance for your help.

ddlux

@gournard I don't know anything about semantics. I responded to what you wrote, including room modes with an entire paragraph. There should be no issues if used as intended and not as a basshead.

 

@ddlux the SB1000 is fine. The outlet inventory is cheaper. Use the speaker level input from your speakers to the sub. It saves running long cables to the amp and it maintains the sound signature of the amp. Unlike REL which does not use DSP, there will be a delay between your speakers and the sub, but most will not notice it.

 

@ddlux, With a money back offer, I encourage you to try them, you'll not be dissapointed. As I mentioned previously, in a room slightly bigger than yours with a pair of 15" DIY open baffle speakers I'm getting some of the best bass I've heard, and I've been around. It's tight, detailed and authoritative and will rock out when I choose. You have a symmetrical layout which is relatively easy to dial in.

From the many set-ups I've done, including my 16ft x 21ft room, looking at yours, what will work well is to place one of the subs in the left rear corner behind the screen, although I don't know what's behind it, and the other in the middle the wall on the right behind the brown chair where it could maybe serve as a coffee table.

A line level connection is always best if the run is not too long. It looks like you can use that on the corner sub and take a high level feed from the amp or directly from the right hand speaker terminals to the sub on the right. As it's a high impedance load you do not need a heavy cable for the job.

The comment above stating:   Unlike REL which does not use DSP, there will be a delay between your speakers and the sub, but most will not notice it. Can be ignored. Any slight delay will be accommodated by the variable phase feature, meaning you can literally place the subs anywhere and by using measurement align them to provide a flat smooth response. That's the whole idea.

If you place them as suggested you'll get good sound, but when properly set via measurement you'll get great sound. The software REW is free, and for the cost of dinner for two you can buy a mic. There is a whole forum dedicated to using REW

However, if you have the budget get the SB3000 subs cool

@ddlux  first, don’t think too much about delay. Where you are in this process, you’re not going to notice it.

2nd, ignore what that other kid said. I noticed he goes around insulting everyone, telling everyone to ignore everyone but him.

3rd, time delay and phase are two different things. DSP is basically a CPU. By the time it receives the signal and processes it can be 6 ms later until it produces the sound / attack. That is like a lip sync issue if you can visually see it. Phase is frequency dependent and is used to align the waves to the speaker. It can still be off by multiple time cycles and the bass can sound slow or muddy because it is misaligned in time with the speaker. Adjusting phase will add to time delay. There are pros and cons to DSP. For music, it’s more of a con. For movies, it’s a pro. Call REL and ask about it.

4th, your sub for music should ideally be near the speakers because you have it connected in stereo. The sound needs to be cohesive with the speaker. Depending on a higher crossover, you might be able to localize it. If so, it makes sense it is near the respective speaker. Also given that it is not at a perfect distance to the speaker (ie behind in a corner), you could have additional time delay.

5th, you are using a C-10X, not an AVR that has the flexibility to slow down the time alignment of the speakers to the sub.

6th, speaker level connection uses the same signal as your speaker, so if you have a tube amp or unique sounding amp, the sub is getting the same sound signature as the speaker. It’s more relevant at higher crossover points that can be localized. In your setup, it’s likely not a big deal either way but more a matter of convenience. Real 2 channel fans use this method, not RCA.

7th, this is about music. The speaker is the #1 actor on screen. The sub is the #3 actor. You should not even know the subwoofer is in the room when tuned correctly. If the sub is the #1 actor, including if the subs are too big for the space, you will have unsolvable issues.

@gournard please don’t respond to me or I will report it. I responded professionally to your comments.