Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Sonus Faber Concertos Speakers by SethK

Model:	Concertos
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	aprox $2000 depending on options
Description:	Two-way stand mounted monitor
Manufacturer URL:	Sonus Faber
Manufacturer URL:	Sonus Faber

Review by SethK ( A ) on October 20, 2003 at 19:52:47
IP Address: 63.159.216.220

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for the Concertos

Disclaimer:
I auditioned the product relatively briefly at Tweeter, with what I consider to be inferior electronics.
Music tested:
-Orchestral (Sibelius Symphony #2, Chesky)
-Early Italian Baroque (Gabrieli--Sonate e Canzoni and Monteverdi--Selva, both Harmonia Mundi)
-Jazz (Monk with John Coltrane)
-Pop (Stevie Wonder--Innervisions)

My first impression was favorable due to a very wide and deep soundstage; speakers totally disappeared. However, one got more of the sense of being in the back of the hall rather than up-front, whereas I prefer to be a little forward of middle (but not too close). They seemed very hard to drive though, and I got the feeling they'd do better with a 250 WPC amp.
Imaging overall was excellent.
They produced a very pleasant sound and seemed sympathetic to the music, but they had no edge. Some have described them as smooth, but I would have to say they are "polite". I need more bite on my high strings and much more impulse to plucked instruments than these reproduced. I admit I never compared these to other monitors, and of course they sounded different than the small floorstanders I auditioned (Totem Hawks, Audio Physic Spark IIIs), but I expected the monitors to compare well on the highs.
Looks: 9.
Conclusion:
By comparison, if you have to spend big $$ on SF stands, I think you would be better off at a similar price overall with Totem Hawks (I don't own these either) which I have said elsewhere are excellent performers, with similarly good imaging, but much better treble impulse. Neither are great at reproducing brass (edge to the SF Concerto, surprisingly). The hawks are really small for floorstanders, and look pretty unobtrusive in black ash. Edge in looks goes of course to the Sonus Faber, as usual :-)

Product Weakness: Lack of impulse/edge on highs, lack of bass (of course), high price for a monitor.
Product Strengths: Imaging/Soundstage, vocals

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Denon (? model) 170 wpc
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	integrated
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony ES (their top)
Speakers:	SF concerto
Cables/Interconnects:	?
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	see above
Room Size (LxWxH):	13 x 18 x 8
Time Period/Length of Audition:	30 min
Type of Audition/Review:	Dealer Demo
Your System (if other than home audition):	in flux

Product Weakness:	Lack of impulse/edge on highs, lack of bass (of course), high price for a monitor.
Product Strengths:	Imaging/Soundstage, vocals