Speaker Asylum: Sonus Faber Guaneri Speakers by hifi1

Part 2

The first thing to strike me about the G is the look, then the sound. Coming from Electa Amataor, the G sounded 'thin' but with better high frequency extension. The lacking of a 'body' took me a while to get use to but imaging and transparency was way 'better'. I slotted in my favourite violin cds notably Anne Sophie Mutter's Carmen Fantasy (DG), Aaron Rosand unaccompanied violin on Audiofon and Romantic violin set issued by Philip. The tonal colours on display was so beautiful and the resonances coming from the recording seems so real that the EA sounded slow and muddled. I tried Burmester Test CD 3 which has a mass string demonstration and the differences between G and EA was laid bare. The sound produced by the EA enveloped the listener and you could just hear the strings but unable to separate them. It was like everything in a cauldron. the same track using G saw the music enveloping the listener but you could make out the different string sections and make listening to the music so much more enjoyable. Most speakers sacrifice some 'warm' to 'highlight' the high frequencies and do so at the expense of listener fatique. Not the G. The 'transparency' is a much more truthful account of what is on the recording and this speed and transparency gives the impression of 'lightness' in the presentation which is not true after living with this speakers for more than 4 years. The EA in comparison is 'sluggish' and dark (not that it is a bad thing given most modern recording are overly bright).

Vocals are most impressive with the G. CDs tested were Rickie Lee Jones's Girl at the Volcano, Tracy Chapman's wonderful self titled debut album, Joan Baez's Diamonds and rust in the bullring (her live concert in spain) and many others. The 'chestiness' of the singers were presented in the right proportion and the details are rendered clearly but not obtrusively.
Harry Belafonte sounded more lively on the G than than EA and the whole concert sounded so much more fun.

Big Orchestra pieces saw the G straining to produce the low frequencies to fill my room (about 700 sq ft). Most small speakers strained anyway. On Karajan Beethoven 9 (DG originals 1963 recording), the Ode to Joy was adequate but not satisfying compared to the ProAc Response 4. Aida's (Karajan recording with Decca) grand march also sounded less 'grand' but I am talking about real loud dbs here. On the Mission Impossible soundtrack, the G was able to give a rather satisfactory rendition and her speed and transient energy was fully exploited. Alas my Manleys, in this instance was the 'letdown' due to her 'slower' speed. One favourite of mine is the highlight of the "Phantom of the Opera' by Really Useful Company. Sarah Brightman and the organ was delicious and the G expressed herself fully with every note and thumps the source feed her.

Musical is a difficult word to describe. Everyone has his own version and one man's food is another man's poison and I tread very carefully here. I think the G is one musical speaker. There are many others out there that has better lows, better mids, better highs, images better, more expensive etc and the list goes on but taken as a package, if you can afford the Gs
I think for my listening taste, there is none that I would prefer more.

Some Advice
1. Not necessary to bi-wire. Try using a higher quality s/c with good jumpers.
2. Be careful about how you clean the speakers. Try not to put anything on the surface. Just use water and a soft cloth if you need to clean them.
3. I have tried and heard a few combination and 300Bs may work well in smaller room but the G is definitely not an easy speaker to drive.
4. The grille or the strings on them need to be tied once in a while. The speaker's strings slack over time.
5. It is a chore to clean the speaker's stands. Owners should know.
6. I recently discovered some Gs had a whitish substance appearing on the speakers. Owners from Singapore, Philipines and Spain (so far) has feedback of this problem so buyers of used equipment be careful. No one so far has come out with a good explanation.
7. I prefer tubes as it 'enhances' the colours of the music.

My speakers are not affected by whatever problems and they are in great shape despite their age (8 + years). If I could go back in time, I will not hesitate to get the Gs all over again.

I shall leave with a quote by Mr Casare, son in law of Franco Serblin when asked about the deficiency of bass in the G
"When did you hear bass in a violin?" Unquote.

Sonus Faber Guaneri Speakers Review by hifi1 at Audio Asylum