Submitted by
Sandro Moi
a AudioPhile
from Quartu S. E. - Italy
Date Reviewed: July 8, 2002
Strengths: Timbrica consistency, thickness, third dimension, transparence...and a trascendental aesthetic beauty with their supports!
Weaknesses: Extreme critical state in the positioning and the coupling with the rest of the chain. Only good things, please.
Bottom Line:
This speakers are absolutely overtimes. In spite of their dimension, they have a "big voice" on all the fundamental parameters except, obviously, the extent in bass frequencies. But also under this profile, they're however surprising.
Strengths: Sweet high and mid, large soundstage, analytical, value for money especially if you find it in 2nd hand market. Excellent craftmanship. Good for vocals, classical, strings and Jazz music.
Weaknesses: Very sensitive to components and cables change. Not suitable for people who look for punchy bass or like rock and heavy metal music.
Bottom Line:
A very analytical good sound speaker. In my opinion, it is better to partner it with tube gears. To get a similar result with solid state gears, the gears must be very high quality.
This speaker produces large soundstage, sweet and detailed sound. Especially good in vocals and volin. Superb high and mid but bass is a little bit shy. Careful matching of components and cables is a must to avoid too bright and bass shy sound. If all things are right, you will definitely find yourself in a wonderful music world listening to this speaker.
Submitted by
E Alexander
a AudioPhile
from Ventura, CA
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2002
Strengths: Treble detail/extension, immaging, clearity, balance, microdynamics, overall musicallity, and beauty...nice walnut wood finish and leather contours!
Weaknesses: Slam factor(but we're talking a small monitor here), ultimate midrange/bass resolution and transparency, and not as tube friendly as some.
Bottom Line:
Wonderful little speakers!...and gorgeous to boot!(very wife friendly) They're very detailed and extended, pretty neutral/clear sounding,well balanced, good midrange, superb soundstaging, quite musical, and offer adequate bass (though not deep and super visceral). The first thing you notice on the speakers sonically, is the tremendous extension and treble detail on top, much more than just about anything made out there(lot's of info up there!). The company uses the Esotar ultra high end Dynaudio tweeter in the Minima's, and is simply world class!Overall the speakers are a shade warmer than say compared to Thiel's and Wilson's, but very engaging overall, and great on all types of music(almost). The speakers not playing too deep visceral, as a small monitor, they do well to add a fast sub for higher dynamic material (used this way, they sound extremely good as full rangers!). These are sepeakers that you'll never get tired of listening too for sure. A tip however, taking the "tweeter gaurd" off yields a slightly better balanced, more open sound. They also prefer to be toed in for best immage, midrange warmth and cohesion, and overall sound. They like to be out in the room a way's, just like a lot of rear ported designs out there. Also, even though there compact, they usually do better in larger acoustical spaces however, and can be balanced out easier that way as well. If you do chose a smaller room with em, you might want to consider "soft plugging" the port to limit bass extension and thickening, and REAlly working with seating/speaker placemtent. Also, in rooms with 8' ceilings, they tend to do best on shorter stands for acoustic bass coupling, and tilted toward the listing seat for immaging.(even thought company suggests higher). The speakers are only of modest sensitivity,and do better with higher powerd apmplifiers of very good quality and current.
Compared to their highly sought after acclaimed bigger brothers, the Electa Amator's(original), they don't quite have the visceral tight fisted midbass and slamm, obviously, of the bigger driver, nor quite the midrange and transparency og midrange/bass detail..but almost!They're a bargain to find, and offer almost the same performance level. The speakers like high current solid state gear over the warmer tube sound. Better interconnects are a must, preferably high rez neutral stuff for best sound
Weaknesses: choix de l'amplificateur difficile. Sensible au positionnement.
Bottom Line:
Superbes petites enceintes. Finition irréprochable. À utiliser impérativement avec des pieds lourds.
Le problème de ces enceintes, c'est qu'elles ne "marchent" que très moyennement avec beaucoup d'ampli. J'ai cherché longtemps et essayé plusieurs modèles sans obtenir la musicalité souhaitée. J'ai essayé:
Bryston B-60: décevant, son opaque et basses opulantes. Intégré Electrocompaniet: son très mou, pas de dynamique. Intégré YBA: son trop clair, manque de basses. Rega Mira: très bon, mais manque de puissance pour les Sonus Faber. Intégré Audio Aero: bon, mais manque d'ampleur.
J'ai eu un début de révélation avec un vieil intégré à tubes Beard P-30: son superbe, très ouvert, très musical, mais avec un léger manque de détails et de propreté.
La révélation est venue avec les ampli et préampli Anthem Amp 1 et Pre 1, fabriqués par Sonic Frontiers. Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais ces appareils marchent super bien avec les Sonus Faber Minima Amator, malgré leur faible puissance (40W). À tel point qu'on ne reconnait plus les enceintes. La musique remplit toute la pièce. Les basses sont superbes (et je comprends ceux qui leur trouve un manque de basses: essayez un autre ampli; j'ai des amis qui se sont mis à quatre pattes pour chercher un caisson de grave inexistant). Le son n'est pas agressif, plutôt doux et détaillé, mais dynamique et transparent. Que souhaiter de plus ?
Les Sonus Faber fonctionnent sûrement très bien avec d'autres ampli (Sonic Frontiers SFS-40 ou amplis à transistors de forte puissance), mais à prix raisonnable les Anthem sont une merveille avec ces enceintes.
Strengths: Complete sound in spite of their dimensions, a beautiful sight in their habit.
Weaknesses: No remarkable faults.
Bottom Line:
Minima Amator is a real masterpiece. Great soundstage, great midrange, a very civilized sound. Use it with an Electrocompaniet amplifier ; marvellous !
