Полочная акустика — Sonus Faber OLYMPICA NOVA I

The Olympica Nova I is a compact two-way design belonging to the Olympica Nova range from Sonus faber of Italy. It was priced at USD 6,500 per pair, with the dedicated stands adding USD 1,200 per pair. Finish choices are satin walnut and wenge, and the cabinet shape follows the curved form used across the Olympica Nova family.

Key specs that matter

A 1 inch silk dome tweeter with Damped Apex Dome technology works with a 5.5 inch mid-woofer that has a natural pulp fibre cone and a fabric-coated dust cap. The two drivers cross over at 2500 Hz in a bass reflex enclosure. Sonus faber specifies a frequency response of 45 Hz to 35 kHz, sensitivity of 87 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and a nominal impedance of 4 ohm. Recommended amplifier power spans 35 W to 250 W. Each speaker measures 356 mm high, 198 mm wide and 394 mm deep, and weighs 10.5 kg. The crossover uses a first-order electrical slope to the woofer and a fourth-order slope to the tweeter.

Engineering and use context

The curved sidewalls are made from eight alternating layers of birch wood and HDF, bonded and pressed into shape, while the front baffle is solid wood. Cast aluminium caps close the top and bottom and carry recessed veneer areas. Internal HDF braces add rigidity to the enclosure. The reflex port is a vertical slot along the spine of the cabinet, and the spine itself is a cast aluminium part that forms part of the port. Its textured, multi-vaned surface is shaped to control air turbulence as air moves through the slot. The teardrop-shaped driver assembly on the baffle is covered in natural leather, and pinstripes decorate the veneer along the sides and top. The grille uses more than 50 elastic cords stretched between two aluminium saddles, and the rear binding posts have monogrammed tabs that make them easy to tighten. The Nova I is the smallest of seven models in the Olympica Nova lineup, which is made in Arcugnano in the Veneto region.

Pairing

The matching stands, 711 mm tall, are black anodized aluminium with rear wire channels, threaded bullet spikes and felt-bottomed disks, and are sold separately at the price given above. The wide recommended power window allows anything from modest integrated amplifiers up to more powerful designs, provided the amplifier handles the low nominal impedance. The walnut and wenge finishes are shared with other members of the Olympica Nova range, so the I can be matched visually with centre and floorstanding models from the same family in a multichannel system.

Alternatives

For a bookshelf model from another Sonus faber line, the Guarneri G5 in the Homage collection uses a 28 mm neodymium tweeter, a 150 mm mid-woofer and a 2200 Hz crossover.