The first bookshelf-format connected speaker from the famous Italian manufacturer, the Sonus Faber Duetto incorporates the countless features of the Sonus Faber Omnia in a more traditional format. It offers AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth streaming, direct access to Tidal and Spotify, as well as a wide range of connectors including phono and HDMI ARC inputs. Its elegant, genuine-wood finish conceals a colossal 700 watts of power and exclusive technologies. Priced at €3990, will this active speaker live up to the Italian manufacturer’s previous designs?
Sonus Faber Duetto: packaging and accessories
The Sonus Faber Duetto speakers are delivered as a pair in a single box. They come with two power cables (one per speaker), a remote control with batteries, and a quick start guide.
Sonus Faber Duetto: presentation
Design
The Sonus Faber Duetto connected speakers have a luxurious and refined design, clearly reflecting their Italian heritage. The manufacturer’s expertise is apparent through the use of high-quality materials, such as the real wood cabinet in its walnut or graphite finish. The compact silhouette, the same lute-inspired shape used for the Sonus Faber Sonetto I and Sonus Faber Sonetto II models, combines beauty and functionality. It reinforces structural rigidity to reduce internal resonance, ensuring a transparent sound reproduction without coloration.
Behind the magnetic grille of the Sonus Faber Duettos, the wood is partially covered with leather, with a diamond shape framing the drivers. This geometric design evokes the elegance of the renowned Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I. The top of the speaker is also covered with leather, and features three illuminated lines perfectly embedded in the material, reminiscent of the Sonus Faber Omnia’s distinctive design. The first two lines are purely decorative, while the third extends as the volume of the speaker is increased. The result is particularly eye-catching, and lends a modern feel to the speaker.
A touch-sensitive control interface is placed in front of these illuminated bands. It allows you to start and pause playback, and adjust the volume. For intuitive use, the lighting of the central control changes color according to the source: blue for Bluetooth, green for Spotify Connect, white for WiFi (AirPlay 2 and Chromecast), pink for the phono input, and so on.
Acoustic design
The Sonus Faber Duetto’s acoustic architecture draws on the fundamental principles used by the manufacturer for its passive speakers to guarantee superior performance. The Italian company ensures that all its drivers are developed internally through extensive computer simulations and rigorous listening tests. The tweeter benefits from a silk dome to preserve the soft, natural sound characteristic of the brand’s speakers. It is accompanied by a waveguide to broaden the diffusion area and ensure clear highs across a wide zone.
For the midbass driver, the manufacturer has chosen a 5” paper pulp cone. It is mounted on a surround that is specifically designed to maximize excursion without increasing distortion. The magnetic system uses neodymium magnets with a copper cap and aluminum ring. The mobile components are enclosed in an innovative organic structure that prevents resonance thanks to the absence of parallel sides and improves air flow production by the driver. Paired with a bass-reflex enclosure and rear-firing port, this driver allows the Sonus Faber Duetto speaker to reproduce low frequencies down to 37Hz. A feat for a bookshelf speaker with a driver measuring only 5 inches!
Each driver has its own amplification module, perfectly calibrates and developed to provide the best performance. As a result, each Sonus Faber Duetto speaker incorporates a class AB module for the tweeter. The latter was selected by the manufacturer for the smooth, warm aspect it lends to high frequencies. The midbass driver is powered by a 250-watt module, operating in Class D to maximize dynamics and bass response. Thanks to this configuration, a pair of Sonus Faber Duetto speakers can boast on paper an impressive total power output of 700 watts!
Wireless connections
Primarily designed for wireless use, the Sonus Faber Duetto speaker benefits from the same connected features as the Omnia. Like the latter, it doesn’t use a proprietary mobile app, instead favoring the AirPlay 2 (16-bit/44kHz) and Chromecast (24-bit/96kHz) technologies. This allows it to receive music from any smartphone, tablet, computer or DAP. Access to Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect is also possible through the official apps, while ROON compatibility lets you play music shared over the local network. However, we would have liked native integration of the main streaming services like Qobuz, Amazon Music and Apple Music to limit the compression carried out by AirPlay 2 and Chromecast.
Moreover, the Sonus Faber Duetto speaker is equipped with a Bluetooth controller that allows transmission from any source that isn’t connected to the local network. However, despite support for the aptX HD codec, Bluetooth playback lacked precision, space, and naturalness compared to other sources. It is therefore preferable to opt for a WiFi connection.
Wired connections
In addition to the many streaming options, the Sonus Faber Duetto connected speaker also has a wide range of physical connectors. Its RCA input can be switched to a line level or phono input, allowing you to connect a turntable without having to use a phono preamp. The optical input lets you connect a CD player, while the HDMI ARC port can retrieve the sound of the program and the various sources watched on a TV. Lastly, there’s an output to connect a subwoofer output. Its level and cutoff frequency can be adjusted in the speakers’ web interface.
Sonus Faber Duetto: key specifications
- 5” midbass driver
- Soft dome tweeter
- Amplification per speaker: 1 x 100W for the tweeter + 1 X 250W for the midbass driver
- AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth compatible
- Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon
- Frequency response: 37Hz to 30kHz
Sonus Faber Duetto: configuration
Once the Sonus Faber Duetto speaker is connected to the mains, you simply have to go into your smartphone’s WiFi settings, select “Duetto” and connect it to the local WiFi network. Although this approach is intuitive, it was not conclusive on our prototype version of the Duetto, forcing us to connect the main speaker via Ethernet (the one with the touch-sensitive interface). The two speakers then communicate via a proprietary 7.2 GHz wireless network. While there is no latency, the network disconnects as soon as you move between the two speakers, or if they are placed more than 4 meters apart. Let’s hope these problems are rectified by an update in the near future, especially as it’s impossible to connect the two speakers together by cable, as is the case with the KEF LS50 Wireless 2 or KEF LSX 2.
Although the Sonus Faber Duetto speaker doesn’t have a mobile app for streaming, it does feature a web interface that allows you to fine-tune its settings. The interface can be accessed via a flash code in the speakers’ user manual. You can then enter the placement of the main speaker (left or right) and its position in the room (close to or far from a wall), adjust the balance and the high frequencies. Bassheads can also activate the subwoofer output, adjust the cutoff frequency, the gain and the delay. Lastly, additional settings let you set the sleep timer, automatic television detection and the startup volume.
The volume of the Sonus Faber Duetto speaker can be adjusted remotely from the associated AirPlay 2, Chromecast or Bluetooth source, as well as via its infrared remote control. Identical to the one developed for the Sonus Omnia, the remote control lets you adjust the volume, change tracks, select the source and adjust the brightness of the LED stripes on the top of the main speaker.
Sonus Faber Duetto: listening impressions
Sonus Faber’s DNA has been captured perfectly by these connected speakers, which accurately reflect the sonic signature of the brand’s passive models. With London Grammar’s album Californian Soil, the Duettos reproduced every track with impressive amplitude, giving the music a remarkably spacious feel. The soundscape was vast, the various arrangements had plenty of room to breathe and express themselves naturally in a highly detailed presentation.
Particularly rich and smooth in the mids, the Sonus Faber Duetto connected speakers reproduced vocals naturally and with a lot of texture. With the track Just a Little Lovin’ by Shelby Lynne, the singer’s voice was projected with ease from the center of the soundstage. It was perfectly structured, suave and truly emotional. Each nuance and detail was captured and conveyed with outstanding accuracy. Vocals stood out from the musical background with ease, offering remarkable clarity and definition, even in complex or instrumentally dense passages.
The Sonus Faber Duetto wireless speaker reproduced every timbre with meticulous precision. It demonstrated perfect tonal balance, with a total sense of consistency and fluency between the different frequency ranges. The bass was deep and robust, offering a solid foundation and texture without becoming overpowering. The soft, natural midrange conveyed the melodic essence of the music. It perfectly reflected the warmth of voices, the roundness of string instruments and the distinct character of brass instruments. Finally, the highs shone without being aggressive. Cymbals sparkled, strings vibrated with finesse, and every detail was highlighted without becoming harsh.
Sonus Faber Duetto: compared to…
B&W Formation Duo: priced at €3990, this pair of B&W connected bookshelf speakers reproduces music with greater transparency and clarity. Their openness is even more impressive, creating a vast soundscape in both height and width. On the other hand, the Sonus Faber Duetto is warmer and smoother, thanks to its very rich mids and the silk dome tweeter that provides more finesse in the highs. What’s more, the Sonus Faber Duetto has the advantage of integrating all the connectors needed to connect numerous sources, unlike the B&W model, which requires the optional B&W Formation Audio external transmitter.
Sonus Faber Duetto: who is it for?
The Sonus Faber Duetto speakers are designed for audiophiles who want true hi-fi sound without the constraints of a traditional system involving cables and an external amplifier. As well suited to streaming as to listening to physical sources (TV, CD player, audio DAC, etc.), these Sonus Duetto speakers offer an all-in-one solution covering all the needs of a modern system. Their high power handling makes them equally at home in a bedroom, an office or a living room, as long as the speakers are spaced no more than four meters apart to ensure proper wireless signal transmission.
Sonus Faber Duetto: conclusion
With the Sonus Faber Duetto connected speaker, the Italian manufacturer provides a sensory experience that combines the grandeur of artisanal craftsmanship, with its cabinetry and premium materials, with superlative sound performance. With this pair of speakers, Sonus offers users what it does best: a wide, spacious soundstage, first-rate timbre accuracy and emotional reproduction. However, the current limitations of the wireless communication system between the two speakers mean that serious thought must be given to the placement of these beautiful Italian speakers before taking the plunge.
We liked:
- The luxurious design
- The spacious soundstage
- The rich timbres
We would have liked:
- Better wireless range
- Simpler WiFi connection
- A dedicated mobile app
