Sonus Faber Minima Amator II Desktop Speaker Review
We are all familiar with the concept of “classics.” These are works that stand the test of time and continue to be relevant and thought-provoking, no matter how many times they are revisited.
Whether it is a piece of sculpture, a painting, a book, a movie, a piece of music, or even a speaker that has been loved and admired for decades, the reason that these things are considered classics is because they are truly special and unique.
They are creations that have an enduring appeal and can’t be easily replicated or replaced. And so is the Sonus Faber Minima Amator II desktop speaker.
The History
Italy, known as the center of European culture, is home to many classics, particularly classic buildings located in various cities. There are several forms of Italian-style architecture:
- Baroque, Rococo, Roman, Byzantine, and Gothic during the Renaissance
- Tuscan, Venetian, and Milanese afterward
During the Renaissance, Italian design emphasized “secularism” due to the emergence of famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. In the 1500s, Italian accommodation and palace architecture was envied by the rest of Europe.
Today, landmarks such as the Colosseum, Pantheon, Basilica di San Pietro, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Pisa Tower, Duomo, and Basilica San Marco have all become symbols of Italy. This demonstrates the high standards of aesthetics for music, painting, and the visual arts that have been upheld and passed down in Italy.
Sonus Faber is a top speaker brand that has inherited the aesthetic genes of Italy and consistently adheres to its brand genes and deep research and development. Founded in 1979, Sonus Faber has maintained tradition by handcrafting all of its products with slow and meticulous work, creating high-quality items specifically for those with high taste and high requirements.
Although the cost is high and the price is relatively high, those with taste and higher requirements for life and sound are happy to accept the high-quality positioning because they understand the principle of “you get what you pay for.” To appreciate Sonus Faber’s finely crafted speakers and enjoy the gorgeous sound of Italy’s deep cultural heritage, there is only one choice: Sonus Faber.
Perhaps the name Sonus Faber itself is symbolic of something beautiful, like a flower in Japan that is carefully cultivated and blooms repeatedly throughout the seasons. It is called Sonus Faber. Although its name is strong, it is actually very gentle with a very delicate color and transparent, delicate petals.
The Italian Sonus Faber high-end speaker brand, on the other hand, implies the meaning of handcrafted, beautiful sound and defines the extraordinary attributes of Sonus Faber speakers.
In 1985, Sonus Faber launched the Electa Amator, which is still highly regarded worldwide today. It features exquisite, handmade solid wood craftsmanship and an elegant solid wood cabinet, with a natural leather surface on the partition and a marble base for the legs, showcasing the designers’ ingenuity.
These elements caused a sensation in the global audio circle at the time and the waves of excitement have not yet subsided. In 1992, in response to market demand, the Minima Amator was launched, with the same ultimate concept, excellent materials and workmanship, and ultra-high cost-performance ratio, winning a full house of applause in the market.
Standing at its peak, Sonus Faber has not succumbed to past glories, and its constantly youthful team has continued to explore more ultimate audio technology and create more competitive products. After successfully launching the Electa Amator III, the Minima Amator II bookshelf speaker arrived as expected in response to widespread anticipation.
The Design
Consistent with the innovative concept of the Electa Amator III “35th Anniversary Edition,” the Minima Amator II bookshelf speaker is still based on traditional Italian design art and music aesthetics and retains exquisite, vintage design elements while integrating the latest audio technology.
Sonus Faber’s legendary story of conquering the audio world began with the 2-way speaker, and the Minima Amator II bookshelf speaker is the latest interpretation of elevating 2-way technology to a new height. All of the deep technical accumulation is “hidden” within the delicate cabinet made of twenty 25mm thick walnut solid wood.
With its deep experience in creating solid wood speakers for over 35 years, Sonus Faber has carefully crafted the perfect, flawless Minima Amator II cabinet using textured walnut boards and traditional Italian artisan techniques.
The wood is naturally dried and high-temperature baked for one year and then seamlessly pieced together to form the cabinet, which is polished and painted multiple times to achieve a delicate, smooth touch and high-level visual sensation that are top-level art pieces.
In addition, the front panel and back panel of the Sonus Faber Minima Amator II are covered by hand with Italian calfskin. The cabinet sides and bottom are embedded with gold-plated brass metal parts, which not only serve as decorations but also help guide the cabinet’s resonance, contributing to the reproduction of a rich and natural sound quality.
The inside of the cabinet is reinforced with an MDF frame to eliminate any harmful resonance. Even the wiring connection panel at the back of the cabinet is decorated with a gold-plated model nameplate and equipped with two sets of high-quality wiring pillars designed by Sonus Faber, providing a variety of dual-line sound connection options.
Every detail of the Minima Amator II exudes luxurious elegance and its unique, elegant texture and aesthetics make it a benchmark among similar bookshelf speakers in the audio industry.
The design of the Minima Amator II base is also well-considered. In addition to four rubber feet for damping and shock absorption when placed on the desktop and avoiding scratches, there are also two screw holes in the middle of the base plate for securing the self-provided stand with screws.
The attention to detail is enough to prove the designer’s careful care. In addition, in addition to the imposing standard stand, Minima Amator II can also choose to be equipped with the stand made of Carrara marble from Florence, Italy, so that visual and sound enjoyment can be synchronized and elevated.
The core technology of the speaker unit is naturally inherited from Electa Amator III, but Sonus Faber, which pursues perfection, will make targeted optimizations based on the performance needs of different speakers. The high-frequency unit model is H28 XTR2-04 DAD, with a diaphragm diameter of 28mm (1.1 inches) and designed with DAD (Damped Apex Dome) technology.
This patented design, which has been widely used in Sonus Faber’s products in recent years, uses the “arrowhead” at the top as a waveguide and phase adjuster.
The back of the top applies to damp to the silk diaphragm dome, cleverly improving the traditional silk diaphragm’s non-linear movement during work, making the effective working area of the diaphragm more complete, the high-frequency energy stronger, the distortion lower, and improving the directivity, making the sound waves more uniformly diffused in the listening space.
The mid-low frequency unit has a membrane diameter of 150mm and is model MW15 XT-04. It is made in Alconeria, Italy, with the aim of ensuring the design performance meets the highest standards and produces the ultimate high-fidelity effect.
The design uses a long-stroke voice coil to achieve strong output power, while the basket is thinned as much as possible while ensuring mechanical strength, which optimizes the reflection of sound waves behind the membrane and makes the airflow smoother. The composite natural material cone membrane maintains a light and appropriate damping to reproduce a rich midrange and deep, elastic bass.
The beautiful connection board has a unique Paracross dividing circuit technology hidden within it. This technology emphasizes the concept of “semi-balance” and specifically adds certain capacitors and inductive coils to the “negative semi-wave” line to reduce the additional burden of current feedback on the amplifier, thus ensuring the best dynamic range of sound.
This also allows the Minima Amator II to easily adapt to various high-quality amplifiers of different power sizes, which is one of the reasons why experienced players consistently agree that the new generation of Sonus Faber speakers does not discriminate against amplifiers.
Sound Performance
The Minima Amator II bookshelf speakers have a natural and haunting string sound quality, which inherits the deep accumulation of Italian people’s deep understanding of strings.
The precise and haunting reproduction of string instruments is still the unbeatable advantage of the Amator series. Precise music reproduction comes from clearly and accurately showing the sound quality of each instrument, excellent interpretation ability for lively music, and a surging momentum beyond the small and exquisite body, making this delicate and elegant wooden speaker the first choice for music lovers to taste an extraordinary life.
The Sonus Faber Minima Amator II is a bookshelf speaker that performs best in small rooms. It effortlessly expresses sound, as I test the speaker using the movie “Interstellar” soundtrack as a warm-up. The Minima Amator II has a noticeable warm sound and unexpectedly excellent extremes of high and low. Therefore, it is neither too heavy nor too dark, but rather, this speaker has good brightness and decent contrast between light and shadow.
The bass volume and extension are surprising, with no obvious peaks and volume comparable to the midrange and treble, forming a tall isosceles triangle. This three-frequency proportion is generally pleasant to the ear, and Minima Amator II is certainly one of them. However, within the pleasant range, it is not excessively soft but has sufficient power and a relaxed atmosphere without any tension.
Minima Amator II, although meeting modern speaker standards in terms of dynamics, speed, and analytical ability, still has a strong brand characteristic, especially in terms of aesthetics. This speaker is able to play most music pleasantly, not picking at shortcomings in recordings, but rather focusing on rhythm progression and smoothness. It also enhances the thickness of the highs while maintaining brightness, and slightly modifies any ear-piercing positions.
The Minima Amator II is a dynamic, fast, and analytical speaker that meets modern standards while still maintaining the brand’s inherent characteristics, especially in terms of aesthetics. This speaker can make most music sound pleasant, without picking on recording flaws, but rather focusing on rhythm progression and fluidity. It also enhances the thickness of the high frequency while slightly modifying the piercing positions without decreasing brightness.
The Minima Amator II is easy to listen to and play with and is easy to position due to its bookshelf design and sturdy speaker structure, which reduces box noise. The high frequency combines volume, extension, and smoothness, so it is recommended to directly point the unit toward the listening position to hear more of the Minima Amator II’s benefits and reduce the impact on the environment.
This performance can be immediately heard when listening to live concert recordings. For example, in Jason Mraz’s “Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom” the lively atmosphere and stage feel of the live performance are all demonstrated, and there is a certain sense of surround that makes the listener immersive.
Of course, Minima Amator II’s string performance is as traditional as ever, but bow changes and string details are clearer, and the ups and downs are more refreshing. Sonus Faber’s speakers in the past ten years or so have undergone this evolution, reducing a little bit of richness and becoming more realistic.
Conclusion
The Sonus Faber Minima Amator II is a stunning bookshelf speaker that delivers exceptional sound quality, with a warm and natural tonal balance that is sure to please audiophiles. Its ability to handle a wide range of music genres with ease, coupled with its impressive dynamics and speed, make it a highly versatile and enjoyable speaker to listen to. Its unique design and craftsmanship also make it a visually stunning addition to any home audio setup.
If you’re in the market for a high-quality bookshelf speaker that can deliver an immersive and engaging listening experience, the Sonus Faber Minima Amator II is definitely worth considering.
Sonus Faber Minima Amator II Specs
- SYSTEM: 2-way bookshelf vented loudspeaker system
- LOUDSPEAKERS: Tw: H28 XTR2-04 DAD™ Ø 28 mm (1,1 in)/ Mw: MW15 XT-04 Ø 150 mm (6 in)
- CROSSOVER: 2.500 Hz
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 50 Hz – 35.000 Hz
- SENSITIVITY: 87 dB SPL
- NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 4 ohm
- SUGGESTED AMPLIFIER POWER OUTPUT: 35 – 100 W, without clipping
- SPEAKERS DIMENSIONS (HXWXD) & WEIGHT: 325 x 200 x 274,5 mm/ 12,8 x 7,8 x 10,8 in/ 7,1 Kg ea – net weight/ 15,7 lb – net weight
