The Sonus faber Olympica G3 III is a loudspeaker that sits beautifully between high-end performance and Italian design theatre. It is not simply a speaker built to reproduce music; it is a speaker created to make listening feel special. With its sculpted cabinet, luxurious materials and advanced acoustic technology taken from Sonus faber’s flagship developments, the Olympica G3 III is aimed at listeners who want refinement, emotion and scale without moving into the very largest loudspeaker designs.
The Olympica range has always represented one of Sonus faber’s most desirable positions in the hi-fi world. It offers much of the brand’s celebrated elegance and musicality while remaining practical enough for serious domestic listening rooms. The new G3 version pushes that idea further, combining traditional Sonus faber craftsmanship with upgraded driver technology and a more advanced cabinet approach.
Design and Build Quality
Visually, the Olympica G3 III is unmistakably Sonus faber. It has the brand’s signature sense of sculpture, with a lute-shaped cabinet designed not only for beauty, but also to reduce internal standing waves and unwanted resonance. The speaker is slim, elegant and luxurious, finished with real wood, aluminium details and leather touches that make it feel more like a piece of fine Italian furniture than a conventional loudspeaker.
Sonus faber offers the Olympica G3 range in Walnut and Wengè finishes, both of which suit the speaker’s premium character. The herringbone woodwork gives the cabinet a richer, more architectural appearance, making the speaker feel refined without becoming overly showy. It is a product that looks expensive because it is built with genuine care and detail.
The cabinet is also part of the performance story. The Olympica G3 III uses a 3-way vented box design with a sealed cork enclosure for the midrange section. This is important because the midrange is where voices, acoustic instruments and much of the emotional character of music live. By controlling resonance around this area, Sonus faber aims to deliver a cleaner, more natural and more transparent presentation.
Technology and Drivers
The biggest talking point of the Olympica G3 III is the new Camelia midrange driver. This 165mm paper-cone driver is inspired by the natural geometry of the camellia flower and is designed to reduce unwanted resonance. Sonus faber describes it as being developed to improve clarity, transparency and vocal realism.
Above the midrange sits a 28mm DAD™ Arrow Point extended-frequency silk dome tweeter. Sonus faber has long been known for producing sweet, refined treble, and this tweeter is designed to extend high-frequency detail while avoiding the hard or clinical edge that can make some speakers tiring over long listening sessions.
Bass is handled by two 165mm paper-cone woofers. These are designed to provide weight, texture and control rather than simply chasing exaggerated low-end impact. The official frequency response is 42Hz–40kHz, which is impressive for a relatively elegant floorstanding speaker and should give the Olympica G3 III enough bass depth for most music in medium to larger rooms.
The speaker has a quoted sensitivity of 90dB and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, with Sonus faber recommending amplifier power from 50W to 300W. This means the Olympica G3 III is not an especially difficult speaker to drive, but it will reward quality amplification. A strong integrated amplifier or a capable pre/power combination will help bring out the speaker’s control, openness and dynamic ability.
Sound Character
The Olympica G3 III is designed for listeners who value beauty, realism and emotional connection. This is not the kind of loudspeaker that tries to impress by sounding overly bright or exaggerated. Instead, its appeal lies in balance, natural tone and the ability to make music feel effortless.
Vocals should be one of its greatest strengths. The Camelia midrange driver and cork-controlled enclosure are clearly aimed at preserving the purity and body of the human voice. Male vocals should sound full and textured, while female vocals should have clarity, air and presence without becoming sharp. This is exactly the area where Sonus faber speakers have traditionally excelled: making voices sound human, expressive and believable.
The treble presentation is likely to be smooth, detailed and refined. The silk dome tweeter should provide plenty of information, but in a way that feels natural rather than analytical. Cymbals, strings and ambient details should be easy to follow, but the overall character should remain relaxed enough for long listening sessions.
Bass performance should be controlled and tuneful rather than heavy-handed. With twin 165mm woofers and a 42Hz low-frequency rating, the Olympica G3 III should have enough authority for rock, jazz, classical and electronic music, while still maintaining speed and definition. It is not designed to replace a large subwoofer in a home cinema system, but for two-channel hi-fi listening it should offer a strong balance of depth, grip and musical timing.
Imaging and Soundstage
One of the most important qualities in a high-end loudspeaker is its ability to disappear into the room, and this is where the Olympica G3 III should be particularly strong. The cabinet shape, driver integration and crossover design are all intended to create a spacious, coherent sound.
A good pair of Olympica G3 III speakers should produce a wide and deep soundstage, with instruments positioned clearly across the room. Acoustic recordings, live performances and orchestral music should benefit from this sense of scale. Rather than presenting music as a flat wall of sound, the speaker should allow the listener to hear depth, space and atmosphere.
This makes the Olympica G3 III especially appealing for listeners who enjoy sitting down and properly listening, rather than simply using music as background sound. It is a speaker for people who want to hear the room around a recording, the body of an instrument and the emotion in a performance.
System Matching
Although the Olympica G3 III has a healthy 90dB sensitivity, its 4-ohm impedance means amplifier quality matters. It should work best with amplifiers that offer good current delivery, control and refinement. Underpowered or overly bright electronics may not allow the speaker to show its full potential.
A high-quality integrated amplifier from brands such as McIntosh, Hegel, Arcam, Naim, Primare, Luxman or similar would be a natural match, depending on the listener’s preferred sound. Warmer amplification will emphasise the speaker’s richness and musical flow, while more neutral amplification will highlight its transparency and detail.
Source quality is also important. The Olympica G3 III is revealing enough to show the difference between a basic source and a high-quality streamer, DAC or turntable. Partner it with good electronics and clean cabling, and the speaker should scale beautifully.
Room Placement
The Olympica G3 III is a serious floorstanding loudspeaker and deserves proper placement. It should perform best with some breathing space from the rear and side walls. Because it is capable of producing a large soundstage, careful positioning will be important to get the best from its imaging and bass control.
In a medium to large room, it should feel powerful without becoming overwhelming. In smaller rooms, placement will need more care, especially around bass response. A slight toe-in toward the listening position should help focus the stereo image while keeping the treble smooth and natural.
Who Is It For?
The Sonus faber Olympica G3 III is ideal for the listener who wants a speaker that combines luxury, musicality and high-end performance. It will appeal to people who enjoy vocals, jazz, classical, acoustic music, blues, soul and well-recorded rock, but it should also have enough scale and bass weight for more dynamic music.
It is also a speaker for someone who cares about how their system looks. The Olympica G3 III is not a plain black box; it is a statement piece. For many customers, that matters. It brings together performance and interior-friendly design in a way few loudspeakers manage.
Verdict
The Sonus faber Olympica G3 III is a beautifully judged high-end floorstanding loudspeaker. It combines Italian craftsmanship, advanced driver technology and a refined sonic character that should make it one of the most desirable speakers in its class.
Its strengths are likely to be vocal realism, natural tone, smooth treble, spacious imaging and elegant bass control. It is not a speaker designed for listeners who want aggressive, forward or exaggerated sound. Instead, it is built for those who want music to sound expressive, immersive and emotionally convincing.
For anyone looking for a premium loudspeaker that offers both beauty and performance, the Olympica G3 III deserves serious consideration. It is a speaker that looks stunning, sounds sophisticated and carries the unmistakable character of Sonus faber: refined, musical and deeply involving.