A piece of furniture as much as a loudspeaker
Sonus Faber treats speakers like fine Italian furniture, and the Serafino is very much that:
• Curved “lute” cabinet in real wood veneer (Red Violin, Wenge, Graphite etc.), with a deep, gloss finish and leather-clad front baffle.
• Aluminum top and base plates with beautifully machined outriggers and adjustable spikes.
• The signature string grille: visually striking, slightly polarising, and mildly acoustically transparent but not as “invisible” as fabric grilles.
They are large but not monstrous: roughly 110–115 cm tall and fairly deep, with a graceful, narrow front baffle. You need space to show them off – they look silly jammed against a wall or hidden behind racks.
Build quality is absolutely high-end: no visible fasteners, perfect panel joins, and a feeling of solidity when you rap on the cabinets – a clear step up from most mass-market high-end brands at similar money.
Practical considerations
• Weight/size: they’re heavy and a bit awkward to move; plan your final location and get help to position them.
• Room fit: despite their output potential, Serafinos are designed to work in real living rooms. Multiple reviewers have successfully used them in relatively modest UK-sized rooms without overload, provided they’re given some breathing room from the front and side walls.
If you care about aesthetics and domestic acceptability, they’re among the easiest “big” speakers to get a partner to sign off on.
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2. Engineering & technology
Both the original Serafino Tradition and the Serafino G2 are 3.5-way, para-aperiodic vented floorstanders using Sonus Faber’s Stealth Ultraflex loading and Zero Vibration Transmission (ZVT) decoupling between cabinet and floor.
Key elements:
• Drivers (Tradition)
o 28 mm silk dome H28 XTR-04 DAD “Arrow Point” tweeter with a mechanical “Damped Apex Dome” device to extend and smooth HF.
o 150 mm midrange with neodymium motor (M15 XTR-04).
o Two 180 mm woofers (W18XTR-08).
• Drivers (G2)
The G2 keeps the same basic layout but uses the newer drivers from the latest Homage line: updated motors, cones and surrounds for better power handling and lower distortion, plus trickle-down from the flagship models.
• Crossover: 80 Hz, 250 Hz, 2.5 kHz for the Tradition – a classic Sonus Faber topology aimed at phase coherence and a gentle, musical presentation.
• Specs (Tradition)
o Frequency response: about 30 Hz – 35 kHz.
o Sensitivity: ~90 dB / 2.83V / 1m.
o Nominal impedance: 4 Ω.
o Recommended amp power: 80–350 W.
The numbers make them easy to drive in terms of sensitivity, but the 4-ohm load and quality level mean they deserve a serious amplifier – think muscular solid-state or high-quality hybrid/valve with real current.
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3. Sound character
Overall tonal balance
The Serafino is very much a “Sonus Faber sound” speaker:
• Warm-tilted, rich midrange, slightly sweet treble.
• Smooth and refined rather than analytical.
• Designed for long listening sessions without fatigue, even at higher volumes.
Compared to more “studio-leaning” competitors like B&W’s 803 D4 or Gryphon’s EOS 2, reviewers consistently describe the Serafino as:
• Warmer and fuller through the mids.
• Smoother, less bright on top.
• More “vintage-romantic” vs. “ultra-modern” presentation.
If you’re treble-sensitive, this voicing is a huge plus; if you crave a sharp, incisive, hyper-detailed top, you might prefer something else.
Bass & dynamics
• Bass extension comfortably reaches into the low 30 Hz region in-room, with a sense of weight and warmth rather than razor-tight studio bass.
• The Stealth Ultraflex loading gives good control and avoids “one-note boom” when properly placed.
• Macro-dynamics are strong – they can go loud with composure – but several reviewers mention that they don’t have an aggressive, “visceral punch you in the chest” quality; dynamics are controlled rather than explosive.
Think: a powerful grand piano in a good hall, not a PA stack at a rock gig.
Midrange & vocals
This is their strongest suit:
• Vocals have that slightly honeyed Sonus Faber glow – intimate, dimensional, and very human.
• Acoustic instruments (strings, woodwinds, piano) have beautiful timbre and decay, benefitting from the brand’s roots in violin-making design.
If your listening is heavy on jazz, vocals, chamber, classic rock, or singer-songwriter, this midband is addictive.
Treble
The DAD tweeter walks a nice line:
• Airy and extended without sounding etched.
• Cymbals and ambience come through clearly, but the top end rarely becomes splashy or harsh – it’s forgiving of less-than-perfect recordings.
You might perceive slightly less “bite” and sparkle than with beryllium or diamond tweeters; in return you get a far more relaxing listen.
Imaging & soundstage
• Excellent imaging precision and depth, especially when pulled a bit into the room and toed in modestly.
• The curved cabinet and narrow baffle help the speakers “disappear,” throwing a wide stage with stable centre images.
• They favour a natural, concert-hall scale over pin-point mini-monitor style imaging; images are solid but not microscopic.
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4. Serafino Tradition vs Serafino G2
If you’re choosing between versions or shopping used vs new, here’s the gist:
Serafino Tradition
• First generation in the Homage Tradition line.
• Already uses Stealth Ultraflex and DAD tech, and has the full luxury build.
• Tonally: warm, smooth, slightly romantic, with excellent midrange and good but not ultra-tight bass.
Serafino G2
• Updated drivers and crossover, lifted from the latest Homage refresh.
• Subtle but real improvements reported by reviewers:
o Better transparency and detail retrieval.
o Tighter, more controlled bass with improved articulation.
o Slightly better dynamic expression while maintaining the same overall tonal warmth.
• Price typically a bit higher than the outgoing model, and you’re less likely to find discounted pairs.
If you adore the Sonus Faber aesthetic and sound and want “the one to keep for 10–15 years,” the G2 is the safer long-term buy. If you can find a clean pair of Traditions at a good price, they remain thoroughly high-end and musically satisfying.
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. System matching & setup
Amplification
Given their sensitivity, you don’t need crazy watt numbers, but you do need quality current and control:
• Solid-state: high-quality integrateds or separates from the likes of McIntosh, Accuphase, Luxman, Pass, Naim, etc. Pairings with McIntosh and Chord have been reported as particularly successful, with Chord bringing a bit more speed and bite, McIntosh adding lushness.
• Tubes: powerful push-pull or hybrids can work beautifully if the amp is stable into 4 Ω and not too soft in the bass.
They are revealing enough that upgrades upstream are obvious, but they’re not cruel – even a more modest integrated (e.g., Audiolab 9000A was used in review) can yield very satisfying results, which speaks to their forgiving nature.
Room & placement tips
• Start with ~70–90 cm from the front wall and at least 60 cm from side walls.
• Slight toe-in until you just see a hint of the inner side panel from the listening position.
• They respond well to careful positioning – you can tune warmth vs articulation by distance from the front wall.
Given their warm balance, pairing them with brighter rooms (lots of glass, hard floors) is less risky than with a brighter speaker; in overdamped or very small rooms you may want to avoid overly lush electronics and cables.
. Who are they for?
The Sonus Faber Serafino (Tradition or G2) is ideal if:
• You value musicality, tone, and beauty over microscope-level analysis.
• Your listening diet includes lots of vocals, jazz, classical, acoustic, and classic rock – though they can absolutely handle EDM and modern pop too.
• You want a statement speaker that integrates visually into a refined room rather than looking like lab equipment.