SOUNS FABER AMATI FUTURA

Pre owned. In good condition. They show signs of wear on the front corners. Supplied with original packaging.

The Sonus Faber Amati Futura represents the third incarnation of the Amati model, carrying forward the tradition of the previous versions from 1999 and 2006. It takes the form of a tall and slender three-way floorstanding loudspeaker, featuring finely veneered wooden side panels with black ebony inlays beneath the lacquer. The front baffle is leather-clad, while the enclosure follows a lute-shaped profile, constructed from horizontally layered maple of varying thicknesses, bonded with polymer adhesives for internal damping and reinforced with internal ribs. The vertical string grille remains faithful to Sonus Faber’s tradition, while the top and bottom surfaces are now made of silver-colored Avional metal plates, a proprietary aluminum and copper alloy plated with nickel and mirror-polished, engraved with the company name. The narrow rear of the speaker is finished with vertical fins made from the same plated metal.

Inside the elegant enclosure, finished with seven coats of hand-applied nitrocellulose lacquer, the Amati Futura represents a complete redesign of earlier models, incorporating technologies derived from Sonus Faber’s flagship speaker, of which only 30 pairs were produced at $200,000 each and presented to the US press at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show. To control cabinet resonances, a mass damping system has been introduced: the top and bottom plates are held under tension by a metal rod to which calibrated concentric discs are attached, designed to cancel the main internal resonance modes. Additional internal ribs further reduce vibrations, while the alloy bottom plate is coupled to a secondary plate via large compliant washers to provide mechanical isolation. Front and rear spikes, screwed into studs protruding from the lower plate, allow adjustment of the front baffle tilt.

The 1.1-inch soft-dome tweeter replaces the previous ring-radiator design and is described as an “ultra dynamic integrity classic Ragnar Lian” unit, named after one of Sonus Faber’s co-founders. Directly below it is a 7-inch midrange driver, custom-built by ScanSpeak, featuring a 42 mm voice coil, rubber surround, and an air-dried cellulose fiber cone with a concave metal phase plug. This driver operates within its own dedicated sub-enclosure, rear-vented between the Avional fins, with a foam-lined port using Stealth Reflex technology to reduce airflow noise. Both the tweeter and midrange are mounted on decoupled sub-baffles.

The two vertically aligned 8.75-inch woofers handle frequencies below 220 Hz and are loaded by Stealth Reflex ports positioned just above the rear terminal panel. Each cone, made from an aluminum-magnesium alloy, is damped with elastomer foam and features a concave phase plug, driven by a long-throw voice coil with controlled eddy currents. The lower woofer is rolled off earlier to reduce radiating area in the lower midrange. The complex crossover network uses Mundorf Supreme capacitors and Jantzen inductors, while electrical connection is provided via two pairs of high-quality binding posts located on the rear between the metal fins, with single wiring recommended via the upper pair.

The Amati Futura stands out for its refined elegance and exceptional build quality, with flawless finishes and meticulous attention to detail, including mirror-polished surfaces that require careful handling. Its sound performance matches its visual appeal: high frequencies are smooth and natural, while the level of detail is remarkable, delivering an immersive listening experience that blends art and engineering in a loudspeaker that fully justifies its premium positioning. Its presence elevates music listening into a moment of true enjoyment and contemplation.

Technical specifications:

• Three-and-a-half-way floorstanding loudspeaker with reflex loading
• Drive units: 1.1" (29 mm) soft-dome tweeter; 7" (179 mm) cellulose-fiber midrange; two 8.75" (220 mm) aluminum-magnesium alloy woofers
• Crossover frequencies: 80 Hz; 220 Hz; 3.3 kHz
• Frequency response: 25 Hz – 30 kHz
• Sensitivity: 90 dB (2.83 V/m)
• Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
• Recommended amplifier power: 30 – 300 W without clipping
• Dimensions: 1160 mm (H) × 405 mm (W) × 635 mm (D)
• Weight: 55.5 kg each