Monterey Car Week – August, 2022 – House of Maserati – Sonus faber Speaker Systems – New Photos and Video August 31

Not too long ago, the in-car audio systems for Maserati were developed by the Harman-Kardon group.  HK makes some great products, but for various reasons, that partnership ended.  Recently Maserati, one of the most famous and storied car brands in history – and an Italian treasure – partnered with Sonus faber, the equally famous and Italian brand of audio equipment.

 I had most of Saturday last week open, the last day of Monterey’s Car Week.  It just so happened that my wife and two daughters were predisposed with other commitments that day, and I had planned to spend the day with my 10-year-old son.  What better way than to go check out some amazing new Maserati cars and high-end car audio from none other than Sonus faber! 

 The invite was to a special VIP demo site dubbed “The House of Maserati.”  I’ve been to car, tech, and audio shows in the past, but they were the kind that takes place in huge urban convention centers like the Los Angeles Auto Show at the LA convention center.  I had not been to Monterey Car Week, so was not sure what to expect, but I knew most of the events for Car Week were outdoors.  Was this “house” of Maserati going to be a special tented area at one of the show venues?  Mapping the location for the invite revealed that no, this was indeed an actual house, in one of the most exclusive residential districts in the world, along the famous 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach, California.

There are two ways to get from the greater SF Bay Area to the Monterey peninsula: over CA-17 through the redwood rainforest hills and down the coast through Santa Cruz and Capitola, or down US 101 through the historic agricultural towns of Gilroy, San Juan Bautista, and Salinas.  Either drive takes one through classic California scenery to the Monterey peninsula which has views second to none.

A pair of Sonus faber Sonetto VIII tower speakers (https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/speaker/floor-standing/sonus-faber-sonetto-viii-speaker-review/) powered by a McIntosh MA352 hybrid stereo amplifier, filled the living room space with the tunes spun by the DJ in the backyard.  The same music filled the entryway, repeated by the wireless, gorgeous, Sonus faber Omnia.

In the backyard were a DJ, an espresso bar, and a pre-production prototype of the new MC20 Cielo sports coupe, which also sported the Sonus faber sound system.

I learned that Klaus Busse, head designer for Maserati (pictured above with the MC20 Cielo prototype) is the same height as I am – 6’7” tall – and ensures that he can comfortably drive all of his designs.  As a tall person, this was really cool to find out.  It’s rare that luxury / high end things are made to fit people on the fringe of the bell curve.  Maserati is my new favorite exotic car brand!

Finally, it was time for the main event – for me anyway – a demo of the new 21-speaker sound system from Sonus faber, inside the Maserati Grecale Trofeo.

I absolutely loved the aesthetic of these chemical machining processed stainless steel speaker grilles.  They looked and felt amazing.

As Josh explains in the video clip, the Sonus faber 21 speaker system in the Maserati Grecale Trofeo comes with 3 spatial surround modes, OFF, 2D, and 3D, and 2 DSP tuning modes, “Ex3ema” and “Reference.”  Check out the video to hear Josh explain the different modes and see the UI/UX of the sound system in use. Josh played a nice mix of music to show off the system, including “Man in the Long Black Coat” by Bob Dylan, “Light Years Away” by Oliver, “Tin Pan Alley” by Stevie Ray Vaughn, and “Take 5” by Dave Brubeck.

This is truly an amazing car audio system.  Simply one of the best I’ve ever heard.  I do not and have not written reviews of car audio components or systems; but I’ve owned and/or experienced my fair share of fine/high-end car audio systems from the likes of Infinity, Bose, and Harman Kardon. 

This experience was above and beyond.  The music was tight and detailed, thoroughly enveloping me in excellent sound.  At louder volumes, it was impactful, visceral, but clear and detailed, and not at all fatiguing; while at lower volumes it was still lively and well balanced, with all the nuance and detail present. The already quiet cabin had the interior feeling like a virtual anechoic chamber.  People were chatting and laughing immediately outside the car, but from the inside, they were completely silent.

It was so quiet I initially thought there may be some sort of active noise canceling system at work, but there isn’t. It’s just a very quiet cabin thanks to the design and acoustics work done by the Maserati team which has been extensive and thorough. Granted, the car was on static display, and the engine was off; so, I can’t truly comment on how this system will perform while driving.  But the initial impressions were very good!  We played around with the various DSP modes, and both Josh and I tended to prefer the 2D mode over “off” or “3D.” 

There was nothing two-dimensional about the “2D” mode; it simply lacked the overhead speakers as Josh explained it; but it was definitely a full, enveloping experience.  I felt like I was on stage with the musicians, not in an audience.  To my ear, and with the limited time we had, the differences between the Ex3ma and “Reference” tuning modes were very subtle, but in this short demo, I think I was leaning toward what I would describe as a more natural sound of the “Reference” tuning mode.

All the tuning modes and surround modes aside though, what sticks with me from this 20-minute demo, was the pure quality of the sound.  Sonus faber has always been known for the natural sound of their speakers, not to mention the exquisite physical design of their products as well.  Each speaker they make is a hand-made masterpiece. 

While the in-car speakers are not as “on display” in the car as say their Sonetto towers are when they grace a room, this system is still 100% Sonus faber.  And you couldn’t ask for a more perfect match for Sonus faber in the automotive world than Maserati. Not unlike Sonus faber speakers, if you’ve ever heard the throaty roar of a Maserati driving past, or better yet from the driver’s seat, you will never forget it. 

A signature sound for a signature sound.  But more than sound and performance, both of these storied Italian brands are modern embodiments of Italian style, design, and art. One is hard-pressed to think of a more perfect match. Che figata!

Thank you to Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity and to my Sonus faber hosts, Julia, Fiore, and Josh, for this amazing opportunity.  We had a great time, and the in-car audio systems for Maserati by Sonus faber set a new bar in car audio.