Product Previews

Sonus faber Olympica Nova V Preview

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to review a complete multi-channel speaker system of Sonus faber Olympica speakers.

The Olympica’s combination of fantastic overall sound, heirloom-quality construction, and beautiful looks proved too much for me: I bought a complete set to serve as my reference system. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that system for the past four years and have never regretted my decision. Never ones to rest on their laurels, the team at Sonus faber thought it was time to update the Olympica line. The result of their efforts is the new Olympica Nova collection. Consisting of three tower models, two different center channel options, one bookshelf model, and one wall-mount speaker, the Olympica Nova collection offers tons of options for either a traditional two-channel or multi-channel setup. Changes to the new line consist of cabinet improvements, a new rear port design, driver changes, crossover updates, and some aesthetic modifications as well. Ahead of the world-wide launch, Sonus faber sent me one of the first pairs of the new flagship tower model – the Olympica Nova V. Bigger than the Olympica IIIs that anchor my multi-channel system, the Nova Vs sport three 180mm woofers along with a 150mm midrange and Sonus faber’s updated 28mm XTR3 soft-dome tweeter.

Initial Impressions

While I needed help lugging the Olympica Nova Vs up the 17 steps to my media room, the effort was well worth it. Unboxing was surprisingly easy and pulling the custom-fit black cloth covers from the Nova Vs was followed by a real “wow” moment. First impressions can say a lot about something (or someone) and the Olympica Nova Vs delivered. These aren’t just speakers, they are true pieces of industrial art. Everything just screams quality and attention to detail; from the stunning walnut finish on my review samples to the massive slab of CNC-machined aluminum that serves as the base of the speaker. While I’ve only had the Olympica Nova Vs for a short period of time (they aren’t even fully broken-in yet), I can already say that Sonus faber seems to have found a way to improve on pretty much every aspect of the original Olympica’s performance. The Olympica Nova Vs retain the rich, musical sound that is a trademark of Sonus faber designs but have made further strides in areas such as transparency, detail, and imaging. With the larger cabinet volume and additional woofers, the bass performance is noticeably improved as well. I’ll be spending a lot more time with these speakers, so check back in a few weeks for my full review on the Sonus faber Olympica Nova V.

Tyler Stripko

Tyler’s interest in music started at a young age. He began instruction in classical guitar at the age of 7 and gradually progressed towards rock in his early teens. He expanded his musical horizons in college, earning extra cash as a DJ spinning house and trance music and learning the basics of sound reinforcement. Starting with a humble 27” Sony Trinitron CRT television, a Pioneer DVD player, and just two channels of sound, his home theater system has continued to evolve over the years in an effort to recreate the sense of energy and emotional excitement that comes from attending a live performance. Tyler holds a B.S. in Business Information Systems from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts. After spending almost 20 years working in healthcare IT, he made the switch to the “for profit” world and now delivers IT business solutions in the pharmaceutical sector.