Sonus faber at Munich High End 2017, tradition and innovation

News and previews of what you will find in the next exhibition in Munich

Sonus faber awaits all the visitors and partners this year at Munich High End 2017 at Hall 3 Booth D111. The Sonus faber exhibition will be hosted inside our German’s distributor’s Area, Audio Reference Gmbh.

We will exhibit Sf16, one of last year’s most interesting and discussed Sonus faber products. In addition, the complete Homage Tradition collection will be displayed, for those people who missed the official European launch or for who would like to learn more about this new series.

Moreover, Sonus faber is approaching Munich High End 2017 other news:

− the new Wenge finish of Olympica collection
− the preview of the new Sonus faber active subwoofers, Gravis U1 and Gravis U2.

Olympica collection in this new Wenge finish will be available on market from July 2017.

Sonus faber presented its Subwoofer M in 2007, which became a popular product for the following years. The launch of a new Subwoofer range 10 years later represents a simple and clear statement: Sonus faber completes its product offerings with Gravis U1 and Gravis U2, the answer for any need of deep bass reproduction to create a true Sonus faber Home Theater system.

The name Gravis recalls the first Sonus faber subwoofer project, Gravis FB100 (1986); once again Sonus faber wants to start from its roots, maintain its identity of sound excellence, great performances and Made in Italy while moving towards a specific, modern and essential spirit. Gravis U1 and Gravis U2 have a clear design; simple lines of the body are enriched by the leather covering. The top is the element that creates the difference and is available in the four unmistakable Sonus faber finishes: the brand new Wengè, the iconic Red, the classic Walnut and the essential Piano Black.

Speaker unit

The Gravis U series subwoofer speaker unit has an extremely powerful and very long 12” stroke design. The core technology is built on an extremely stiff and light weight “Trilaminated sandwich concave ParaNanoCarbon” cone diaphragm which resists bending even with the strongest signal to produce the tightest and most accurate bass reproduction. A dual voice coil winding (each winding presents 4 ohm impedance) is also implemented; it allows the dual amplifier design to perfectly manage the driver’s excursion.

Amplifier

For the Gravis U series subwoofer Sonus faber designed a pair of extremely powerful Class D amplifiers rated 600W into a 4 ohm load for the U1 and 900W into 4 ohm for the U2. The Gravis subwoofer systems are using two of those amplifiers, each of them driving each winding of the speaker coil (U1) or each of them driving one of the winding of each speaker (U2). The benefit of this configuration is the best possible enhancement of the energy available along with optimal management of the speaker excursion.

Preamplifier

A purely analogue balanced preamplifier without digital A/d and D/a conversion is implemented in both speakers of the series. The only digital processes involved are due to the screen and controls management. This preamplifier features completely separated input sections and relative volume controls for the “Master” signal path (Line level and High Level) and “LFE” signal path, allowing to connect the Gravis subwoofer to a Stereo System and to a Home Theatre system simultaneously and properly managing the overall volume for each situation.

The main technology about the Gravis preamplifier is a “Mutational Infrabass Extender” (= Linkwitz-Greiner )for achieving the desired F3 low frequency extension resulting in a well damped acoustical Bessel 4th order roll on in the “flat” configuration.

The preamplifier features one band adjustable parametric equalizer allowing for a fine tuning of Gain, Q and Frequency. The reason for this choice is that Sonus faber R&D team doesn’t totally believe in accuracy of auto calibration devices after having tested several of them. So, for the best room set up, they decided to provide the customer a hi quality imic connectable to any smartphone and a pink noise file. The owner’s manual will drive the customer in downloading a spectrum analyzer app and using those tools in order to properly adjust the Parametric EQ in order to achieve the best possible acoustic behavior in his home listening room.

Gravis U series preamplifier also offer the chance to choose, via the provided remote control, between 4 different preloaded EQs differently managing the lowest frequencies roll on behavior; while EQ1 is the flattest, allowing to reach the claimed F3 (20 Hz for the U1; 18 Hz for the U”) the other EQ are adding further 2 poles to the roll on transfer function reducing the extension for even increased power handling and boosting/raising the F3 at the same time. EQ2 provides a 3dB boost at 18/20 Hz (depending on the model); EQ3 provides a 6dB boost at 24/26 Hz (depending on the model), EQ4 provides a 10dB boost at 30/32 Hz (depending on the model).

Finally, the Gravis U1 and U2 are equipped with a wireless RF signal receiver with a sensitivity of -90 dB and a coverage range of 10m indoor allowing for wireless connectivity, using an incoming wireless transmitter to be connected to the system electronics’ output.

Gravis U2 special feature

Thanks to the fact that the Gravis U2 is equipped with 2 dual voice coil 12” speakers and also thanks to the fact that its 2 amplifiers are driving a single winding of each speaker, it was possible to implement the “Gemini EMF” mirror interactive enhancer technology: connecting together the remaining two winding of each speaker it is possible to allow the customer to invert/switch the phase connection between the speakers. With the in phase connection you will get a full speaker roll on for more aggressive bass response; with the out of phase connection you will have a damped roll on for smoother bass response.

Sonus faber Gravis subwoofer series will be available in fall 2017.

Technical Specifications
Gravis U1

Loudspeaker Type:
Closed box loaded single woofer assembly

Drive unit:
1 x 320mm (12”) double coil 4+4ohm, very long throw, sandwich honeycomb cone, wide rubber surround woofer

Amplifier Type:
High power amplifier (,2 channel balanced mode, one channel per single coil, 2×600 W/4 ohm)

Power amplifier:
1.200 W

Frequency response @ -3dB:
From 20 Hz (- 3dB Linkwitz 4th order Electronic/Bessel 4th order acoustic) to Fc (Fc user adjustable)

Mains input voltage:
Selectable, 120Vac – 60Hz or 230 Vac – 50 Hz

Controls:
– Independent Master and LFE volume controls;
– Continuously adjustable Crossover frequency (30 to 120Hz), filtering slope 24dB/oct .
– Continuously adjustable signal phase (0 to 180°)
– Signal phase polarity inversion (switch)
– Parametric equalizer gain, Q and frequency controls (3 knobs in total) to be adjusted using the supplied iMic

Additional features:
-Wireless connection (receiver included and transmitter unit available separately)
– 4 remote control selectable preEQ:
EQ 1 flat -3dB at 20 Hz
EQ 2 adds additional 2 pole roll off at 20 Hz for 3dB increase in power handling
EQ 3 adds additional 2 pole roll off at 26 Hz for 6dB increase in power handling
EQ 4 adds additional 2 pole roll off at 32 Hz for 10dB increase in power handling
– Auto switch-on/off (de-selectable)

Audio signal inputs:
Inputs controlled by Master independent Volume:
– Line level signals, left/mono and right only phono plugs (unbalanced) – Line Level signals, left/mono and right only XLR plugs (balanced)
– High level signals, Neutrik 4-pole Speakon©

Inputs controlled by LFE independent Volume:
– LFE (Low Frequency Effect) signal, single phono plug (unbalanced)
– LFE (Low Frequency Effect) signal, single XLR plug (balanced)
– RF signal receiver available for both Master signal path and LFE signal path; -90 dB sensitivity;10m indoor range RF link coverage

Input impedance:
66 Kohm (Line level and LFE inputs)
108 Kohm(High level inputs)

Power consumption:
0.5 W (Stand-by)
600W (Peak)

Finish:
Black leather
Top finish: Walnut, Piano Black, Wengè, Red

Dimensions (HxWxD):
442x446x470 mm

Volume (net):
50 liters

Supplied accessories:
– User manual
– Mains lead
– Neutrik Speakon© 10m amplifier to sub interconnection cable – IR Remote control
– iMic

Technical Specifications
Gravis U2

Loudspeaker Type:
Closed box loaded double woofer assembly

Drive unit:
2 x 320mm (12”) double coil 4+4ohm, very long throw, sandwich honeycomb cone, wide rubber surround woofer

Amplifier Type:
High power amplifier (,2 channel balanced mode, one channel per single coil, 2×900 W/4 ohm)

Power amplifier:
1.800 W

Frequency response @-3dB:
From 18 Hz (- 3dB Linkwitz 4th order Electronic/Bessel 4th order acoustic) to Fc (Fc user adjustable)

Mains input voltage:
Selectable, 120Vac – 60Hz or 230 Vac – 50 Hz

Controls:
– Independent Master and LFE volume controls;
– Continuously adjustable Crossover frequency (30 to 120Hz), filtering slope 24dB/oct .
– Continuously adjustable signal phase (0 to 180°)
– Signal phase polarity inversion (switch)
– Parametric equalizer gain, Q and frequency controls (3 knobs in total) to be adjusted using the supplied iMic

Additional features:
-Wireless connection (receiver included and transmitter unit available separately)
– 4 remote control selectable preEQ:
EQ 1 flat -3dB at 18 Hz
EQ 2 adds additional 2 pole roll off at 18 Hz for 3dB increase in power handling
EQ 3 adds additional 2 pole roll off at 24 Hz for 6dB increase in power handling
EQ 4 adds additional 2 pole roll off at 30 Hz for 10dB increase in power handling
-“Gemini EMF” mirror interactive enhancer technology
– Auto switch-on/off (de-selectable)

Audio signal inputs:
Inputs controlled by Master independent Volume:
– Line level signals, left/mono and right only phono plugs (unbalanced) – Line Level signals, left/mono and right only XLR plugs (balanced)
– High level signals, Neutrik 4-pole Speako

Inputs controlled by LFE independent Volume:
– LFE (Low Frequency Effect) signal, single phono plug (unbalanced)
– LFE (Low Frequency Effect) signal, single XLR plug (balanced)
– RF signal receiver available for both Master signal path and LFE signal path; -90 dB sensitivity;10m indoor range RF link coverage

Input impedance:
66 Kohm (Line level and LFE inputs) 108 Kohm(High level inputs)

Power consumption:
0.5 W (Stand-by)
900W (Peak)

Finish:
Black leather
Top finish: Walnut, Piano Black, Wengè, Red

Dimensions (HxWxD):
618x448x595 mm

Volume (net):
75 liter

Supplied accessories:
– User manual
– Mains lead
– Neutrik Speakon© 10m amplifier to sub interconnection cable – IR Remote control
– iMic