Sonus faber Amati Supreme Review: Reference Sound For Any Room

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For decades, Sonus faber has been building some of the most beautiful loudspeakers in the world. Handcrafted in Vicenza, Italy, their speakers combine elegant design with exceptional acoustic engineering — and honestly, every time I get a pair in front of me, I'm reminded of just how special these things are. The Sonus faber Amati Supreme continues that tradition while introducing technologies derived directly from the company's flagship Suprema system.

The result is a speaker designed to deliver a true reference listening experience while still fitting comfortably into real-world living spaces. It blends Sonus faber's signature warmth and musicality with new levels of clarity, control, and precision. Let's dig in.

 

 

A Legacy of Craftsmanship

Sonus faber has been designing and building speakers in the hills of Vicenza since the 1980s. They actually started as part of a furniture company — which, when you look at these cabinets, makes complete sense. Every speaker they make is treated like a work of art, built with the same care and attention you'd find in fine Italian furniture. It's not just a speaker. It's a statement piece.

A few years back, Sonus faber unveiled the Suprema — a $750,000 flagship loudspeaker package that was never really about selling a product. It was a research project. Engineers used it to develop new driver technologies and cabinet innovations, with the intention of trickling that knowledge down into future speakers across the lineup.

We've already seen that technology show up in the Sonetto G2 series, and now it plays a central role in the new Amati Supreme. Pretty cool when you think about it — genuine flagship DNA, in a speaker you can actually live with.

 

Design & Build Quality

The first thing you're going to notice about the Amati Supreme is how different it looks from previous Homage speakers. Gone is the traditional stained gloss wood — instead, you get a metallic frosted finish layered over a wooden cabinet. It creates this really unique visual depth that somehow feels both modern and timeless at the same time. I love it.

Two finishes are available: Terra Rossa, a rich reddish-brown with real earthy warmth, and Sabbia d'Oro, a warm sandy gold. Both are stunning. The signature string grille is still here, but the traditional leather wrapping has been replaced by that metallic exterior, which flows seamlessly from the front baffle all the way around the cabinet.

And then there's the detail on top — a Y-shaped glass window that gives you a direct view of the internal crossover network. It's the kind of touch that makes you stop and just appreciate the engineering. You're literally looking inside the speaker. How cool is that?

 

Driver Technology Inspired by Suprema

Here's where things get really interesting. A lot of the technology inside the Amati Supreme comes directly from the Suprema. We're talking a four-and-a-half-way configuration: two 8-inch woofers, the signature Camellia midrange driver, a tweeter, and a super tweeter. Together, they cover a frequency response from 28 Hz all the way up to 40 kHz. That's deep bass and ultra-fine high-frequency detail, all from one speaker.

The Camellia midrange is one of my favorite details on this whole speaker. It's named for its distinctive five-pointed, flower-like cone shape — and yes, it actually looks like a camellia blossom. Beyond the aesthetics, it features reverse surround mounting, a metal phase plug, and a dual voice coil design that improves midrange control while giving the driver more dynamic headroom. Form and function, perfectly combined.

The dual tweeter setup is equally thoughtful. By splitting high-frequency duties between a tweeter and a super tweeter, Sonus faber improves accuracy and detail without sacrificing that smooth, natural tonal balance they're famous for. It's a bit like going from a single chef handling everything to having a dedicated pastry chef — the specialization makes everything better.

Behind the midrange and tweeter assembly, there's a cork acoustic chamber — another innovation that came out of the Suprema project. The cork structure is shaped to reduce backward pressure from the drivers and minimize internal reflections inside the cabinet. Less distortion, more clarity, right in the frequency range where your ears are most sensitive. Smart engineering.

 

Room Adaptation & Tuning

One of the more practical features on the Amati Supreme is what's happening on the rear panel. There are removable tuning elements back there that look like tuning forks, and they let you dial in the speaker's response based on your specific room and placement.

Insert them, remove them, mix and match — the included documentation walks you through which configuration works best for different environments. It's a genuinely useful tool for getting the most out of these speakers in your space, and I appreciate that Sonus faber built that flexibility in rather than making you live with a one-size-fits-all voicing.

 

Listening Impressions

Sonus faber speakers have always had this quality where you can sit down, put on a record, and just... not want to stop listening. The Amati Supreme has that in abundance. The warm, natural tonal character is there — but now there's a level of resolution and control on top of it that really elevates the experience.

The soundstage is something else. It extends way beyond the physical boundaries of the speakers, filling the room with a sense of width, height, and depth that genuinely surprised me. And despite how big the presentation gets, imaging stays focused and stable. Vocals are right where they should be. Instruments are locked in place. It just works.

Compared to the Amati G5, the Supreme is noticeably clearer and more detailed up top. Bass is powerful and controlled, and the midrange — thanks to that Camellia driver — is rich and textured in a way that just pulls you into the music.

What I kept coming back to was how effortless it all felt. Crank the volume up, and the balance holds. Nothing gets harsh, nothing gets strained. The whole system stays composed and in control, and the music just takes over. That's the goal, right? That's what we're all chasing.

 

System Pairing

For our listening sessions, we paired the Amati Supreme with a seriously capable system: a HiFi Rose RS130 music streamer, a McIntosh C2800 preamplifier, and McIntosh MC611 mono amplifiers. At this level of speaker, you want electronics that can keep up — and this system absolutely delivered.

The Amati Supreme can work in a lot of environments, but give it high-quality amplification and a great source, and it will show you everything it's capable of. Don't shortchange it.

 

A Reference Speaker for Real Rooms

At $78,000 per pair, the Amati Supreme isn't just an update to the Amati G5 — it's a fundamentally different speaker. It feels more like a scaled-down interpretation of the Suprema than an incremental step forward. The technology is real, the performance is real, and it's all packaged in a form factor that can actually live in your home.

If you're looking for true reference-level sound without needing to build a dedicated room around a $750,000 speaker system, the Amati Supreme is about as compelling as it gets.

 

Experience the Amati Supreme

If you want to hear these for yourself — and trust me, you do — we'd love to set up a private listening session for you. Come hear what Sonus faber's latest reference loudspeaker can do. Visit our Montgomeryville Showroom where we currently have these on demo—but call ahead.

 

Sonus faber Amati Supreme FAQ

What is the Sonus faber Amati Supreme?

The Sonus faber Amati Supreme is a high-end floorstanding loudspeaker that combines Italian craftsmanship with advanced acoustic technology derived from the flagship Suprema system, delivering reference-level sound in real-world listening spaces.

 

How much does the Sonus faber Amati Supreme cost?

The Amati Supreme is priced at approximately $78,000 per pair, positioning it as a luxury reference speaker within Sonus faber's Homage lineup.

 

What makes the Amati Supreme different from the Amati G5?

Compared to the Amati G5, the Amati Supreme offers improved clarity, enhanced high-frequency detail, and upgraded driver technology inspired by the Suprema system, resulting in greater precision and control.

 

What technology is used in the Amati Supreme speakers?

The Amati Supreme features a four-and-a-half-way design with dual woofers, a Camellia midrange driver, a tweeter, and a super tweeter, along with a cork acoustic chamber and advanced crossover design for reduced distortion and improved clarity.

 

What is the frequency response of the Amati Supreme?

The Sonus faber Amati Supreme has a frequency response of approximately 28 Hz to 40 kHz, allowing it to reproduce deep bass and detailed high frequencies.

 

Are the Amati Supreme speakers good for home listening rooms?

Yes, the Amati Supreme is specifically designed to deliver reference-quality sound while fitting into real-world living spaces, making it ideal for high-end home audio systems.

 

What kind of amplifier is recommended for the Amati Supreme?

High-quality amplification is recommended to fully realize the Amati Supreme's performance. Pairing with premium components like McIntosh amplification or equivalent high-end electronics is ideal.

 

What finishes are available for the Amati Supreme?

The Amati Supreme is available in two finishes: Terra Rossa, a rich reddish-brown tone, and Sabbia d'Oro, a warm sandy gold finish.

 

What does the Amati Supreme sound like?

The Amati Supreme delivers a warm, natural, and highly detailed sound signature with a wide soundstage, precise imaging, controlled bass, and refined high-frequency performance.

 

Can you tune the Amati Supreme for different rooms?

Yes, the speakers include adjustable rear tuning elements that allow users to optimize performance based on room size and speaker placement.

 

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