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Sonus Faber dealer within a 150 miles of the Des Moines/Ames Iowa area?

post #1 of 11
2/17/13 at 12:34pm
Thread Starter 
I am looking to see if anyone knows if there is a Sonus Faber dealer in Iowa or at least within a couple hour drive from the center of the state. I am looking to do a 7.1 setup for my basement and have so far auditioned B&W CM8's with the CMC2 and Paradigm Studio 60's. I really would like to hear the Sonus Faber Venere 2.5 to see how they compare for a home theater. This room will be 17 foot wide by 28 foot long with 9 foot ceilings. Not a perfectly enclosed enclsed room as it is a walkout basement with a hallway on one side going to other rooms and a small open nook/room for a home office to the back and side of it. Hearing nothing but good things about their sound and the speaker itself got wife approval for looks.
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post #2 of 11
2/18/13 at 2:50pm
Hi ya JDgate.

I auditioned the Sonus Faber Venere 2.5 and 3...allot.

Paradigm's = just a nother set of speakers to me. Just didn't do it. The bass was average when poshed muddled the entire sounds of the speaker. The sound stange was not large as life...they just didn't do it for me.

I liked the B&W they were for sure a step up from the Paradigm or PSB for that matter...To ME. Cant stress the "to me" enough.

Venere from the first 30 seconds of notes...was a world better. The sound stage..everything. Now I liked the 2.5 and LOVED the 3.0... However the price got me in the end so I looked elsewhere.

Best buy is a Venere dealer.... I almost positive they will allow refunds even on a custom order. Check it out and see if you can get them and return them if you dont like them...OR some Best buys may have them in the showroom. Do a Best Buy Sonus Faber and they will give you a number to call to find the closest showroom to you.
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post #3 of 11
2/18/13 at 7:03pm
To audition the SF Venere's at a Best Buy you need to find a store with a Magnolia Design Center inside of it. I do not know if there are any in Iowa. Call a Best Buy and ask. Do not confuse the Design Centers with regular Magnolia Home Theaters stores at some select Best Buys. Two different entities in Best Buys organizational structure. The Twin Cities has two Magnolia Design Centers and you may have to go up there to audition. The Twin Cities also has an independent Sonus Faber dealer, Audio Perfection. You can check them out too if you end up making the trip. Hope this helps.
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post #4 of 11
2/18/13 at 7:36pm
One of my friends is the GM at the Jordan Creek Best Buy and was the Home Theater manager at the Magnolia store on University. He said the closest place to demo them is at the Magnolia Design Center in Richfield, MN. He also says they are amazing speakers.
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post #5 of 11
2/19/13 at 6:32am
Yeah, that would be the Best Buy-Magnolia Design Center in Richfield, MN one of the two I was talking about. The other SF dealer, Audio Perfection, is also in Richfield. At least its a suburb in the south Twin Cities metro and closer for the OP if he makes the trip. Don't think he is going to get any closer than this.
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post #6 of 11
2/19/13 at 11:22am
Can you just order them and return them using BB return policy?

Just wanted to warn you though...if you hear the 2.5 and the 3.0 back to back...you probably will not want the 2.5. Sound stage = awesome on both but the Mid range is SO much fuller on the 3.0. Also...something to look out for...to get great sound out of these...you had to play them at a fairly high lvl... They didn't sound good till they were fairly loud.

I really really liked them though. At 3.5k plus center 800..plus tax etc... I just didn't want to go that high. Great speakers though...best I heard from a B&M store.

Take a hard look at the center as well if your doing this for HT. Off Axis response was pretty bad ...it is an MTM design which I don't think was the best laid out. My two cents...take it for what it is worth... It seemed they designed the center more towards the lifestyle market than the speaker market...
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post #7 of 11
3/2/13 at 2:45pm
Thread Starter 
WOW had not even noticed that this thread had got replies. I ended up calling Sumiko to get the information on where to demo some Sonus Faber's and they also pointed me towards going up to Richmond. I would be worried to fall in love with the 3.0's over the 2.5's as it would push me out of my price range. I have budgeted $9000 so far for screen, projector, receiver(maybe low end with amp for LCR), and 7.1 speakers (possibly 5.1 and buy the other 2 later). I have so far been to a couple of dealers and auditioned some Paradigm's (only was able to hear the monitors series and not the Studio 60's yet) and some Bowers & Wilkins CM series stuff. So far I am leaning towards Bowers & Wilkins. The only thing keeping me away from heading up to MN to try out the Faber's is I am worried I will fall in love with them but when all is said and done the whole package will be out of my price range, especially with the local dealers doing package discounts.
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post #8 of 11
3/2/13 at 3:03pm
3.0 vs. 2.5 are day and night... Honestly...well worth the 1k if you go that route.
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post #9 of 11
3/3/13 at 6:07am
Here is a chance to hear some other speakers: Central Iowa Spring Audio GTG.
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post #10 of 11
3/3/13 at 9:41am
Thread Starter 
Newbie01 thanks for all of your assistance and Listening thoughts. A friend with some Thiel and NHT equipment has been coming with me to the demo's and helping me research different ideas. I will have to see when we both can get up there and listen to the Fabers.

Desertdome your event sounds vary appealing. I a, going to have to do some research into the people and speakers attending. Probably all out of my price range but it sounds like it could be a great time to hear what great speakers sound like.
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post #11 of 11
3/3/13 at 10:56am
Although I really really liked the Sonus Faber... I realized the only one I really really wanted was the 3.0 and that was out of my price range too... So I ended up getting a Dennis Murphy Phil 2... I am waiting on pins and needles to get it.

It was about 60% of the cost of the Sonus Faber. Anyway...keep listening. I was in the EXACT same spot as you.
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