Sonus Faber Duetto

For a compact speaker with a 134mm mid/bass driver, the Duetto delivers remarkably deep, weighty bass with the scale of a small floorstander according to Audioholics. hi-fi+ and StereoNET also praise its control, texture, rhythmic momentum and enough extension to make a subwoofer unnecessary in all but very large rooms.

Vocals are a major strength: hi-fi+ heard every detail of tone, emotion and recorded acoustic, while StereoNET found voices highly revealing of technique, expression and microphone placement. Reviews repeatedly describe the midrange as clear, richly informative and smoothly integrated with the rest of the frequency range.

The top end is widely praised for its body, bite, clean attack and carefully controlled decay rather than a thin, purely analytical character. Audioholics did find it occasionally overeager or brighter than preferred on some material, so listeners sensitive to an upfront treble may wish to use the available tonal adjustment.

When correctly positioned, reviewers report a large, deep and precisely organised soundstage that extends beyond the cabinets. Sparse recordings retain dark, quiet space around images, while large orchestral works remain coherent; the main caveat is that depth perspective can diminish at very high volume.

The Duetto tracks both large orchestral swings and fine harmonic or microdynamic changes with impressive attentiveness at sensible levels. However, Audioholics noted compression and hardness when pushed too loud, while The Ear found some classical climaxes constrained, even though rock and pop were notably energetic.

The lute-shaped cabinets, integrated heatsinks and walnut or graphite finishes receive near-universal praise for their elegance and execution. hi-fi+ calls the construction flawless, and Sound Advice describes the standard of finish as impeccable; Audioholics is slightly more restrained, judging it very good rather than truly world-class.

At roughly $3,999 / £3,490 per pair, the Duetto is a substantial investment, and several reviewers note that similarly priced separates can achieve excellent results. Yet reviewers also find its combination of animated sound, refined finish, compact all-in-one convenience and extensive connectivity difficult to match at the same outlay; The Ear goes further, suggesting an equivalent separates system would be hard to assemble for the money.