90%
Sonus Faber Olympica Nova I
Pure Sound, Compact Design
Crafted with immaculate precision, the Olympica Nova I redefines sound within any home ambiance.
IMPECCABLE ACOUSTICS
Compact yet mighty, the Olympica Nova I reveals the subtlest nuances of every performance. It exudes a pristine clarity that not only showcases individual notes but also preserves the cohesion of the melody.
IMMERSIVE SOUNDSCAPES
Olympica Nova I deliver a captivating listening experience that is larger than life. Placed on a bookshelf or on their stand, the speakers deliver an immersive sound that puts the listener in the front row of a private concert.
SENSORY DELIGHTS
The Olympica Nova I features a 2-way design with optional stand mounts. The front baffle, like the cabinet sides, are crafted from hand-finished wood and set in a solid die-cast aluminum plate. Italian leather encircles the rings around the woofers, applied by hand in our factory in Vicenza, Italy.
PURE SONUS FABER DESIGN
Olympica Nova unites Sonus faber’s iconic design queues in a clean, musical silhouette.
OLYMPICA NOVA BOOKSHELF STAND
The Olympica Nova stand, made from aluminum with stainless steel spikes for optimal stability, is tailored for the Olympica Nova I bookshelf speaker.
WARM AND ENGAGING SOUND
Sonus faber’s core technologies fuse with signature design queues in a clean silhouette to deliver uncompromising Natural Sound.
STRUCTURAL RIGIDITY
Olympica Nova I features eight layers of curved wood in its walls, enhancing cabinet rigidity for reduced interference. Internal structural ribs further reduce vibration and support the transducers' power.
midwoofer
The midwoofer in Olympica Nova I shares its construction with other collection pieces, with two key distinctions. A fabric-coated dust cap ensures an airtight seal, optimizing the moving surface for increased air movement. The moving coil, with enhanced bass performance and extended throw, enhances driver excursion and magnetic field performance.
supports
The bookshelf model has been designed with a custom aluminum extruded stand that features a cable guide to hide the power cable in the column.
Dealers selling Sonus Faber near you
The Olympica Nova I delivers a strikingly lush midrange and weighty, tactile vocals paired with a silky treble and a surprisingly wide, 3‑D soundstage. Reviewers at HomeTheaterHifi and Part Time Audiophile praise its musical immediacy and artisanal fit-and-finish, lifting it beyond ordinary stand‑mount monitors.
Pros
- Rich, alive midrange with weighty, tactile vocals and natural timbre.
- Silky, extended treble from the DAD tweeter — detailed yet non‑fatiguing.
- Generous, three‑dimensional soundstage with precise imaging that belies the speaker size.
- Exceptional build and finish — handcrafted wood layers, die‑cast aluminium details and unique grille design.
&
Cons
- Premium price, and the optional bespoke stands add a substantial extra cost.
- Bass and low‑end can be room‑ and placement‑sensitive; the speakers also benefit from stronger amplification or a sub for maximal extension.
Sound Quality
91/100
Bass
89/100
Multiple reviewers (HomeTheaterHifi, Audiophilepure, Enjoy The Music) remark on surprisingly deep, punchy low end for a stand-mount, with useful response down near 50–55 Hz and no immediate need for a sub in many rooms. Positive Feedback noted a steeper roll-off in one setup, so while extension and control are excellent for the 150 mm/6" driver class, room and placement can reveal limits.
Mid
92/100
Consistently praised vocal presence and timbre: Enjoy The Music called vocals 'humanity...rarely heard', Positive Feedback described 'creamy smooth' voices, and HomeTheaterHifi noted weight and tangibility—clear evidence of exceptional midrange performance.
Treble
91/100
Many reviewers (Positive Feedback, Part Time Audiophile, HomeTheaterHifi) emphasize smooth, liquid, non-fatiguing highs from the DAD tweeter: extended, detailed and silky without grain or harshness, producing airy detail and long, natural decay.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
Repeated reports of a larger-than-expected, 3-D soundstage and tightly focused imaging (Part Time Audiophile: 'huge and particularly well-defined soundstage'; Enjoy The Music: vocals 'magically centered'), indicating top-tier imaging for the form factor.
Dynamics
89/100
Reviewers note strong micro- and macro-dynamics and punch (HomeTheaterHifi: 'tactile depth and power'; Positive Feedback used 200W amps to extract max dynamics). Good headroom for a bookshelf, though benefit seen with higher-power amplification.
Show Less
Build Quality
93/100
Near-reference craftsmanship: eight-layer curved wood, die-cast aluminium top plate, refined binding posts and unique grille construction. Multiple reviewers call out outstanding fit, finish and aesthetic execution.
Features Connectivity
82/100
Passive bookshelf with bi-wire/bi-amp capable binding posts (four-post Hi/Mid-Low) and Sonus Faber Paracross/crossover refinements. Baseline passive score applied (+2 for bi-amp), yielding 82 within allowed bounds.
Value for Money
78/100
Performance and finish are high-end, but at $6,500/pair (plus ~$1,200 stands) several reviewers note the cost is steep; value is strong for buyers prioritizing design and tonal excellence, less so for budget- or feature-driven shoppers.
Reviews
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
FAST, EASY & NEAR
Find Sonus Faber Verified Dealers Near You
Sonus Faber dealers in the map