After moving on from active and semi-active setups like the B&W Formation Duos and DefTech Mythos ST-L, 2026 marked my entry into a dedicated high-end discrete system. My goal was to build a "forever" foundation —prioritizing synergy, build quality, and a natural, fatigue-free sound.
Core Components
Loudspeakers: Sonus faber Amati G5
Amplification: Accuphase Pre/Power Combo
Digital: Volumio RIVO Transport / Denafrips Venus 15th R2R DAC
Analog: Cambridge Audio Alva TT v2 / Accuphase AD-60 Phono Card
Power: Vinshine Taihang Power Conditioner
The system balances the lush, midrange of the Sonus faber "Homage" line with the legendary control and silent noise floor of Accuphase electronics. The recent addition of the Denafrips R2R DAC has brought an organic flow to the digital stream that complements the Amati G5s.
February 2026: The Kickoff
Acquired Sonus faber Amati G5 (the catalyst for the build).
Installed Accuphase Pre/Power combo with DAC-60 and AD-60 internal cards.
Added Volumio RIVO as the primary digital source.
Cleaned the chain with the Vinshine Taihang conditioner.
April 2026: Refinement & Room
Added the Denafrips Venus 15th for a dedicated R2R conversion.
Integrated a REL S/850 to flesh out the bottom octave.
Added 4x ASC Isothermal Tube Traps (13x36) stacked in front corners.
Future Considerations
Continued room treatment (front wall, ceiling, and floor).
Selected upgrades to further eliminate weak links.
Dimensions: 37’ × 14’ Large
Ceiling: 10’
@emergingsoul - Sorry for the delay; I haven’t been as active on the forums lately!
If you’re interested, you can read through my journey of selecting these speakers (with a lot of help from the community) here: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/sonus-faber-amati-tradition-or-serafino-g2
While I’m not a veteran audiophile, I can say I am incredibly happy with the results. Compared to my previous setup, the sound is detailed and dynamic yet completely non-fatiguing. I actually just attended AXPONA and came away feeling even more confident in my choice; there were only a few systems there I would have traded mine for. It truly hits my sonic preferences and, just as importantly, looks beautiful in the room.
I’m still tweaking the setup, though. I recently pulled the speakers 5 feet out into the room, and the soundstage became incredibly holographic and immersive. I highly recommend trying that if you have the space! Next up is room treatment—I’m looking into ways to bring down the RT60 times, specifically targeting the corners, front wall, ceiling, and floor.