News

—Sardinia, Italy, June 29th: At this week's first ever WOM (World of McIntosh) convention, Sonus Faber introduced an ambitious new "lifestyle" type self-contained audio product that produced near chaos when it was uncovered on stage.

The new sf16 is a limited to two hundred units per year compact, self-contained device that includes a pair of motorized, retractible powered satellites and a subwoofer. The design includes bespoke drivers in "push-push" configuration (satellites and sub) and Class "D" amplification. The satellites are of aluminum. The subwoofer/base is of a unique shaped multi-ply wood around which Sonus Faber wraps genuine wood veneer.

The sf16 incorporates multiple digital inputs and an analog input but it's really meant to be used with DTS's new Play- Fi™ wireless player that can stream up to 192/24 bit into up to eight separate locations within a Wi-Fi network. The DTS app is iOS but not Mac compatible, which means Apple people can stream full resolution audio from their iPhones and iPads but not from their Mac computers.

The design is based upon Sonus Faber founder the late Franco Serblin's original speaker system referred to as "The Snail", though because of the terms of the sale of Sonus Faber, Mr. Serblin's name was not referred to during the launch.

Only two hundred of these units, which will sell for approximately $9000 (when the final price is announced it will be here) will be built annually. All of the first year's production run was immediately snapped up by the distributors and dealers. The sf16 is designed and manufactured in Italy.

The week long event attended by WOM's worldwide network of dealers and distributors as well as executives of McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, Wadia, the Pryma (the new Sonus Faber headphone brand) and journalists is being held at the Forte Village Resort on the Italian island of Sardegna (Sardinia).

Later today attendees will have a chance to listen to the sf16 as well as many other new products including Audio Research's "Foundation" line of tube electronics that includes a $7500 stereo tube amplifier, a DAC and a preamplifier, all of which take their styling cues from the recently launched Reference series.

Taking the stage at the end of the morning's launch was WOM's charismatic CEO Mauro Grange and Charlie Randall WOM's COO and McIntosh President.

At 2014's launch of the limited edition Extrema loudspeaker, the entire production run immediately sold out, probably producing sufficient revenue to cover the event's considerable costs. No doubt the immediate sale of the first two hundred sf16s covered much of the cost of this first WOM worldwide convention. A cynic might be cynical, but I think it's a brilliant way to do business! As for the sexually charged, innuendo-laden video, your call!