When it comes to choosing the main music system for your home, it really pays to think long term and consider spending a little more. As an audio expert with over 20 years of experience in the industry, you might be thinking that I would say that. And you would be right.
But even in these tough economic times, there are still some times when I strongly believe that it actually makes financial sense in the long run to splurge on certain purchases. The way I see it is this. What may seem like a financial endeavor right now, should see you reap the sonic rewards of a great-sounding music system for years to come. And in my experience, it’s highly unlikely you’ll regret spending more on a music system.
Most of us have one or two (possibly more) Bluetooth speakers scattered around the house. But when it comes to making the best connection to your favorite artists, you deserve so much more from your home’s main music system.
The Omnia has Wi-Fi intelligence, touch controls, and a luxurious level of finish that most integrated speaker systems simply can’t match.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not dismissing any of the best Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested in Tom’s Guide by any means. They have all been thoroughly reviewed and tested, and come highly recommended for their strengths. In fact, I’ve been surprised by several entry-level speakers recently, including the JBL Flip 6 and the Sonos smart speaker that rivals the Denon Home 150. But as small speakers built at a price, they have some limitations.
high expectations
I know my way around the audio industry from entry level to audiophile, and I think you’d be surprised what can be achieved when you spend a little more for a home music system. And I’m not necessarily referring to the kind of setups that use traditional stereo speakers and separate hi-fi components, though they’re still a favorite of many audiophiles when it comes to achieving hi-fi nirvana. I’m talking about integrated speaker systems that strike a magical balance between form, functionality, and performance.
I’ve seen plenty of speakers and music systems walk through my front door over the years, but without a doubt the most amazing thing to grace my home of late is the sound engineer all with its touch surface and illuminated touch controls. For anyone unfamiliar with the brand, Sonus Faber is an Italian audio specialist best known for their range of premium speakers that effortlessly encapsulate audiophile style and performance with every speaker model they offer.
Sonus faber Omnia: a music system with style and substance
The Omnia all-in-one wireless speaker system first caught my eye when it launched in February 2022. It may be Sonus Faber’s first foray into the world of one-box music systems, but the sumptuous style remains. the company’s tradition of luxury. It really is quite attractive, and will wow anyone who sees it.
As expected, her beauty is more than skin deep. Although it looks nothing like a conventional music system, it has everything the modern music listener could want built into its elegant Italian-designed walnut cabinet; a version with a graphite top plate is also available. Both options are priced at $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$3,495 and are available through specialist audio retailers like Crutchfield (opens in a new tab).
Granted, this is more expensive than many of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars or best TV sound upgrades I’ve tried, but the Omnia offers considerable Wi-Fi smarts, touch controls, and a luxurious level of trim than most. the integrated speaker systems I’ve seen just can’t match it. Also, Omnia seems to have been built to last forever.
The Omnia will work in just about any home setup I can think of. Physical connectivity options run to HDMI ARC, analog RCA, while wireless extends to Bluetooth with aptX HD support, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect. You’re ready for Roon if you subscribe to the integration platform that brings all your digital music libraries and playlists together in one place, and you can even hook up a hi-fi turntable like any of the recommendations in our best buying guide for Roon. turntable. The only missing connection options are USB and digital optical ports, but this is highly unlikely to be a deal breaker for most users.
In terms of Wi-Fi intelligence, Omnia can integrate with other devices through the Apple Home ecosystem via iOS, as well as Google Home.
Sonus Faber Omnia: Very good sound
The talented Omnia hides seven speakers beneath its luxurious exterior; two tweeters and two midrange speakers drive sound to the front, while two full-range speakers drive sound to the sides of the cabinet. A 6.5-inch woofer pushes the bass down through the base of the cabinet.
The multi-driver speaker array is driven by a built-in amplification that claims a total power output of 470W. Advanced DSP (digital signal processing) called Crescendo ensures you hear left and right channel separation for traditional stereo sound, even from a single-box cabinet. The location of the boundaries can be specified for free space or wall location in the speaker’s web-based setup application.
The Omnia is more like a TV soundbar than a music system. With it in place under my screen, it did improve my TV sound when connected via HDMI ARC, though you’ll need to make sure its 6-inch height doesn’t litter the bottom of your TV screen like it did with the mine.
Despite the soundbar shape and side speakers, there’s no Dolby Atmos processing on board. However, the Omnia did a solid job of conjuring up the acoustic space of whatever was on the TV screen, ejecting sounds to the sides of the soundstage, while dialog remained clear and sat above the action set. in the center of the soundstage.
Instruments have their own space within the soundstage, and bass levels are strong enough to carry tracks along with hi-fi levels of rhythm and rhythm.
Omnia’s greatest strength is the music. Sonus faber’s hi-fi heritage means this single box music system has all the audio credentials of their speaker designs. I’m a fan of the company’s small Lumina I bookshelf speakers, and the Omnia sounds like it has a similarly warm sound and the ability to display high-resolution music streams from Tidal Connect.
Instruments have their own space within the soundstage, and bass levels are strong enough to carry tracks along with hi-fi levels of rhythm and rhythm. It also gets pretty loud, filling my medium-sized living room with enough sound level to ensure I can appreciate the full scale of my music.
Of course, it also sounds pretty good with Spotify Connect and any other music streaming service you want to try. However, now that it’s in place, just breathing on my TV screen, I’ve yet to hook up a turntable to test it on vinyl. The versatility is very appealing to today’s music listeners, and they wouldn’t mind betting that its performance with the old-school analog format is just as strong as it is with digital broadcast.
Sonus Faber is known among audiophiles for its classic speaker designs. The Omnia speaker system is a remarkably refreshing and beautiful single box design that breaks with tradition and brings your audio knowledge to a music system built for today’s generation of audio fanatics. It may sound expensive, but I’d say the Omnia has all the right facilities and audio credibility to keep you listening for years to come. Go listen to it.