Verdict
A sumptuosity wireless speaker offering elegant looks and splendid sound , the Sonus Faber Omnia is tailor for the streaming age but can work with turntables and TVs , too . Its expensive , but peachy quality audio often is .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Surprisinglyfor a brand that has lots of inheritance in hi - fi loudspeaker , the Omnia is Sonus Faber ’s first attempt at a wireless speaker .
Where traditional hi - fi can come across as more complex ( who wants to mess around with telegram ? ) , the Omnia has ambitiousness to land more convenience to the process of deliver great sound to people ’s house .
At £ 1499 , this wireless speaker wo n’t be for everyone ; but for those for whom it ’s signify , the Omnia wo n’t disappoint .
Design
The Omnia fare in a large boxwood that initially give me the impression it could be a behemoth . However , while it ’s big for a wireless talker , it ’s the same breadth asBowers & Wilkins ’ Zeppelin .
And like the Zeppelin , it ’s the chassis of the Omnia that will pull admiring glances . Most wireless speakers are , effectively , rectangular box ; the Omnia is n’t . From the wooden top panel to its curvaceous midriff , the Omnia looks like a monochord musical instrument from centuries ago . It ’s an refined - looking speaker , its wood surface giving it a natural aesthetic that both stands out and could dislocate into the room as a piece of music of furniture .
It is n’t precisely hardheaded , though , especially when partnered with a TV . Its size and deepness get problem that could only be work out if the TV was wall hop on . And while it ’s the same width as the Zeppelin , its depth is greater , so space is needed to accommodate the Omnia .
The top expanse , or what Sonus Faber relate to as Senso , is a pinch - sensitive wooden airfoil offering control over big businessman , playback and volume . There are illuminated line ( feedback light-emitting diode banding ) and quite what each one does will be a secret at first . The bottom blood shows the current volume level , but those above require reference with the ( online ) manual to decipher .
The ascendence line between the two volume DoT signals the source to which the verbaliser is connect . Bluetooth equals blue , HDMIis orange , Phono pink and cyclosis is bloodless . Within cyclosis there are even more options that the Omnia treat its drug user with : AirPlayis white , Chromecast sensationalistic , Spotify green and Tidal is light blue . The Senso surface can just about be seen from a seated position , although its clearer to see from a standing position .
connection are obliterate in the speaker ’s integrated stand , and outer space is something of a agiotage in this region ; the Ethernet port , power and HDMI port are tightly packed together , which makes plug in a cable an inelegant process . A phono adapter is supplied to extend it away from the connection country . conclusion come in Walnut and Graphite and bear on to the appearance of the top surface .
Features
The Omnia ’s wireless support is wide - ranging – as you ’d expect for its price . There ’s AirPlay , Chromecast , Bluetooth ( aptX - HD ) , Spotify Connect , Tidal Connect and Roon Ready support . If you support to Tidal , you ’d desire to toy music from the app natively , not via Chromecast , since Google ’s wireless protocol doesn’tsupport MQAfor higher - resolution audio cyclosis .
link up to Bluetooth and Chromecast sources is a doddle with the remote control , which by the way looks like a littler version of the speaker itself . Set - up on a wireless connection is achievable through Google Home , so accept that in judgment if you do n’t have a Google accounting .
Connectivity in world-wide is excellent , award the Omnia plenty of versatility in how it can be apply within the habitation . There ’s the aforesaid phono adapter for connecting to a turntable with a build - in phono point that you could , if need be , bypass all . TheHDMI ARCport is for connecting to a TV ; the audio mount on a TV motivation to be switch to PCM to pass - through audio .
The driver set - up comprises two 19 mm silk dome tweeter , two 76 millimeter paper pulp cone shape driver , two full - image 44.5 mm cellulose flesh tissue layer drivers , and a 165 mm foresightful - throw ( down - firing ) aluminum strobile woofer . They ’re all governed by Sonus Faber ’s Crescendo DSP ( digital signaling processing ) that claims to produce a big speech sound through various processing techniques that I wo n’t comport you with but that does fathom interesting .
Sound Quality
The Omnia postulate a high cost , but it is n’t everyday you ’ll meet wireless speakers of this quality . Used on its own or connect to a idiot box , the Omnia save excellent high - faithfulness sound recording .
This is a loudspeaker system that produces a sound that ’s unerringly clear and articulate , with a bass performance that ’s wide-ranging and textured . Vocal quality is terrific and , for a speaker of its sizing and build , it delivers a strait that ’s bigger than its dimensions . It showcases a surprising amount of depth and a better stereo operation than the ( considerably less expensive ) Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin , for exercise .
With a Hi - Res/96kHz stream of John Williams ’ Rey Theme over Chromecast from Qobuz , the Omnia whips up a high - relative frequency functioning that catch the oboe and bowed stringed instrument of the orchestra in a wonderfully clear and precise manner . The track ’s dynamical shifts are graciously expressed , and its rhythmical power is fluid and engaging , whether dealing with unwavering tracks or music that involve a faster tempo . The level of mastery the Omnia exerts over music is to be admire .
Its dynamic range is good ; highs are crisp and clear , while basso frequencies – such as that in Kingdom ’s Bank Head ( feat . Kelela ) over Tidal – are offered a solid presence and with a fair amount of extension . tonic Libra the Scales feel spot on across the frequency reach , with nothing baffle out ; the Omnia sound full , spacious and clear .
contingent within the mid - kitchen range is uncovered with significant clearness and detail . In Michael Giacchino ’s Ca n’t Fight City Halloween from The Batman soundtrack ( Qobuz ) , instruments within the mid - compass are delineate with precision and tactfulness , bring out the texture and harmonic variations of each one . This etches out the speaker ’s dexterity in its horse sense of dynamism as the caterpillar track builds and progress to its crescendo .
The track also unveil this speaker come packing a ripe lot of world power in its speaker setup , with 490W made uncommitted to give it headway , especially at louder volumes . I doubt you ’d require to turn up the book peculiarly aloud to hear what the Omnia can do , unless you ’re after more onrush and energy – which the Omnia can duly supply .
The soundstage is roomily described , and I ca n’t say I ever felt that instruments or vocalization were ever obscured within a song . The Sonus Faber Omnia treats voice cleanly and clearly . On an older raceway such as California Soul ( Tidal ) , Marlena Shaw ’s vocals are positioned above the respite of the band , so they are n’t suffer in the track ’s more energetic parts , while in Faye Webster ’s Sometimes , it ’s a smoother rendition of her vocalism over the Zeppelin ’s crisper enactment .
The speaker ’s stereo trope and sense of depth are more noticeable when you ’re sit down close to the speaker – from afar the effect melds together , and although the Omnia vocalise freehanded , the breadth of the soundstage does n’t strain beyond its attribute with medicine .
partner with a television set , the Omnia presents a smoother audio than a boob tube . Voices tally their placement on - screen and the Sonus does a upright task of lifting and place effects where they call for to be .
voice come through with pellucidity on an episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier ( Disney+ ) , and the military action scenes that involve the Falcon having to swoop in and salvage the daylight exude mountain of energy , pizzazz and exponent that adds excitement to aspect . The Sonus Faber has a good clutches of detail , too , direct the soundstage well enough without stimulate the impression that something was lost in translation to stereo .
Is it a true soundbar replacement ? It ’s salutary enough to be considered one ; but it would only really work with a video that ’s wall - climb . identify in front of a boob tube , it will block the IR receiver for the remote .
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Should you buy it?
euphony cyclosis , vinyl records and tv set – the Omnia has a vast range of skills to lodge your hearing preferences .
For most , the Omnia will be too expensive ; and compared to its closest competition – such as the Naim Mu - so 2 – it ’s the more expensive choice for a exchangeable science set .
Final Thoughts
There ’s the spectre of terms with premium speakers . Some will look at the Omnia and say , “ not for me ” , and if you are that person then you are not the intended market for this speaker .
This a agiotage , high - quality opulence speaker for those who can afford it , one that makes the experience of listening to audio comparatively simple with its streaming pick . It also helps that it sounds great : spacious , big and detailed with any source . It ’s a more expensive proposal than the likewise specifiedNaim Mu - so 2 , but there ’s no contestation over its quality . In 2022 , there are n’t many better - vocalise wireless speakers than the Sonus Faber Omnia .
Trusted Score
How we test
We examine every wireless speaker we review thoroughly over an extended menstruum of sentence . We practice industry received tests to equate lineament properly . We ’ll always separate you what we discover . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
The Omnia is a stereophonic system speaker system and does n’t support immersive audio data format .
Full Specs
Sustainability
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