Sonus faber Omnia review: An all-in-one speaker designed for luxury lifestyles

In a glance

expert assessment

Positives

• Incredibly beautiful design
• Flawless audio performance
• Analog and digital sources, including MM . turntables
• Dual-band Wi-Fi, with Apple AirPlay and Chromecast
• Compatibility with Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Roon Ready

Negatives

• Quality and craftsmanship come at a high price
• The remote control does not rise to the same level

our judgment

The Sonus faber brand raises very high expectations; The Omnia smart speaker offers the company’s signature sound at an accessible price (compared to the rest of its product line, that is).

Price upon review

1,999.00 USD

Today’s best price: Sonus faber Omnia

The Sonus faber Omnia All-in-One Wireless Music System sounds as good as it sounds. Or maybe I should say it looks as good as it sounds. Whatever your point of view, the Omnia is a beautiful piece of equipment that could perfectly fit into a host of mid-century modern classics, yet deliver sound that early hi-fi aficionados couldn’t imagine.

Founded in 1983 by Italian designer Franco Serpin, Sonus faber has made its reputation by using high-quality wood for the cabinets that house its world-class speakers. The company’s Aida II speakers, aimed at the most demanding customers and those with deep pockets, retail for $130,000. The $2,200 Lumina III speakers are a bit cheaper, but they still need an amp and an input to power.

This review is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best Bluetooth speakers, where you’ll find reviews of competition offerings, as well as a buyer’s guide to features to consider when shopping for this type of product.

Omnia is an all-in-one solution that includes Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth (with AptX HD support), and Wi-Fi (via a built-in dual-band Wi-Fi 5 adapter). The system is compatible with Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon Ready.

James Barber / Foundry

The speaker measures 5.12 x 25.6 x 11 inches (H x W x D) and weighs 16.75 pounds. The upper part of the device is a touch-sensitive interface for controlling the system. Users can see which input is selected, which streaming service is in use, or control the volume by seeing the pattern of lights illuminated on the surface. There is also a traditional remote control with addressable controls.

Once you set up the connection to the Home app for iOS or the Google Home app for Android, Wi-Fi is the perfect choice for operation. Follow the clearly outlined steps in our excellent quick start guide, and Omnia will remember your network and reconnect automatically, even if you disconnect it and move the speaker to another location on the same network. There is also a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port if you prefer a wired connection

Tidal and Spotify users should pay special attention, since Omnia supports direct connections from both apps, and the output sound is better than what you’d get from Bluetooth or AirPlay 2. (Don’t miss our comparison of all the major music streaming services.)

James Barber / Foundry

There is an HDMI ARC port if you want to use the unit as a TV amplifier, and the mini-DIN analog input allows you to connect a turntable via the included mini-DIN-to-RCA adapter cable. A switch on the back of the unit allows you to choose between line-level and phono-level inputs.

The indicator light on top of the unit changes color depending on the input source. The default setting is blue for Bluetooth, orange for HDMI, pink for phono, and white for streaming apps. The indicator will stay white if you’re using AirPlay, but turns green for Spotify, light blue for Tidal, purple for Roon, and yellow for Chromecast. This is useful, because most of these apps will also work via AirPlay, and you will need to use direct connection to improve the sound quality.

There is a small remote control which reflects the Omnia design. It has an on/off button, volume and mute controls, skip forward and back buttons and the ability to switch inputs. The rubber buttons are tactile only and are not backlit, so you’ll need low-level lighting to use them.

James Barber / Foundry

The Omnia features a 490 Watt closed box system rated for a frequency response from 30 Hz to 25 kHz (@-6 dB). The speaker is equipped with seven drivers: two 0.75-inch silk dome tweeters with a magnetic drive system of neodymium alloy housing, 3-inch midrange pulp cones, one 6.5-inch long-drop woofer with aluminum cone, and two 1.75-inch full-range drivers inch with inverted domes of uncompressed cellulose pulp.

Sonus faber promotes Crescendo technology that uses full-range drivers located at each end of the Omnia amplifier to combine a combination of phase and anti-phase bipolar signal processing to create what the company calls a “3D listening experience.”

Sonus faber almost has the high-end streaming speaker market to itself, with its only real competition coming from the similarly priced Naim Mu-so 2. Gorgeous, they each offer a real alternative to the other.

The Mu-so is a hunk of ’80s-style industrial design that gives off a slightly cool sci-fi vibe, while the Omnia radiates Eames-style mid-century curves. My first generation Mu-so offers a bit more body at the low end, but it doesn’t quite match the clarity and detail that the Omnia offers on acoustic guitars or woodwinds.

James Barber / Foundry

Listen to Ethel Kane’s new ethereal album The preacher’s daughter On the Omnia via Tidal Connect it was a particularly illuminating experience. Producer/singer/songwriter Hayden Anhedonia recalls backing vocals for Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, and there is a purposeful, compelling mid-range buzz that permeates the album. It’s a heavy, demanding sound that spoiled my lesser speakers and headphones, but the Omnia kept the instruments separate and opened Cain’s music to something hypnotic.

My test unit came with a nut end. Sonus faber is promising an all-black “graphite” release later this year, but it’s the contrast between the wood grain and black mesh fabric that makes the Omnia design so compelling. Walnut seems like an obvious choice.

The Sonus faber Omnia has got to be one of those audio investments that last a lifetime. Even if streaming technology is somehow replaced by hitherto unimagined protocols, it works well with a turntable, and as we’ve learned over the past few years, vinyl is never going to go away. The bonus is that Omnia seems destined to become part of the permanent collection of design museums around the world, and it’s amazing to see something she owns displayed as a work of art.