Sonus faber ⚠️ With reservations

Sonus faber is directly inspired by Italian luthiery from Cremona (Stradivarius). Founder Franco Serblin was obsessed with wood as an acoustic material. The marriage of noble wood, leather and acoustics defines the brand's identity. Beauty serves the sound. Model names (Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati) pay homage to the great luthiers.

Franco Serblin was born in 1939 in Vicenza, son of Ivan Srblin, a Croatian sailor from Istria who emigrated to Trieste and Italianized his name. Cabinetmaker, artist, designer, obsessive music lover, Serblin combined talents no one else brings together. In 1983, he founded Sonus Faber in Monteviale, in the Vicenza hills. The name is Latin: "sound craftsman."

The founding idea was to treat a speaker like a musical instrument. Serblin studied the luthiers of Cremona, Stradivarius's craft. Woods are selected as for a violin, forms sculpted by hand. The Electa Amator (1987) was the first major success. Then the Guarneri Homage (1993), a direct tribute to the Cremonese luthier, established Sonus Faber as the world reference for Italian high-fidelity speakers. The Extrema pushed the exercise to its limits.

In 2007, Fine Sounds acquired Sonus Faber. Serblin refused to stay under new management, left the brand he created, founded Franco Serblin as an independent brand. He died in 2013 at 74. His son Fabio continues the legacy with Serblin & Son.

Sonus Faber then passed to McIntosh Group (2014), Highlander Partners PE (2017). In November 2024, Bose Corporation acquired the group. Manufacturing remains in Vicenza. Among enthusiasts, Sonus Faber is cited as the audio equivalent of Italian haute couture. Guarneri Tradition and Stradivari remain the ultra-high-end references.