That is why I said it is nothing more than a PR stunt.
Franco Serblin would never create a product just for the sake company image.
Sonus is now a completely different company, with very aggressive sales targets for the distributors and loads of money spent on marketing. They are like other corporations now, where Excel rules and the vision of the original creator, the soul of music - is lost. And that is unfortunate.
I think you have a point here, Adam. Franco was all about reproducing the music and at the same time trying to build a speaker that was an artistic success as well. I doubt that marketing was primary in his thought process. When the SF Memento's were released, to me it was obvious that the "big corp" mentality had won out and the cost cutting had begun. Today, I'm not so sure IF that is continuing with SF, although their foray into off-shore cabinet building would suggest it; PLUS their stunt with the EX3ma reeks of a marketing ploy, IMO.
Please note, that I'm not talking about Sonus faber products, how good thay look or sound (sth you seem to be addressing), but the company and its current policy. Two different things.
No I didn't. A friend of mine went to the party and did. But that is irrelevent as I'm not questioning its build (it is very inpressive) or sound quality.
What pupose does such a 'demonstration of R&D strength' serve other than PR ? If it was created to serve music lovers, the speaker wouldn't be a limited production item, available to the lucky few, but a regular product. But then, certain exclusivity ingredient would be lost, which in turn would weaken its PR / marketing effect.
Please note, that I'm not talking about Sonus faber products, how good thay look or sound (sth you seem to be addressing), but the company and its current policy. Two different things.
Due to my interest in the Aida's I had been following the participation of Livio Cucuzza and Paolo Tezzon in italian audio forums, in the press and the internet and got a different idea from yours about the company policy. Surely they are now a multimillion company, and must delegate a lot on their distributors. It is not a family owned small business anymore.
It takes a lot more than a few coincidences on materials to create a similarity between speakers, and the use of massive wood is a key aspect in Sonus Faber, not anymore in Magico. In spite of Magico having several types of speakers with very different sound signatures - I really appreciated the M5 and the Mini II - IMHO no Magico has a sound signature similar to those of the Aida or the TheSonusfaber.