Amp for Sonus Faber Amati Futura

I'v read at shows with Sonus Faber using the Futura's with the Rel gibraltar g1 sub.
From 2013 Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) - Chicago

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue66/axpona132.htm

The equipment in this room included the Sonus Faber Amati Futura Speakers, REL G1 Subwoofers, and a large collection of Audio Research gear: ARC Reference 250 monoblocks, DS 450M monoblocks, Reference CD9 CD player, Reference 5SE preamp and Reference 2SE phono preamp. The turntable was the Clearaudio Innovation Compact fitted with a Benz Micro Zebra cartridge. Wire was all Kubala-Sosna Emotion.

The Medallion Room on the main floor at the Double Tree O'Hare was one of the largest venues at the show. Despite all the odd dimensions and curtains everywhere, the acoustics did not seem to throttle the quality of music.

I must provide full disclosure. I am a huge Sonus Faber fan. I have owned all three iterations of the Amati: the original Homage, the Anniversario and now the Futura. I have also owned the Strativari Homage and the original Guarneri Homage. All have strengths and weaknesses. All are known for a rich detailed midrange. Extraordinary at all frequencies, the Futuras follow in the Sonus Faber tradition of musical performance but they also add a new level of incisive attack and inner density. They did not disappoint at this show.

This was my first listening experience with the REL G1 Subwoofers. They were stacked two per channel and behind and outside the Futuras. Having heard the Futuras with the then state of the art REL Studio III Subwoofer in my own listening room, I was very impressed with the G1. I now understand why the Studio III has been discontinued - gone but not forgotten.

Bass seemed to be tighter with more slam and improved dynamics. I was not able to do a comparison with and without at the show, but my guess is that the G1 was providing the same if not better results as the Studio III when combined with the Futuras. Sound stage and imaging were excellent and well extended. Highs and mids were as good or better than I have ever heard with the Futuras. If integrated properly, subwoofers can make a significant impact on the entire frequency spectrum.

http://www.avguide.com/review/the-rel-gibraltar-g-1-sub-bass-system

January 9th, 2013 -- by Jim Hannon
Source: The Absolute Sound

The Sonus faber Amati Futura loudspeakers were delivered with one REL Gibraltar G1 sub-bass system. While external subwoofers heretofore have not been my cup of tea because they can muddy up the main speaker’s midbass and midrange, the G-1 is different. The REL is designed to mate seamlessly with high-performance main loudspeakers, and does so admirably. However, one must have a light touch with its settings (lower is better) to achieve its beneficial sonic gains.

REL Gibraltar G-1

The G-1 sports a massive 12" long-throw carbon-fiber driver capable of an excursion of 1-3/4" in an attractive, extensively braced, sculpted cabinet, as well as a high-quality internal 600W class A/B MOSFET power amplifier. Its terrific disc-shaped IR remote control lets you adjust volume, crossover frequency, and phase from the listening position. This critical functionality allows one to easily dial the G-1 in (or out).

Although I didn’t use them, it also has features for home-theater applications (HI/LO level, .1/LFE level). For comparison purposes, I easily switched the G1 out of my system by simply disconnecting the G-1’s Neutrik Speakon connector on the back of the REL, thereby breaking the connection between the subwoofer and the speaker terminals of the amplifiers driving the Amati Futuras. (Mute your preamplifier before doing this!) I vastly prefer RELl’s connection approach since the main loudspeakers are essentially untouched by the G-1.

While one would expect the G-1 to add more extension and power to the Amati Futura’s deep bass, and it does, the effect is not as dramatic as you might think because of the Futura’s very fine low-end performance. On the Pierre Verany recording of Bach’s famous “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” the lowest pedal tones of the organ had somewhat more extension and weight, but what was most surprising were the gains in soundstage expansion and hall ambience retrieval, two of the most formidable of the Futura’s strengths. On well-recorded albums, the soundstage expanded to the side walls, more of the hall was evident in front of the speakers, and the sound was more palpable with greater air and presence. On Schubertiade [Harmonia Mundi] neither the marvelous natural timbre of Judith nelson’s voice nor Alfred Prinz’s clarinet was affected by the G-1. That’s a tough test that only the best subwoofers can pass.

For those who want even more air and low-end impact, the G-1 can be daisy-chained with additional G-1 units in stereo pairs or vertically stacked towers. I plan to audition the Amati Futura with multiple G-1s in Sumiko’s listening room. But even a single G-1 yields substantial, albeit subtle, sonic benefits without causing any harm or drawing unwanted attention to itself. That’s the best praise I can give any subwoofer/sub-bass system!

I'v read at shows with Sonus Faber using the Futura's with the Rel gibraltar g1 sub.
From 2013 Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) - Chicago

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue66/axpona132.htm

The equipment in this room included the Sonus Faber Amati Futura Speakers, REL G1 Subwoofers, and a large collection of Audio Research gear: ARC Reference 250 monoblocks, DS 450M monoblocks, Reference CD9 CD player, Reference 5SE preamp and Reference 2SE phono preamp. The turntable was the Clearaudio Innovation Compact fitted with a Benz Micro Zebra cartridge. Wire was all Kubala-Sosna Emotion.

The Medallion Room on the main floor at the Double Tree O'Hare was one of the largest venues at the show. Despite all the odd dimensions and curtains everywhere, the acoustics did not seem to throttle the quality of music.

I must provide full disclosure. I am a huge Sonus Faber fan. I have owned all three iterations of the Amati: the original Homage, the Anniversario and now the Futura. I have also owned the Strativari Homage and the original Guarneri Homage. All have strengths and weaknesses. All are known for a rich detailed midrange. Extraordinary at all frequencies, the Futuras follow in the Sonus Faber tradition of musical performance but they also add a new level of incisive attack and inner density. They did not disappoint at this show.

This was my first listening experience with the REL G1 Subwoofers. They were stacked two per channel and behind and outside the Futuras. Having heard the Futuras with the then state of the art REL Studio III Subwoofer in my own listening room, I was very impressed with the G1. I now understand why the Studio III has been discontinued - gone but not forgotten.

Bass seemed to be tighter with more slam and improved dynamics. I was not able to do a comparison with and without at the show, but my guess is that the G1 was providing the same if not better results as the Studio III when combined with the Futuras. Sound stage and imaging were excellent and well extended. Highs and mids were as good or better than I have ever heard with the Futuras. If integrated properly, subwoofers can make a significant impact on the entire frequency spectrum.