When it comes to choosing the main music system for your home, it really pays to think long term and consider spending more. As an audiophile with over 20 years of experience in the industry, you might be thinking I’d say this. And you are right.
But even in these tough economic times, there are still some occasions when I firmly believe that it really makes sense to spend on certain purchases over the long term. The way I look at it is this. What might seem like a financial stretch right now, should have you reaping the sonic rewards of a great-sounding music system for years to come. And in my experience, it’s really unlikely that you’ll regret spending more on a music system.
Most of us have one or two (maybe more) Bluetooth speakers scattered around the house. But when it comes to making the best connection with your favorite artists, you deserve a lot more than your home’s main music system.
The Omnia has Wi-Fi intelligence, touch controls, and a level of luxurious finish that the majority of built-in speaker systems can’t match.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not in any way negating any of the best Bluetooth speakers we tested in Tom’s guide. They have all been thoroughly reviewed and rated, and come highly recommended on their strengths. In fact, I’ve been blown away by several entry-level speakers lately, including the JBL Flip 6, and the Sonos soundbar that rivals the Denon Home 150 smart speaker. But being a small built in speaker at a price, it does have some limitations.
High expectations
I know my way around the audio sector from entry-level to audiophile, and I think you’ll be surprised at what can be achieved when you spend a little more on a home music system. And I’m not necessarily talking about the kind of setup that uses traditional stereo speakers and discrete hi-fi components, though it’s still a favorite among many audiophiles when it comes to achieving hi-fi nirvana. I’m talking about all-in-one speaker systems that strike a magical balance between form, function, and performance.
I’ve seen plenty of speakers and music systems come through my door over the years, but without a doubt the most noticeable thing in my house lately is Sonus faber Omnia With its tactile surface and illuminated touch controls. For anyone unfamiliar with the brand, Sonus faber is an Italian audio specialist best known for its range of premium speakers that epitomize style and effortless audio performance with every speaker model released.
Sonus faber Omnia: a music system with elegance and substance
The Omnia all-in-one wireless speaker system first caught my eye when it launched in February 2022. This may be Sonus faber’s first foray into the realm of single-box music systems, but the opulent design follows in the company’s luxury tradition. He really is a total spectator, and will wow anyone who claps on him.
As you might expect, her beauty is more than skin deep. While it looks unlike any traditional music system, it has everything a modern music listener could want in an ultra-sleek Italian-designed walnut cabinet—a version with a graphite top plate is also available. Both options are priced at $1,999 / £1,599 / AU$3,495 and are available through specialty audio retailers such as Crutchfield (Opens in a new tab).
Well, it’s more expensive than many of the best Dolby Atmos soundbar or best TV sound upgrades I’ve tested, but the Omnia offers plenty of Wi-Fi smarts, touch controls, and a level of luxurious finish that the majority of built-in speaker systems I’ve seen just don’t. can match. What’s more, Omnia appears to be built to last forever.
Omnia will work in just about any home setup I can think of. Physical connectivity options run on analog HDMI ARC and RCA, while the wireless extends to Bluetooth with support for aptX HD, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect. It’s Roon-ready if you subscribe to the integration platform that brings all your digital music libraries and playlists together in one place, and you can even connect a hi-fi turntable like any of the recommendations in our Best Record Players Buying Guide. About the only connectivity options missing are optical digital ports and USB ports, but this is unlikely to be a deal breaker for most users.
In terms of Wi-Fi intelligence, Omnia can integrate with other devices across the Apple Home ecosystem via iOS, as well as Google Home.
Sonus faber Omnia: Very good sound
The talented Omnia hides seven speakers under its luxurious exterior; Two tweeters and two midrange tweeters blast sound up front, while two full-range tweeters blast sound to the sides of the cabinet. The 6.5-inch woofer pushes the bass down through the cabinet base.
The multi-drive speaker set is powered by built-in amplification that claims a total power output of 470 watts. An advanced DSP (Digital Signal Processing) named Crescendo ensures that the separation between the left and right channels of traditional stereo sound is heard despite being a one-box enclosure. The border position of the free space or the wall position can be specified in the magnifier’s web-based Settings application.
The Omnia looks more like a TV soundbar than a music system. With it located just below my screen, it did boost the TV’s sound when connected via HDMI ARC—though you’ll need to make sure its 6 inches tall doesn’t clutter the bottom of the TV screen like it did.
Despite the shape of the woofer and side speakers, there’s no Dolby Atmos processing onboard. However, Omnia did a solid job of evoking the sonic space of whatever was on TV, pushing voices to the sides of the stage, while dialogue was kept clear and sat atop the mounted action at the center of the soundstage.
The instruments have their own space within the sound stage, and the bass levels are powerful enough to carry the tracks along with the hi-fi levels for the beat and rhythm.
Omnia’s greatest strength is the music. The Sonus faber hi-fi heritage means this one-box music system has all the audio credentials of its speaker designs. I’m a fan of the company’s small Lumina I speakers, and the Omnia seems to have similar warm home sound and the ability to stream high-resolution music streams from Tidal Connect.
The instruments have their own space within the sound stage, and the bass levels are powerful enough to carry the tracks along with the hi-fi levels for the beat and rhythm. It’s pretty loud too, filling my average-sized living room with enough volume to ensure I could appreciate the full range of my music.
Of course, it looks just as good with Spotify Connect as well, and any other music streaming service you’d care to try. With it currently only breathing my TV screen, though, I haven’t yet been able to hook up a turntable to try it out with vinyl. Its versatility is very attractive to today’s music listeners, and they wouldn’t mind betting that its performance with the old-school analog format is just as strong as it is with digital broadcast.
Sonus faber is known among audiophiles for its classic speaker designs. The Omnia speaker system is a remarkably beautiful, refreshing single square design that breaks with tradition and brings its sonic know-how into a music system designed for today’s generation of audiophiles. It may sound expensive, but I would argue that Omnia has all the right facilities and audio credits to keep you listening for years to come. Go listen.