In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Olympica Center is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Olympica III is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Olympica Center and Sonus faber Olympica III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Sonus faber Olympica Center Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 0.75" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer
- 58-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:21.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 8-7/8" x 27-3/4" x 16-9/16" ( 225.0 x 705.0 x 420.0mm )
Sonus faber Olympica III Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 42-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:50-300watts
- Weight:35.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 43-7/16" x 14-13/16" x 18-1/16" ( 1104.0 x 376.0 x 459.0mm )
Olympica Center and Olympica III are members of Sonus faber's Olympica series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Olympica Series
History
What size room are the Sonus faber Olympica Center and Sonus faber Olympica III speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Sonus faber Olympica Center |
Sonus faber Olympica III |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonus faber Olympica Center and Sonus faber Olympica III compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Olympica Center and Olympica III are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Sonus faber Olympica Center |
Sonus faber Olympica III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Olympica Center features a 0.75" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 600 - 2900 Hz. On the other hand, the Olympica III features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 365 - 2460 Hz.
Frequency Response
Olympica Center has a frequency range of 58-40k Hz whereas Olympica III has a frequency range of 42-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Olympica III can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Olympica Center's min frequency of 58Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Sonus faber Olympica Center
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Olympica Center and Olympica III have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Olympica Center and the Olympica Center can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Olympica Center and Olympica III has the same power range of 50-300 watts.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Olympica Center features Binding post type posts and Olympica III has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Sonus faber Olympica Center's and Sonus faber Olympica III's external dimensions. Sonus faber Olympica Center has external dimensions of 225.0 x 705.0 x 420.0mm ( 8-7/8 x 27-3/4 x 16-9/16inch) whereas Sonus faber Olympica III has external dimensions of 1104.0 x 376.0 x 459.0mm ( 43-7/16 x 14-13/16 x 18-1/16inch) .
Sonus faber Olympica Center is 879mm shorter and 39mm less deeper than Sonus faber Olympica III but it is also 329mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Sonus faber Olympica Center is approximately 2961.0cm2 / 459.0inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Olympica III is approximately 1725.8cm2 / 267.5inch2. The Olympica Center requires 72% more surface area than the Olympica III which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.