CES & THE Show 2013 • Hot Product

Sonus faber’s Venere 2.0 is a two-way front-ported speaker featuring a 1" silk-dome tweeter and 7" Curv midrange/woofer. While the tweeter is sourced from Germany, with final assembly done in China, the Venere 2.0's cabinet is pure Sonus faber, as witnessed by its curved and slightly angular shape that easily hearkens back to the beautiful bodies of the company's higher-end models. The Venere 2.0 comes standard in a black or white lacquer finish, but Sonus faber will be offering a matte-finished walnut veneer for an additional $500. Optional stands go for $300.

The biggest surprise about the Venere 2.0 was the music it made for the low price of $1699 per pair. Powered by a McIntosh MA61 integrated amplifier, this pup was crisp with plenty of dynamic pop, size-belying weight and airy finesse. With eyes closed, it sounded like a floorstander from the high-rent district. Quality entré to the high end continues to get more affordable.