With Capital Audio Fest behind us, I've had a chance to reflect on a conversation with one of our very own moderators about Rosso Fiorentino as he visited my room. He was familiar with the line prior to my distribution which began in late 2017. Much like Jason Victor Serinus, he had an affinity towards the brand years ago. Also, just like JVS, he was happy to see they had 'returned' to the USA. Notably, we have had slow growth in the US market which has been somewhat by design, but we are beginning our reemergence.
For those unfamiliar with the brand or the man behind it, it could be easy to, on the surface, write the brand off as just another manufacturer. Francesco Rubenni has been developing these models for many years now, but these things are merely a product of his passion for music - most notably, the live performances. Rosso Fiorentino has a castle, La Sala del Rosso, where concerts are commonplace. In addition to that, there is a studio where Rosso Fiorentino records and releases music. This studio utilizes microphones designed by Francesco himself as he wasn't blown away by those he had been using. I believe these two unique elements are what allows Francesco to capture the essence of the performance that are not foreign in the industry, but rare, especially as we talk about the entry to the high end.
Since 2019, Francesco had been updating the lineup to a new 'series 2'. These revisions definitely showcase the maturation of the designs. This process began with the Certaldo, then the Elba, and has now essentially been completed with the most recent revision to the Pienza, our smallest and most affordable product. In the case of the flagship series Siena, there is only a single shared component from series 1 to series 2: the modified Revelator midrange. The overall design is strikingly similar by a visual test, but even the cabinetry itself is built differently and to different dimensions.
With five of the (current) seven models falling under $20,000 USD, Rosso Fiorentino tends to target the audiophile who has limitations but doesn't want to skimp on high end sound. When Robert Harley reviewed the Elba 2 in April of 2021 (awarded 2021 TAS Product of the Year), he spent time talking about the 'low self-noise' of the speaker. It is difficult to make these speakers sound bad and as you surround them with other low noise products, their potential begins to unlock. The voicing is very engaging, but they do not lack texture at any frequency. The greatest aspects they offer all happen within the soundstage. Soundstage width isn't hard to find in their price points, but the depth and 'reach to you' ability they have is. Add in that images themselves feel like they take up space vs. the cardboard cutout effect and you get a believable and tangible soundscape to envelope you. Tying back to RH's review, he mentions how he fell prey to this, bypassing his evaluation music and going right into his personal selections to go on a musical journey. That journey is what captivated me years ago and began my partnership with Rosso Fiorentino.
The brand remains true to what its always been - a hand built, bespoke product. Custom finishes are not just welcome, but absolutely encouraged. Just with my customers alone, we have had red and blue deerskin, brown lizard skin, ostrich skin, a white iridescent alligator skin, and several automotive grade paint finishes, including matching the Porsche silver for one client. There are even options for gold and silver flake.
If you are familiar with the brand but have only heard series 1, I would highly advise finding a way to listen to the series 2. With eight dealers (and growing) spanning the US, there is opportunity for audition. Experiences with series 1 simply fail to set expectations properly for the evolution that has occurred.
For those unfamiliar with the brand or the man behind it, it could be easy to, on the surface, write the brand off as just another manufacturer. Francesco Rubenni has been developing these models for many years now, but these things are merely a product of his passion for music - most notably, the live performances. Rosso Fiorentino has a castle, La Sala del Rosso, where concerts are commonplace. In addition to that, there is a studio where Rosso Fiorentino records and releases music. This studio utilizes microphones designed by Francesco himself as he wasn't blown away by those he had been using. I believe these two unique elements are what allows Francesco to capture the essence of the performance that are not foreign in the industry, but rare, especially as we talk about the entry to the high end.
Since 2019, Francesco had been updating the lineup to a new 'series 2'. These revisions definitely showcase the maturation of the designs. This process began with the Certaldo, then the Elba, and has now essentially been completed with the most recent revision to the Pienza, our smallest and most affordable product. In the case of the flagship series Siena, there is only a single shared component from series 1 to series 2: the modified Revelator midrange. The overall design is strikingly similar by a visual test, but even the cabinetry itself is built differently and to different dimensions.
With five of the (current) seven models falling under $20,000 USD, Rosso Fiorentino tends to target the audiophile who has limitations but doesn't want to skimp on high end sound. When Robert Harley reviewed the Elba 2 in April of 2021 (awarded 2021 TAS Product of the Year), he spent time talking about the 'low self-noise' of the speaker. It is difficult to make these speakers sound bad and as you surround them with other low noise products, their potential begins to unlock. The voicing is very engaging, but they do not lack texture at any frequency. The greatest aspects they offer all happen within the soundstage. Soundstage width isn't hard to find in their price points, but the depth and 'reach to you' ability they have is. Add in that images themselves feel like they take up space vs. the cardboard cutout effect and you get a believable and tangible soundscape to envelope you. Tying back to RH's review, he mentions how he fell prey to this, bypassing his evaluation music and going right into his personal selections to go on a musical journey. That journey is what captivated me years ago and began my partnership with Rosso Fiorentino.
The brand remains true to what its always been - a hand built, bespoke product. Custom finishes are not just welcome, but absolutely encouraged. Just with my customers alone, we have had red and blue deerskin, brown lizard skin, ostrich skin, a white iridescent alligator skin, and several automotive grade paint finishes, including matching the Porsche silver for one client. There are even options for gold and silver flake.
If you are familiar with the brand but have only heard series 1, I would highly advise finding a way to listen to the series 2. With eight dealers (and growing) spanning the US, there is opportunity for audition. Experiences with series 1 simply fail to set expectations properly for the evolution that has occurred.
