The final step of the long design process of Maxima Amator was, as always, the “tuning by ear”. Beside the technique, the R&D team relied on the listening experience and the emotions of Music, because Sonus faber is made of this: passion for knowledge, appreciation of beauty and commitment to Italian tradition and craftsmanship. The solid wood is a living material that continuously changes over time. Due to this, the Maxima Amator’s large cabinet had to be meticulously studied and fine-tuned to avoid the risk of deformation or breakage as the wood ages. Sonus faber was able to overcome this limit thanks to modern wood drying methods, use of internal structural ribs fixed with flexible glues, and new CNC methods that allow us to maintain a tighter tolerance compared to that of the past. After the cabinet’s studies and the drivers’ selection, we focused on defining the perfect tonal balance of the project.