PSB Synchrony vs. Sonus Faber Cremona M

I omitted the fact that it's the PSB Synchrony One floorstanding speaker to which I'm referring.

Partial ... do you know whether PSB is using beryllium dome tweeters now. If PSB does ... it will be joining the ranks of Magico, Focal and Paradigm.

Sorry I can't respond other than to say that beryllium tweeters are very special. If PSB is using them in the Synchrony Ones, they are worth a serious listen.

No, Bifwynne, I don't know whether the Synchrony One uses a Be tweeter.

I'm surprised no one has offers any comments on this comparison. Both of these speakers have individually received quite a bit of discourse here, but I suppose owing to the fact that the Cremona M lists for over twice that of the Synchrony One the comparison isn't one that would readily be made. But surely, someone must have had firsthand experience with both of these speakers, no?

According to the PSB website specifications the Synchrony One uses a 1” (25mm) Titanium Dome tweeter with a Ferrofluid Neodymium Magnet. I have heard both speakers and while they are both excellent performers they have very different perspectives. The PSBs are probably more neutral and accurate transducers, but the Sonus Fabers have a warmer and richer tonality that many find very enticing. Your Infinities are balanced more similarly to the PSBs, so if you're looking for a warmer perspective the SFs may be the better choice. Hope this helps!

Partialresponse ... as I said, I have not heard either speaker. At the risk of encouraging others to start suggest their pet favorite brand and thereby overwheliming you with TMI, let me put out there the Paradigm Signature line (v3). Specifically the S6 or S8. Preowned may be just a little over your budget but well worth the extra cost. As I said, beryllium tweeters are a very special animal.

One more suggestion is the Paradigm 30th Anniversary Tribute, which also has a slightly scaled down Be tweeter. I saw and heard it. It's GORGEOUS!! The dealer scolded me for touching the finish with bare hands ... he used white gloves. Not because the finish will peel off, but rather because it so beautiful. And the sound ... WOW!! It beat the socks of an A'gon favorite brand that costs a heck of a lot more.

Btw, is your amp a SS state job. Paradigm speakers are voiced to be driven by amps having low output impedances, generally SS.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Bruce

I have not heard the Sonus Faber Cremona M, but have auditioned the Synch One's. I would call it a pleasingly warm speaker, but not like the warmth of a SF.

Yes, they have a Titanium tweeter which can provide an accurate image, but what is really appealing about this spkr is the lush midrange and upper bass. With the right room setup, the bass can get low and tight. It's not a highly detailed spkr, but the soundstage is wide and deep.

There have been discussions here about the amount of power needed to drive the Synch One. The Synch Two is easy to drive, but the "One" has an impedance curve which can drop as low as 2 ohms, so a high current amp is needed to achieve that lush warm timbre and tight bass.

Hope this helps. (I too would like to audition the SF Cremona M).

The amp (Hafler 9500 - 375w/ch into 4 ohms - with MOSFET output devices) is very comfortable driving lower impedances (it happily drove Infinity 8 kappa for years - and those speakers together with their big brothers the 9 kappa have the reputation for being amp killers).

I'm mostly interested in the soundstaging size and layering, as well as imaging capabilities of either the Cremona M or Synchrony One. I suspect (from comments I've read here and in reviews) the Synchrony One might be better at this. Most comments I read about the Cremona M mention its smooth midrange. I want a speaker that does these (imaging and sound stage resolution) better than the Infinity Renaissance 80.

Partialresponse, again I can only speak to the Synch One, but the soundstaging is awesome. 7 feet apart is recommended to start with and then play with toe-in and the spkrs will disappear and there will be a wall of sound. Imaging is excellent when wall treatments are used behind the speakers; they become very focused.

Yeah, if you drove Infinity's, then no prob with these speakers. However, they are not very detailed spkrs, just very musical. If you have good resolution components upstream, then that really helps.

FWIW, there are many good speakers in the $6000 range. One that I know well is the Dynaudio Focus and Contour line. Neutral and detailed with a wide soundstage and excellent imaging. More focused than PSB, but don't have that warmth.