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PSB Synchrony vs. Sonus Faber Cremona M

I haven't heard either of these but both are possibilities for an upgrade (will they be?) from current Infinity Renaissance 80. Assuming either can be had for somewhat over $4k which would be recommended? I'd like better soundstage depth and layering, as well as superior imaging. Low end extension is also important as I listen to a wide variety of music, mostly jazz, classical, choral, but also reggae, R&B, etc.

Amplification is Hafler 9500, Conrad Johnson PF-2. Source is Squeezebox Touch (fed from dedicated NAS) feeding PS Audio DL3 DAC. Wireworld Polaris cabling/interconnect.

Room is 10' W X 25' L X 10' H but I cannot sit more than 8 ft or so from speakers which fire along the long dimension of the room. There's a lot of open space behind the listening chair.

If anyone has firsthand experience with both of these (even better with also the Renaissance 80!) please comment.

Thanks
partialresponse

Showing 2 responses by lowrider57

lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 
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).
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 
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.
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