S.F. Cremona vs Wilson Benesch Curves

you;ve got great taste in speakers either way you go. sf's are a bit warmer than the wb's. now thw part no onw likes to hear.....both will only perform to their best(from top to bottom) with a very powerful push/pull tube or a very powerful ss amp. anything to the contrary is like putting regular gas in a turbo auto. the cremonias are a more practical investment from a resale standpoint(they are always in demand), but if this is your final destination on the hi end trail, the wilson is the living end.

I have heard both the SF and the WB speakers, but in different settings. Both are involving and satisfying. The Cremona is definitely a "voiced" speaker, whereas the WB is more objective. The Cremona sounds more like music to me.

However, an 845 amp isn't enough for the Cremona. You'll get sound, but the speaker just won't get out of "hifi-ness" realm. I was lukewarm on the Cremonas until I heard them on McIntosh MC501s and then again driven by McIntosh MC1201s. Yeah, $16,000 of amplification on $8,000/pr. speakers. The 501s were the tipping point for exceptionalism from the Cremona. The MC1201s made the Cremonas disappear. You can't really get the potential of the Cremona using modest power and less than blockbuster (in quality) amps.

Phil

I heard them both recently. I like the Cremonas built (wood finish) and size (Curves is shorter). The Curves is very nicely built as well. It maybe small for floorstander but it did not lack in sound stage. I was amazed by the amount of music coming out of this short little speaker when I first heard it. I believe that the clarity and soundstage and overall perfomance is better with the Curves. Wilson Benesch is not as well known but they make awesome sounding speakers. Good luck and have fun.

I was considering both of these speakers but after hearing the Cremona's with a McIntosh tube amp the search was over.
I'm sure the Curves are great speakers, I have the WB Circle turntable (you guested it-Circleman) and am very happy with it. This was my first exposure to Sonus Faber and the music just sounded effortless, flowing and very seductive. What I notice first was how much I was enjoying the music instead of going into the audiophile checklist. I think they will appeal to a person who is more of a music lover than the audiophile. I know my comments are not as objective as you may have wanted but when a speaker/system
gets you excited about your music that's what it's all about and what brought us to this hobby in the first place. I think the Cremona's are pretty easy to drive but quality is more important. I have them in the graphite
finish and they are beautiful. These are fun speakers, they are worth taking a long drive to hear.

I think Cremona is a speaker which will leave an era in this hobby as years goes by. If you like music you'll like Cremona and Cremona is a steady value. WB also good speakers it depends your music flavor I picked SF flavor.

I have not heard the Cremona's but can attest to the high build quality and sound quality of the WB line of speakers (from the ARC's to the Chimera's). I actually just bought a brand new pair of ACT's myself.

The Curve's are fantastic. The only negative is their lack of lower octave. If you don't require bass below 45Hz, then I can highly recommend the Curve's.

OR...

There are a pair of curren model ACT's available on 'Gon right now that you can probably get for under the $9K asking price.

No brainer in my opinion.

Best of luck.

The curve is a smaller, less musical sounding speaker. It is rather on the lean and cool side of the neutral, but very fast and transparent. But if you use it with an electronics on the warm side (gryphon, mac or tube) you get very nice, transparent and qucik soundprint. The Cremona is a very musical, warmly coloured and somewhat slow speaker. You really need to pair it with a powerful amplifier which could grip it.

Well boys, I went on my speaker evaluation trip, a smooth 1200 miles of deliteful winter driving. MY impressions, the Wilson Benesch are the ones to own. The S.F. Cremona are a nice speaker. Absolutely beautiful built quality, muscial and very authoritative almost demanding one's attention. Alas they are too forward for me, I heard them on good Macintosh gear. Do not 'read' bright, just forward. The highs were totally grain free and very extended, but just too much for me. The WB's where the most musical, smooth, listenable, just totally involving speakers I heard on my trip. I would have to say they are one of the most under publized speakers out there and they deserve more attention. It's hard to attach "value" on high priced speakers, but the technolgy in the WB is first class and they have the sound to go with it.
Thanks for all the help, I glad I went on my trip...I will be a WB owner soon.
Thanks
Mike

Good news, Mike...

Yes, Wilson Benesch does not get enough press here in the states, but their equipment is absolutely amazing. I'm so happy with my new ACT purchase.

Good luck.

-George

yes go with the wb sf is nicely built but think the wb is much better

8+ years later????

These decision take time. I'm still trying to make up my mind between the Packard and the DeSoto. But I'm definitely not buying a color tv until it's perfected.

At least we know he doesn't suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder.