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Sonus faber Cremona M with Prima Luna DiaLogue One

I currently own a Prima Luna DiaLogue One integrated amplifier (around 38 watts in ultra-linear mode with EL-34 tubes) driving a pair of Sonus faber Toy Towers (8 ohms, 89db/2.83v). I ended up replacing the stock EL-34's with Gold Lion KT-88's (Russian re-issue), which added quite a bit of power and control, and I have to say that I love the combination.

Source is an Oppo 95, a Squeezebox Touch, and a Pro-Ject RPM 5.1SE. Cables are mostly Nordost (Brahma and Vishnu power cord, Heimdall and Red Dawn LS interconnects, plus Audioquest speaker cable).

I am contemplating upgrading to the Sonus faber Cremona M floorstander, which I always loved and was never able to afford, until now. These are 4 ohm and 91db/2.83V, and, to my eyes, one of the most beautiful speakers I've seen, regardless of price.

I spoke to Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio, among other people with experience when it comes to both Sonus faber and Prima Luna, and everybody assures me that the combination should not be a problem at all. My room is small (second bedroom in a 1500 sq/feet condo) and my listening preferences include classical/jazz (mostly orchestral, but also love violin/string concertos) and lots of soundtracks (big Ennio Morricone fan), but I also love hard/progressive rock (anything from Deep Purple/Yes to Iron Maiden and contemporary doom metal and things like Mogwai). In other words: eclectic.

Do you think it'd be wise of me to upgrade the speakers? I love the Prima Luna and would not really like to "upgrade" that as well. Not to mention, I do not want to incur in an additional cost if I end up spending thousands for the Cremonas...

Some people even mentioned that the Cremonas should be easier to drive than the Toy Towers, but I do not fully understand the reasoning behind this.

Any users with a similar combination of speaker/amp?Any advice and feedback is appreciated.
beyondarkness

Showing 1 response by rar1

rar1's avatar
rar1
1,747 posts
 
So, I have a Prima Luna PL5 (power amp) with a Musical Fidelity CD PRE 24 preamp/ cd player and Opera 'Platea' speakers. Opera, Vienna Acoustic, and Sonus Faber are similar enough in terms of sound, tone, and efficiency,

You will be totally OK with the move up to the Cremona M. Whether you should do it or not, is another matter. If these are speakers you have always wanted and you can afford them without getting a 2nd mortgage on the condo or eating pb & j for a year, then why not.

That is probably all I would upgrade at this point. See how you like the Cremonas with what you have and if after 6 months you want to do something, then consider it.

Rich
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