Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors or Olympica I


I am looking to buy a pair of Sonus Faber monitors to go in my living room, a less than ideal listening space. On the used market the cost of a pair of newer Olympica I are slightly more than the cost of the older Cremona (or Cremona M) Auditors. Right now I have a pair of full-size Liutos that I really like but I think they’re a little too big for the space. My associated equipment is all PS Audio (Memory Player transport, DSD DAC, BHK Preamp, BHK amp).

I am looking for recommendations/insights into the strengths and weaknesses of one vs the other. My understanding is that the Olympica is a different sound from the Cremonas. Some have said that the Cremonas sound a lot like the Guarneri Mementos at half the price. I listen mostly to jazz and vocalists (Sinatra, Bobby Short, Diana Krall, James Taylor, etc.)

Thanks!
ihmeyers
Just an update. I moved the Cremona M’s further out into the room- they were about 3’ now they are 4’. The room measures only 11’ wide with the speakers 22" to center of tweeter from the side walls. I like it. I’m using 12awg magnet wire for speaker cable and they like it. :) I have floor to ceiling tube traps in the corners of the front wall. At the moment I’m listening to Christopher Parkening through Spotify with a MicroMega myDAC and running Amarra sQ+ flat.

Lovely.

Man, dialing in these new-to-me speakers is an enormous amount of fun.  So easy compared to a lot of other speakers I've owned.

All the responses have been helpful.  My understanding is that the Cremona M Auditors are easier to setup/less finicky about placement than the original Cremona Auditors.

Has anyone heard any of the Lawrence speakers?  You can find good deals on them from time to time.


I heard them at THE show. I can't remember which model but its a two way.
Looks like a cello.
They are one of the speakers I was impressed at the show.
The sound was very cohesive between the electrostatic tweeter and dynamic woofer. 
They were also positioned a few feet from the rear wall, so I don't know if they're as finicky as the auditors.
Compared to the auditor, I like the top end of the Lawrence better, and although the auditor has pretty good upper bass, I think the lawrence is a touch more solid in that bass area. But I believe the model I was listening to had an 8 inch woofer compared to the auditor's 6.
I know this is not much help since I can't remember the Lawrence model.
But I liked the sound.
I actually thought to myself that people should be swarming to listen to the Lawrence. Maybe  lack of brand recognition?

If it was the Cello it's quite a bit more $$$ than the Cremona @ $18k.  The Cello is a floor mount.  Maybe you saw the Violin which is stand-mounted.  That's not cheap either at $8500.

Whether they are value or not is another matter but I've heard they sound great.  I think you also have to factor in that if the company went belly-up the resale value would get crushed especially compared to SF that holds up pretty well in the secondary market.  Since I swap in and out of equipment frequently I think about things like that a lot more than I used to.
For me, having lived and worked in Italy some years ago, Sonus Faber has a certain romantic quality and hence, great appeal. Call me a bit of an Italophile (is that even a word?) but Italians sure know how to design and craft some gorgeous things. A side benefit is that SF speakers have excellent resale value, which is one of your concerns.

I owned a pair of highly-regarded floorstanding speakers for many years, and although they sounded pretty good or better, depending on the room, I could never get over how "homely" they looked. :) I finally sold them for a fraction of what I paid for them, even after I spent a lot to have them upgraded.  My next speakers were Sonus Faber Liutos.  A weight had been lifted.  :)