Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors or Olympica I

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.  :)

Almost embarrassed to admit that the look of a speaker is nearly as important as the sound to me, especially in my main set-up in a living room surrounded by art deco furniture.

I have a pair of Liutos in there now,  Very high WAF for floor-standers but she would prefer monitors.  I'm also getting to the age where we'll downsize our residence (we're now empty nesters) and monitors are just easier to find space for.

ihmeyers,
There’s nothing to be "almost embarrassed" about. :) Beautiful design enhances our lives in many ways. That you now own a pair of Liutos clearly indicates that you "get it." :)