Dear Bigpowerballs, bigkidz here,
I have listened to over thirty speakers in the past three months. First of all nothing sounds like the Cremona mid range and I mean nothing. I fell in love with them after the first note, but I also listen rock so I would have to buy two speakers. The Vandy 5s are very nice but not the mids of the SFs. The VR-4s are spot on as Tok20000 says they are, they are not warm but have clarity and are not aggressive or forward so they kinda project a warmish or smooth sound but again not like the SF. The Audio Physics Virgos have a warm sound in between the SF and VR-4s but they don't rock either. Piegas have a smooth sound but not as lively sounding as I want. Avant-garde horn speakers are wonderful to my ears but the Duos are $15K.
Next up the JM Labs, I recently heard the 926s since the 936 & 946 were not available to audition at the time and the Altos. Warmish sounding maybe like the Virgos. I would not spend $15K on the Altos for myself and I thought that the lesser priced models had the same exact sound. Granted that I did not do an extensive side by side, same system comparison but the Altos did not give me the bass of say the Talon Ravens which by the way in my opinion are great speakers for all types of music, except they are not warm sounding. Alon Lotus are kinda a Vandy sound but again will not rock. Avalon Opus very fast and musical, open and airy sweet but not warm sounding but $14K for the top model.
So after all of this my advice is to buy the SF and then get another pair of speakers to blast music when the feeling arises.
Happy Listening.
Email me directly if you want to chat.
I have listened to over thirty speakers in the past three months. First of all nothing sounds like the Cremona mid range and I mean nothing. I fell in love with them after the first note, but I also listen rock so I would have to buy two speakers. The Vandy 5s are very nice but not the mids of the SFs. The VR-4s are spot on as Tok20000 says they are, they are not warm but have clarity and are not aggressive or forward so they kinda project a warmish or smooth sound but again not like the SF. The Audio Physics Virgos have a warm sound in between the SF and VR-4s but they don't rock either. Piegas have a smooth sound but not as lively sounding as I want. Avant-garde horn speakers are wonderful to my ears but the Duos are $15K.
Next up the JM Labs, I recently heard the 926s since the 936 & 946 were not available to audition at the time and the Altos. Warmish sounding maybe like the Virgos. I would not spend $15K on the Altos for myself and I thought that the lesser priced models had the same exact sound. Granted that I did not do an extensive side by side, same system comparison but the Altos did not give me the bass of say the Talon Ravens which by the way in my opinion are great speakers for all types of music, except they are not warm sounding. Alon Lotus are kinda a Vandy sound but again will not rock. Avalon Opus very fast and musical, open and airy sweet but not warm sounding but $14K for the top model.
So after all of this my advice is to buy the SF and then get another pair of speakers to blast music when the feeling arises.
Happy Listening.
Email me directly if you want to chat.