Had Cremona for a while and upgraded to Amati. Amati has better everything and it should be at its asking. Top end is more extended and much more liquid; that's one area Cremona really falls short - top end can be edgy and bright. When listening to violin, you immediately notice how dry and bright Cremona sounds. Amati does not have as much midrange body as Cremona, but Amati presents lightening quick midrange and resolves more details (rival my previous reference speakers Dynaudio Confidence 5 which has 2" Esotar midrange dome). Bass is another area Amati does better. Amati has better definition and speed, Cremona seems to be boomy and very sensitive to room placement.
My observation was confirmed by my local SF dealer where they found Cremona to be very sensitive to room placement and can be bright and boomy if not setup very very carefully. The only other speaker I had that problem in my room was Wilson Watt/Puppy 5.1, but problem was easily solved once I put them on their dedicated spikes.
So for what they are worth, Cremona seems to be a bargain. But if look is not critical to you, you PROBABLY can get equal or better sound from Dynaudio Contour 3.3 or SF Extrema which I used to own as well.
Diminishing return certainly applies here, but I will recommend Amati over Cremona any day.
My observation was confirmed by my local SF dealer where they found Cremona to be very sensitive to room placement and can be bright and boomy if not setup very very carefully. The only other speaker I had that problem in my room was Wilson Watt/Puppy 5.1, but problem was easily solved once I put them on their dedicated spikes.
So for what they are worth, Cremona seems to be a bargain. But if look is not critical to you, you PROBABLY can get equal or better sound from Dynaudio Contour 3.3 or SF Extrema which I used to own as well.
Diminishing return certainly applies here, but I will recommend Amati over Cremona any day.