Sonus Faber Cremona/JL F112 VS Sonus Faber Elipsa


Do you suppose that the SF Cremona (floor standing model) with the JL audio Fathom F112 sub would sound equal or better to the SF Elipsa without a sub. ?
entdoc
I think the original Cremona without a sub sounds better than the Elipsa. For me, the original Cremona has the traditional full, round SF sound (even though some say it is colored) whereas the Elipsa has the new flatter, more detailed sound. Really depends on what style you like.

I currently have Cremona and love the Strad so was very ready to upgrade to the Elipsa, thinking it was a scaled down Strad. But with the new sound, I just kept my original Cremona.

I cannot compare the Cremona M with a sub and the Elipsa, since I do not like the sound of either. Lots of people like the new sound. Maybe they can comment.
I just added a JL audio Fathum F112 sub. to the Cremona's and they sound great. I have the crossover set for 40 hz so the sub. only adds what the Cremona's are not capable of producing and it is so far the best upgrade to my system. The other components in my stereo are: Mcintosh MC501 x 2 mono amps., Mctinosh C220 pre amp., Mcintosh MCD500 cdp/dac, Sonos music server going into the MCD500 digital input. I was thinking about upgrading to the Elipsa before I added this sub. but now I am not so sure.
I agree with Dtc.
Was disappointed with Elipsa, Cremona M, Guarneri Memento.
If a box speaker than let it have soul.
The original Cremona has beautiful full bodied mid range.
The bass is thunderous, no need for a sub. If anything it needs fine tuning in the room to not dominate the sound and start muffling the mid range.

Just my opinion.
I just ordered a pair of ELipsa's. Should have them next week and will report back
I have had the SF Elipsa's in my home for about 5 days now. My initial impression is that the imaging is better than the SF Cremona's, the sound stage is wider and more 3D. The bass is better at lower volumes. When listening to Drums 1 and 2 from Sheffield labs the illusion of a drumer in the room with you feels so real . The midrange and treble is different, I am not sure I like it more since I am used to the warmth of my Cremona's which I had for 1 1/2 years. Certain vocals such as Joni Mitchel with her alto voice can sound a little bit piercing to the ear however this may just be that she sounds that way in real life as well. From the album Clouds, track- Both sides now you would swear she is in the room with you. Other vocals come across very pleasing. On the other hand these speakers seem to pull more detail out of a recording and have a brighter flavor. The Elipsa's love to play string instruments as the Cremona's did such as guitar, violin and string bass. I find that when listening to jazz I become immersed in what I am hearing. I think for the first time I could see myself buying more classical music as well. These speakers fill the room with symphonic music and really let you feel and appreciate the strong dynamics; in the past I thought of classical music as something to fall asleep to, not anymore. Rock music, my favorite genre is fantastic. From Led Zepplin to the Beatles I am enjoying what I hear. I highly recommend the Beatles remastered music stereo version, it is fun to listen to; on the Elipsa for example the track Michelle sounds fantastic; I never appreciated the bass in this song before. I could go on with other examples of tracks which have impressed me, suffice it to say that I made a good decision.
Congratulations on your new speakers. Sounds like you made the right decision. What electronics are you using?
What are the Elipsas retailing for these days? Trying to get a sense of what to compare them to.
I had the Elipsas for a home demo for a short while last year. At moderate volume, the sound is good but when you try to crank things up, they start to sound congested, shrill and the soundstage collapses. Also, the Elipsas don't go low enough for a full orchestral foundation. In a different league altogether are The Music from Vienna Acoustics. I bought the latter.
My electronics in my 2 channel room are : Mcintosh C220 pre amp., Mcintosh MCD500 CDP/DAC, Sonos ZP90, Mcintosh MC501 x 2 mono amps., JLF112 sub. . I have had no issues brought up in Jon2020 post, maybe in his room it sounded that way. These are terrific speakers. I had a opportunity to get full trade in from my dealer on my 1 1/2 year old Cremona's (he had a buyer) plus 5 grand off of list so I went for it and I am glad I did. While I am sure I will buy new speakers some day these speakers will be in my system for many years.
My electronics in my home theater room are : Mcintosh MX120 pre amp/surround sound, Mcintosh MC207 amp., Magnepan MGIIIa speakers front L/R (I have had them 22 years and they were just completly refurbished), Velodyne sub., center channel, Paradigm dipole surround speakers.
Unfortunately, I did not have Mcintosh amps to mate with the Elipsas. The Brystons did not do it for me. So, I guess we are back to the component synergy issues.