Avalon Indra vs Sonus Faber Cremona M


I have just begun assembling my audio system. I bought a Shindo Monbrison and Shindo Montrachet preamp/amp combo and am using the new Sonus Faber Cremona M. I have rediscovered analog and prefer it to CD/digital for now. I was looking to upgrade my inexpensive turntable, but my dealer thinks that changing the speakers might be better. He suggests the new Avalon Indras.

Any thoughts

Bobby
dbjain
Further update.

My wife, who over the last year has become annoyed with my researching of equipment, keeps saying "stupid sound system stuff".

Upon listening to the Indras, she said, they sound much better than the Sonus Faber's. Also, she said, "What, the Italians are lyng about audio equipment too?" (She is Italian from the same region as Sonus Fabe, and she was referring to the Brunello di Montalcino controversy).

So there you have it.

Bobby
Congratulations with your sound improvements. Glad to see the Indra performes better, as it should do with that price difference. I guess the Cremona's profit more from a high powered solid state amplifier with their low and whimsical impedance. Your tubegear just might not bring out the best in them.
I totally agree with you. In the product information pamphlet, Sonus recommends a high quality amplifier that does not necessarily mean more power. However, these are not the first Italian speakers I have heard that like power. I had listened to Diapason's Diamante and they too were not nearly as romantic without solid state amplification behind them.

However, given my unexpected penchant for tubes, the Sonus were the wrong match...I had initially demoed them with Ayre electronics, but something about those amplifiers left me a bit "nervous" or jittery after a listening session.

It is all really subjective, but I can only highly recommend an audition with the Indras.

Bob
Hands down, my favorite speaker...
Spent some quality time with them (I actually did a lot of the woodwork on the cherry prototypes in all the marketing shots!) At lunch time, I would sit in front of the Indras in a dark room and just melt. I'm convinced that Neil is on a different level when it comes to cross over design, having seen the guts of the Indra and Isis. I'll say no more, but just hope you enjoy them!
jordanmoretti-

I hope you got a new pair because the finish is spectacular.

I'll second the praise. I heard the Indras and Isis. IMHO Isis is the most spectacular speaker I've ever heard. Of course at $65,000 they'd better be right?

They're both really clean and holographic. Now that I've heard them I think everyone else plays on a 2 dimentional world, and Avalon lives in a 3 dimentional one. I own Aerial 20t's and they're great but not 3 dimentional like the Indras or Isis.