Avalon Indra vs Sonus Faber Cremona M

Hi Bob,
I was genuinely curious about your TT since I always like to discover things both on the analogue and the digital front. Allow me to make a "vinous" comparison as well: I am not interested in drinking labels or Parker points - the most horrid idiot on that scene - and so I think I can perfectly understand if one just unerringly "feels" one thing is better than another that may be way more expensive. One must just allow the thought to enter one's own mind.
Just a few more things to show you where I'm coming from:
You think vinyl is the inherently better medium; I wholeheartedly agree!
You remark in particular that vinyl is better on low frequencies; I obviously agree!
On top of that there is of course the fact that most - mainly, but sadly not only "popular" music - CDs are disastrously engineered especially in terms of dynamics (in the past we have seen a few decades of crappy vinyl productions as well admittedly)
You wonder how I can listen to CDs; now there my resounding answer is AMR CD-77!
... and productions such as the ones from Fonè (just found out that recording "wizard" Giulio Cesare Ricci has a small vineyard btw), ACT, Stockfisch, Tacet, Chesky etc. So, that's why I also firmly believe CDs don't necessarily kill the music.
Happy listening!
Karel

Karel

This is fun...a kindred spirit. I do pick my wines however, according to Robert Parker...if he likes it, I will not! I do not like molasses and overdone wines...exactly what a lot of CD recordings are like.

I noticed that your speakers have ceramic drivers. The Avalon Indras have them too. What do you think is the difference between ceramic drivers and other materials (like paper, carbon, metal, etc.).

Hi Dbjain,

I have a pair of Avalon Indra and a shindo Giscours preamp.

I first bought a giscours premap (just amazing ;) ) and after I tried to find my speakers.

I listened to : Wilson WP8, Sonus Faber Cremona M, sonu faber stradivari, Verity Audio parsifal, B&w 800d and some others.

(I don't like the sound of sonus faber because it is slow and quite lush.)

For my taste (clarity, speed, tonality, soundstage) the avalon Indra is another league in comparison to the others.

Maybe it can help you in your search ;)

I don't think the Cremona M is slow and lush at all. The old one maybe, but not the M, which to me has much better speed and clarity. I don't know how it compares to the Indra, but seeing the price difference in my country (Indra being more than 3 times as expensive), the Indra better be good! ;-)

I agree that the Cremona M is faster and more transparent than the previous version; ? maybe less euphonic. I kind of liked the old one because of its euphony.

But, I chose the Indras over the Sonus Faber's. In Canada, the price difference is not as high as it is in Europe, and the Indras are in another league over the Sonus'.

I agree with Samuel. I too have listened to about the same speakers and they are not the same.