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Help with buying used Sonus Faber Cremona m

What are the risks of buying a very high-end set of Cremona m speakers used from a private party in Poland and shipping them to Texas, US? Maybe for some, this isn't a big risk/investment, but for me, this is huge and I am considering going way over my budget! I was originally looking to buy B&W PM1's (upgrading from my B&W XT2's) but have branched out and am very impressed with the SF Olympica. There's no way for me to budget $6-$10k for a pair of speakers, so I'm looking used for great sounding / looking SF's. If you have any feedback on these, let me know....but also looking for expert guidance on the concerns below.

I have many concerns and looking for some experienced council on how best to proceed.

- how to ensure they are authentic and not black/grey market or copies?
- should I confirm if they were originally purchased at an authorized dealer?
- how do I confirm the production year?
- should I be contacting SF in advance to check serial #?
- should I require a copy of the original receipt?
- how do I know if SF will service them or if there is any warranty and if not, doesn't this drastically reduce their value?
- how do I confirm if they are in perfect condition and perform perfectly?
- how much should it cost to ship from Poland to Texas?
- what is the best way to pay $thousands before I confirm this and before the seller ships (seller won't use PayPal)
- these are the ? I can think of. If you have other insights to share, please do.

Thanks very much for helping with my decision.
caune11
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
Paladin - Last I knew, Sumiko will service speakers as long as you can prove they were purchased from an authorized dealer in the US. To be sure, if buying in the US, find out where they were originally purchased and call Sumiko.

Sumiko established this policy due to grey market speakers including sales from places like Poland. There used to be a guy on here who sold grey market speakers he somehow got from Europe.

Obviously, as everyone else has said, buying from Poland would be very risky.
caune11 OP
5 posts
 
Thanks very much for the consistent feedback. Elizabeth, Hgeifman Ren-audio, and Telescope-trade, this is what I feared. After listening to them today and comparing to 805d and 804d, my heart is set on Cremona m graphite and was not sure if they'd go on sale used anywhere in the US regularly. I see many reviews, but have only seen the one listing and didn't know if it would be the only deal in my lifetime. I am not interested in the maple or other finishes. I only have one local dealer in my area and he quoted me an obscene deal on a brand new pair of demo floor samples for only $1800 more than the used Cremona m graphite currently listed on agon for $4250...but they are maple and won't go with my room. He can order the graphites, but can't discount those so they end up being $5k over my max price.

Is it widely known that SF speakers being resold out of Poland are grey market? What makes them so? Any thoughts on how to proactively find a good deal on a great pair of used Cremona m "graphite" in the next month? Or any other suggestions on fantastic speakers that not only sound amazing but look just as sexy as they sound (in the $3k - $4.5k range new or used)? I really fell in love with the Cremona m sound and sultry form and graphite finish and think it would be a great match for my contemporary house. Thanks.

PS, I don't have audiophile grade equipment to drive them...just Marantz separates (AV7701 and MM7055).
dtc's avatar
dtc
1,047 posts
 
There is widespread believe that the Polish listings are either gray market or outright fraud. The first ones I saw many years ago were for a pair of Strads from a "school" that said that they were given the speakers by Franco Serblin himself and that they were selling them to support the school. As I remember, that story was shown to be completely false and the ad removed. All the Polish ads seem to be for 25% or more below going rate. And most of them stay on sale for 30 days. Nobody is biting on the ads. Maybe some of the ads are real, but nobody in the US wants to take the risk to find out.

Finding any used speakers in graphite is hard. Graphite is a very small portion of the original sales and you rarely see them up for sale. I believe that the Cremona M are being discontinued so you might try other dealers. But, my guess is that few have demo ones in graphite, unfortunately.

SF just introduced the Olympica line, as a replacement for Cremona, I believe. There is a bookshelf in the line that comes in graphite. I think it lists at $6,500, although you probably also want a stand. You might look into that. I have not seen or heard them.

Sonus Faber Olympica

Good luck!
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Pay your cash you may get trash!!
caune11 OP
5 posts
 
Merry Christmas audiogoners! I'm in the market for a nice set of Sonus faber Cremona m's in graphite finish. If you know of any avenues to hunt, let me know.
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