Sonus Faber Cremonas or JM lab Diva

thanks for the response Jay, you are the second person to tell me there is not much difference between the Cremonas and Pianos. I want great performance most of all, but it would be a less than honest answer if I said that the way they looked had no bearing on my choice. I do not know if they have $4000 worth of influence though.

Taking what Chris said one step further, the JM Labs are more resolving and transparent than the Grand Pianos - at least in the systems I heard them in - and so will not be tolerant of electronics and recordings that lack quality. This is a double edged sword and I frequently have to be careful what electronics I get for my JM Labs as to not have an overly-detailed sound with so many "hyperhifi" components around. My personal preference is to have transparent speakers and tweak the sound to my liking using the electronics but the other way around may be better for others, like yourself. I think Cary V12s would work great as long as their noisefloor is low enough.

I have listened to the Divas several times and really like them. The Be tweeter is a little more laid back than the tioxid I have and so they are slightly less critical than mine. My dealer says the Divas sound just like the Altos, giving up only a little bass extension - but not weight. Arthur

Arthur I took a look at your system and was impressed. I purchased the Jolida CD player a little while ago. What is your opinion? I really plan on using it for about 6 months then I plan to go with a BAT tube CD. Do you feel yours is a keeper? I spent some time listening to the 926 and 927's and liked the 26's much better. I also like the 946 and 937. Have you heard of anyone using two Utopia Centers or LR's in a two channel? I saw one guy had that set up on e bay and said it worked. He also said he went with 5 of them on a surround set up. I have never heard the Utopia Center. I was just thinking if I am going to spend that much on the Cremonas I might would skip the Divas and find a pair of good used Altos or even Novas, but I think the divas look better. Any thoughts anyone?

Hi again, I have actually sold the Jolida and replaced it with an AA Prima mk2. Disclaimer - All these comments refer to their use in MY system: In a way, I miss the Jolida - the AA is very very detailed almost to the point of being distracting from the music. It makes the noise floor of every CD apparent which I am not too sure I like.

On the other hand, the resolution is off the charts compared to the Jolida which in hindsight kind of glossed over a lot of information. Having said that, I wouldn't say one is really better than the other (when comparing the Jolida with NOS 5751s), just very different styles. The AA is kind of nervous and impatient whereas the Jolida is relaxed and composed. I wasn't expecting such a difference actually.

I am coming around to the AA though and it sounds sublime with my Kora Explorer 90 which can use a little speed and detail. They are a fantastic match - better than the Mc/BAT for the above reasons. Incidentally, BAT doesn't design anything that sounds muddy. I think my preamp contributes a lot to the over-the-top-detail issue which is a problem I never had with the Jolida. It is all about system synergy!

I have not heard of the centers being used for LR. Kind of a novel idea but the centers do look like mini Utopias so don't see why not. But then again, aren't their crossovers biased towards the midrange?

One last note is that some people I know who visit this site prefer the previous Utopias (with Tioxid tweeter) over the new Be Utopias. Since you liked the 926s better than the 927s, you may also be in the boat. In this case, there are fantastic deals available and you may want to choose this route for the highest value.

But then again, are you unhappy with your SFs or do you just want a change? If the latter, in what ways?

Arthur,

Nicely put, I agree 100% with your comments. My time with my JMs was a love & hate relationship. I use a CARY SLI-80 with a NOS tube setup for an amplifier so definately not a slouch. The JMs would absolutely give you goose bumps on about 1/100th of my CD Collection.

However, I mainly listen to Rock & Roll (Social Distortion, Wilco, Radiohead, Paul Westerberg, etc) which is unfortunately never recorded perfectly. The Tioxid tweeter was just not friendly to say the least. I even went as far as to play with the crossover points to lay it back slightly.

This worked but was not enough. A good friend purchased these speakers from me and still has them. They sound great in his room and he is using a Creek 5350SE. They still get schrilly with a bad recording but it is a trade off. However they do deliver the goosebumps on stellar recordings..Such a trade off..

Personally, I am in this hobby for my LOVE of music. The Sonus let me enjoy everything I listen to with no boundries. Are they the ultimate in resolution? NO, but they recreate enjoyable music with reference quality.

Thanks for your input! I enjoyed your perspective..

Nice System BTW..

Chris