Stick to grand piano or upgrade to used Cremona

[sandbites]

I presently have a grand piano home floorstander which I bought new 6 years ago. I have the upgrade bug and I have a chance to get a used Cremona M floorstanders.

Since I am going from a bought new to buying a used Cremona M is this still an upgrade? Or should I stick to my grand pianos.

Is there a big jump in terms of the sound quality between my old grand pianos and a used Cremona M? BTW my pianos are in pristine order while there are small nicks in the cremona M and I have to redo the strings on the cover?

In two years I'll have funds to get Olympica IIs so another option is to wait out the 2 years.

Opinions are most welcome.

[Antonmb]

I owned the Concerto Domus for a couple of years (the 2-way tower in the Domus series, so the next step down from yours) and spent quite a bit of time auditioning the Cremona M before finally ending up with the Cremona Auditor M. The Cremona M was just too big for my space, but if I'd had the room I would have loved to go with them. I would think they would be a good step up from the Domus series in overall tonal balance, clarity and depth of bass. As for used, I guess it depends on the condition, how old they are, whether they've been abused, the source, etc. If it's an AA seller you can be pretty sure of the stated condition. If from a dealer, see if you can audition them at home. If from some other on-line source, caveat emptor. The fact that you have to restring the grilles and they have nicks may already be an indication that they've had a rough life.

If you can wait and swing the Olympica III that would be a good upgrade to your current speakers.

[Mahalo]

Wait for the Olympicas.

[pkelly1504]

I had Cremona M's and really loved them.

When I purchased new speakers I compared and listened to both The Cremona M & The Olympica 3. I was thinking The Olympica 3 would be an upgrade. I Listened through the exact same electronics with the same recordings side by side.

To my surprise my friend and I both preferred the Cremona.

[FastFreddy]

Originally Posted by pkelly1504

I had Cremona M's and really loved them.

When I purchased new speakers I compared and listened to both The Cremona M & The Olympica 3. I was thinking The Olympica 3 would be an upgrade. I Listened through the exact same electronics with the same recordings side by side.

To my surprise my friend and I both preferred the Cremona.

I agree. I also thought that the Olympia 3 would be an upgrade from my Cremona M’s but I was disappointed. They were too forward sounding and a little harsh. They were being demoed using an Audio Research Ref 150 which made me think that if they can’t sound good on the end of a Ref 150 when will they shine? The Cremona M’s successfully tread a fine line between a modern and a musical speaker and I am very happy with mine.

[tompj]

A lot of people like old school Sonus Faber bette than new types..

Cremona M can sound awesome but are harder to place and more sensitive to the electronics driving them than GP's (which are very nice as well). Under the right circumstances I think the Cremona will be a big step up, but try before you buy. The fact that they are second hand doesn't matter as long as they have been treated well.

[John49]

Originally Posted by FastFreddy

I agree. I also thought that the Olympia 3 would be an upgrade from my Cremona M’s but I was disappointed. They were too forward sounding and a little harsh. They were being demoed using an Audio Research Ref 150 which made me think that if they can’t sound good on the end of a Ref 150 when will they shine? The Cremona M’s successfully tread a fine line between a modern and a musical speaker and I am very happy with mine.

The Sf Olympica IIIs I home trialled a while ago had been round the block a bit at various shows and dealer demos, so had been rather well 'broken in' before I got them. Sounded rather good to me, not at all forward sounding and harsh, but I have not heard the Cremona Ms to compare.

[joey_v]

Not heard the Cremona M, but I did hear the Cremona Auditor M. I compared them head to head to Olympica I. For me, I preferred the Auditor M. Perhaps the same for the floorstanders as well. I have good experience with the Grand Piano.... the cremonas are a different beast altogether.

I would suggest the upgrade.

[sandbites]

Thanks guys unfortunately the Cremona was sold so now I'm on the hunt for another