I couldn't wait any longer to hear the Cremona Auditor speakers perform, so I moved a pair of Bello stands into the studio, parked each Auditor on a stand, and wired them to the MC275 with two 10' Kimber 8TC speaker cables. One cable is not long enough to properly reach the speaker and stay on the floor until it reaches the speaker, but that isn't stopping me, and I have a longer pair of Kimber 8TC cables on the way. I set the stands about 2 1/2 feet from the side walls, with 7 feet between them, and 7 1/2 feet in front of my listening position.
OK. Press play on the MCD500, and sit down.
Wow! I was expecting a smaller presentation from the demure speakers. The sound totally belied their physical size. Huge sound presentation, extremely accurate, well defined mid and high frequency range without a hint of nasal quality. The sound is rich, full bodied, and big. It only took a small tweak of the XLS112 sub to dial it into the Cremona Auditors, and it filled the very bottom with the correct weight and authority. I played the Auditors without the sub for a while to listen for the bass response. Surprisingly, the bottom end is impressive and solid, although it rolls off in advance of the frequencies at the lowest range of the audio spectrum. This is where the XLS112 plays its roll, and admirably I might add. It blends perfectly with the Auditors, creating a full range audio experience that exceeds my expectations. Truly amazing.
I can see now why there is so much enthusiasm about the Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors, and all models above it. This is a very musical speaker, very enjoyable to listen to, and quite dynamic. After an hour of listening here in the studio, there isn't a hint of listener fatigue, actually quite the opposite. I want to hear more and more of this amazing speaker. I am certain that once I have them on the Sonus Faber speaker stands, and perfectly positioned, the musical presentation will improve to an even greater degree. For now, I am still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor. The Auditor is a sterling performer in every respect. Only the extreme bottom needs help, and the XLS112 takes care of that perfectly. The speakers are throwing a gorgeaous sound stage, and they are not yet on their own stands or positioned accurately.
If the only system I owned was the C2300, MC275, MCD500, XLS112, and the SF Cremona Auditors, I would be a very happy and joyful individual. My little tube system is sounding spectacular. I can highly recommend this combination of audio components to anyone.
