SF vs B&W

[Glisse]

M'Lord, are you listening to these with your amps?

Regardless, it might be safer to take the money and run: meaning stay with what you have and like. Not always easy to do for us audiophiles

I would not change speakers unless I heard a fundamental improvement at every level.

To distract you, start looking at sources instead. Always works for me...

[EfeTe]

My experience is, I had the chance to audition both the Olymp I's and the 805 D's in the same premises, with the same electronics etc.

Quite different and both decent but I thought the B&W's had the edge in terms of the sound I like. Precision and voice (both female and male, but especially the former) just sensational. Not entirely smitten when listening to rock music, power chords you know, it looks as though the 805's are not really "made" for that genre but mine are still breaking in plus placement and a bit of wall absorption seem to be minimising that in my system.

805's sound fantastic to my ears but the SF's were no pushovers either!

[lordemsworth]

EfeTe - that was part of the reason I listened to these two speakers: they were available on the same premises with the same amplifiers.

I was actually looking to see if the new Olympicas were better than their predecessors.

The store I had been to had just sold their last Cremona Auditor Ms - and it is difficult for me to transport mine - which is maybe something I should be looking at doing if I continue down this path.

The biggest difference I have found is the seeming lack of emotion. I've heard the Tebaldi sing Vissi d'arte many times and on many systems. Yesterday was the first time that I had heard a pair of Sonus Faber not convey the emotion in the aria.

Now, I'm not saying the Olympica are bad, or no good, but they are definitely different than their predecessors.

[antipop]

Originally Posted by lordemsworth

Now, I'm not saying the Olympica are bad, or no good, but they are definitely different than their predecessors.

It's the new SF sound, a departure from the old one. Many preferred the old one some like the new one.

[lordemsworth]

Originally Posted by Glisse

M'Lord, are you listening to these with your amps?

Regardless, it might be safer to take the money and run: meaning stay with what you have and like. Not always easy to do for us audiophiles

I would not change speakers unless I heard a fundamental improvement at every level.

To distract you, start looking at sources instead. Always works for me...

I'm really starting to come around to that. The only reason I thought i would survey speakers is that I find that they will have the biggest impact on the sound.

I use a Squeezebox Touch and a Meridian DAC as a front-end. I've tested other stuff, but nothing is so much better that I feel I need to replace what I have as of today.

Who knows? That may change.

[miner]

Lordemsworth,
You next upgrade may be a used G. Memento or new G. Evolution or Olympica III. The Cremona Auditor Ms are a very good stand mount speaker (I prefer stand mounts for soundstaging). My next upgrade will be to the G. Mem or G. Evo.

[lordemsworth]

Originally Posted by miner

Lordemsworth,
You next upgrade may be a used G. Memento or new G. Evolution or Olympica III. The Cremona Auditor Ms are a very good stand mount speaker (I prefer stand mounts for soundstaging). My next upgrade will be to the G. Mem or G. Evo.

Miner - yeah. If I ever fall out of love with the Cremona Auditor Ms, I will go dig up a pair of Mementos.

[joey_v]

Directly compared M and O1. I like M better.

[lordemsworth]

That makes two of us.

[miner]

Originally Posted by lordemsworth

That makes two of us.

Excuse me; that makes 3