Cremona Auditor M vs Olympics I

[lordemsworth]

Here is my setup.



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[miner]

Very nice setup LordeMsworth. The Audior Ms will continue to amaze you once broken in.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by lordemsworth

Here is my setup.

Congratulations!
How are you liking the Pathos/Auditor M combo?
Should be plenty of power I would think. Let us know your experience. :-)

[Bavarian05]

If you don't mind, I would love to see a closer up photo of your new Pathos.
It's been a while since I have seen that model in person and I think the last time I saw one it was the Mark II version.
Very attractive piece from what I remember.

[lordemsworth]

Will post a couple more pictures later tomorrow night.

I must say, the Pathos is a sexy little thing. And is a very very good amplifier.

In my limited listening, I much prefer the presentation of the music to the Audio Research it replaced.

The Pathos and Sonus play very well together.

[John49]

Originally Posted by lordemsworth

Just wondering if anyone has been able to compare the two? I've scoured the threads, and some have preferred One, andothers , the other. I know the right answer is to hear for yourself, but no one has both. They have cleared out the Auditors and just have the Olympicas. My current dealer only has the Olympica II. What I find curious ishwo few reviews I have seen. There is one on 6 Moons - but it is hard to determine the underlying message sometimes. There is a minor criticism that the Olympics are tipped at the top and to pair carefully. All others (in translation from German and Polish) are positive, but a little garbled due to Google Translate. I'm leaning towards the Auditor Ms because of some great prices, but would save up if the Olympics were unequivocally better. I will drive them with an ARC VSI60. Thoughts welcome.

A little late to this, so apologies.

I heard the Olympica I in London at a special event to promote them by the UK distributor. I thought that they needed more time to break in, because they did not at all like any music which was multi-instrument. On solo voice, solo guitar etc. they were fine.

I also heard the Olympica II but not the III as they had not arrived in the country.

The Auditors in their various forms I have heard many times and like a lot. Nearly bought a pre-owned pair last year.

I don't think the Olympica range are as good as they could or should be...

My 2c worth.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by John49

A little late to this, so apologies. I heard the Olympica I in London at a special event to promote them by the UK distributor. I thought that they needed more time to break in, because they did not at all like any music which was multi-instrument. On solo voice, solo guitar etc. they were fine. I also heard the Olympica II but not the III as they had not arrived in the country. The Auditors in their various forms I have heard many times and like a lot. Nearly bought a pre-owned pair last year. I don't think the Olympica range are as good as they could or should be... My 2c worth.

In my experience with the Auditor M, Olympica I and Olympica IIs, the Olympica line needs a considerable amount of time to show their true colors. A minimum of 100 hours and I didn't truly fall in love with the sound of my Olympica IIs until after about 150 hours of play. The Auditor M needed time, but not nearly as long - after about 60 hours they sounded great. Both are wonderful speakers, though they do have a very different presentation when compared to the Auditor M. If one is going to audition the Olympica line, I would make sure they have some serious play time prior to serious auditioning begins. The first time I heard the Olympica I, I walked out thinking what has Sonus Faber done? They sounded bright and thin to me. Once given proper break in, the sound of different frequencies become seamless. Another observation, if one listens on access with the Olympica pointed directly at the listener, they definitely come across as bright and overly detailed. A small amount of toe in is all that is needed (as opposed to directly pointed at listener) and that goes away, at least in my setup and room. Just my two cents.

[lordemsworth]

I do find it interesting that Sonus Faber has moved to bi-wiring the in the Olympicas.

I have preferred the simplicity of single-wiring.

[Bavarian05]

Originally Posted by lordemsworth

I do find it interesting that Sonus Faber has moved to bi-wiring the in the Olympicas. I have preferred the simplicity of single-wiring.

Agreed. I tried bi-wiring with identical cables initially and after hearing from Metaphacts and others, I tried the single cable with jumper method and found I much preferred the single cable method. Surprised me. It sounds like they offer that as an option to satisfy certain markets that want or require the option, but don't necessarily recommend bi-wiring. My previous B&W always sounded better to my ears when bi-wired, but I guess it really depends on the specific crossover and implementation...?

[lordemsworth]

More pics of the Pathos.

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