In this review, we will be comparing Il Cremonese EX3ME and Aida, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME and Sonus faber Aida first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME | Sonus faber Aida |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 7" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Paper | 12.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 25-35k Hz | 18-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-800 watts | 100-1000 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 84.00kg / 184.8lbs | 165.00kg / 363lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 57-1/16" x 15-11/16" x 24-7/16"
1449.0 x 398.0 x 621.0mm | 67-15/16" x 19" x 30-11/16"
1725.0 x 482.0 x 780.0mm |
|---|
Il Cremonese EX3ME and Aida are members of Sonus faber's Reference series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Reference Series
History
What size room are the Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME and Sonus faber Aida speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
Sonus faber Aida |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both Il Cremonese EX3ME and Aida are 4-way speakers.
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3MESonus faber Aida
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
Sonus faber Aida |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
1 x 12.5-inch
|
Il Cremonese EX3ME features a 1.25" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 80, 250, 2500 Hz. On the other hand, the Aida features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 12.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 55, 150, 200, 3000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Il Cremonese EX3ME has a frequency range of 25-35k Hz whereas Aida has a frequency range of 18-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Aida can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Il Cremonese EX3ME's min frequency of 25Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Il Cremonese EX3ME and Aida have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Il Cremonese EX3ME and the Il Cremonese EX3ME can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Aida can handle a max power of 1000 watts RMS, whereas Il Cremonese EX3ME has a max power handling value of 800 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Aida.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Il Cremonese EX3ME features Binding post type posts and Aida has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME's and Sonus faber Aida's external dimensions. Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME has external dimensions of 1449.0 x 398.0 x 621.0mm (57-1/16 x 15-11/16 x 24-7/16inch) whereas Sonus faber Aida has external dimensions of 1725.0 x 482.0 x 780.0mm (67-15/16 x 19 x 30-11/16inch).
Sonus faber Aida is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 84mm wider, 276mm taller and 159mm deeper than Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME is approximately 2471.6cm2 / 383.1inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Aida is approximately 3759.6cm2 / 582.7inch2. The Il Cremonese EX3ME requires 34% less surface area than the Aida which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME weighs 84.00kg / 184.8lbs and the Sonus faber Aida weighs 165.00kg / 363lbs. This makes the Aida 96% heavier than the Il Cremonese EX3ME.
Here is a comparison of how Il Cremonese EX3ME and Aida's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1449mm
vs
1725mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
2471cm2
vs
3759cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
60000USD
vs
130000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
1000 watts
vs
800 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
12.5 inches
vs
8.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
25 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
Sonus faber Aida |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-800 watts |
100-1000 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
25-35k Hz |
18-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
12.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
80, 250, 2500 Hz |
55, 150, 200, 3000 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1449.0mm (57") |
1725.0mm (67.9") |
| Width |
398.0mm (15.7") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Depth |
621.0mm (24.4") |
780.0mm (30.7") |
| Weight |
84.00kg (184.8lbs) |
165.00kg (363lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Sonus faber's Reference series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Sonus faber Aida digs deeper - 18Hz against 25Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
B |
Sonus faber Aida takes more power (1000W vs 800W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME is easier to place; Sonus faber Aida is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price |
A |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME is cheaper - $60,000 against $130,000, about 54% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME
B Sonus faber Aida
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Sonus faber Aida measures better, Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME costs about 54% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 25Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Sonus faber Aida has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.