In this review, we will be comparing Il Cremonese and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Il Cremonese and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Il Cremonese | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Paper | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-35k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-800 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 84.00kg / 184.8lbs | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Il Cremonese is a 4-way design whereas the Kendall is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Sonus faber Il CremoneseKLH Kendall
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 |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Il Cremonese features a 1.1" 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 Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Il Cremonese has a frequency range of 35-35k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Il Cremonese's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Il Cremonese is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Kendall which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Il Cremonese can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Il Cremonese sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Kendall's is rated at 96 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus faber Il Cremonese, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
Il Cremonese can handle a max power of 800 watts RMS, whereas Kendall has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 550 watts less than the Il Cremonese.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Kendall features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Il Cremonese has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. Sonus faber Il Cremonese has external dimensions of 1449.0 x 398.0 x 621.0mm (57-1/16 x 15-11/16 x 24-7/16inch) whereas KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Sonus faber Il Cremonese is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 186mm wider, 428mm taller and 241mm deeper than KLH Kendall.
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 is approximately 2471.6cm2 / 383.1inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Il Cremonese requires 207% more surface area than the Kendall which gives it a small disadvantage 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 weighs 84.00kg / 184.8lbs and the KLH Kendall weighs 22.14kg / 48.7lbs. This makes the Il Cremonese 279% heavier than the Kendall.
Here is a comparison of how Il Cremonese and Kendall's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual
 Max Input Power |
800 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1021mm
vs
1449mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
2471cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
45000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese |
KLH Kendall |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-800 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-35k Hz |
25-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
80, 250, 2500 Hz |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1449.0mm (57") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
398.0mm (15.7") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
621.0mm (24.4") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
84.00kg (184.8lbs) |
22.14kg (48.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Il Cremonese costs roughly 30x what KLH Kendall does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
KLH Kendall digs deeper - 25Hz against 35Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
KLH Kendall is more sensitive (96dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
KLH Kendall is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
A |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese takes more power (800W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
KLH Kendall is easier to place; Sonus faber Il Cremonese is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
KLH Kendall: bi-amping. Sonus faber Il Cremonese sits in a wider range (4 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
KLH Kendall is cheaper - $1,500 against $45,000, about 97% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Il Cremonese
B KLH Kendall
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?
KLH Kendall is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Sonus faber Il Cremonese if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 35Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Sonus faber Il Cremonese has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KLH Kendall 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.