In this review, we will be comparing Il Cremonese and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Il Cremonese and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Il Cremonese | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Paper | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-35k Hz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-800 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 84.00kg / 184.8lbs | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus faber Il Cremonese and PSB Synchrony T600 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 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Il Cremonese is a 4-way design whereas the Synchrony T600 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 CremonesePSB Synchrony T600
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 |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
|
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
|
3 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 Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Il Cremonese has a frequency range of 35-35k Hz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 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 and Synchrony T600 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Il Cremonese sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Synchrony T600's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Il Cremonese a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T600, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 and the Il Cremonese 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.
Il Cremonese can handle a max power of 800 watts RMS, whereas Synchrony T600 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 500 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
Synchrony T600 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.
PSB Synchrony T600'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 PSB Synchrony T600'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 PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch).
Sonus faber Il Cremonese is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 170mm wider, 401mm taller and 278mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
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 PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The Il Cremonese requires 216% more surface area than the Synchrony T600 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 PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs. This makes the Il Cremonese 141% heavier than the Synchrony T600.
Here is a comparison of how Il Cremonese and Synchrony T600'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 PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that come with the Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Max Input Power |
800 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8.5 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1449mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
2471cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
8000USD
vs
45000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-800 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-35k Hz |
24-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Carbon fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
80, 250, 2500 Hz |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1449.0mm (57") |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
| Width |
398.0mm (15.7") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
621.0mm (24.4") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
84.00kg (184.8lbs) |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Il Cremonese costs roughly 5.6x what PSB Synchrony T600 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 |
PSB Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 35Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese takes more power (800W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; Sonus faber Il Cremonese is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
PSB Synchrony T600 is cheaper - $8,000 against $45,000, about 82% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Il Cremonese
B PSB Synchrony T600
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. 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. Match it to your room: we rate Sonus faber Il Cremonese the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.