In this review, we will be comparing Il Cremonese and Il Cremonese EX3ME, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Il Cremonese and Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Il Cremonese | Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.25" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 7" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8.5" Paper | 2 x 8.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-35k Hz | 25-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-800 watts | 100-800 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 84.00kg / 184.8lbs | 84.00kg / 184.8lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 57-1/16" x 15-11/16" x 24-7/16"
1449.0 x 398.0 x 621.0mm |
|---|
Il Cremonese and Il Cremonese EX3ME 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 and Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME 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 |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
| 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.
Drivers
Both Il Cremonese and Il Cremonese EX3ME are 4-way speakers.
Sonus faber Il CremoneseSonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME
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 |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.25-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
2 x 8.5-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 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.
Frequency Response
Il Cremonese has a frequency range of 35-35k Hz whereas Il Cremonese EX3ME has a frequency range of 25-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Il Cremonese EX3ME 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 Il Cremonese EX3ME 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 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 and Il Cremonese EX3ME have the same power range of 100-800 watts.
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
Both Il Cremonese and Il Cremonese EX3ME features dual binding post speaker terminals for 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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME'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 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).
In this case, we can see that Sonus faber Il Cremonese and Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME have the exact same height, width and thickness.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints.
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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME is approximately 2471.6cm2 / 383.1inch2.
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 Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME weighs 84.00kg / 184.8lbs.
Here is a comparison of how Il Cremonese and Il Cremonese EX3ME'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
 Price per pair* |
45000USD
vs
60000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese |
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-800 watts |
100-800 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-35k Hz |
25-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8.5" |
8.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.25" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
80, 250, 2500 Hz |
80, 250, 2500 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1449.0mm (57") |
1449.0mm (57") |
| Width |
398.0mm (15.7") |
398.0mm (15.7") |
| Depth |
621.0mm (24.4") |
621.0mm (24.4") |
| Weight |
84.00kg (184.8lbs) |
84.00kg (184.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
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 Il Cremonese EX3ME digs deeper - 25Hz against 35Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (800W vs 800W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Il Cremonese: bi-amping; Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Sonus faber Il Cremonese is cheaper - $45,000 against $60,000, about 25% less. |
A Sonus faber Il Cremonese B Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 33% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Sonus faber Il Cremonese looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 35Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sonus faber Il Cremonese much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $15,000 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.