At the end of a busy year full of new products and exciting news, Sonus faber proudly introduces Il Cremonese, the latest creation from the fabled Italian manufacturer: a no-compromise, high end loudspeaker to join the most iconic family in the Sonus faber catalogue, the Homage Collection.
As the newest member of the Homage Collection, Il Cremonese shares many features of both form and function. A three-and-a-half way, floorstanding loudspeaker, Il Cremonese is the result of evolutionary product design, and the adaptation of technologies from the Lilium and other Sonus faber speaker projects. The name Il Cremonese is an homage to Antonio Stradivari, and one of his most famous violins, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2015.
First named after the original owner, and known since the 18th century as Joachim, Stradivari’s violin was renamed “Il Cremonese” in 1961 when it was selected as the first Stradivari to return to the city of Cremona as part of the permanent collection in the Museo del Violino. This is one of the most important instruments in the history of Italian violin making, thanks to its innovative design and proportions, the quality and the depth of sound, and the beautiful materials and finishes used to create it.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Many Sonus faber patents and technologies, originally initiated with “the Sonus faber” and later models, are implemented in Il Cremonese:
Stealth Reflex System – allowing for a reduction in the dimensions of the internal acoustic volume while providing distortion control, it utilizes two orthogonal ports: one on the back for the midwoofer, and the other on the base, facing the floor, for the woofers and infrawoofers
Z.V.T. (Zero Vibration Transmission) system – used for decoupling the speaker’s cabinet from the floor and the rest of the listening environment, this is implemented in a revolutionary way inside the floor spikes. This new system continues to use new, modern elastomers, and guarantees a further simplification in the construction and aesthetic lightness
Upper and lower “Dampshelves” – two massive slabs of black brushed Avional, operating as mechanical energy dampers generated by Il Cremonese’s powerful drivers.
“Staggered Low Frequencies Emission Technology” system – used for the first time since “the Sonus faber” project, it optimizes the performance of the integrated infrawoofers.
The driver cones are a continuing expression of Sonus faber’s ingenuity. Designed entirely in-house, these drivers serve sound reproduction at the highest level: the tweeter is the Sonus faber Arrow Point DAD (Damped Apex Dome), the midrange is a Sonus faber M18 XTR-04, the woofers are the Sonus faber W18XTR-12 (a scaled-down version of the Lilium woofers), and the W22XTR-16 infrawoofers are a new project from the Arcugnano factory. The crossover network utilizes the innovative “Paracross topology” for superior results.
CONCEPT
Il Cremonese is characterized by an innovative cabinet with five sides, a “Rhomboidal diamond design” which optimizes the structural solidity of the wooden cabinets with a unique diamond shape that is immediately recognizable.
Inspired by the shape of Lilium, Il Cremonese introduces clean lines and an elegant, minimal, and sharp design. This new and atypical Sonus faber form represents an evolution towards technological and visual innovation, simultaneously maintaining the historic milestones that marked the history of violin making, as well as the history of the Sonus faber brand itself.
Il Cremonese pays homage to Antonio Stradivari, a luthier and artist who revolutionized traditional violin craftsmanship, and continued the work of Andrea Amati to create new concepts of form and finishing that are still appreciated and cherished today the world over.
DESIGN
As in Lilium, Il Cremonese combines contrasting design elements within a reduced cabinet volume: excellent capability for low frequency reproduction as well as the entire audio spectrum and the expression of power and absolute silence and resolution thanks to its floor decoupling system. The aesthetic design of Il Cremonese was created to achieve the objective of natural sound reproduction while simultaneously communicating new visual elements.
MATERIALS
Lacquered walnut wood, tempered glass, leather and brushed black aluminum – the same materials of Aida and Lilium, and also the new Homage Collection. Il Cremonese is available in the classical Sonus faber finishes of RED and WALNUT.
AVAILABILITY
Il Cremonese will be available outside the US and Canada in November 2015, and inside the US and Canada in early 2016. The suggested retail price is € 31.250,00 pair (VAT not included).
OFFICIAL LAUNCH
Il Cremonese’s world premier will be in Paris on October 17th and 18th during the Festival SON & IMAGE 2015.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
SYSTEM
3.5 way, full para-aperiodic vented box “Stealth Reflex System, and “Zero Vibration Transmission” technology, vibration transmission- decoupled from the floor, staggered low frequency floorstanding loudspeaker system.
CABINET
“Rhomboidal diamond design,” distributed thickness triple layer cabinet walls, damped with spread resonance spectrum system and harmonic decay internal reflections. Sub–structural ribs are strategically placed for total rejection of spurious vibrations and standing waves control. Two double “dampshelves” (from “The” experience), i.e. CNC anodized machined Avional “vibration dampers” (on the top and on the bottom of each cabinet) “stiffen” the column structures reducing consistently structural micro-vibrations coming from the cabinets’ walls and the transducers. The subwoofer enclosure has been integrated in the main enclosure through a new implementation of the Staggered low frequencies emission technology.
TWEETER
Sonus faber “Arrow Point” DAD (Damped Apex Dome, synthesis of the classic dome and ring transducer) H28 XTR-04. A Sonus faber designed 28 mm moving coil driver, with Sonus faber’s vibration optimized mechanical interface. The ultra dynamic linearity is given by the new Neodymium motor system. Implemented with a natural wood acoustic labyrinth rear chamber, a mechanical anti-resonator designed for this application.
MIDRANGE
Sonus faber M18 XTR-04. A Sonus faber designed 180 mm neodymium magnet system ultra dynamic linearity midrange. CCAW wire is used on a composite former “eddy current free” voice coil. The dynamically linear magnetic field motor incorporates triple Kellog/Goeller rings. A special custom diaphragm is made with a real time air dried non pressed blend of traditional cellulose pulp, kapok, kenaf and other natural fibers, developed according to the most natural sound. To further inhibit any residual cone coloration we are using a transparent viscous surface damping coating. The same way as the tweeter, the midrange is decoupled from the main baffle board and designed synergistically with its optimized “acoustic chamber.” A special coaxial anti-compressor is used, designed to remove cavity resonances and distortions.
WOOFERS
Sonus faber W18XTR-12. A pair of Sonus faber designed 180 mm lightweight “sandwich” cone structure (high-tech syntactic foam core and two external surface skins of cellulose pulp) woofers are integrated in an acoustically amorphous “stealth reflex” chamber. Designed to blend perfectly with the special midrange and, at the same time, to have absolute definition in their range: the sandwich structure with outer paper pulp skins has the same sonic character of the midrange cone. A powerful long stroke motor system with a 1.5” controlled “eddy current” voice coil is implemented for high speed, performance and linearity.
INFRA WOOFER
Sonus faber W22XTR-16. A pair of Sonus faber designed 220 mm lightweight “sandwich” cone structure (high-tech syntactic foam core and two external surface skins of cellulose pulp) infra woofers are integrated in an acoustically amorphous “stealth reflex” chamber. Designed to blend perfectly with the special woofers and, at the same time, to have absolute definition in their range: in fact using exactly the same cone sandwich structure with outer paper pulp skins. A powerful extreme linear stroke motor system with a 2” controlled “eddy current” voice coil is implemented for the presence of the lowest.
CROSS-OVER
Non-resonant design, optimized amplitude/phase response for optimal space/time performance. “Paracross topology.” The impedance at low frequencies is controlled for a clear and friendly amplifier performance. Double staggered transfer function low frequency/room interface optimized filter. Highest quality is used in terms of the components: latest generation Mundorf “Evo” Oil and Silver/Gold/Oil capacitors, Jantzen inductors. Cross-over: 80Hz – 250 Hz – 2500Hz.
FREQUENCY RESPONSE
25 Hz – 35,000 Hz, Stealth reflex included
SENSITIVITY
92 db SPL (2.83V/1 m)
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE
4 ohm
SUGGESTED AMPLIFIER POWER OUTPUT
100W – 800W, without clipping
LONG-TERM MAX INPUT VOLTAGE (IEC 268-5)
30 V rms
DIMENSIONS (HxWxD)
1449.6mm x 398.23mm x 621.8mm
57.07’’ x 15.68’’ x 24.5’’
WEIGHT
84 Kg / 184.8 lbs each – net weight
