Sonus faber has launched the Il Cremonese ex3me floorstanding loudspeaker that it describes as being "tech-rich". Furthermore, it is said to pack a range of innovative new speaker technologies and, as such, production is limited to just fifty pairs.

The original Il Cremonese, named after Antonio Stradivari's most famous violins, was introduced in 2015 to complete the company's Homage Collection. Instead, due to its performance, the Il Cremonese joined Sonus faber's flagship Reference collection.

The Il Cremonese became the foundation for a unique loudspeaker system, one characterised by new technical features with a specific performance target: absolute neutrality. Back up to present day, the new Il Cremonese ex3me is said to combine elements from the original project, including the midrange and bass drivers, with additional refinements derived from Sonus faber's 30th-anniversary celebration concept speaker, the ex3ma.

Il CREMONESE EX3ME DRIVERS

Inspired by the ex3ma concept, the Il Cremonese ex3me benefits from an advanced Beryllium DLC tweeter. The special DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) treatment enhances the mechanical nature of beryllium for optimum sound quality while leaving its mass relatively unaltered, says the Italian maestros.

The treated diaphragm enjoys increased rigidity with a nearly unperceivable resonant frequency (above 35 kHz), making it capable of extremely fast (accurate) sound, plus unrivalled detail and air, free of colouration. This is joined by a powerful neodymium magnet and the Ergal (aluminium alloy) rear decompression chamber which is CNC machined from solid billet. We are told that all this guarantees extreme dynamic linearity and maximum resolution.

The 180 mm midrange units feature a proprietary cone manufactured according to the classic Sonus faber recipe: an air-dried, non-pressed blend of cellulose pulp, Kapok, Kenaf, and other natural materials. Apparently, this is what gives Sonus faber speakers their characteristic voicing, whereas the manufacturer goes on to state that the treatment guarantees a natural sound with increased transparency and greater detail.

The drive unit's neodymium magnet motor system is completely eddy-current-free thanks to a copper Faraday ring, strategically placed in the gap. A 1.5-inch (38 mm) voice coil made from copper-clad aluminium completes the configuration.

The Il Cremonese ex3me benefits from two 180 mm bass drivers placed in an independent acoustic chamber, acoustically amorphous and fitted with downward-firing 'Stealth Reflex' ducts.

The drive unit cones feature a sandwich membrane made from two sheets of Sonus faber's cellulose pulp with a layer of advanced (rigid) syntactic foam in between them. Here the aim is maximum coherence with the mid/high units as well as speed, rigidity and low mass within the driver. The cones are mounted on Sonus faber die-cast aluminium baskets, designed for structural rigidity and maximum ventilation to the moving parts.

Finally, two side-firing 'infra-woofers' sporting diaphragms made from nano carbon fibre chosen for its incredible structural rigidity. The tri-laminated sandwich cone diaphragm features a Nomex honeycomb core and manages the driver's excursion and resistance to flexing, even at extreme amplitudes.

Dishing out the duties to the tweeter and midrange is the task of a totally redesigned mid/high crossover network. Sonus faber says that the crossover utilises non-inductive resistors and air-core inductors, plus high-quality Mundorf Evo Silver Oil and Evo Gold Oil capacitors, known for their supreme performance.

The entire crossover network implements Sonus faber's proprietary Paracross Topology: a unique circuit making the crossover less sensitive to radio frequency interference, lowering the noise floor.

DESIGN

The overall styling of the Il Cremonese ex3me maintains the 'Romboidal Diamond Design' taking inspiration from the form of Sonus faber's Lilium collection. Here you'll find cleaner lines with a more 'edgy' design aesthetic. Maintaining the absence of parallel walls ensures that the acoustic characteristics are not compromised by standing waves or internal reflections.

The solid cabinet is further strengthened by two 'Dampshelves' machined from solid aluminium billet and form the top and bottom of the cabinet. These structural elements increase rigidity and lower the resonance that contributes to "the attenuation of spurious noise which can contaminate the purity of the musical message", reads the rather poetic press release.

Sonus faber adds that any nasty micro-vibrations are grounded to the 'Zero Vibration Transmission' system. The company states that this mechanically decouples the entire loudspeaker from the floor using a combination of metal and elastomer isolation components, inside a multi-part coaxial spike assembly, dubbed 'Silent Spikes'.

The Il Cremonese ex3me is available in October and priced at £48,500. Remember, only fifty sets are being constructed, so be quick!

More Information at Sonus faber