In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto CII and Sonetto CI, two Passive Center Channel speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto Center II and Sonus Sonetto Center I first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto Center II | Sonus Sonetto Center I |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" aluminum cone | 2 x 6" aluminum cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 60-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 50-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.20kg / 35.6lbs | 6.50kg / 14.3lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.4" x 29.3" x 16"
289.0 x 743.0 x 409.0mm | 9.5" x 19.5" x 12"
242.0 x 495.0 x 303.0mm |
|---|
Sonetto CII and Sonetto CI are members of Sonus faber's Sonetto series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Sonetto Series
History
What size room are the Sonus Sonetto Center II and Sonus Sonetto Center I 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 Sonetto Center II |
Sonus Sonetto Center I |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Sonetto CII is a 3-way design whereas the Sonetto CI is a 2-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 Sonetto Center IISonus Sonetto Center I
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 Sonetto Center II |
Sonus Sonetto Center I |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Sonetto CII features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1.650 Hz. On the other hand, the Sonetto CI features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1.550 Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto CII has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Sonetto CI has a frequency range of 60-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Sonetto CII can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto CI's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Sonetto CII and Sonetto CI have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonetto CII sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Sonetto CI's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto Center II a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto Center I, 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 Sonetto CII and the Sonetto CII can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Sonetto CII can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Sonetto CI has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Sonetto CII.
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
Both Sonetto CII and Sonetto CI features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Sonus Sonetto Center II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Sonus Sonetto Center I's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sonetto CII and Sonetto CI have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 Sonetto Center II's and Sonus Sonetto Center I's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto Center II has external dimensions of 289.0 x 743.0 x 409.0mm (12 x 30 x 16inch) whereas Sonus Sonetto Center I has external dimensions of 242.0 x 495.0 x 303.0mm (10 x 20 x 12inch).
Sonus Sonetto Center II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 248mm wider, 47mm taller and 106mm deeper than Sonus Sonetto Center I.
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 Sonetto Center II is approximately 3038.9cm2 / 471.0inch2 and base area of the Sonus Sonetto Center I is approximately 1499.9cm2 / 232.5inch2. The Sonetto CII requires 103% more surface area than the Sonetto CI 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 Sonetto Center II weighs 16.20kg / 35.6lbs and the Sonus Sonetto Center I weighs 6.50kg / 14.3lbs. This makes the Sonetto CII 149% heavier than the Sonetto CI.
Here is a comparison of how Sonetto CII and Sonetto CI's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.
Weight
All Center Channel Speakers
What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto Center II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonetto CII:
- 1 Masks
- 1 Fabric dust guards
- 1 Basis
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Manual
What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto Center I?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto CI:
- 1 Masks
- 1 Fabric dust guards
- 1 Basis
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Manual
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
242mm
vs
289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1499cm2
vs
3038cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1099USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Sonetto Center II |
Sonus faber Sonetto Center I |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Center channel speaker |
Center channel speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
50-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-25k Hz |
60-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminum cone |
aluminum cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
1.15" |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD Dome |
high definition DAD Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1.650 Hz |
1.550 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
289.0mm (11.4") |
242.0mm (9.5") |
| Width |
743.0mm (29.3") |
495.0mm (19.5") |
| Depth |
409.0mm (16.1") |
303.0mm (11.9") |
| Weight |
16.20kg (35.6lbs) |
6.50kg (14.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Sonus faber's Sonetto series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Sonus Sonetto Center II digs deeper - 42Hz against 60Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Sonus Sonetto Center II takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Sonus Sonetto Center I is easier to place; Sonus Sonetto Center II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus Sonetto Center II: bi-amping; Sonus Sonetto Center I: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Sonus Sonetto Center I is cheaper - $1,099 against $2,199, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus Sonetto Center II B Sonus Sonetto Center I
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?
The usual trade-off: Sonus Sonetto Center II measures better, Sonus Sonetto Center I costs about about 100% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sonus Sonetto Center I much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Sonus Sonetto Center II the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Sonus Sonetto Center I for a small room.
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.