In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Sonetto Center II is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Sonetto III is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto Center II and Sonus Sonetto III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto Center II | Sonus Sonetto III |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" aluminum cone | 2 x 6" aluminum cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 42-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 50-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.20kg / 35.6lbs | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.4" x 29.3" x 16"
289.0 x 743.0 x 409.0mm | 40" x 9" x 12"
1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm |
|---|
Sonetto CII and Sonetto III 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 III 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 III |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
Drivers
Both Sonetto CII and Sonetto III are 3-way speakers.
Sonus Sonetto Center IISonus Sonetto III
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 III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6-inch |
1 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 III features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 220 and 3.250 Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto CII and Sonetto III has exactly the same frequency range of 42-25k Hz.
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 III 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 III's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto Center II a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto III, 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 III has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 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 III 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 III's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Sonetto CII has a rear firing port whereas Sonetto III has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Sonetto III's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sonus Sonetto Center II with its rear-firing port.
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 III'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 III has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm (40 x 9 x 12inch).
Sonus Sonetto III is 524mm narrower and 104mm less deeper than Sonus Sonetto Center II but it is also 729mm taller.
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 III is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2. The Sonetto CII requires 355% more surface area than the Sonetto III which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 III?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto III:
- 8 Spikes
- 8 Under Spikes
- 8 Spike locks
- 2 Masks
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 2 Basis
- 16 Locking screws
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Allen Wrench
- 1 Manual