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Sonus Sonetto Center II vs Sonus Sonetto VIII Comparison

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Sonus Sonetto Center II

Passive Center Channel | 42-25k Hz

Sonus Faber Sonetto Center II
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Sonus Sonetto VIII

Passive Floor-standing | 36-25k Hz

Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII
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Sonus Sonetto Center II Sonus Sonetto Center...
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Sonus Sonetto VIII Sonus Sonetto VIII
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Sonus Sonetto Center...
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Sonus Sonetto VIII
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Sonus Sonetto Center II vs Sonus Sonetto VIII Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sonus Faber. Sonus Faber Sonetto Center II is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Sonetto VIII is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sonus Sonetto Center II and Sonus Sonetto VIII first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sonus Sonetto Center II Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter
  • 6" Midrange
  • 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer
  • 42-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 91 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:50-300watts
  • Weight:16.20kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 289.0" x 30" x 16"( 289.0 x 743.0 x 409.0mm )

Sonus Sonetto VIII Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter
  • 6" Midrange
  • 3 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer
  • 6" Midrange
  • 36-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:50-300watts
  • Weight:26.30kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1188.0" x 11" x 17"( 1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm )

Sonetto CII and Sonetto VIII are members of Sonus Faber's Sonetto series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Sonus Faber Sonetto Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Sonus Sonetto III
  
Floor-standing 42-25k Hz 89 dB4Ω 2 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto V
  
Floor-standing 38-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 2 x 7"
Sonus Sonetto II
  
Bookshelf 42-25k Hz 87 dB4Ω 1 x 6.5"
Sonus Sonetto VIII
Floor-standing 36-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 3 x 7"
Sonus Sonetto I
  
Bookshelf 45-25k Hz 87 dB4Ω 1 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto Center II
Center Channel 42-25k Hz 91 dB4Ω 2 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto Center I
  
Center Channel 60-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 2 x 6"

What size room are the Sonus Sonetto Center II and Sonus Sonetto VIII 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 VIII
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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonus Sonetto Center II and Sonus Sonetto VIII compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

Both Sonetto CII and Sonetto VIII are 3-way speakers.

Driver Sonus Sonetto Center II Sonus Sonetto VIII
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 3 x 7-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 VIII features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270 and 3.000 Hz.

Frequency Response

Sonetto CII has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Sonetto VIII has a frequency range of 36-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Sonetto VIII can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto CII's min frequency of 42Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Sonetto CII
Sonetto VIII
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Sonus Sonetto Center II
Sonus Sonetto VIII
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Sonetto CII and Sonetto VIII 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 VIII's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto Center II a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto VIII, 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

Sonetto CII
Sonetto VIII
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

Sonetto CII and Sonetto VIII has the same power range of 50-300 watts.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Both Sonetto CII and Sonetto VIII features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

Sonus Sonetto Center II Terminals
Sonus Sonetto Center II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Sonus Sonetto VIIIBinding post Terminals
Sonus Sonetto VIII's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Sonetto CII has a rear firing port whereas Sonetto VIII has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Sonetto VIII'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

Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 VIII'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 VIII has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm ( 47 x 11 x 17inch) .

Sonus Sonetto Center II is 899mm shorter and 18mm less deeper than Sonus Sonetto VIII but it is also 460mm wider.

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 VIII is approximately 1208.4cm2 / 187.3inch2. The Sonetto CII requires 151% more surface area than the Sonetto VIII 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 VIII?

    Here are the items that come with the Sonetto VIII:
  • 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

  • Reasons to choose Sonus Faber Sonetto Center II over Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII
    Sensitivity 91 dB vs 90 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Height 289mm vs 1188mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces

    Reasons to choose Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII over Sonus Faber Sonetto Center II

    Woofer Size 7 inches vs 6 inches Larger woofer
    Number of Woofers 3 vs 2 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 36 Hz vs 42 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Base Surface Area 1208cm2 vs 3038cm2 Takes less floor space
    Sonus Sonetto Center II vs Sonus Sonetto VIII Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Sonus Faber Sonetto Center II Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII
    Brand Sonus Faber Sonus Faber
    Speaker Type Center channel speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 50-300 watts 50-300 watts
    Sensitivity 91 dB 90 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 42-25k Hz 36-25k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 3
    Woofer Size 6" 7"
    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" 6"
    Crossover Frequency 1.650 Hz 270 and 3.000 Hz
    Firing Direction rear bottom
    Physical Specs
    Height 289.0mm (11.4") 1188.0mm (46.8")
    Width 743.0mm (29.3") 283.0mm (11.1")
    Depth 409.0mm (16.1") 427.0mm (16.8")
    Weight 16.20kg (35.6lbs) 26.30kg (57.9lbs)
    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

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