Sonus Sonetto I vs Sonus Sonetto III Comparison

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Sonus Sonetto I

Passive Bookshelf | 45-25k Hz

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Sonus Sonetto III

Passive Floor-standing | 42-25k Hz

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Sonus Sonetto I

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Sonus Sonetto III

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Sonus Sonetto I

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Sonus Sonetto III

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Sonus Sonetto I vs Sonus Sonetto III Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Sonetto I is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Sonetto III is a Floor-standing speaker.

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

Key Specs	Sonus Sonetto I	Sonus Sonetto III
Brand	Sonus faber Italy · founded 1983	Sonus faber Italy · founded 1983
Design	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1.15" high definition DAD Dome	1.15" high definition DAD Dome
Midrange	—	6"
Woofer	6" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers	2 x 6" aluminum cone
Frequency response	45-25k Hz	42-25k Hz
Sensitivity	87 dB	89 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	4 ohms
Power range	30-150 watts	50-250 watts
Weight	5.50kg / 12.1lbs	16.00kg / 35.2lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	14" x 9" x 12" 359.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm	40" x 9" x 12" 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm

Sonetto I 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

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Sonus Sonetto III	Floor-standing	42-25k Hz	89 dB	4Ω	2 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto II	Bookshelf	42-25k Hz	87 dB	4Ω	1 x 6.5"
Sonus Sonetto VIII	Floor-standing	36-25k Hz	90 dB	4Ω	3 x 7"
Sonus Sonetto V	Floor-standing	38-25k Hz	90 dB	4Ω	2 x 7"
Sonus Sonetto I	Bookshelf	45-25k Hz	87 dB	4Ω	1 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto Center II	Center Channel	42-25k Hz	91 dB	4Ω	2 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto Center I	Center Channel	60-25k Hz	90 dB	4Ω	2 x 6"
Sonus faber Sonetto III G2	Floor-standing	38-40k Hz	88 dB	4Ω	2 x 6.5"
Sonus Faber Sonetto Center G2	Center Channel	45-40k Hz	88 dB	4Ω	2 x 6-1/2"
Sonus faber Sonetto VIII G2	Floor-standing	33-40k Hz	90 dB	4Ω	2 x 8"

What size room are the Sonus Sonetto I 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 I	Sonus Sonetto III
Near-field	Poor	Bad
Small Room	Average	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	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

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Sonetto I is a 2-way design whereas the Sonetto III is a 3-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 I

Sonus 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 I	Sonus Sonetto III
Driver Setup	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1.15-inch	1.15-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 6-inch
Woofer	1 x 6-inch	2 x 6-inch

Sonetto I features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 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 I has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas Sonetto III has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Sonetto III can go slightly deeper then the Sonetto I's min frequency of 45Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Sonetto I

Sonetto III

Min

Average

Median

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 I and Sonetto III have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonetto I sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Sonetto III's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto III a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto 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 I and the Sonetto I can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Sonetto I

Sonetto III

Min

Average

Median

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 III can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Sonetto I has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Sonetto III.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Sonus Sonetto I

Sonus Sonetto III

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

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

Sonus Sonetto III's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Sonetto I has a front firing port whereas Sonetto III has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Sonetto I's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sonus Sonetto III 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 I's and Sonus Sonetto III's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto I has external dimensions of 359.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm (14 x 9 x 12inch) whereas Sonus Sonetto III has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm (40 x 9 x 12inch).

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 I is approximately 668.0cm² / 103.5inch² and base area of the Sonus Sonetto III is approximately 668.0cm² / 103.5inch².

What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto I?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonetto I:

2 Masks
2 Fabric dust guards
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

Reasons to choose Sonus faber Sonetto I over Sonus faber Sonetto III

Height	359mm vs 1018mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	1099USD vs 2999USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Sonus faber Sonetto III over Sonus faber Sonetto I

Max Input Power	250 watts vs 150 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity	89 dB vs 87 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	42 Hz vs 45 Hz	Generates deeper bass

Sonus Sonetto I vs Sonus Sonetto III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sonus faber Sonetto I	Sonus faber Sonetto III
Brand	Sonus faber	Sonus faber
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	30-150 watts	50-250 watts
Sensitivity	87 dB	89 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	4 ohms
Frequency Response	45-25k Hz	42-25k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	6"	6"
Woofer Composition	cellulose pulp and other natural fibers	aluminum cone
Tweeter Size	1.15"	1.15"
Tweeter Type	high definition DAD Dome	high definition DAD Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	6"
Crossover Frequency	2500 Hz	220 and 3.250 Hz
Firing Direction	front	bottom
Physical Specs
Height	359.0mm (14.1")	1018.0mm (40.1")
Width	219.0mm (8.6")	219.0mm (8.6")
Depth	305.0mm (12")	305.0mm (12")
Weight	5.50kg (12.1lbs)	16.00kg (35.2lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Available Colors	Wood, White, Black, Wenge	Wood, White, Black, Wenge
Mounting Bracket
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty
Labor Warranty

Verdict

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	B	Sonus Sonetto III digs deeper - 42Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	B	Sonus Sonetto III is more sensitive (89dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	B	Sonus Sonetto III takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Sonus Sonetto I is easier to place; Sonus Sonetto III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability	depends	Sonus Sonetto I: bi-amping; Sonus Sonetto III: bi-amping.
Price	A	Sonus Sonetto I is cheaper - $1,099 against $2,999, about 63% less; arguably a different class.

A Sonus Sonetto I B Sonus Sonetto III
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 III measures better, Sonus Sonetto I costs about about 2.7x the price% 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. Match it to your room: we rate Sonus Sonetto I the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Sonus Sonetto III for a large room and a very large room. In a large or open-plan room, Sonus Sonetto III has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus Sonetto I is the easier speaker to get right.

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.