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Sonus Sonetto I vs Sonus Sonetto III Comparison

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Sonus Sonetto I

Passive Bookshelf | 45-25k Hz

Sonus Faber Sonetto I
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Sonus Sonetto III

Passive Floor-standing | 42-25k Hz

Sonus Faber Sonetto III
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Sonus Sonetto I Sonus Sonetto I
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Sonus Sonetto III 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 type 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.

Sonus Sonetto I Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter
  • 6" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers Woofer
  • 45-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 87 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:30-150watts
  • Weight:5.50kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 359.0" x 9" x 12"( 359.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm )

Sonus Sonetto III Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter
  • 6" Midrange
  • 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer
  • 6" Midrange
  • 42-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 89 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:50-250watts
  • Weight:16.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1018.0" 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 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 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonus Sonetto I and Sonus Sonetto III 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

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.

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.

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 Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Sonetto I
Sonetto III
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

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

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

Sonus Sonetto IIIBinding post Terminals
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

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 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

    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

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