In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto III and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto III and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto III | GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" aluminum cone | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 29-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 10-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 14.55kg / 32lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40" x 9" x 12"
1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm | 40-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 14-1/2"
1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus Sonetto III and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 III |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Sonetto III is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Seven 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 IIIGoldenEar Triton Seven
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 III |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Sonetto III has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto III's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 III is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Seven which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Sonetto III can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 89 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Triton Seven 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 Triton Seven.
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
Sonetto III features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Seven has a 5-way Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Sonus Sonetto III's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Sonetto III has a bottom firing port whereas Triton Seven has a rear firing ports. Sonus Sonetto III's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 III's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto III has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm (40 x 9 x 12inch) whereas GoldenEar Triton Seven has external dimensions of 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm (40-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 14-1/2inch).
GoldenEar Triton Seven is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 48mm wider, 11mm taller and 64mm deeper than Sonus Sonetto III.
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 III is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The Sonetto III requires 32% less surface area than the Triton Seven which gives it a small advantage 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 III weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Sonetto III 10% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Sonetto III and Triton Seven's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto III?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Seven:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Locking nuts
- Owners Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1018mm
vs
1029mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
668cm2
vs
985cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
2999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Sonetto III |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-25k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminum cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD Dome |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
220 and 3.250 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1018.0mm (40.1") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
219.0mm (8.6") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
305.0mm (12") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
Gloss Black |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus Sonetto III costs roughly 1.7x what GoldenEar Triton Seven does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven digs deeper - 29Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Sonus Sonetto III is easier to place; GoldenEar Triton Seven is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Passive Radiator. |
| Expandability | A | Sonus Sonetto III: bi-amping. Sonus Sonetto III sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | GoldenEar Triton Seven is cheaper - $1,798 against $2,999, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus Sonetto III B GoldenEar Triton Seven
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?
GoldenEar Triton Seven has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, GoldenEar Triton Seven has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus Sonetto III 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.