In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sonus Faber. Sonus Faber Sonetto III is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Sonetto I is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto III and Sonus Sonetto I first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Sonus Sonetto III 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
- 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 )
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 )
Sonetto III and Sonetto I 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 III and Sonus Sonetto I 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 |
Sonus Sonetto I |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* 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 III and Sonus Sonetto I 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 III is a 3-way design whereas the Sonetto I 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.
| Driver |
Sonus Sonetto III |
Sonus Sonetto I |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
1 x 6-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 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.
Frequency Response
Sonetto III has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Sonetto I has a frequency range of 45-25k 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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 III and Sonetto I have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonetto III sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Sonetto I's is at 87 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 III and the Sonetto III can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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 III 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 III and Sonetto I 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 III has a bottom firing port whereas Sonetto I has a front 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 III's and Sonus Sonetto I's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto III has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm ( 40 x 9 x 12inch) whereas Sonus Sonetto I has external dimensions of 359.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm ( 14 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 III is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2 and base area of the Sonus Sonetto I is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2.
What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto III?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonetto III:
8 Spikes8 Under Spikes8 Spike locks2 Masks2 Fabric dust guards2 Basis16 Locking screws2 Jumpers1 Allen Wrench1 Manual
What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto I?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto I:
2 Masks2 Fabric dust guards2 Jumpers1 Manual
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Height