In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Sonetto III is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Sonetto II is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto III and Sonus Sonetto II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto III | Sonus Sonetto II |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" aluminum cone | 6.5" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 42-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 6.80kg / 15lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40" x 9" x 12"
1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm | 14.6" x 10" x 13"
370.0 x 250.0 x 334.0mm |
|---|
Sonetto III and Sonetto II 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 II 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 II |
| 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.)
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 Sonetto II 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 IIISonus Sonetto II
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 |
Sonus Sonetto II |
|
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 6.5-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 II features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2650 Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto III and Sonetto II has exactly the same frequency range of 42-25k Hz.
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 and Sonetto II 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 II's is at 87 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto III a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto II, 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. 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 II has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Sonetto III and Sonetto II 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 II has a front firing ports. Sonus Sonetto II'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 III's and Sonus Sonetto II'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 II has external dimensions of 370.0 x 250.0 x 334.0mm (15 x 10 x 13inch).
Sonus Sonetto III is 31mm narrower and 29mm less deeper than Sonus Sonetto II but it is also 648mm taller.
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 II is approximately 835.0cm2 / 129.4inch2. The Sonetto III requires 20% less surface area than the Sonetto II which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Sonus Sonetto II?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto II:
- 2 Masks
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Manual