Sonus Sonetto V vs Polk RTi A5 Comparison

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Sonus Sonetto V

Passive Floor-standing | 38-25k Hz

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Polk RTi A5

Passive Floor-standing | 40-26k Hz

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Sonus Sonetto V

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Polk RTi A5

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Sonus Sonetto V

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Polk RTi A5

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Sonus Sonetto V vs Polk RTi A5 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto V and RTi A5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus Faber and Polk Audio.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sonus Sonetto V and Polk RTi A5 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sonus Sonetto V Key Specs

3-way Design

1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter

6" Midrange

2 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer

38-25k Hz Frequency Response

90 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 4ohms

Power Range:50-300watts

Weight:22.60kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1072.0" x 10" x 16"( 1072.0 x 258.0 x 409.0mm )

Polk RTi A5 Key Specs

2-way Design

1" Tweeter

2 x 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer

40-26k Hz Frequency Response

90 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 8ohms

Power Range:20-250watts

Weight:18.18kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1007.0" x 10-9/16" x 15-7/8"( 1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm )

What size room are the Sonus Sonetto V and Polk RTi A5 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 V	Polk RTi A5
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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonus Sonetto V and Polk RTi A5 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 V is a 3-way design whereas the RTi A5 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 V	Polk RTi A5
Driver Setup	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.15-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 6-inch	-
Woofer	2 x 7-inch	2 x 6.5-inch

Sonetto V features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 235 and 3.000 Hz. On the other hand, the RTi A5 features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polymer composite Woofer .

Frequency Response

Sonetto V has a frequency range of 38-25k Hz whereas RTi A5 has a frequency range of 40-26k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Sonetto V can go slightly deeper then the RTi A5's min frequency of 40Hz.

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

Sonetto V

RTi A5

Min

Average

Max

High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Sonus Sonetto V

Polk RTi A5

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 V is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the RTi A5 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 V can provide this impedance level.

On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Sonetto V

RTi A5

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 V can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RTi A5 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Sonetto V.

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 V and RTi A5 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

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

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Sonetto V has a bottom firing port whereas RTi A5 has a front firing ports. Polk RTi A5's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sonus Sonetto V 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 V's and Polk RTi A5's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto V has external dimensions of 1072.0 x 258.0 x 409.0mm ( 42 x 10 x 16inch) whereas Polk RTi A5 has external dimensions of 1007.0 x 269.0 x 404.0mm ( 39-5/8 x 10-9/16 x 15-7/8inch) .

Polk RTi A5 is 65mm shorter and 5mm less deeper than Sonus Sonetto V but it is also 11mm wider.

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 V is approximately 1055.2cm² / 163.6inch² and base area of the Polk RTi A5 is approximately 1086.8cm² / 168.5inch². The Sonetto V requires 3% less surface area than the RTi A5 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 V weighs 22.60kg / 49.7lbs and the Polk RTi A5 weighs 18.18kg / 40lbs. This makes the Sonetto V 24% heavier than the RTi A5.

Here is a comparison of how Sonetto V and RTi A5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers

Sonus Sonetto V

Polk RTi A5

Min

Average

Max

What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto V?

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

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 Polk RTi A5?

Here are the items that come with the RTi A5:

Cherry floor-standing speaker

Detachable black cloth grille

4 Screw-on spike feet

Owners Manual

Online registration sheet

Polk Audio product brochure

Reasons to choose Sonus Faber Sonetto V over Polk Audio RTi A5

Max Input Power	300 watts vs 250 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Woofer Size	7 inches vs 6.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	38 Hz vs 40 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	1055cm² vs 1086cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose Polk Audio RTi A5 over Sonus Faber Sonetto V

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 4 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
High Frequency Response	26k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	1007mm vs 1072mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Sonus Sonetto V vs Polk RTi A5 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sonus Faber Sonetto V	Polk Audio RTi A5
Brand	Sonus Faber	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	50-300 watts	20-250 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	90 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	38-25k Hz	40-26k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	7"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	aluminum cone	Polymer composite
Woofer Surround Material	n/a	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.15"	1"
Tweeter Type	high definition DAD Dome	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	6"	No
Crossover Frequency	235 and 3.000 Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	bottom	front
Physical Specs
Height	1072.0mm (42.2")	1007.0mm (39.6")
Width	258.0mm (10.2")	269.0mm (10.6")
Depth	409.0mm (16.1")	404.0mm (15.9")
Weight	22.60kg (49.7lbs)	18.18kg (40lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	n/a	Real wood veneer
Available Colors	Wood, White, Black, Wenge	Cherry
Grille	n/a	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty		5 Years
Labor Warranty		5 Years