In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto V and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto V and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto V | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" aluminum cone | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-25k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.60kg / 49.7lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42" x 10" x 16"
1072.0 x 258.0 x 409.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus Sonetto V and SVS Ultra Tower 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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| 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
Both Sonetto V and Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
Sonus Sonetto VSVS Ultra Tower
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 V |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto V has a frequency range of 38-25k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto V's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 V is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower 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.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sonetto V sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto V a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though Sonetto V is rated 50-300 watts and Ultra Tower 20-300 watts.
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 V and Ultra Tower 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
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 V's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto V has external dimensions of 1072.0 x 258.0 x 409.0mm (42 x 10 x 16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 97mm wider, 87mm taller and 36mm deeper than Sonus Sonetto V.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
SVS Ultra Tower needs about 50% more floor or shelf area. SVS Ultra Tower is 36mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Ultra Tower is 87mm 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 V is approximately 1055.2cm2 / 163.6inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Sonetto V requires 33% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 52% heavier than the Sonetto V.
Here is a comparison of how Sonetto V and Ultra Tower'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 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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1072mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1055cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
4499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Sonetto V |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-25k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminum cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
235 and 3.000 Hz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1072.0mm (42.2") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
258.0mm (10.2") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
409.0mm (16.1") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
22.60kg (49.7lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus Sonetto V costs roughly 1.7x what SVS Ultra Tower 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 | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 38Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Sonus Sonetto V is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower 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 (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Sonus Sonetto V is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus Sonetto V: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. Sonus Sonetto V sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $4,499, about 42% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus Sonetto V B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
SVS Ultra Tower 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 38Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus Sonetto V 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.