In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Sonetto V 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 V and Sonus Sonetto II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto V | 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 7" aluminum cone | 6.5" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-25k Hz | 42-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 40-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.60kg / 49.7lbs | 6.80kg / 15lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42" x 10" x 16"
1072.0 x 258.0 x 409.0mm | 14.6" x 10" x 13"
370.0 x 250.0 x 334.0mm |
|---|
Sonetto V 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 V 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 V |
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 V 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 VSonus 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 V |
Sonus Sonetto II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
1 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 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 V has a frequency range of 38-25k Hz whereas Sonetto II has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Sonetto V can go slightly deeper then the Sonetto II'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 V and Sonetto II have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonetto V sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Sonetto II's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto V 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 V and the Sonetto V 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 V can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Sonetto II has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Sonetto V.
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 Sonetto II 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 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 V 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 V's and Sonus Sonetto II's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto V has external dimensions of 1072.0 x 258.0 x 409.0mm (42 x 10 x 16inch) whereas Sonus Sonetto II has external dimensions of 370.0 x 250.0 x 334.0mm (15 x 10 x 13inch).
Sonus Sonetto V is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 8mm wider, 702mm taller and 75mm deeper than Sonus Sonetto II.
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 Sonus Sonetto II is approximately 835.0cm2 / 129.4inch2. The Sonetto V requires 26% more surface area than the Sonetto II which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 Sonus Sonetto II?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto II:
- 2 Masks
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Manual