Sonus Sonetto VIII vs Polk R700 Comparison

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Sonus Sonetto VIII

Passive Floor-standing | 36-25k Hz

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Polk R700

Passive Floor-standing | 38-38k Hz

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Sonus Sonetto VIII

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Polk R700

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Sonus Sonetto VIII

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Polk R700

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Sonus Sonetto VIII vs Polk R700 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto VIII and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus Faber and Polk Audio.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sonus Sonetto VIII and Polk R700 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sonus Sonetto VIII Key Specs

3-way Design

1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter

6" Midrange

3 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer

36-25k Hz Frequency Response

90 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 4ohms

Power Range:50-300watts

Weight:26.30kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1188.0" x 11" x 17"( 1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm )

Polk R700 Key Specs

3-way Design

1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter

6.5" Midrange

2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer

6.5" Midrange

38-38k Hz Frequency Response

88 dB Sensitivity

Impedance: 8ohms

Power Range:50-300watts

Weight:35.90kg

Dimensions (H x W x D): 1143.8" x 12.6" x 16.9"( 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm )

What size room are the Sonus Sonetto VIII and Polk R700 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 VIII	Polk R700
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 VIII and Polk R700 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

Both Sonetto VIII and R700 are 3-way speakers.

Driver	Sonus Sonetto VIII	Polk R700
Driver Setup	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1.15-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 6-inch	1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer	3 x 7-inch	2 x 8-inch

Sonetto VIII features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270 and 3.000 Hz. On the other hand, the R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.

Frequency Response

Sonetto VIII has a frequency range of 36-25k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Sonetto VIII can go slightly deeper then the R700's min frequency of 38Hz.

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 VIII

R700

Min

Average

Max

High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Sonus Sonetto VIII

Polk R700

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 VIII is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the R700 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 VIII can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sonetto VIII sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto VIII a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Sonetto VIII

R700

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 VIII and R700 has the same power range of 50-300 watts.

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 VIII and R700 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

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

Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Sonetto VIII and R700 have bottom firing ports.

Polk R700 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 VIII's and Polk R700's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto VIII has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm ( 47 x 11 x 17inch) whereas Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm ( 45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch) .

Sonus Sonetto VIII is 37.7mm narrower and 1.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 44.2mm 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 VIII is approximately 1208.4cm² / 187.3inch² and base area of the Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm² / 212.9inch². The Sonetto VIII requires 12% less surface area than the R700 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 VIII weighs 26.30kg / 57.9lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 37% heavier than the Sonetto VIII.

Here is a comparison of how Sonetto VIII and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers

Sonus Sonetto VIII

Polk R700

Min

Average

Max

What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto VIII?

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

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 R700?

Here are the items that come with the R700:

Floorstanding loudspeaker

4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)

4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)

4 Spike feet (pre-installed)

Grille

Hex-key

Owner's Manual

Online Registration

Reasons to choose Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII over Polk Audio Reserve R700

Sensitivity	90 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	3 vs 2	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	36 Hz vs 38 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	1208cm² vs 1373cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose Polk Audio Reserve R700 over Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 4 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	8 inches vs 7 inches	Larger woofer
High Frequency Response	38k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	1143mm vs 1188mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Sonus Sonetto VIII vs Polk R700 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII	Polk Audio Reserve R700
Brand	Sonus Faber	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Floor-standing speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	50-300 watts	50-300 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	88 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	8 ohms
Impedance	n/a	3.6 ohms
Frequency Response	36-25k Hz	38-38k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	3	2
Woofer Size	7"	8"
Woofer Composition	aluminum cone	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	n/a	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.15"	1"
Tweeter Type	high definition DAD Dome	Pinnacle Ring Radiator
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	6"	6.5"
Crossover Frequency	270 and 3.000 Hz	350Hz and 2700Hz
Firing Direction	bottom	bottom
Physical Specs
Height	1188.0mm (46.8")	1143.8mm (45")
Width	283.0mm (11.1")	320.7mm (12.6")
Depth	427.0mm (16.8")	428.3mm (16.9")
Weight	26.30kg (57.9lbs)	35.90kg (79lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Bass Reflex
Finish	n/a	MDF/Vinyl
Available Colors	Wood, White, Black, Wenge	Black, Walnut, White
Grille	n/a	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty		5 Years
Labor Warranty		5 Years