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Sonus Sonetto VIII vs Sonus Sonetto I Comparison

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Sonus Sonetto VIII

Passive Floor-standing | 36-25k Hz

Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII
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Sonus Sonetto I

Passive Bookshelf | 45-25k Hz

Sonus Faber Sonetto I
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Sonus Sonetto VIII Sonus Sonetto VIII
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Sonus Sonetto I Sonus Sonetto I
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Sonus Sonetto VIII
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Sonus Sonetto I
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Sonus Sonetto VIII vs Sonus Sonetto I Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sonus Faber. Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Sonetto I is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sonus Sonetto VIII and Sonus Sonetto I 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 )

Sonus Sonetto I Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter
  • 6" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers Woofer
  • 45-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 87 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:30-150watts
  • Weight:5.50kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 359.0" x 9" x 12"( 359.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm )

Sonetto VIII and Sonetto I are members of Sonus Faber's Sonetto series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Sonus Faber Sonetto Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Sonus Sonetto III
  
Floor-standing 42-25k Hz 89 dB4Ω 2 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto V
  
Floor-standing 38-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 2 x 7"
Sonus Sonetto II
  
Bookshelf 42-25k Hz 87 dB4Ω 1 x 6.5"
Sonus Sonetto VIII
Floor-standing 36-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 3 x 7"
Sonus Sonetto I
Bookshelf 45-25k Hz 87 dB4Ω 1 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto Center II
  
Center Channel 42-25k Hz 91 dB4Ω 2 x 6"
Sonus Sonetto Center I
  
Center Channel 60-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 2 x 6"

What size room are the Sonus Sonetto VIII and Sonus Sonetto I 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 Sonus Sonetto I
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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonus Sonetto VIII and Sonus Sonetto I 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 VIII is a 3-way design whereas the Sonetto I 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 VIII Sonus Sonetto I
Driver Setup 3-way 2-way
Tweeter 1.15-inch 1.15-inch
Midrange 1 x 6-inch -
Woofer 3 x 7-inch 1 x 6-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 Sonetto I features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" cellulose pulp and other natural fibers Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz.

Frequency Response

Sonetto VIII has a frequency range of 36-25k Hz whereas Sonetto I has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Sonetto VIII can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto I's min frequency of 45Hz.

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
Sonetto I
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Sonus Sonetto VIII
Sonus Sonetto I
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 and Sonetto I have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonetto VIII sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Sonetto I's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto VIII a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto I, 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 VIII and the Sonetto VIII can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Sonetto VIII
Sonetto I
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 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Sonetto I has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Sonetto VIII.

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 Sonetto I features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

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

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Sonetto VIII has a bottom firing port whereas Sonetto I has a front firing ports. Sonus Sonetto I's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sonus Sonetto VIII 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 VIII's and Sonus Sonetto I's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto VIII has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm ( 47 x 11 x 17inch) whereas Sonus Sonetto I has external dimensions of 359.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm ( 14 x 9 x 12inch) .

Sonus Sonetto VIII is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 64mm wider, 829mm taller and 122mm deeper than Sonus Sonetto I.

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 Sonus Sonetto I is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2. The Sonetto VIII requires 81% more surface area than the Sonetto I which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

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 Sonus Sonetto I?

    Here are the items that come with the Sonetto I:
  • 2 Masks
  • 2 Fabric dust guards
  • 2 Jumpers
  • 1 Manual

  • Reasons to choose Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII over Sonus Faber Sonetto I
    Max Input Power 300 watts vs 150 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 90 dB vs 87 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 7 inches vs 6 inches Larger woofer
    Number of Woofers 3 vs 1 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 36 Hz vs 45 Hz Generates deeper bass

    Reasons to choose Sonus Faber Sonetto I over Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII

    Height 359mm vs 1188mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 668cm2 vs 1208cm2 Takes less floor space
    Sonus Sonetto VIII vs Sonus Sonetto I Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII Sonus Faber Sonetto I
    Brand Sonus Faber Sonus Faber
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Bookshelf speakers
    Power Range 50-300 watts 30-150 watts
    Sensitivity 90 dB 87 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 36-25k Hz 45-25k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 3 1
    Woofer Size 7" 6"
    Woofer Composition aluminum cone cellulose pulp and other natural fibers
    Tweeter Size 1.15" 1.15"
    Tweeter Type high definition DAD Dome high definition DAD Dome
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver 6" No
    Crossover Frequency 270 and 3.000 Hz 2500 Hz
    Firing Direction bottom front
    Physical Specs
    Height 1188.0mm (46.8") 359.0mm (14.1")
    Width 283.0mm (11.1") 219.0mm (8.6")
    Depth 427.0mm (16.8") 305.0mm (12")
    Weight 26.30kg (57.9lbs) 5.50kg (12.1lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Available Colors Wood, White, Black, Wenge Wood, White, Black, Wenge
    Mounting Bracket
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs Yes Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty
    Labor Warranty

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