In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto VIII and Sonetto III, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto VIII and Sonus Sonetto III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto VIII | Sonus Sonetto III |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 7" aluminum cone | 2 x 6" aluminum cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-25k Hz | 42-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 50-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.30kg / 57.9lbs | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47" x 11" x 17"
1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm | 40" x 9" x 12"
1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm |
|---|
Sonetto VIII and Sonetto III 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 VIII and Sonus Sonetto III 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 III |
| 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 VIII and Sonetto III are 3-way speakers.
Sonus Sonetto VIIISonus Sonetto III
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 VIII |
Sonus Sonetto III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 7-inch
|
2 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 III features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 220 and 3.250 Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto VIII has a frequency range of 36-25k Hz whereas Sonetto III has a frequency range of 42-25k 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 III'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 VIII and Sonetto III 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 III's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto VIII a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Sonetto III, 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
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 VIII can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Sonetto III has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Sonetto VIII.
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 VIII and Sonetto III 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
Sonus Sonetto III's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sonetto VIII and Sonetto III have bottom firing ports.
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 VIII's and Sonus Sonetto III'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 III has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm (40 x 9 x 12inch).
Sonus Sonetto VIII is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 64mm wider, 170mm taller and 122mm deeper than Sonus Sonetto III.
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 III is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2. The Sonetto VIII requires 81% more surface area than the Sonetto III which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Sonus Sonetto III weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs. This makes the Sonetto VIII 64% heavier than the Sonetto III.
Here is a comparison of how Sonetto VIII and Sonetto III'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 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 III?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto III:
- 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
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1018mm
vs
1188mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
668cm2
vs
1208cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2999USD
vs
5499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Sonetto VIII |
Sonus faber Sonetto III |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
50-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-25k Hz |
42-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminum cone |
aluminum cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
1.15" |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD Dome |
high definition DAD Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
270 and 3.000 Hz |
220 and 3.250 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
1018.0mm (40.1") |
| Width |
283.0mm (11.1") |
219.0mm (8.6") |
| Depth |
427.0mm (16.8") |
305.0mm (12") |
| Weight |
26.30kg (57.9lbs) |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Sonus faber's Sonetto series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Sonus Sonetto VIII digs deeper - 36Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Sonus Sonetto III is easier to place; Sonus Sonetto VIII is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus Sonetto VIII: bi-amping; Sonus Sonetto III: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Sonus Sonetto III is cheaper - $2,999 against $5,499, about 45% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus Sonetto VIII B Sonus Sonetto III
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?
Sonus Sonetto VIII is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 83% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Sonus Sonetto III looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Sonus Sonetto VIII appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sonus Sonetto III much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Sonus Sonetto VIII has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus Sonetto III 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.