In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Amati is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Guarneri is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Amati and Sonus faber Guarneri first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Sonus faber Amati Key Specs
- 4-way Design
- 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 2 x 8.5" Paper Woofer
- 28-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:50-450watts
- Weight:61.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 46-5/16" x 16-3/16" x 20-3/16" ( 1176.0 x 411.0 x 512.0mm )
Sonus faber Guarneri Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 6" Paper Woofer
- 40-35k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:30-125watts
- Weight:16.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 14-13/16" x 9-7/16" x 14-3/4" ( 377.0 x 239.0 x 375.0mm )
Amati and Guarneri are members of Sonus faber's Homage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Homage Series
History
What size room are the Sonus faber Amati and Sonus faber Guarneri 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 faber Amati |
Sonus faber Guarneri |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
No way |
(* 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 faber Amati and Sonus faber Guarneri 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 Amati is a 4-way design whereas the Guarneri 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 faber Amati |
Sonus faber Guarneri |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8.5-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Amati features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 8.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 200, 270, 2200 Hz. On the other hand, the Guarneri features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200 Hz.
Frequency Response
Amati has a frequency range of 28-35k Hz whereas Guarneri has a frequency range of 40-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Amati can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Guarneri's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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
Amati and Guarneri have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Amati sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Guarneri's is at 86 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Amati a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus faber Guarneri, 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 Amati and the Amati 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. 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.
Amati can handle a max power of 450 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Guarneri has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 325 watts less than the Amati.
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
Amati features Binding post type posts and Guarneri has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 faber Amati's and Sonus faber Guarneri's external dimensions. Sonus faber Amati has external dimensions of 1176.0 x 411.0 x 512.0mm ( 46-5/16 x 16-3/16 x 20-3/16inch) whereas Sonus faber Guarneri has external dimensions of 377.0 x 239.0 x 375.0mm ( 14-13/16 x 9-7/16 x 14-3/4inch) .
Sonus faber Amati is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 172mm wider, 799mm taller and 137mm deeper than Sonus faber Guarneri.
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 faber Amati is approximately 2104.3cm2 / 326.2inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Guarneri is approximately 896.3cm2 / 138.9inch2. The Amati requires 135% more surface area than the Guarneri which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.