In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Guarneri is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Serafino is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Guarneri and Sonus faber Serafino first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Guarneri | Sonus faber Serafino |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" Paper | 2 x 7" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-35k Hz | 30-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-125 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 52.00kg / 114.4lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 42-15/16" x 15-9/16" x 19-1/8"
1091.0 x 396.0 x 485.0mm |
|---|
Guarneri and Serafino 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 Guarneri and Sonus faber Serafino 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 Guarneri |
Sonus faber Serafino |
| Near-field |
Good |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Guarneri is a 2-way design whereas the Serafino is a 4-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 faber GuarneriSonus faber Serafino
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 faber Guarneri |
Sonus faber Serafino |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 7-inch
|
Guarneri features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200 Hz. On the other hand, the Serafino features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 7" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 200, 250, 2400 Hz.
Frequency Response
Guarneri has a frequency range of 40-35k Hz whereas Serafino has a frequency range of 30-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Serafino can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Guarneri's min frequency of 40Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Guarneri and Serafino have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Guarneri sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Serafino's is at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Serafino 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 Guarneri and the Guarneri can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Serafino can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Guarneri has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 175 watts less than the Serafino.
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 Guarneri and Serafino features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
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 faber Guarneri's and Sonus faber Serafino's external dimensions. 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) whereas Sonus faber Serafino has external dimensions of 1091.0 x 396.0 x 485.0mm (42-15/16 x 15-9/16 x 19-1/8inch).
Sonus faber Serafino is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 157mm wider, 714mm taller and 110mm deeper than Sonus faber Guarneri.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Sonus faber Serafino needs about 114% more floor or shelf area. Sonus faber Serafino is 110mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Serafino is 714mm 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 faber Guarneri is approximately 896.3cm2 / 138.9inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Serafino is approximately 1920.6cm2 / 297.7inch2. The Guarneri requires 53% less surface area than the Serafino which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.