In this review, we will be comparing Serafino and Synchrony T600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Serafino and PSB Synchrony T600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Serafino | PSB Synchrony T600 |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" Paper | 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-35k Hz | 24-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 52.00kg / 114.4lbs | 34.90kg / 76.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-15/16" x 15-9/16" x 19-1/8"
1091.0 x 396.0 x 485.0mm | 41-1/4" x 9" x 13-1/2"
1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus faber Serafino and PSB Synchrony T600 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 Serafino |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Serafino is a 4-way design whereas the Synchrony T600 is a 3-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 SerafinoPSB Synchrony T600
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 Serafino |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Synchrony T600 features a 1" titanium with ferrofluid cooling and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Carbon fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 450Hz and 1800Hz.
Frequency Response
Serafino has a frequency range of 30-35k Hz whereas Synchrony T600 has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Synchrony T600 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Serafino's min frequency of 30Hz.
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
Serafino and Synchrony T600 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Serafino sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Synchrony T600's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Serafino a more sensitive speaker compared to PSB Synchrony T600, 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 Serafino and the Serafino 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though Serafino is rated 50-300 watts and Synchrony T600 20-300 watts.
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 Serafino and Synchrony T600 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Synchrony T600's Binding post terminals allows 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 Serafino's and PSB Synchrony T600's external dimensions. 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) whereas PSB Synchrony T600 has external dimensions of 1048.0 x 228.0 x 343.0mm (41-1/4 x 9 x 13-1/2inch).
Sonus faber Serafino is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 168mm wider, 43mm taller and 142mm deeper than PSB Synchrony T600.
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 146% more floor or shelf area. Sonus faber Serafino is 142mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Serafino is 43mm 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 Serafino is approximately 1920.6cm2 / 297.7inch2 and base area of the PSB Synchrony T600 is approximately 782.0cm2 / 121.2inch2. The Serafino requires 146% more surface area than the Synchrony T600 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 faber Serafino weighs 52.00kg / 114.4lbs and the PSB Synchrony T600 weighs 34.90kg / 76.8lbs. This makes the Serafino 49% heavier than the Synchrony T600.
Here is a comparison of how Serafino and Synchrony T600'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 PSB Synchrony T600?
Here are the items that come with the Synchrony T600:
- Floorstanding loudspeakr
- Grille
- 2 Binding-post jumpers (pre-installed)
- 4 Isolation feet
- 2 Port plugs
- Owners Manual
- Warranty Card
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
7 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1048mm
vs
1091mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
782cm2
vs
1920cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
8000USD
vs
21998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Serafino |
PSB Synchrony T600 |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-35k Hz |
24-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Carbon fiber |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
200, 250, 2400 Hz |
450Hz and 1800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1091.0mm (43") |
1048.0mm (41.3") |
| Width |
396.0mm (15.6") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
485.0mm (19.1") |
343.0mm (13.5") |
| Weight |
52.00kg (114.4lbs) |
34.90kg (76.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Satin Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Serafino costs roughly 2.7x what PSB Synchrony T600 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | PSB Synchrony T600 digs deeper - 24Hz against 30Hz. 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 300W). |
| Size | depends | PSB Synchrony T600 is easier to place; Sonus faber Serafino is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Serafino: bi-amping; PSB Synchrony T600: bi-amping. Sonus faber Serafino sits in a wider range (6 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | PSB Synchrony T600 is cheaper - $8,000 against $21,998, about 64% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Serafino B PSB Synchrony T600
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?
PSB Synchrony T600 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Sonus faber Serafino has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, PSB Synchrony T600 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.