In this review, we will be comparing Serafino and Stradivari, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Serafino and Sonus faber Stradivari first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Serafino | Sonus faber Stradivari |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" Paper | 2 x 10" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-35k Hz | 25-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-300 watts | 100-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 52.00kg / 114.4lbs | 81.50kg / 179.3lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 54-1/8" x 28-1/8" x 16-7/8"
1374.0 x 715.0 x 428.0mm |
|---|
Serafino and Stradivari 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 Serafino and Sonus faber Stradivari 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 |
Sonus faber Stradivari |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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 Serafino and Stradivari are 4-way speakers.
Sonus faber SerafinoSonus faber Stradivari
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 |
Sonus faber Stradivari |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
2 x 10-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 Stradivari features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 10" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160, 220, 2200 Hz.
Frequency Response
Serafino has a frequency range of 30-35k Hz whereas Stradivari has a frequency range of 25-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Stradivari 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 Stradivari have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Serafino sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Stradivari's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Stradivari a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus faber Serafino, 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.
Stradivari can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Serafino has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 300 watts less than the Stradivari.
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 Stradivari 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 Serafino's and Sonus faber Stradivari'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 Sonus faber Stradivari has external dimensions of 1374.0 x 715.0 x 428.0mm (54-1/8 x 28-1/8 x 16-7/8inch).
Sonus faber Serafino is 319mm narrower and 283mm shorter than Sonus faber Stradivari but it is also 57mm deeper.
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 Stradivari needs about 59% more floor or shelf area. Sonus faber Serafino is 57mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus faber Stradivari is 283mm 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 Sonus faber Stradivari is approximately 3060.2cm2 / 474.3inch2. The Serafino requires 37% less surface area than the Stradivari which gives it a small advantage 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 Sonus faber Stradivari weighs 81.50kg / 179.3lbs. This makes the Stradivari 57% heavier than the Serafino.
Here is a comparison of how Serafino and Stradivari's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
1091mm
vs
1374mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1920cm2
vs
3060cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
21998USD
vs
50000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Sonus faber Serafino |
Sonus faber Stradivari |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-300 watts |
100-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-35k Hz |
25-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
10" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
200, 250, 2400 Hz |
160, 220, 2200 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1091.0mm (43") |
1374.0mm (54.1") |
| Width |
396.0mm (15.6") |
715.0mm (28.1") |
| Depth |
485.0mm (19.1") |
428.0mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
52.00kg (114.4lbs) |
81.50kg (179.3lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Sonus faber's Homage series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Sonus faber Stradivari digs deeper - 25Hz against 30Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Sonus faber Stradivari is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Sonus faber Stradivari takes more power (600W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Sonus faber Serafino is easier to place; Sonus faber Stradivari is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Serafino: bi-amping; Sonus faber Stradivari: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Sonus faber Serafino is cheaper - $21,998 against $50,000, about 56% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Serafino B Sonus faber Stradivari
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?
The usual trade-off: Sonus faber Stradivari measures better, Sonus faber Serafino costs about about 127% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 30Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Sonus faber Serafino much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Sonus faber Stradivari the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.