In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto III G2 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus faber and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-dome | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Paper Pulp | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-40k Hz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-280 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.85kg / 56.9lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-1/16" x 11-5/16" x 14-5/16"
1069.0 x 288.0 x 364.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
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 Sonetto III G2 is a 2-way design whereas the Ultra Tower 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 Sonetto III G2SVS Ultra Tower
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 Sonetto III G2 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8.0-inch
|
Sonetto III G2 features a 1.1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Paper Pulp Woofer. On the other hand, the Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto III G2 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto III G2's min frequency of 38Hz.
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 III G2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Sonetto III G2 can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
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.
Ultra Tower can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Sonetto III G2 has a max power handling value of 280 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the Ultra Tower.
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.
Sonus faber Sonetto III G2
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Sonetto III G2 and Ultra Tower features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Tower'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 Sonetto III G2's and SVS Ultra Tower's external dimensions. Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 has external dimensions of 1069.0 x 288.0 x 364.0mm (42-1/16inch x 11-5/16inch x 14-5/16inch) whereas SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
SVS Ultra Tower is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 67mm wider, 90mm taller and 81mm deeper than Sonus faber Sonetto III G2.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 and SVS Ultra Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 and SVS Ultra Tower Size and External Dimensions
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 Sonetto III G2 is approximately 1048.3cm2 / 162.5inch2 and base area of the SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Sonetto III G2 requires 34% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 Sonetto III G2 weighs 25.85kg / 56.9lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Ultra Tower 33% heavier than the Sonetto III G2.
Here is a comparison of how Sonetto III G2 and Ultra Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Sonus faber Sonetto III G2
What's in the Box of Sonus faber Sonetto III G2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonetto III G2:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 6 Grilles
- 4 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- 2 Binding-post covers (pre-installed)
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spikes 8 Protective discs
- 8 Locking washers
- Wrench
- Dust cloth
What's in the Box of SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
32k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1069mm
vs
1159mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1048cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
280 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.0 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-280 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-40k Hz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper Pulp |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1069.0mm (42.1") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
288.0mm (11.3") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
364.0mm (14.3") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
25.85kg (56.9lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
|
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Wood/Leather/Concrete |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Wenge |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Yrs (8 Yrs registered) |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Yrs (8 Yrs registered) |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 costs roughly 1.9x what SVS Ultra Tower 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 | SVS Ultra Tower digs deeper - 28Hz against 38Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (280W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 is easier to place; SVS Ultra Tower is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus faber Sonetto III G2: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | SVS Ultra Tower is cheaper - $2,600 against $5,000, about 48% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
SVS Ultra Tower is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, SVS Ultra Tower has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus faber Sonetto III G2 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.