In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Sonetto Wall is a On-wall speaker whereas the Sonetto VIII is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Sonetto Wall and Sonus Sonetto VIII first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Sonetto Wall | Sonus Sonetto VIII |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Paper | 3 x 7" aluminum cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-40k Hz | 36-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.80kg / 15lbs | 26.30kg / 57.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17-3/16" x 10-11/16" x 6-5/8"
437.0 x 271.0 x 168.0mm | 47" x 11" x 17"
1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm |
|---|
Sonetto Wall and Sonetto VIII are members of Sonus faber's Sonetto series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Sonetto Series
History
What size room are the Sonus faber Sonetto Wall and Sonus Sonetto VIII 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 Sonetto Wall |
Sonus Sonetto VIII |
| 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 Sonetto Wall is a 2-way design whereas the Sonetto VIII 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 WallSonus Sonetto VIII
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 Wall |
Sonus Sonetto VIII |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 7-inch
|
Sonetto Wall features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3100 Hz. On the other hand, the Sonetto VIII features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 7" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270 and 3.000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Sonetto Wall has a frequency range of 60-40k Hz whereas Sonetto VIII has a frequency range of 36-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Sonetto VIII can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Sonetto Wall's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the On-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
On-wall 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 Wall and Sonetto VIII have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Sonetto Wall sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Sonetto VIII's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Sonus Sonetto VIII a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus faber Sonetto Wall, 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 Sonetto Wall and the Sonetto Wall can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
On-wall 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.
Sonetto VIII can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Sonetto Wall has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Sonetto VIII.
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 Sonetto Wall and Sonetto VIII features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Sonus Sonetto VIII'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 Wall's and Sonus Sonetto VIII's external dimensions. Sonus faber Sonetto Wall has external dimensions of 437.0 x 271.0 x 168.0mm (17-3/16 x 10-11/16 x 6-5/8inch) whereas Sonus Sonetto VIII has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 283.0 x 427.0mm (47 x 11 x 17inch).
Sonus Sonetto VIII is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 12mm wider, 751mm taller and 259mm deeper than Sonus faber Sonetto Wall.
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 Sonetto VIII needs about 165% more floor or shelf area. Sonus Sonetto VIII is 259mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Sonus Sonetto VIII is 751mm 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 Sonetto Wall is approximately 455.3cm2 / 70.6inch2 and base area of the Sonus Sonetto VIII is approximately 1208.4cm2 / 187.3inch2. The Sonetto Wall requires 62% less surface area than the Sonetto VIII which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Sonus Sonetto VIII?
Here are the items that come with the Sonetto VIII:
- 8 Spikes
- 8 Under Spikes
- 8 Spike locks
- 2 Masks
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 2 Basis
- 16 Locking screws
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Allen Wrench
- 1 Manual