I’ve owned the Sonetto V’s and I will say this review echos my experience with the larger brother. Gorgeous touches and build, high WAF, and beautiful mid range tone. However, after living with them, these were too relaxed and mellow of a speaker for me, they lacked in dynamics, everything was a little too smoothed over for me. However, that said you could probably have these in the background all day and get no fatigue. Not a critical, or super detailed speaker and can lack engagement of more lively speaker. Great review!
Thats a very accurate picture of Sonetto range. Today I have decided to go with Sonetto III knowing that it lacks in detail & dynamics compared to a Linn Majik 140 speaker. It will be combined with a Linn Majik DSM/4 which is a good match I can say. Much less fatigue and more natural sound was my ultimate decision factors.
@@alperozaltin How you think of them now? I have a pair of SF Sonetto III myself and love them for jazz, blues, contrey and classical ALOT! ( I use them with an ARCAM SA30 amp ) wanna upgrade later in the future ( my dream is the sonus faber amator maximum ) or the Nova seires, but so far the SF Sonettto III is my first pair of speakers so I am SO happy to have them for some time!!! :D
Great video Nemo! We appreciate your honesty and transparency as we try make purchasing decisions. There are a lot of good choices in the $1500 - $2500 price range. Thanks again!
I haven’t heard the Buchardt but for those who are looking into this two speaker , sonetto needs a very resolving and a powerful amp , if you have that this speaker will sing and will give you a experience more than a list of characteristic , go and listen first ! I have this speaker and I can assure you will no be disappointed of sonus faber , the voices sound wonderful, the scenario is huge, instrument sounds very natural ,amazing speaker for the price .
I wanted to update this opinion , today I had the opportunity of listening the buchardt speakers , great speakers! They have a nice imaging , very natural , the top end with lot of details (maybe some instrument like a saxophone could Sound strident and sometimes clinical , this compared with sonetto II that without leaving any detail has a different carácter) the midrange is very nice , voices sound natural and realistic , the bass is what I liked the most , very deep and detailed ( I could not hear the same level of details In the bass in my sonetto, I don’t know if maybe the room was larger than my room? ) . So I’ll keep the sonetto but I do know now what is the next think that I will be looking in the next upgrade , the low region of the buchardt and the natural midrange.
@@sebastiandroguettpizarro9551 I have the Sonetto2's with the technics sug700mk2 ... the amp is capable of getting the true sound out of anything I put into it, along with a punchy bass ... when married with the Sonetto's, the clinical sound is tamed a bit, sort of warmed up. But the thing that blows me away about the Sonettos is the rendering of upper mids/lower highs ... ALL of the music is there. Most Dynamic speakers (V style sound) have more on both ends, but sound thin in the middle. The Sonetto's render all the instruments and full range of each singers voice without pulling back. Paired with a good sub, there is Nothing missing in all recordings. That was the sound I was chasing and I am super happy. Even at lower listening volumes, every bit of the piece of music is fully audible.
I’m a detail nut and I bought the Aria 906 based on your review. After buying a sub for them they’re the best speakers I’ve heard. I was thinking of trying the Sonettos but you saved me the trouble!
I like how you manage to review the speakers I am also interested in . I have the Arias that I really like, but before buying them I also auditioned the Sonetto 2 . For me the Sonettos sounded better than Arias in the same room and same amplification. As you said the sound stage and the feel of instruments is impressive. In case the price difference would have been the same in Europe as it is in US, I would have went with the Sonetto 2 even though I don't like the silver grills, but in Europe Arias are a lot more cheaper so it didn't make sense to make that buy. Thank you for your opinion on them!
Ah yes, I have seen the Aria price in EU many times and it's always made me very jealous. Aria is an easy choice for sure in that situtation. The worse is the Diablo Evo price, I can fly to EU, buy a pair, ship them to myself, fly back home and it's still cheaper than the USA price :(
After watching the review I'm somewhat comforted in my choice of the buchardts over these when I was in the market. The audio excellence guys may differ in your conclusions, but like with all reviews there are no objective findings, too many caveats, amplification, sources, room, etc. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to swap in another pair of speakers in my system and get the best out of them because everything I've done so far was to maximize the performance of my current pair to my gear, listening habits and musical preferences. I'm sure the sonettos are great and will suit some nicely.
Yo! totally agree. The Sonetto II will put a smile on a lot of faces for sure. However the S400 MKII is a solid step up all around in my book minus having an exotic cabinet.
Interesting review. I’ve heard many positive things about the Sonetto line. I never personally considered them because I don’t think they’d match well with my amp for the type of music I like, but I’ve always thought the wood finish was very attractive. Interesting to hear some of the flaws you e pointed out.
Nice review - I have some aria 936s and I am considering going back to some higher end bookshelves so I really enjoy the comparisons and appreciate your honest subjective opinion.
@@roybrolsbeak no, I am keeping the 936s for now - they work well and I got them at a great price and not ready to cough up the money for a meaningful upgrade with floorstanders or bookshelves ; my short list is 805d, sopra no1, kanta n2 - I have had bookshelves previously in my setup and it worked fine but it depends a lot on your room, distances etc. I am about 8-9ft away from the speakers so I don’t require towers. YMMV.
@@kyleo2113 ok thankyou. Just giving you a headsup; in case youre planning to upgrade any time soon. The arias are going to be discontinued end of year so they will not bring as much on secondairy market.
@@kyleo2113 i have no idea about that. 2 dealers just gave me a headsup on the aria. My gut says the ventia replaced the chora.. and the rest of the linup will get replacements aswell in the upcoming 2 years. Going to wait it out and try to get a great deal when the arias go on clearance sale.
Thanks for the candid review but you shouldn't overlook the possibility of a damaged tweeter. These things happen. Could have come from the factory or happened sometime after, shipping or whatever. I think the oner should contact SF for a replacement.
It didn't seem damaged in any way though anything is possible and there are always minor manufacturing variances. I certainly wouldn't rule that out hence my recommendation of not taking these off the list and have a listen if anyone is interested in buying a pair :)
COULDN’T DISAGREE MORE - I own the $4k Sonetto lll’s. It’s the smallest floor stander tower in the line. I’m coming from Focals with the “EXTENDED” shall we say, metal tweets. I LOVE the SF silk dome tweets vs my Focals. It’s a very musical “natural” and non-fatiguing sounding speaker. Instruments sound like “instruments”. Mids and vocals are natural and warm. A very good low end but I do fill in the lowest notes w a Rel sub. Overall, it’s a very balanced and tonally rich speaker. SF loves tubes and I run a nice tube pre and tube amp. Huge sweet spot and off-axis sound is great! Very forgiving and easy to setup and place in a room. Terrific separation and soundstage is how I describe the speaker. What you’re hearing and what I hear are definitely two different things. Mine are in piano black and the Italian’s know a lil something about pride of workmanship with attention to detail. First class. Bookshelf speakers suck in general. Sure, they image well but that’s all they are capable of physically. Small footprint = small sound. What are you running for amplification? How big is your room? There are so many variables when listening to speakers. Sounds like dude has a defective tweet because the “DAD tweeters” are incredible. Yes, the speaker needs to “stay in its lane” (in respect to high db’s) and doesn’t do cranked volume well. It’s a finesse speaker with class,richness and tonality. I really feel you’ve missed the mark on your review but it is the bookshelf. If you get a chance to “hear” the Sonetto lll, V or Vlll floor standers do it and tell me if you feel the same….
Coming from 'high end Focals' with metal tweets? And what high end model would that be? The Utopias? Sopras? Kantas? Putting your Sonetto 3 against (at least) the Kantas and calling it superior? Definitely acquired taste here. I can understand you like a warm sounding speaker, but that doesnt take away a thing from the Focals.
I own the sonnetto 2 with a Technics SU-G700 amplifier. I don't have any of the problems mentioned. With DIRAC processing to correct the room the sound is simply amazing, really. I think the amp should be as transparent as possible for these speakers.
Hi Keefer, I don't mind disagreement but I'm sure you can agree the tower is a totally different speaker and only looks the same. The tower has major component differences such as cabinet, additional drivers, and most important the crosover circuitry which all play a massive part in the overall sound. I expect the two to be voiced similarly but that doesn't make them the same speaker. BTW all my associated equipment is always listed in the description.
Good review I generally agree as an owner of the Sonettos IIIs and Focal Chora 826s the tweeter and drivers on the Focals sound so effortless, and I’m almost certain the arias and the Choras use a nearly identical tweeter design. I’ve never heard a tweeter sparkle quite like Focals and also not fatigue at the same time. The Focals are airier sounding overall I enjoy most music and content on the Focals slightly more, however there’s a couple albums I do prefer on the Sonettos. As for the design I have them in the darker stain wenge and the brushed aluminum rings around the drivers along the S/F jewel logo planted in the center of the mid range makes these things live a breath luxury. I think the white and black high gloss takes away of the luxury premium look the wood stain models present and like I said the rings really do add to the luxury look on those models. I use my Focals in my home theater and my Sonettos in my listening room. Here’s my listening room… hopefully they don’t edit out the audio 😊 th-cam.com/video/B1AhlUMVCp0/w-d-xo.html
thanks for the reply. I think you have a fantastic review channel, I think our hearing and preferences are very similar based off of several products you reviewed and Ive heard personally. Many other channels get too caught up with fancy lingo and catch phrases this industry loves. I like your too the point but detailed reviews! Thanks for the great content! I’d love to post some close up shots of my sonetto iiis in the comments but TH-cam doesn’t allow… I could inbox you, not sure if you have a fan email etc… it was awesome how Sonus Faber packaged these things, and I love the carpet spikes they came with along with the plates for hardwood floors.
@@Paranimal86 thank's Mike, those are very kind words. Why not join our free discord and post pics for everyone to see? We have a section to showoff our systems :) Link is in the description and everyone is really cool in the discord.
It was the Lumina III floor stander and the Dynaudio Special 40. I do have the Special 40 also and I find it odd that they they love the Special 40 and not the S400 as they have a similar sound but no speaker is for everyone and there are thousands of happy S400 customers and thousands of happy Sonus Faber customers so as long as everyone is happy then I am happy too :)
@@MegaRockyk i will, I’m still getting to know them. I like to listen for a long time before making a review :). I will post early impressions in the discord if you’re in there. It’s free.
Personally when I dropped $2400 on a pair of bookshelves I got the Dynaudio Special 40s. I see them on US Audio Mart for $200o and $2100 today. After three years of testing a dozen speakers, I have found my huckleberry. I love these speakers. I won't bore you except to say they have very good everything but sensitivity; they need some juice. My amp puts out 80 watts but they also sounded good on a stereo Aegir. Get a deal and you can always sell them on for what you paid. They retail for $4000 here with tax now.
Special 40's are fantastic speakers, sadly they're up to $3600 now MSRP but I also picked up a used pair for around the same price you did and it's a killer deal at that price.
Hi Nemo, excellent job of detailing pros/cons of each speaker presented in the review. I’m curious to know what amplification used during your listening sessions?
Awesome review I have these on my list of speakers to demo. I would be interested if you did a comparison of the Focal Aria 906 and the B&W 706 sometime.
Accurate review! Will say that the floor standing versions of these are LOOKERS!! Perfect for the “aesthetic” audiophile. IMO anything that isn’t a box 📦 shape gets extra points in the looks department but sound isn’t as good. Still a worthy buy!
Thank you for the review. Some have compared its tweeter to the tonality of ribbon, or even an electrostat. I don't completely agree with that opinion, but it could have some merit since you had issues with its top end and have admitted to not being a fan of ribbon tweeters, except for the Emotivas, which compete at budget level. 17khz hearing, very impressive. Man, I need to get my ears tested! Lol. I appreciate the reminder.
Being a measurement guy, I went to look for the spins of the Sonetto 2 right after this review and everything correlates to what you described. It basically has a 1-3khz dip and an elevated treble from 7khz all the way to 20khz as much as 7db. That 1-3khz dip is mainly responsible for that great depth you described, and that elevated treble is there on many SF speakers from the Luminas to the Sonettos to give a false sense of clarity and air which kind of backfired and can get a wee bit harsh at higher volume levels. Its not a bad speaker at all, but I would go for other options that measure more neutral yet at the same time more revealing. Like the Choras and Aria 906 which I already own. Lol! Another great review Nemo!
Hey Mark, that's super cool to know. I must admit I don't even know how to read a spin or what it is but it's always cool when my assesments are confirmed by others by ear or measurement :)
I achieve that false sense of clarity for much less, by adding a $150 Schiit Loki eq to my $800 Dynaudio Emit10s. But, Sonetto beats the Emits in the punchy bass department.
@@NemoPropaganda I’m no expert, I haven’t listened to that many speakers, but them Sonettos really put a spell on me. Like you said, they have extremely smooth and realistic sound. I’ve tested them on, for example, Paul Simon and it was excellent. Either way thanks for the review, there are so few for these speakers, especially quality ones.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and comparisons. Could you rank these three speakers for male and especially female vocal realism? Thank you again, and keep up the good work.
in order S400 MKII is best, then Sonetto II, and as much as I love Aria 906 it would rank in third place for male vocal but with some songs has incredible female vocals.
The review reminds me of my thoughts when I hear the olympica III vs the Kanta 2. I can see why people like the sf speakers, but I lean the Kanta 2 sound but I hope i can find something in between. All I can think of is having a flashlight with an adjustable light beam, do you want the huge spotlight or more focused tighter beam, depends I guess.
Nice review. Would you have a chance to test the XTZ 99.25? It would be interesting to hear your opinion on a speaker under €1000 with a Seas Excel bass/midrange and a Fountek ribbon tweeter. Those drivers alone are quite expensive.
please simplify the question. You're esentially asking me to rewatch my own video to see what you're referring to and then type up multiple comparisons. I'm not doing that.
Hey Nemo, newbie here. Which speaker would you recommend for a smaller room and lower volume? Also, I have Monitor GX 100s in a 5.1 system. Would any of these be an improvement or just a sideways move? Thx
good musical bass on a budget is gonna be something like the Rythmik L12, REL 1003 MK2, or even the RSL Speedwoofer 10E. The KEF sub that I like for music is the KC62 and that's a little expensive.
@@NemoPropaganda Trust me this company will definitely give you a speaker they are just getting started! They need promotion, but as other reviewers say, this is the only speaker of similar value, an ascending bukard!
I usually spend a ton of time with gear (upwards of 90 days). These being on loan from a friend I had them about 2 weeks. I couldn't say how many hours he has on them. My guess is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50+.
I listened to the Sonetto 2 a few years ago & left the dealer with a pre-owned Audiovector R1 Avantgarde for £2k. Tried the Sonetto's on the Hegal H190 & Prima Luna Evo 300. Was massively disappointed with the speakers. Like you said, they lacked clarity, was expecting more detail. Underwhelming speakers for the money. I currently own the Buchardt S400 mkii & they are m uch better speakers than the Sonetto's. Imagine much of the budget went on the cabinet. The voicing on the Sonetto's is mediocre at best. There are better value alternatives for £2k.
I own the sonnetto 2 with a Technics SU-G700 amplifier. I don't have any of the problems mentioned. With DIRAC processing to correct the room the sound is simply amazing, really. I think the amp should be as transparent as possible for these speakers.
my amps are very transparent with excellent clarity and refinement. Either way I'm testing all speakers on the same amps so it's a very fair comparison but the Sonetto II sound is still very good. I'm sure many people will love them and I'm happy as an owner you love them. That's the most important thing brother.
Agree with Oliver , I have this sonetto II with the h190 and the sound is wonderful, I have heard the exacct opposite of this review , I have been listening various speaker even more expensive and still choose sonetto II , you get 80% or maybe more of the Olympica (I have heard olympica and it’s amazing !!)
@@sebastiandroguettpizarro9551 Glad both of you are enjoying your speakers. After all, this is the journey we are on, to discover gear we enjoy. Personally, found them to be disappointing.
Speaker design is a huge part of it for me. I own Arias and they are beautiful. These look cheap with the chrome surround. Personal preference, but these give me no joy at all to look at whereas the Arias are an integral part of our room interior design.
Friend did not hear the breakup but otherwise agreed with the rest of my assesments. He still owns them but generally doesn't keep any pair of speakers for too long.
No offense, but you need a lavalier mic. The handheld mic just causes too much variation in the sound. Adequate volume when held near your mouth and too low when held away and varies dramatically as the mic is moved around - somewhat distracting (and often harder to hear).
everyones got an opinion, you must be new here, welcome, a few things to know about me: this is a hobby, I do it for fun and for free and in the way that suits me best. I understand my content will not be for everyone, that's okay. Many people have expressed how much they love the handheld mic more than my older lav videos but I don't care either way as again, I make the videos in the way that are easiest for me. Many people fail to realize I have an entire life outside of these little videos.
Hi Man, Maurizio from Verona - Italy Well..in my humble experience, the Evaluation of a single component of audio chain is always very difficult, subjective and dependent above all on "couplings" with other components. In case of Speakers, a lot of stuff. Ampli, Preampli, Sources (Analog or Digital, Physical Support or File etc.) To give an exhaustive judgment it'ld be necessary test speakers as well as with various music types and supports, also with various coupling types and.. this is very difficult due to availability, economy, time use issues...! Moreover .It's in the common end that one's personal taste always prevails, which is decisive over something else, and which depends not only to the Sound, but also on Object physical features. To Better understand..... Your thick and well-groomed beard can be beautiful for you and for those who have similar tastes, but it can horrify those with different ideas ..! 'd we are talking about the exact same thing ..! Truly difficult the Judgment, especially for Speakers, that 're last link in the chain, necessarily affected by all types of couplings .. everything that exists before. Ti Auguro Buona Vita 🌈 Maurizio
Hi Maurizio, I agree and that is why I think if someone is serious about buying these they should go and have a listen. Sonus Faber is a big brand with many dealers so it should be easy for everyone :)
im planing to get sonetto 2 i have a marantz cd and streamer and a naim nait 5si integrated i woud get later on a smaller REL sub and if i get new job even a tube amp. i never heard any buchardt speaker probally sound exelent but don,t like their looks you can say me i can get a klipch la scala for half of the price sure bass is much better than sonetto even sonetto V but i find it ugly in my living room i love sf and paradigm speakers very much estetics and sound
By the way..I 'ld 've a suggestion for you... A Video Review of Arylic Up2Stream HD DAC. Is classified as DIY Board, but only for price issues. Really It works like S50 Pro+ Preamp that you've reviewed yet. Is a Little less cheap but much Better with ESS9038Q2M DAC and moreover No Downsampling..1:1 24/192 , like Node 2I. You can complete with Case, Remote,OLED Screen etc. as you want to spent. Curious of your enlightened judgment and comparision with Node 2I 💡. Thanks 4 your attention. BR Maurizio
@@NemoPropaganda Nothing to solder..you can use without case and Is Ready to use yet, or buy the case and mount It with 4 screw with nuts.. 🤗 So easy that a 5 years children can do It. Don't worry. I was able tò mount it and... that's all to say..!!!
@@pallas787 oh wow, okay, that seems kind of cool. I'm a bit curious now but why would you choose this one instead of the S50+ Pro? Is the dac inside the Up2Stream much better?
@@NemoPropaganda Is a completely new electronic design, without Amplification (S50 Is PreAmp). DAC Is ESS9038Q2M more much better of old ESS9023 of S50. But FUNDAMEMTAL update Is the new Wi-Fi Linkplay module that allow 1:1 24/192 reproduction without DOWNSAMPLING at CD Redbook resolution as Is in S50 Pro+.. I've change my old S50 Pro with this new Board...wouww.. In Wi-Fi mode Playing ULTRA HD Amazon Unlimited sources is totally "Another World".. The Dark side is..Price increasing💸 Despite No Amp it cost a lot and Arylic prefers to sell S50 Pro + on which they have much more profit. Thus presented it as a DIY Board at $249 (S50 Pro+ $219 complete). And of you want 've the same S50 ulilities you must buy Case $15, Remote $10, OLED Screen $25 and Powers $25 with a Total of 324 USD ..!!! Not too Cheap..🤔..they prefer sell S50 Pro+, this Board Is only the replay to many Customers complaints for DOWNSAMPLING. They want to demonstrate that are able to produce HI-RES stuffs like NODE 2I, but don't 've same big market that allow scale economy in purchases & Production. Really....they alway make special offers(that become no-special) I've spent $199 for the Board and $20 for the case..Total $219..!!! Sound Is fantastic Vs. S50Pro+ and.. I would be curious to know what do you think Vs.Node 2I latest generation .🤔 Thanks anyway for your kind attention.. Buona Vita..🌈 Maurizio
Hi I love you reviews but I don't think you know quality when you see and hear it. Iv had the sonus faber sonetto ii for 1 years, AND THEY ARE EXCELLENT WITH ALL MUSIC STYLES 🎶
You seem to be taking my assesment personally. This is just a review. If you are happy with the speaker then I am happy for you. I don't care what you think about my ability to hear or know quality so in the future please keep that to yourself. You seem to be reacting emotionally and I'm not very interested in that. Have a good day.
I’ve owned the Sonetto V’s and I will say this review echos my experience with the larger brother. Gorgeous touches and build, high WAF, and beautiful mid range tone. However, after living with them, these were too relaxed and mellow of a speaker for me, they lacked in dynamics, everything was a little too smoothed over for me. However, that said you could probably have these in the background all day and get no fatigue. Not a critical, or super detailed speaker and can lack engagement of more lively speaker.
Great review!
What are you listening too now? Looking for my next purchase
Thats a very accurate picture of Sonetto range. Today I have decided to go with Sonetto III knowing that it lacks in detail & dynamics compared to a Linn Majik 140 speaker. It will be combined with a Linn Majik DSM/4 which is a good match I can say. Much less fatigue and more natural sound was my ultimate decision factors.
@@alperozaltin How you think of them now? I have a pair of SF Sonetto III myself and love them for jazz, blues, contrey and classical ALOT! ( I use them with an ARCAM SA30 amp ) wanna upgrade later in the future ( my dream is the sonus faber amator maximum ) or the Nova seires, but so far the SF Sonettto III is my first pair of speakers so I am SO happy to have them for some time!!! :D
That slower bass and treble issues would drive me nuts. Thanks for honest review! You’re a boss
Great video Nemo! We appreciate your honesty and transparency as we try make purchasing decisions. There are a lot of good choices in the $1500 - $2500 price range. Thanks again!
I haven’t heard the Buchardt but for those who are looking into this two speaker , sonetto needs a very resolving and a powerful amp , if you have that this speaker will sing and will give you a experience more than a list of characteristic , go and listen first ! I have this speaker and I can assure you will no be disappointed of sonus faber , the voices sound wonderful, the scenario is huge, instrument sounds very natural ,amazing speaker for the price .
I wanted to update this opinion , today I had the opportunity of listening the buchardt speakers , great speakers! They have a nice imaging , very natural , the top end with lot of details (maybe some instrument like a saxophone could
Sound strident and sometimes clinical , this compared with sonetto II that without leaving any detail has a different carácter) the midrange is very nice , voices sound natural and realistic , the bass is what I liked the most , very deep and detailed ( I could not hear the same level of details In the bass in my sonetto, I don’t know if maybe the room was larger than my room? ) . So I’ll keep the sonetto but I do know now what is the next think that I will be looking in the next upgrade , the low region of the buchardt and the natural midrange.
@@sebastiandroguettpizarro9551 I have the Sonetto2's with the technics sug700mk2 ... the amp is capable of getting the true sound out of anything I put into it, along with a punchy bass ... when married with the Sonetto's, the clinical sound is tamed a bit, sort of warmed up. But the thing that blows me away about the Sonettos is the rendering of upper mids/lower highs ... ALL of the music is there. Most Dynamic speakers (V style sound) have more on both ends, but sound thin in the middle. The Sonetto's render all the instruments and full range of each singers voice without pulling back. Paired with a good sub, there is Nothing missing in all recordings. That was the sound I was chasing and I am super happy. Even at lower listening volumes, every bit of the piece of music is fully audible.
On a TH-cam test they ran Sonetto with Rotel’s entry level a11 Tribute…and it sung.
I’m a detail nut and I bought the Aria 906 based on your review. After buying a sub for them they’re the best speakers I’ve heard. I was thinking of trying the Sonettos but you saved me the trouble!
I think many people will enjoy the Sonetto II. I don't think any Focal fan will love it though :).
Hello, I also have a 906 and am considering a subwoofer. which you bought because matching is important.
@@gogo-fk1lu REL T7X pair or T5X pair.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking of one subwoofer, not two. I think one will be enough ?
@@gogo-fk1lu "enough" is a difficult question to answer my bro. Maybe go for a single HT 1003 MK2 instead :)
Very nice and informative review. I’m considering the special 40 so I’m looking forward to your review
Special 40 review is live bro, enjoy!
Great choices for comparison!! Thanks Nemo!!
I like how you manage to review the speakers I am also interested in . I have the Arias that I really like, but before buying them I also auditioned the Sonetto 2 . For me the Sonettos sounded better than Arias in the same room and same amplification. As you said the sound stage and the feel of instruments is impressive. In case the price difference would have been the same in Europe as it is in US, I would have went with the Sonetto 2 even though I don't like the silver grills, but in Europe Arias are a lot more cheaper so it didn't make sense to make that buy. Thank you for your opinion on them!
Ah yes, I have seen the Aria price in EU many times and it's always made me very jealous. Aria is an easy choice for sure in that situtation. The worse is the Diablo Evo price, I can fly to EU, buy a pair, ship them to myself, fly back home and it's still cheaper than the USA price :(
After watching the review I'm somewhat comforted in my choice of the buchardts over these when I was in the market. The audio excellence guys may differ in your conclusions, but like with all reviews there are no objective findings, too many caveats, amplification, sources, room, etc. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be able to swap in another pair of speakers in my system and get the best out of them because everything I've done so far was to maximize the performance of my current pair to my gear, listening habits and musical preferences. I'm sure the sonettos are great and will suit some nicely.
Yo! totally agree. The Sonetto II will put a smile on a lot of faces for sure. However the S400 MKII is a solid step up all around in my book minus having an exotic cabinet.
@@NemoPropagandap
Interesting review. I’ve heard many positive things about the Sonetto line. I never personally considered them because I don’t think they’d match well with my amp for the type of music I like, but I’ve always thought the wood finish was very attractive. Interesting to hear some of the flaws you e pointed out.
Damn really hoped Kef R3 would have made this lineup. Review desperately needed!
I'll try and get the Meta version.
Nice review - I have some aria 936s and I am considering going back to some higher end bookshelves so I really enjoy the comparisons and appreciate your honest subjective opinion.
Did you in the end? Im in the market for the aria 936 and dont want to make a mistake ...
@@roybrolsbeak no, I am keeping the 936s for now - they work well and I got them at a great price and not ready to cough up the money for a meaningful upgrade with floorstanders or bookshelves ; my short list is 805d, sopra no1, kanta n2 - I have had bookshelves previously in my setup and it worked fine but it depends a lot on your room, distances etc. I am about 8-9ft away from the speakers so I don’t require towers. YMMV.
@@kyleo2113 ok thankyou. Just giving you a headsup; in case youre planning to upgrade any time soon. The arias are going to be discontinued end of year so they will not bring as much on secondairy market.
@@roybrolsbeak appreciate the heads up - I wonder if they are doing a refresh on the Kanta line ; I saw Kantas on sale recently as well
@@kyleo2113 i have no idea about that. 2 dealers just gave me a headsup on the aria. My gut says the ventia replaced the chora.. and the rest of the linup will get replacements aswell in the upcoming 2 years. Going to wait it out and try to get a great deal when the arias go on clearance sale.
Awesome reviewer. Articulate and precise.
Thank you for the kind words!
Thanks for the candid review but you shouldn't overlook the possibility of a damaged tweeter. These things happen. Could have come from the factory or happened sometime after, shipping or whatever. I think the oner should contact SF for a replacement.
It didn't seem damaged in any way though anything is possible and there are always minor manufacturing variances. I certainly wouldn't rule that out hence my recommendation of not taking these off the list and have a listen if anyone is interested in buying a pair :)
COULDN’T DISAGREE MORE - I own the $4k Sonetto lll’s. It’s the smallest floor stander tower in the line. I’m coming from Focals with the “EXTENDED” shall we say, metal tweets. I LOVE the SF silk dome tweets vs my Focals. It’s a very musical “natural” and non-fatiguing sounding speaker. Instruments sound like “instruments”. Mids and vocals are natural and warm. A very good low end but I do fill in the lowest notes w a Rel sub. Overall, it’s a very balanced and tonally rich speaker. SF loves tubes and I run a nice tube pre and tube amp. Huge sweet spot and off-axis sound is great! Very forgiving and easy to setup and place in a room. Terrific separation and soundstage is how I describe the speaker. What you’re hearing and what I hear are definitely two different things. Mine are in piano black and the Italian’s know a lil something about pride of workmanship with attention to detail. First class. Bookshelf speakers suck in general. Sure, they image well but that’s all they are capable of physically. Small footprint = small sound. What are you running for amplification? How big is your room? There are so many variables when listening to speakers. Sounds like dude has a defective tweet because the “DAD tweeters” are incredible. Yes, the speaker needs to “stay in its lane” (in respect to high db’s) and doesn’t do cranked volume well. It’s a finesse speaker with class,richness and tonality. I really feel you’ve missed the mark on your review but it is the bookshelf. If you get a chance to “hear” the Sonetto lll, V or Vlll floor standers do it and tell me if you feel the same….
Well you are talking about a different, bigger and more expensive speaker, so not sure what you're debating?
Coming from 'high end Focals' with metal tweets? And what high end model would that be? The Utopias? Sopras? Kantas? Putting your Sonetto 3 against (at least) the Kantas and calling it superior? Definitely acquired taste here. I can understand you like a warm sounding speaker, but that doesnt take away a thing from the Focals.
I own the sonnetto 2 with a Technics SU-G700 amplifier. I don't have any of the problems mentioned. With DIRAC processing to correct the room the sound is simply amazing, really. I think the amp should be as transparent as possible for these speakers.
Hi Keefer, I don't mind disagreement but I'm sure you can agree the tower is a totally different speaker and only looks the same. The tower has major component differences such as cabinet, additional drivers, and most important the crosover circuitry which all play a massive part in the overall sound. I expect the two to be voiced similarly but that doesn't make them the same speaker. BTW all my associated equipment is always listed in the description.
Keefer, which model Rel sub are you running with your Sonetto 3’s?
Good review I generally agree as an owner of the Sonettos IIIs and Focal Chora 826s the tweeter and drivers on the Focals sound so effortless, and I’m almost certain the arias and the Choras use a nearly identical tweeter design. I’ve never heard a tweeter sparkle quite like Focals and also not fatigue at the same time. The Focals are airier sounding overall I enjoy most music and content on the Focals slightly more, however there’s a couple albums I do prefer on the Sonettos. As for the design I have them in the darker stain wenge and the brushed aluminum rings around the drivers along the S/F jewel logo planted in the center of the mid range makes these things live a breath luxury. I think the white and black high gloss takes away of the luxury premium look the wood stain models present and like I said the rings really do add to the luxury look on those models. I use my Focals in my home theater and my Sonettos in my listening room. Here’s my listening room… hopefully they don’t edit out the audio 😊
th-cam.com/video/B1AhlUMVCp0/w-d-xo.html
Ah yes, I just saw your towers in that clip. I agree it certainly does look nicer!!
thanks for the reply. I think you have a fantastic review channel, I think our hearing and preferences are very similar based off of several products you reviewed and Ive heard personally. Many other channels get too caught up with fancy lingo and catch phrases this industry loves. I like your too the point but detailed reviews! Thanks for the great content! I’d love to post some close up shots of my sonetto iiis in the comments but TH-cam doesn’t allow… I could inbox you, not sure if you have a fan email etc… it was awesome how Sonus Faber packaged these things, and I love the carpet spikes they came with along with the plates for hardwood floors.
@@Paranimal86 thank's Mike, those are very kind words. Why not join our free discord and post pics for everyone to see? We have a section to showoff our systems :) Link is in the description and everyone is really cool in the discord.
@@NemoPropaganda ahh ok! Will do brother! Didn’t know about this, heard of it never looked into it but will do!
Great review thank you!!!!
Hi!!!!Any recommendation for amp with "sonetto" under 1000$ ?Thank you🎵🎶!!!!
Great review, loved the comparisons. I think this is the speaker audio excellence preferred over the Buchardt s400 mkII.
It was the Lumina III floor stander and the Dynaudio Special 40. I do have the Special 40 also and I find it odd that they they love the Special 40 and not the S400 as they have a similar sound but no speaker is for everyone and there are thousands of happy S400 customers and thousands of happy Sonus Faber customers so as long as everyone is happy then I am happy too :)
@@NemoPropaganda can you please review the dynaudio special 40s
@@MegaRockyk i will, I’m still getting to know them. I like to listen for a long time before making a review :). I will post early impressions in the discord if you’re in there. It’s free.
really honest comments. You have great hearing @18k HZ!
Very nice work. Great review brotha
thank you bro.
Great review, Buchardt is an excellent value.
Personally when I dropped $2400 on a pair of bookshelves I got the Dynaudio Special 40s. I see them on US Audio Mart for $200o and $2100 today. After three years of testing a dozen speakers, I have found my huckleberry. I love these speakers. I won't bore you except to say they have very good everything but sensitivity; they need some juice. My amp puts out 80 watts but they also sounded good on a stereo Aegir. Get a deal and you can always sell them on for what you paid. They retail for $4000 here with tax now.
Special 40's are fantastic speakers, sadly they're up to $3600 now MSRP but I also picked up a used pair for around the same price you did and it's a killer deal at that price.
Hi Nemo, excellent job of detailing pros/cons of each speaker presented in the review. I’m curious to know what amplification used during your listening sessions?
all associated equipment is always listed in the description section.
Awesome review I have these on my list of speakers to demo. I would be interested if you did a comparison of the Focal Aria 906 and the B&W 706 sometime.
Hey Paul, I have not heard any of the newer BW speakers yet. Hopefully one day though.
Accurate review! Will say that the floor standing versions of these are LOOKERS!! Perfect for the “aesthetic” audiophile. IMO anything that isn’t a box 📦 shape gets extra points in the looks department but sound isn’t as good. Still a worthy buy!
I looove your reviews Nemo. 🥰
Cheers friend,, 🍻😎🤘
Hey what's up Irene, always happy to see you comment. Hope you have a great day!!
Thank you for the review. Some have compared its tweeter to the tonality of ribbon, or even an electrostat. I don't completely agree with that opinion, but it could have some merit since you had issues with its top end and have admitted to not being a fan of ribbon tweeters, except for the Emotivas, which compete at budget level.
17khz hearing, very impressive. Man, I need to get my ears tested! Lol. I appreciate the reminder.
hey what's up brother! Hope all is well.
Being a measurement guy, I went to look for the spins of the Sonetto 2 right after this review and everything correlates to what you described. It basically has a 1-3khz dip and an elevated treble from 7khz all the way to 20khz as much as 7db. That 1-3khz dip is mainly responsible for that great depth you described, and that elevated treble is there on many SF speakers from the Luminas to the Sonettos to give a false sense of clarity and air which kind of backfired and can get a wee bit harsh at higher volume levels. Its not a bad speaker at all, but I would go for other options that measure more neutral yet at the same time more revealing. Like the Choras and Aria 906 which I already own. Lol! Another great review Nemo!
Hey Mark, that's super cool to know. I must admit I don't even know how to read a spin or what it is but it's always cool when my assesments are confirmed by others by ear or measurement :)
I achieve that false sense of clarity for much less, by adding a $150 Schiit Loki eq to my $800 Dynaudio Emit10s. But, Sonetto beats the Emits in the punchy bass department.
Great comparisons. Don’t love the bling bling chrome everywhere though. Have you heard the Wharfdale 225?
in fairness it's more of a brushed steel look and not cheap looking in any way. I have not heard the 225.
This one’s the best speaker I’ve ever heard in this price range.
I'm happy you like it, it wasn't for me but I know a lot of people love it.
@@NemoPropaganda I’m no expert, I haven’t listened to that many speakers, but them Sonettos really put a spell on me. Like you said, they have extremely smooth and realistic sound. I’ve tested them on, for example, Paul Simon and it was excellent. Either way thanks for the review, there are so few for these speakers, especially quality ones.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and comparisons. Could you rank these three speakers for male and especially female vocal realism? Thank you again, and keep up the good work.
in order S400 MKII is best, then Sonetto II, and as much as I love Aria 906 it would rank in third place for male vocal but with some songs has incredible female vocals.
Sonetto has the highest WAF of any speakers I’ve owned, which has to be the deciding factor for some of us 😅
without a doubt it is beautiful!!! That's one thing I really appreciate about sonus faber.
Waiting for my wood finish tower Sonetto 3’s to get here!
LOVE ME some Sonus faber..
Hmmm.... Tweeter break up - .. Still have them? I'll message you on Discord.
Been looking at Sonus Faber for a change. Would love for you now to compare these to the Lumina II 🙏🏼👍🏼
Hi John, I have not heard the Lumina 2 :(.
@@NemoPropaganda would love that comparison aswell
nice analogies. you nailed it.
thanks seoul!
The review reminds me of my thoughts when I hear the olympica III vs the Kanta 2. I can see why people like the sf speakers, but I lean the Kanta 2 sound but I hope i can find something in between. All I can think of is having a flashlight with an adjustable light beam, do you want the huge spotlight or more focused tighter beam, depends I guess.
We might have similar taste, speaking of Kanta I'm hoping to review the No1 soon!
Wonderful speakers. 👍
Nice review. Would you have a chance to test the XTZ 99.25? It would be interesting to hear your opinion on a speaker under €1000 with a Seas Excel bass/midrange and a Fountek ribbon tweeter. Those drivers alone are quite expensive.
I can try but historically they have not responded to my emails for review samples :(
How the SF & the ones you compared to them stack up to Fritz you raved about ?
please simplify the question. You're esentially asking me to rewatch my own video to see what you're referring to and then type up multiple comparisons. I'm not doing that.
I would like to see a review on Sonus Faber lumina 2 or 5
I think they are very lively speaker 😊
Hey Nemo, newbie here. Which speaker would you recommend for a smaller room and lower volume? Also, I have Monitor GX 100s in a 5.1 system. Would any of these be an improvement or just a sideways move? Thx
Focal Chora 806 or Aria 906 are my go-to low volume champions. I have not heard the GX100 so I cannot ocmment on that unfortunately.
Do you have any experience with KEF Kube12b? It’s on sale, I just want good musical bass!!
good musical bass on a budget is gonna be something like the Rythmik L12, REL 1003 MK2, or even the RSL Speedwoofer 10E. The KEF sub that I like for music is the KC62 and that's a little expensive.
Thanks
Please compare Amphion Argon1 vs Buchardt S400 MKII
Hi bro, my channel is small so it's hard to get review samples but I will try.
@@NemoPropaganda Trust me this company will definitely give you a speaker they are just getting started! They need promotion, but as other reviewers say, this is the only speaker of similar value, an ascending bukard!
i had the focal aria 906. great speaker but just hurting my ears a lot. what speaker amazed you in the 1000/1500 range ?
id say neutral relaxing sound with detail would be my pick by the way. that harshness you refer to is what i wanna avoid.
Heco Celan Revolution 3 is your answer :)
@@NemoPropaganda thats bizar. I was just done watching a video about those 😅 thanks for taking the time to respond
@@NemoPropaganda any chance you can do a review?
@@roybrolsbeak I will have a review on them at some point but I have a lot of other stuff I have to review first.
Hey, I have the new Marantz Model 40n. Do you think, that the S400 MK2 and my 40n is a good match?
I have not heard it but I think it will be good.
How many hours were on them at the time of this review?
I usually spend a ton of time with gear (upwards of 90 days). These being on loan from a friend I had them about 2 weeks. I couldn't say how many hours he has on them. My guess is somewhere in the neighborhood of 50+.
I ordered new sonetto 1 G2 shoud arrive in 2 weeks new cabinet is less Luit shape and leather is in the front they look more like olimpica nova
I listened to the Sonetto 2 a few years ago & left the dealer with a pre-owned Audiovector R1 Avantgarde for £2k. Tried the Sonetto's on the Hegal H190 & Prima Luna Evo 300. Was massively disappointed with the speakers. Like you said, they lacked clarity, was expecting more detail. Underwhelming speakers for the money. I currently own the Buchardt S400 mkii & they are m uch better speakers than the Sonetto's. Imagine much of the budget went on the cabinet. The voicing on the Sonetto's is mediocre at best. There are better value alternatives for £2k.
I own the sonnetto 2 with a Technics SU-G700 amplifier. I don't have any of the problems mentioned. With DIRAC processing to correct the room the sound is simply amazing, really. I think the amp should be as transparent as possible for these speakers.
my amps are very transparent with excellent clarity and refinement. Either way I'm testing all speakers on the same amps so it's a very fair comparison but the Sonetto II sound is still very good. I'm sure many people will love them and I'm happy as an owner you love them. That's the most important thing brother.
Agree with Oliver , I have this sonetto II with the h190 and the sound is wonderful, I have heard the exacct opposite of this review , I have been listening various speaker even more expensive and still choose sonetto II , you get 80% or maybe more of the Olympica (I have heard olympica and it’s amazing !!)
@@sebastiandroguettpizarro9551 Glad both of you are enjoying your speakers. After all, this is the journey we are on, to discover gear we enjoy. Personally, found them to be disappointing.
@@olivierchartier8937 I am running the same setup and I can attest ... SUG700mk2 and Sonetto2's are unreal together. Each compliments each other.
Speaker design is a huge part of it for me. I own Arias and they are beautiful. These look cheap with the chrome surround. Personal preference, but these give me no joy at all to look at whereas the Arias are an integral part of our room interior design.
I agree and I love my Aria. In fairness though it's not a chrome bezel, more of a brushed steel finish but is perhaps a bit too much.
I wonder how long he has had these ? I would be interested to know if the friend kept them or if he could hear the tweeter. Later Friend!!
Friend did not hear the breakup but otherwise agreed with the rest of my assesments. He still owns them but generally doesn't keep any pair of speakers for too long.
@@NemoPropaganda that's cool for him I guess. I like to hang on to certain speakers or gear
No offense, but you need a lavalier mic. The handheld mic just causes too much variation in the sound. Adequate volume when held near your mouth and too low when held away and varies dramatically as the mic is moved around - somewhat distracting (and often harder to hear).
everyones got an opinion, you must be new here, welcome, a few things to know about me: this is a hobby, I do it for fun and for free and in the way that suits me best. I understand my content will not be for everyone, that's okay. Many people have expressed how much they love the handheld mic more than my older lav videos but I don't care either way as again, I make the videos in the way that are easiest for me. Many people fail to realize I have an entire life outside of these little videos.
Hi Man,
Maurizio from Verona - Italy
Well..in my humble experience, the Evaluation of a single component of audio chain is always very difficult, subjective and dependent above all on "couplings" with other components.
In case of Speakers, a lot of stuff.
Ampli, Preampli, Sources (Analog or Digital, Physical Support or File etc.) To give an exhaustive judgment it'ld be necessary test speakers as well as with various music types and supports, also with various coupling types and.. this is very difficult due to availability, economy, time use issues...!
Moreover .It's in the common end that one's personal taste always prevails, which is decisive over something else, and which depends not only to the Sound, but also on Object physical features.
To Better understand.....
Your thick and well-groomed beard can be beautiful for you and for those who have similar tastes, but it can horrify those with different ideas ..! 'd we are talking about the exact same thing ..!
Truly difficult the Judgment, especially for Speakers, that 're last link in the chain, necessarily affected by all types of couplings .. everything that exists before.
Ti Auguro Buona Vita 🌈
Maurizio
Hi Maurizio, I agree and that is why I think if someone is serious about buying these they should go and have a listen. Sonus Faber is a big brand with many dealers so it should be easy for everyone :)
What's a break up in the tweeter?
im planing to get sonetto 2 i have a marantz cd and streamer and a naim nait 5si integrated i woud get later on a smaller REL sub and if i get new job even a tube amp. i never heard any buchardt speaker probally sound exelent but don,t like their looks you can say me i can get a klipch la scala for half of the price sure bass is much better than sonetto even sonetto V but i find it ugly in my living room i love sf and paradigm speakers very much estetics and sound
nothing wrong with that, aesthetics are important.
How do you buy the sonus fabers based in US
Mostly in store thorugh an authorized dealer. You can find a local dealer on their website: www.sonusfaber.com/en/distributors-stores/
@@NemoPropaganda none near me damn
Strange to not show the other speakers, even just a picture
I have reviewed everything mentioned, you can look them up in my videos section.
By the way..I 'ld 've a suggestion for you...
A Video Review of Arylic Up2Stream HD DAC.
Is classified as DIY Board, but only for price issues.
Really It works like S50 Pro+ Preamp that you've reviewed yet.
Is a Little less cheap but much Better with ESS9038Q2M DAC and moreover No Downsampling..1:1 24/192 , like Node 2I.
You can complete with Case, Remote,OLED Screen etc. as you want to spent.
Curious of your enlightened judgment and comparision with Node 2I 💡.
Thanks 4 your attention.
BR
Maurizio
I'm very bad at soldering so I would most likely ruin it :)
@@NemoPropaganda Nothing to solder..you can use without case and Is Ready to use yet, or buy the case and mount It with 4 screw with nuts.. 🤗 So easy that a 5 years children can do It.
Don't worry. I was able tò mount it and... that's all to say..!!!
@@pallas787 oh wow, okay, that seems kind of cool. I'm a bit curious now but why would you choose this one instead of the S50+ Pro? Is the dac inside the Up2Stream much better?
@@NemoPropaganda Is a completely new electronic design, without Amplification (S50 Is PreAmp).
DAC Is ESS9038Q2M more much better of old ESS9023 of S50.
But FUNDAMEMTAL update Is the new Wi-Fi Linkplay module that allow 1:1 24/192 reproduction without DOWNSAMPLING at CD Redbook resolution as Is in S50 Pro+..
I've change my old S50 Pro with this new Board...wouww..
In Wi-Fi mode Playing ULTRA HD Amazon Unlimited sources is totally "Another World"..
The Dark side is..Price increasing💸
Despite No Amp it cost a lot and Arylic prefers to sell S50 Pro + on which they have much more profit. Thus presented it as a DIY Board at $249 (S50 Pro+ $219 complete).
And of you want 've the same S50 ulilities you must buy Case $15, Remote $10, OLED Screen $25 and Powers $25 with a Total of 324 USD ..!!! Not too Cheap..🤔..they prefer sell S50 Pro+, this Board Is only the replay to many Customers complaints for DOWNSAMPLING.
They want to demonstrate that are able to produce HI-RES stuffs like NODE 2I, but don't 've same big market that allow scale economy in purchases & Production.
Really....they alway make special offers(that become no-special)
I've spent $199 for the Board and $20 for the case..Total $219..!!!
Sound Is fantastic Vs. S50Pro+ and.. I would be curious to know what do you think Vs.Node 2I latest generation .🤔
Thanks anyway for your kind attention..
Buona Vita..🌈
Maurizio
Audiovector R1 arreté is the best standmount speakers i have ever heard
I have not heard those ones but they look beautiful!! In US they are over $6k though so I'm not sure I will ever hear them :(
When Sonus, ProAc, etc learn to make sensibly priced powered speakers we can take them seriously.
I wouldn't say I want that, but we do have some great active options already like Buhcardt A500.
@@NemoPropaganda or Focus XD from a Dynaudio or KEF 60 or Edifier S3000 etc. Thanks the future. Amps made for speakers are hard to beat.
sonus faber gets seriously good at the olympica nova range and crazy good beyond - sonetto range to me was underwhelming
Hi I love you reviews but I don't think you know quality when you see and hear it.
Iv had the sonus faber sonetto ii for 1 years, AND THEY ARE EXCELLENT WITH ALL MUSIC STYLES 🎶
You seem to be taking my assesment personally. This is just a review. If you are happy with the speaker then I am happy for you. I don't care what you think about my ability to hear or know quality so in the future please keep that to yourself. You seem to be reacting emotionally and I'm not very interested in that. Have a good day.
Hi I appreciate your feedback
No I'm sorry if it came across like that.
Thanks
@@MegaRockyk all good brother, it's in the past now. You and me are 100% cool :)
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Your buddy is sad panda now.
explain tight fast bass
maybe if you ask more politely instead of making it sound like a demand.
Videos that are hard selling on one product and condemning another should not be allowed.
not sure what part of the video you're responding to.
You would for looks and port style.
context?
@@NemoPropaganda why you might go with sonetto over the buchardt.
@@TheKizersoze13 oh yeah, the Sonus Faber is stunningly good looking!!
Put them on spinorama first~
nah
"soh..." 🌚🌝