Do YOU Like The LUTE Shape? Italian Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII Speaker Review

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Күн бұрын

A unique shape, Italian design flare and genuine Italian leather is not all that these speakers have going for them. Let's review the Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII tower speaker.
🛒 Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII - www.sonusfaber.com/en/product...
🛒 Sonus Faber Lumina V - tinyurl.com/bdujeaz7
🛒 Sonus Faber Lumina III - tinyurl.com/4nbhducr
🛒 Sonus Faber Lumina II - tinyurl.com/mr3aamsc
🛒 Tonewinner AD-1PA Amplifier - tinyurl.com/2p8vtaec
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00:00 - Intro
01:54 - Build Quality/Aethetics
03:55 - Binaural Sound Demos
07:24 - Treble Sound Quality
08:16 - Midrange Sound Quality
09:00 - Bass Sound Quality
10:20 - Soundstage and Imaging
Video Edited with Movavi Video Suite

Пікірлер: 104

@brandonsnow4878 Жыл бұрын

WOW. Those really shine with more refined music like the jazz snippet that you played. Very nice. That amp sounds so clear and detailed, yet lush, rich and warm. What a sound!

@BuildMontage Жыл бұрын

Great video mate. Sonus Faber make beautiful speakers. They were actually next to the Krix/Trinnov stand at ISE so got to hear them paird with some Macintosh amps... Nice review mate.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Thanks brother, they are a beautiful speaker. No doubt you had a blast at ISE, I can't wait to see the videos you have in the pipeline from the event.

@davidt8438 Жыл бұрын

I agree about the size listing for speakers. I’m a little tougher than you about the sizes though. For example I think a speaker listed at 8” should measure either 8” at the outside of the rubber or about 7.5” at the middle of the rubber depending on how thick or wide the surrounding rubber surround. A 6” listed speaker should be 6” at the outside of the surround or about 5.5 at the middle of the surround. Company’s have been cheating like this for a long time but it’s gotten worse lately. It’s simply deceptive at best. Oh, and by the way Wenge is pronounced “When -gay” just to let you know.

@Johnnytrades101 Жыл бұрын

Hey David, I completely agree with you. The marketing BS these days is out of control. Some are just baffling with the "lies" that are published. Hurts the brands that are truthful and accurate. Honest reviews help a bit cutting through the fog!

@vibeinstalls9890 Жыл бұрын

Bravo Barrett Bravo 🙌 they actually lead Europe in Home Theatre gear and accessories. Speakers , acoustics and seating … but I’m sure you know this . Great video ! Happy Easter 🐣

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Thanks brother, Happy Easter to you and yours.

@jenisale Жыл бұрын

Fantastic review!Thank you! ❤ It would be great to know your opinion, about when you compare these Sonetto's with the great and unique Franco Serblin Cremonas? IMO these pair of Sonetto's are trying to aproach the "modern" sound of the Focal and B&W , when we speak about the higher range...I can not decide between the Cremona's and these...I think, "old " Cremonas has more "body" and musical spirit inside, and these Sonetto's are more neutral and more forward sounding speakers with lot of detail in higher range which may cause a fatigue listening? What do you think?

@xlmobiledetailing7 Жыл бұрын

Barrett, I enjoy your speaker reviews very much, thank you! I am looking for new speakers for my home theater- right now I’m rocking vintage B&W 802s3 matrix for mains and eleven 805’5 everywhere else including my atmos- I would love to see you review and to hear your comparison thoughts of JTR 212s and or the smaller versions- I’m tempted to go that route mainly cause I play my theater loud and my speakers are not designed for what I’m making them do… but I’m skeptical about the narrow dispersion horn design of JTR vs traditional tweeters like I’m used to…

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

If you are looking for theater speakers that play loud, JTR is the way to go. They are about the best value for that exact purpose. Drivers with waveguides or horns tend to image better than traditional tweeters. The downside is that they can also sound more forward depending on the design. I think that the JTR speakers will suit your needs perfectly.

@Novilicious Жыл бұрын

Dear sir, Can you make a video about WHY you went from legacy speakers to paradigm speakers to sonus-Fabre speakers, and why you made those changes? And about what the differences are between a Tower Center speaker versus a dedicated Center speaker? Basically, I’m looking for learnings about your Audio journey and what I can take from them for my own! I think your audience will enjoy that as well. Feel free to talk about your subwoofer journey as well! Your preamp and amp journey are clear… but if you can elaborate more under speaker choices, that would help! ❤️🙌

@steveee2511 Жыл бұрын

im getting the small sister or sonetto 2 or 3 these sommer i may not go for flight and cruise vacation and only 3 nights to Italy by car for save for these nice speakers hope i work great with my naim amp if not i may get a unison research hybrid or copland next year.

@billsmith3439 Жыл бұрын

Finally! I've been curious as to what you'd think. I agree with you on the treble. It walks a fine line, but I do think it could be best in class. I thought the mid-range was a little dark, not super clean, which is why I ultimately passed on them. Unlike what you thought, the room I heard them in, they had very good bass. Not B&W 702s3 bass, but very good. I also think the finishes look kinda fake and cheap. It looks like a vinyl wrap and not real wood. The Founders, B&Ws, Monitor Audios, Focals, Revel, even the Lumina are much better looking to me. I was also hoping you'd say which you liked better, the Founders or the Sonettos.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

haha well isn't that the age ol' question. To be honest, I could see some people liking these better than the Founders, because the Founders are warmer and a little less clear in the midrange. For me personally, I would take the Founders, I liked the warmer richer sound of them, even if a little less clear. I think the Sonetto's do have something special for certain listeners though.

@mattgiunt Жыл бұрын

superb sounding binaural demos.

@krzysztofplichta 8 ай бұрын

Przestrzenny nie męczący pozbawiony emocji dźwięk na podstawie krótkiego demo które nie pozwoliło zabłysnąć Sonus Faber w całej okazałości !

@radm5846 Ай бұрын

Pozbawiony emocji dźwięk,,,,,,,,,,,,,,z czym ich słuchałeś że tak to odebrałeś

@krzysztofplichta Ай бұрын

@@radm5846 Laptop karta dźwiękowa Realtek HD słuchawki audio Sennheiser HD-600 !👍

@psyphonyxaudio Жыл бұрын

😉😇.. Happy to hear it.

@Smotske 5 ай бұрын

Hi, where can I buy this red lights and what is the name of it? thanks

@ibakedit5850 Жыл бұрын

NIce video. Your thoughts would be appreciated. I have a mint pair of Sonus Faber Venere 2.5's which I enjoy but am now considering Paradigm Founder 80F. With the SF's Venere and Sonetto I have found the enclosures to be quite hollow, I don't know if that is an ingredient for the Faber sound. The Paradigm Founders have mass and are inert. Do you think moving from my Venere to Paradigm Founder 80F would be an improvement or just lateral move? I did heard the Paradigm which were good but I could not do a side by side comparisons. The design of the Venere is what caught my eyes first then the sound. Hope you can chime in. Thanks.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

I have not heard the Venere but if they sound similar to my Sonetto's, here is what I would say. The Founder are a warmer sounding speaker. They have great detail and great bass, in addition to that, they are gorgeous. The Sonetto speakers have a cool sounding midrange with a boosted/sparkly top end. It would really depend on which sound you would prefer.

@janulik9535 7 ай бұрын

no other option for vocals?

@alcozar5905 Жыл бұрын

Definitely enjoyed the binaural sound, nice.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@Johnnytrades101 Жыл бұрын

Great review! Been waiting for this one! I totally agree with you👍 Having some experience with the Sonetto's, they very well might be "end game" speakers for a lot of people. I have had many brands in my rig, multiple Kef's, Paradigm's, SVS, Legacy just to name a few. The Sonettos are the best I have heard to date (for me). Period. IMO, the Sonetto's are more of a refined, "audiophile" type speaker. I just love 'em! Expensive, yes, but I feel they actually look, feel and perform well above their price point. For Home Theater, they are great, clear, defined, fantastic soundstage, and presence. I don't think they would stand up against other dedicated theater brands such as Arendal, JTR, Perlisten ect. for SPL. Those speakers are designed to perform at 100db plus with out breaking a sweat. The Sonetto VIII will tap out. I am more a 2 ch guy...the Sonetto's sound and presentation is absolutely amazing! They would be "end game" for me!! Thanks for another great review!👍👍

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the response brother. I agree with you 100%, they are a very musical speaker. They do work well for HT, but you’re right, they wouldn’t handle the same volumes as the ID companies like JTR or Arendal.

@Bushwacked487 2 ай бұрын

Some speakers overly smooth out the “crunch” in crunchy guitars. How are they in that regard?

@-MarkWinston- Жыл бұрын

I like clarity without a boost in the treble region. SF gives you a false sense of clarity by doin just that.

@miguelmanuel9618 Жыл бұрын

This vs B&W S702 S3?

@Sloimer Жыл бұрын

If you’re looking for an analytical speaker with a ton of clarity, this is a great speaker. I owned them but returned them because I like listening to loud music, and these things absolutely SHREDDED my ear drums when turning it up.

@tms372 Жыл бұрын

I can crank mine to the limit and they still play super clean. You may want to check your amp or something else.

@Sloimer Жыл бұрын

@@tms372 Oh they definitely play clean. No doubt. Sadly, I've come to the conclusion I'm mid-range sensitive, so the upper midrange being a little forward is super cool from the standpoint of hearing every little detail, but at higher volume it hurts my ears. But I also like my music loud, so it's a bit of a Catch 22. I did just get a McIntosh MA9500, which has an 8-Band Equalizer, so I'll try playing with pulling back the midrange a little.

@allenwilliams8962 11 ай бұрын

@@Sloimer what speakers do you have now?

@Sloimer 11 ай бұрын

@@allenwilliams8962 Forte III’s. I like them so much I own an unopened backup pair.

@Novilicious Жыл бұрын

These are stunning!! I dare say that the newly released Martin Logan Motion XT F200 are a better value but not nearly as Luxurious. Something special about Italian-made things.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

I want to review the new ML F200, they look impressive.

@dicmccoy Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech You should have tried the 60XTi's. They're impressive for the price especially now with their clearance price. The price increase on the new Motion series is a little crazy when compared to the previous generation of Motion series.

@williammorales8204 Жыл бұрын

Martins have a different sound as the SF. I have heard them, and they don't sound much different than my 60xt, slightly better but a smidge. I have heard the sf sonetto and he olympica III, the Olympica is hell good but I prefer the sound of the Kantas, but my budget says other wise. It's preference and matter of taste, many love the SF sound, its wide and deep, and not fatiguing.

@williammorales8204 Жыл бұрын

Martin logan at BB store always have great sales when you least expect them. I bought my 60xt for 1100 when the xti came out. At sales prices they are untouchable.

@Sloimer Жыл бұрын

Funny. I owned these for a short time and never measured the woofers, but remember feeling they seemed a little small for being “7 inches”, and clearly they could have used the extra surface area based on the lean bass.

@chrissheldrick4073 Жыл бұрын

Hello there..your work is invaluable to us all..how would these compare to the Paradigm founder 100f...sound wise...

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Thank you I appreciate that. I haven't heard the 100F, so I am not sure exactly how their bass is, but I would guess the 100F has more authority in it's bass presentation. The 100F will be a warmer, more rich midrange vs the cooler more clinical midrange of the Sonetto. There is more sparkle at the top end of the Sonetto, but the top end on the 100F would be SLIGHTLY less detailed, but smoother. To be clear the Sonetto treble is boosted a little, which gives the illusion of more detail. They are both great speakers, but very different sound signatures.

@tms372 Жыл бұрын

The Founder 100f's are way way more expensive so not really a fair comparison.

@richarddegannes2928 Жыл бұрын

Hi ATC SCM40 vs SF Sonetto VIII for all genres of music? To be used in a room that measures 19.5ft long x 11.5ft wide x 10-14ft high. Thanks.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

I can’t really answer that, I have never heard or heard of the ATC SCM40. My best advise would be to try and demo them before making up your mind.

@tonezou3918 Жыл бұрын

You gotta check Sonus Faber Maxima Amator too, but it is pricey.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Too rich for my blood, but maybe I can demo it somewhere one day...cheers.

@aussie8114 9 ай бұрын

You say they are a bit bass lean. Interesting because I am tossing up between the 5 and 8. If the 8 is a bit lean then the 5 would presumably be a bit more lean with one less bass driver. I’m not a bass head but still maybe the 8 could be the preferred choice. I do use a REL sub though. I think most 2 channel systems benefit from a decent sub. Small bass drivers used in modern floorstanders can’t output the low lows.

@SpecOfTech 9 ай бұрын

In the right room, they would probably impress a little more in the bass department, but still wouldn't be IMPRESSIVE, if that makes sense. You are absolutely right, a good sub is needed with most speakers out there. There are a few that are capable down to 20hz or even a little below, but they are few and far between, and are usually a hybrid powered speaker.

@osbelreyes5252 Жыл бұрын

I think the polk L800 will give these a run for it's money

@derekr5327 Жыл бұрын

I see a couple of cap 2400’s in the background… did you end up buying these or they’re in for review?

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Good eye, I bought 3 of them. You should see a review on the channel in the next couple months.

@derekr5327 Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech i have two of them. Interested to hear your comparison over the rs2’s.

@hermanhorton5944 Жыл бұрын

Being owned by Macintosh doesn’t hurt It just explains the out of this world price tag👀

@livinaftermidnight9651 Жыл бұрын

How would you compare these to the FOCAL ARIA 948's?

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Sorry my friend, I have never heard the 948's, so it would be hard for me to give you an educated opinion.

@livinaftermidnight9651 Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech fair enough.

@ajayaj8368 Жыл бұрын

Which tower currently has a room shaking bass as per your experience?

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

The best most powerful bass I have experienced in a tower was the Paradigm Founder 120H. They have 3 8" drivers powered by an internal 1000 watt RMS amp. Clean, tight and powerful low end from a tower that stands 45.5" tall.

@ajayaj8368 Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech how do you seperate svs ultra and paradigm 120h

@dicmccoy Жыл бұрын

I personally feel all manufacturers should only be measuring moving mass. My JL D110's only measure 9" to the outer surrounds but the E110 measures 10" to the outer surrounds. There's just no standard anywhere in the audio industry.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

I also believe that it should be measured by the cone area, that way we know what we are getting.

@geraldmonger1921 6 ай бұрын

Hi, great review 👍 I bought these speakers a few months ago, and like you, I did feel that the bass was a bit light, but I stuck with them because of the transparency of the sound. Then, to my delight, after continuous playing over three months, the bass came through. Given that in the Sonus Faber range, these speakers are in the cheapest range bar one, I can only conclude that they need to be broken in. Since then, they have exceeded my expectations.

@williammorales8204 Жыл бұрын

Are you keeping these, at least till you hear the Olympicas?

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

haha, I am not sure I will ever have the opportunity to listen to the Olympicas, but I will eventually move on from the Sonetto speakers, I have to keep new gear coming for review and for the channel.

@jkm3311 4 ай бұрын

I bought them today

@sammy10001 6 ай бұрын

hey why'd you get rid of these? or only a reviewer/loaner unit?

@SpecOfTech 6 ай бұрын

I had other ideas in mind for reference speakers. The Sonus Faber are slightly colored speakers and I wanted neutral.

@gaurd3 Жыл бұрын

Bass is so involved in most music even if it not shaking the house its subtly providing body to most music. Never try to get by without a sub.

@stoben3076 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your test I have had these speakers for three years and I agree with your opinion on the midrange and treble which are quite real and accurate. For the bass on the other hand I do not find them in retreat on the contrary all depends on the amplification used they are just very balanced and go down very low 27 hz and I find precisely that this speakers do not need especially subwoofer! in musical listening Regards

@sunwalker2438 10 ай бұрын

For me Polk R700 all the way

@abghg66777 10 ай бұрын

This Sonus Faber is no 1 . Head better then KEF . Different league . It is crazy since Sonus Faber have the best sound signature in the WORLD !!!

@SpecOfTech 10 ай бұрын

Glad you like them...cheers.

@hermanhorton5944 Жыл бұрын

They shine on Diana Krall. Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Whitney Houston. I Will Always Love You these2songs just do it

@tfk40 Жыл бұрын

As beautiful as they are, the Paradigm Founder towers were still more impressive.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

I would have to say the Founder 120H are my favorite speaker period, when it comes to straight looks. They have a beautiful sound to go along with it too.

@erics.4113 Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech I've heard the founders. SUPER DETAIL and clarity. Would you compare the presentation to the sonetto? I feel like the founders were bordering on being too much for me, subjectively speaking

@stevenburdick424 Жыл бұрын

Olympica Nova 5, if you have $18,000

@Breakinlife007 Жыл бұрын

OLYMPICA speakers would be a great comparison

@Smellslikegelfling Жыл бұрын

@@stevenburdick424 I went to a Sonus Faber Dealer and they had a pair of $150k speakers set up in one room. It was the AIDA model I believe. They were absolutely massive, and also the best sounding speaker I heard that day.

@Luke-qs2cg Жыл бұрын

I would go back to the founders. Easily.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

I do miss those beautiful speakers.

@MusclesAVS Жыл бұрын

100% youre not keeping these. I have heard Sonus Faber many times and have never been impressed by them. Even the dealers I go to don't really bother pushing demos with them because they are more about looks and furniture then performance. They are the okayest of speakers, I would rate the legacy's and the Founder 120H's higher than these easy. I did a SF demo before my first demo of Persona's and lets just say....no contest at all.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

lol you're right, but I never keep anything, so it's almost a guaranteed bet at this point. I appreciate their looks and the sound signature they are going for, but they are not MY forever speaker. I know a guy near me that just loves them and drools over them. I think your taste and my taste are very well aligned in most cases though, you know what I am thinking before I do lol.

@MusclesAVS Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech I think a great speaker for you would be the Perlisten's. They are strong for movies and music and can go loud! They are more refined and much better looking than JTR's....they are also more expensive. I see this happening at some point :)

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

@@MusclesAVS I would definitely love to hear the Perlisten speakers one day. In the pictures online they sort of give me a cheap plastic front baffle sort of vibe, even though I know the front baffle isn’t plastic. Maybe if I saw them in person the looks would be more appealing…? I think I should lean more towards a HT speaker for now, and keep some nice bookshelves when I want pure music listening. I have some ideas bouncing around my head right now. I have some other financial goals I want to tackle, so I may be getting creative with the theater in the near future to help with the other financial goals…we’ll see.

@askmatt7283 Жыл бұрын

If a tower needs a sub, why not save $$$ and go with bookshelves instead? You are getting the sub anyways.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

That's another way of looking at it.

@gregmartinez5836 8 ай бұрын

Riddle me this. Why do these other channels that have sample clips of these and other bad ass speakers play such lame borderline gay sounding music? I’m talking violins up the ass and nothing but ballad vocals. Hilarious! This one was good thanks a million. 🤙🏼

@Herofmine Жыл бұрын

Beautiful but out of budget😅

@acaciomadeira5147 10 ай бұрын

Somus faber isn't hi-fi any longer it's made in China driver from scan spdake and audio technology drivers and owned by Macintosh who spend ridiculous amounts on advertising instead of research

@paulnickelles207 Ай бұрын

Too much waffling😅

@philipw7058 Жыл бұрын

Ridiculous

@junior-OG Жыл бұрын

fake 7 inch bass driver😒

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

Yeah, but this isn’t unique to SF, all brands are doing this unfortunately.

@junior-OG Жыл бұрын

@@SpecOfTech Paradigm Founder too ?

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

@@junior-OG As far as I know all brands do it, but Sonus Faber just took it a little far IMO.

@JamesBrown-jy5sy Жыл бұрын

I'll stick with my old Tekton Pendragons, with upgraded crossovers, over this overpriced, Italian, bright-sounding trash.

@SpecOfTech Жыл бұрын

That's a bold stance for something as subjective as audio. Just because it isn't your style, doesn't make it trash. There are a lot of people who hate the looks of the Tekton's, so they could just as easily say, "I'll take the beautiful Sonetto's over the ugly looking Tekton trash". I have also seen comments online about how some listeners don't like the sound of the Tektons, so nothing is ever perfect. Do you see how it can always go the other way too?

@degou3438 Жыл бұрын

more respect to what you even heard, sir