Sonus Faber Sonetto V G2

Floorstanding speakers £5995

- 

Few of the floorstanders that have come through our test rooms in recent months have looked as classy as Sonos Faber's new Sonetto V G2 floorstanding speakers. At almost 109cm tall, these are relatively large boxes, but the curved sides, carefully chosen finishes and some tasteful detailing make them look much less obtrusive than perhaps expected.

These speakers are part of a seven-strong range that also includes a pair of standmounters, larger and smaller floorstanders, a dedicated centre and a wall-mount option. We chose to test the Sonetto V G2 as it is the most affordable stereo model in the range to include Sonus Faber's new Camelia midrange driver technology.

Up until now, this tech has been available only in the brand's flagship speakers, the Suprema (£695,000), so you can understand why we are so keen to have a listen.

Camelia is a rather pretty flower, and the Sonetto V G2's unpainted, white, paper-pulp midrange cone is shaped like its namesake. This distinctive geometry is claimed to avoid the resonances of a conventional circular cone and so produce cleaner, less distorted results. The 16.5cm driver has a solid aluminium phase plug at the centre to help improve dispersion at the top end of its operating range.

The drive unit has a dedicated enclosure, but rather than being just a partitioned wooden compartment within the main cabinet, as would be normal, it is a reinforced curved shell made of cork. The curved shape and choice of material reduce the build-up of internal standing waves and minimise structural resonances.