Sonus Faber Sonetto V G2

Classy and talented premium floorstanders

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Few speaker brands can match Sonus Faber when it comes to visual elegance. We have had a number of high-end floorstanders through our test room, but none have managed to look as classy as the Italian company's new Sonetto V G2 floorstanding speakers.

At almost 109cm tall, these are relatively large boxes, but the blend of curved sides, carefully chosen finishes and some tasteful detailing makes them look much less obtrusive in our listening room than 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 choose 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. Until now, this tech has been available only in the brand's flagship speaker system, the Suprema. And that retails for around £695,000, so you can understand why we are so keen to have a listen.

Keen gardeners will know that the Camelia is a rather pretty flower. 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.

If you were to remove the drive unit from the cabinet, you would find it has a dedicated enclosure, too. But, rather than being just a partitioned wooden compartment within the main cabinet, as that normally implies, it is a reinforced curved shell made of cork. The curved shape and choice of material reduce the buildup of internal standing waves and minimise structural resonances.