Short answer: the Audio First Cadentia 3. It ranks #7 of 216 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.7/5, at $7,199. The Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 ranks #178, rated 3.1/5, at $3,500, $3,699 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
The Audio First Cadentia 3 is the more accurate, deeper-bass pick. Near-textbook measurements: excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 7.55 against 4.25 for the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2. Its bass reaches about 43Hz before falling 3dB, against 62Hz for the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2. The tradeoff: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants: fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1).
Why pick the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2: Two-way design with a 1.125” damped Apex Dome silk tweeter and 6.5” cone woofer, using a base of concrete, aluminum, and steel with under-cabinet venting. Watch for: Sounds notably bright pointed directly on-axis; toeing the speaker out about 30° reduces treble energy and sibilance meaningfully.
Buy the Audio First Cadentia 3. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $3,699 saving on the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 is not enough to make up the difference.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audio First Cadentia 3 | Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7199 per pair | $3500 per pair |
| Ranked | #7 of 216 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #178 of 216 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 62Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 23.2” x 11.8” x 17” (590 x 300 x 433 mm) | 16.3”H x 8.9”W x 14”D (414.3 x 227.0 x 355.6 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 87dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 1.1” tweeter, 4.5” midrange, 9” woofer | 1x 6.5” mid-woofer (paper cone), 1x 1.1” (28mm) DAD soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each | 38.4 lbs (17.4 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex | ported, front |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.55 | 4.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.91 | 6.54 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Frequency Response Compared
Both speakers’ spinorama measurements, overlaid. A flatter line is more neutral: peaks sound forward or harsh, dips sound recessed. Each curve is shifted so its average from 300 Hz to 3 kHz sits at 0 dB, so loudness differences between the two are removed and only the shape is compared. The two were measured by different sources, so small differences, especially in the bass, can come from the measurement setup rather than the speakers.
Measurement data: Audio First Cadentia 3 (measured by the manufacturer) and Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 (measured by Erin’s Audio Corner), via spinorama.org.
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Audio First Cadentia 3 compares with other leading options:
- Perlisten S4b vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- March Audio Sointuva vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked October 14, 2026 at 2:38 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Audio First Cadentia 3: $7199 per pair Audio First Designs $7199 eBay
Pros: Near-textbook measurements: excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.4dB.
Cons: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants: fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
Full Audio First Cadentia 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 23.2” x 11.8” x 17” (590 x 300 x 433 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.1” tweeter, 4.5” midrange, 9” woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.55 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.91 |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs March Audio Sointuva
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs AsciLab C6B
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Perlisten S4b
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- See all 48 comparisons
Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2: $3500 per pair Crutchfield $3500 eBay
Older model: the Sonus Faber Sonetto II (ranked lower, rated 3/5). See every Sonus Faber Sonetto generation.
Same family: the Sonus Faber Sonetto I G2 (smaller bookshelf, estimated 3/5), the Sonus Faber Sonetto III G2 (smaller floorstanding, estimated 3.2/5), the Sonus Faber Sonetto V G2 (larger floorstanding, estimated 3.3/5) and the Sonus Faber Sonetto Center G2 (center, estimated 3/5).
Pros: Two-way design with a 1.125” damped Apex Dome silk tweeter and 6.5” cone woofer, using a base of concrete, aluminum, and steel with under-cabinet venting. Notably more neutral than the Sonus Faber Lumina II, which runs 2-5dB hotter in the treble. Horizontal directivity narrows at a fairly constant, well-behaved rate rather than narrowing-then-widening-then-narrowing like some rivals (including the Sonus Faber Lumina II), meaning sidewall reflections match the direct sound well enough that the reviewer doesn’t recommend sidewall absorption for this speaker. The tweeter-to-woofer crossover handoff around 3kHz looks clean, suggesting a higher-order crossover than typical for the size/price class. Good dynamic range: the low end loses only about 2dB from 76dB to 96dB, otherwise holding up well. Not a difficult amplifier load (about 4.2 ohms minimum impedance). Bass extension reaches a genuine 50Hz in-room, fuller than the Sonus Faber Lumina II. Measured bass extension of 62Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 87dB.
Cons: Sounds notably bright pointed directly on-axis; toeing the speaker out about 30° reduces treble energy and sibilance meaningfully. A resonance around 700Hz gives vocals a slightly nasal, hollow quality. A dip in the upper midrange (roughly 1-2kHz) reduces perceived detail and attack, while the elevated treble can read as “analytical” or “detailed” to some listeners despite being a coloration rather than true resolution. Needs more clearance from the rear wall than some rivals (about 1.5-2 feet in an ideal room, more or less depending on your specific room modes) or the 80-120Hz region can become boomy. Vertical listening window is limited to about ±10-15° from the tweeter axis. Some unexplained directivity irregularities appear around 1.2kHz and 1.6kHz, possibly port-related, along with a longer decay in the 800Hz-1600Hz range in burst-decay measurements. Multitone distortion approaches the reviewer’s 3% threshold through the midrange, though likely not obviously audible without direct A/B comparison. A resonance in the cabinet appears around 400Hz in impedance measurements.
Full Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 review and specifications →
| Released | Jan 2025 (1 year ago) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 62Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 16.3”H x 8.9”W x 14”D (414.3 x 227.0 x 355.6 mm) |
| Drivers | 1x 6.5” mid-woofer (paper cone), 1x 1.1” (28mm) DAD soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.25 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.54 |
| Weight | 38.4 lbs (17.4 kg) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Audio Craftsmen Victoria
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv B2+
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs JBL XPL-90
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Pylon Jasper Monitor 18
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs KEF Q350
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Polk R200
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Sonus Faber Sonetto II
- See all 64 comparisons