Short answer: the Klipsch RP-600M II. It ranks #73 of 125 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $489.99; the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 ranks #99 and costs $3500, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Klipsch RP-600M II offers: Redesigned waveguide extends flush to the baffle edge, reducing diffraction compared to the original RP-600M. Roughly 10-20° wider horizontal radiation than the original, giving more soundstage envelopment while retaining precise imaging. A major step up in overall tonal neutrality compared to the original RP-600M, largely eliminating that model’s midrange resonance issues. Unusually, sounds better with the grille on - the grille smooths out the elevated treble rather than degrading the sound, a rare trait among speakers the reviewer has tested. More refined back-panel hardware, including anodized binding posts and jumper cables for optional bi-amping. Responds well to EQ correction (verified using measurement software and a miniDSP), letting the on-axis response be made genuinely linear. Watch for: On-axis, the treble runs notably hot - even hotter than the original RP-600M in some respects - and needs about 20° of toe-out or the grille installed to sound balanced. Horizontal dispersion is very slightly less linear across angles than the original RP-600M, a minor trade-off for the wider overall radiation pattern. Klipsch’s marketed sensitivity (about 94.5dB) is, like the original, a half-space rating roughly 9dB above the anechoic reality (closer to 85-86dB). In-room bass rolls off around 60Hz in practice, and a 120Hz boost paired with a midrange scoop gives kick drums their “tambour” without real low-end weight - a subwoofer is still recommended. Vertical listening tolerance is limited to about ±10° from the tweeter axis. Toeing the speaker out for better on-axis tonality (rather than using the grille) introduces slightly more diffuse imaging from added sidewall reflections.
What the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 offers: 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 Sonus Faber’s own Lumina 2, 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 Lumina 2), 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 Lumina 2. Watch for: 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.
Buy the Klipsch RP-600M II. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2. It ranks near the bottom of the 125 bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Klipsch RP-600M II | Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $489.99 | $3500 |
| Ranked | #73 of 125 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #99 of 125 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 62Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 12.5"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) | 16.3"H x 8.9"W x 14"D (414.3 x 227.0 x 355.6 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 87dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Cerametallic cone woofer, 1" titanium LTS vented tweeter with Tractrix horn | 1x 6.5" mid-woofer (paper cone), 1x 1.1" (28mm) DAD soft dome tweeter |
| Weight | 13 lbs / 5.9 kg each | 38.4 lbs / 17.4 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | ported, front |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- KEF R3 Meta vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- Pylon Jasper Monitor 18 vs Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator
- Dynaudio Emit 20 vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- ELAC Debut 3.0 DB63 vs Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2
- Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ vs Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2
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The Two Speakers In Full
Klipsch RP-600M II: $489.99 Amazon eBay
Pros: Redesigned waveguide extends flush to the baffle edge, reducing diffraction compared to the original RP-600M. Roughly 10-20° wider horizontal radiation than the original, giving more soundstage envelopment while retaining precise imaging. A major step up in overall tonal neutrality compared to the original RP-600M, largely eliminating that model’s midrange resonance issues. Unusually, sounds better with the grille on - the grille smooths out the elevated treble rather than degrading the sound, a rare trait among speakers the reviewer has tested. More refined back-panel hardware, including anodized binding posts and jumper cables for optional bi-amping. Responds well to EQ correction (verified using measurement software and a miniDSP), letting the on-axis response be made genuinely linear.
Cons: On-axis, the treble runs notably hot - even hotter than the original RP-600M in some respects - and needs about 20° of toe-out or the grille installed to sound balanced. Horizontal dispersion is very slightly less linear across angles than the original RP-600M, a minor trade-off for the wider overall radiation pattern. Klipsch’s marketed sensitivity (about 94.5dB) is, like the original, a half-space rating roughly 9dB above the anechoic reality (closer to 85-86dB). In-room bass rolls off around 60Hz in practice, and a 120Hz boost paired with a midrange scoop gives kick drums their “tambour” without real low-end weight - a subwoofer is still recommended. Vertical listening tolerance is limited to about ±10° from the tweeter axis. Toeing the speaker out for better on-axis tonality (rather than using the grille) introduces slightly more diffuse imaging from added sidewall reflections.
Full Klipsch RP-600M II review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 70Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8"W x 12.5"D (398.8 x 203.2 x 317.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Cerametallic cone woofer, 1" titanium LTS vented tweeter with Tractrix horn |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (3.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 13 lbs / 5.9 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: The Truth about Klipsch’s “NEW” Sound. RP-600M Update. More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Klipsch RP-600M II
- GR-Research: We Bought The “NEW” RP-600M II Is KLIPSCH Listening?! More from GR-Research →
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 5 AWESOME SPEAKERS Under $1000 You Won’t Regret
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Klipsch RP-600M II Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs JBL Studio 630
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Behringer B2030P
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Ascend CBM-170 SE2
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Infinity Reference R162
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Infinity IL10
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs SVS Ultra Bookshelf
- Klipsch RP-600M II vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- See all 37 comparisons
Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2: $3500 Crutchfield eBay
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 Sonus Faber’s own Lumina 2, 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 Lumina 2), 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 Lumina 2.
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 →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 62Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| 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) |
| 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 Pylon Jasper Monitor 18
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs KEF Q350
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv B2+
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs JBL XPL-90
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Polk Reserve R100
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs Klipsch RP-600M
- See all 29 comparisons