Short answer: the AsciLab C6B. It ranks #6 of 203 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.7/5, at $1,145; the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 ranks #168, rated 3.1/5, and costs $3,500, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 does well: 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. The tradeoff: Sounds notably bright pointed directly on-axis; toeing the speaker out about 30° reduces treble energy and sibilance meaningfully.
The AsciLab C6B is the more accurate, deeper-bass pick. Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 6.33 against 4.25 for the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2. Its bass reaches about 54Hz before falling 3dB, against 62Hz for the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2. The catch: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that.
Buy the AsciLab C6B. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 | AsciLab C6B | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3500 per pair | $1145 per pair |
| Ranked | #168 of 203 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #6 of 203 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 62Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 85.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 1x 6.5” mid-woofer (paper cone), 1x 1.1” (28mm) DAD soft dome tweeter | 6” Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1” Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter |
| Weight | 38.4 lbs (17.4 kg) | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each |
| Dimensions | 16.3”H x 8.9”W x 14”D (414.3 x 227.0 x 355.6 mm) | 15.7”H x 8”W x 10.4”D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | passive radiator |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 4.25 | 6.33 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.54 | 8.28 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How AsciLab C6B compares with other leading options:
- AsciLab C6B vs Perlisten S4b
- AsciLab C6B vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- AsciLab C6B vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- AsciLab C6B vs March Audio Sointuva AWG
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked October 9, 2026 at 8:01 AM 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.
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
The Two Speakers In Full
Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2: $3500 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Older model: the Sonus Faber Sonetto II (ranked lower, rated 3/5).
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 →
| 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 Pylon Jasper Monitor 18
- Sonus Faber Sonetto II G2 vs JBL XPL-90
- 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
AsciLab C6B: $1145 per pair Ascilab eBay
Same family: the AsciLab C5B (smaller bookshelf, rated 4.2/5).
Pros: Two-way design pairing a 1” aluminum ceramic dome tweeter on a large waveguide with a 6” aluminum ceramic cone woofer, crossed over at 1.1kHz, plus a rear passive radiator. Unusual trait: horizontal radiation actually widens at higher frequencies instead of narrowing like most two-way designs, which keeps image focus and soundstage depth consistent whether you toe the speakers in or out (5-10° off-axis was the sweet spot in testing). Vertical radiation also stays wide straight through the 2kHz crossover region, so the sound doesn’t collapse when standing up: unusual at this price. CA2034 measurements show strong on-axis linearity, listening window, early reflections, and directivity. Midrange and tweeter distortion stay very low even at 96dB, holding up against a $5,900 Arendal speaker in that regard despite roughly a 5x price gap. At $1145 shipped to the US, the reviewer calls it the best-value bookshelf speaker he’s tested, rivaling speakers 2-5x the price. Measured bass extension of 54Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 85.6dB.
Cons: Bass rolls off around 50Hz in-room (F3 54Hz, F10 35Hz), so a subwoofer is needed for real extension below that. Low-frequency harmonic distortion increases substantially at 96dB versus 86dB, though it’s second-order and less audible than it looks on paper. Minimum impedance dips to 2.6 ohms (EPDR as low as 1.2 ohms), so it wants an amplifier comfortable driving 4-ohm loads, ideally 100W or more. At 102dB, compression noticeably eats into midrange, bass, and some treble output. Shipping to the US adds roughly $200 on top of AsciLab’s list price. Against the reviewer’s reference Audiofirst Fidelia at a similar price, has slightly less lower-midrange body (about 1dB difference) and a smaller perceived soundstage size.
Full AsciLab C6B review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 35Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 15.7”H x 8”W x 10.4”D (398.8 x 203.2 x 264.2 mm) |
| Drivers | 6” Aluminium Ceramic Cone with cast Aluminium Chassis woofer, 1” Aluminium Ceramic Dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 2.6 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.6dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.33 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.28 |
| Weight | 18.5 lbs (8.4 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons