We have Sonetto III for exactly the reasons you describe. Yes the bass is lean and tight and has attack (not in your face) plus the midrange and treble clarity is fantastic. We don’t find the bass lacking but it’s certainly a very different presentation from say a Spendor.
They work well across all types of music both at low level and high volume listening. On the end of a 250DR they really sing. Being bottom ported they are easy to place.
We’re currently upgrading the black boxes but don’t expect our Sonetto to be out of their depth (after discussions with dealer).