In this review, we will be comparing 704 S3 and Lumina III, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 704 S3 and Sonus Lumina III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W 704 S3 | Sonus Lumina III |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1.15" high definition DAD |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Aerofoil | 2 x 6" paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 40-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 50-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.53kg / 45.2lbs | 15.90kg / 35lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38" x 6.5" x 11.8"
964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm | 38.9" x 9" x 10.9"
989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W 704 S3 and Sonus Lumina III speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
B&W 704 S3 |
Sonus Lumina III |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both 704 S3 and Lumina III are 3-way speakers.
B&W 704 S3Sonus Lumina III
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
B&W 704 S3 |
Sonus Lumina III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
704 S3 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer. On the other hand, the Lumina III features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 and 3500 Hz.
Frequency Response
704 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz whereas Lumina III has a frequency range of 40-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Lumina III can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 704 S3's min frequency of 46Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
704 S3 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Lumina III which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Lumina III can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 704 S3 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Lumina III's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus Lumina III a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 704 S3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Lumina III can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 704 S3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Lumina III.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 704 S3 and Lumina III features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
B&W 704 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
704 S3 has a rear firing port whereas Lumina III has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Lumina III's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 704 S3 with its rear-firing port.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W 704 S3's and Sonus Lumina III's external dimensions. B&W 704 S3 has external dimensions of 964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm (38-inch x 6.5-inch x 11.8-inch) whereas Sonus Lumina III has external dimensions of 989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm (38.9 x 9 x 10.9inch).
B&W 704 S3 is 63mm narrower and 25mm shorter than Sonus Lumina III but it is also 22mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 704 S3 and Sonus Lumina III in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 704 S3 and Sonus Lumina III Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the B&W 704 S3 is approximately 495.0cm2 / 76.7inch2 and base area of the Sonus Lumina III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The 704 S3 requires 22% less surface area than the Lumina III which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The B&W 704 S3 weighs 20.53kg / 45.2lbs and the Sonus Lumina III weighs 15.90kg / 35lbs. This makes the 704 S3 29% heavier than the Lumina III.
Here is a comparison of how 704 S3 and Lumina III's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of B&W 704 S3?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 704 S3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinth (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock washers
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Sonus Lumina III?
Here are the items that come with the Lumina III:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 1 Manual
- 2 Jumpers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Under spikes
- 4 Spikes locks
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
964mm
vs
989mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
495cm2
vs
633cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2199USD
vs
3998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 |
Sonus faber Lumina III |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-150 watts |
50-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
40-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
paper cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.15" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
high definition DAD |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
350 and 3500 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
964.0mm (38") |
989.0mm (38.9") |
| Width |
165.0mm (6.5") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
20.53kg (45.2lbs) |
15.90kg (35lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
real multilayer wood |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black,Satin White,Mocha,Rosenut |
Black, Wenge, Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
|
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
|
These sit in different price classes - B&W 704 S3 costs roughly 1.8x what Sonus Lumina III does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Sonus Lumina III digs deeper - 40Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | B&W 704 S3 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | Sonus Lumina III takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 704 S3 is easier to place; Sonus Lumina III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | B&W 704 S3: bi-amping; Sonus Lumina III: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Sonus Lumina III is cheaper - $2,199 against $3,998, about 45% less; arguably a different class. |
A B&W 704 S3 B Sonus Lumina III
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Sonus Lumina III has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate B&W 704 S3 the better fit for a mid-size room, and Sonus Lumina III for a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.