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.
B&W 704 S3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-150watts
- Weight:20.53kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 964.0" x 6.5" x 11.8"( 964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm )
Sonus Lumina III Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 2 x 6" paper cone Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 40-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:50-250watts
- Weight:15.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 989.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the B&W 704 S3 and Sonus Lumina III compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both 704 S3 and Lumina III are 3-way speakers.
| 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.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
704 S3 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 704 S3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Lumina III.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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.