In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Sonus Faber. Sonus Faber Lumina Center I is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Lumina III is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Lumina Center I and Sonus Lumina III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Sonus Lumina Center I Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter
- 2 x 4.75" paper cone Woofer
- 65-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:30-100watts
- Weight:7.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 169.0" x 20.6" x 8.4"( 169.0 x 524.0 x 213.0mm )
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 )
Lumina CI and Lumina III are members of Sonus Faber's Lumina series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus Faber Lumina Series History
What size room are the Sonus Lumina Center I 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* |
Sonus Lumina Center I |
Sonus Lumina III |
| Near-field |
Average |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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 Sonus Lumina Center I 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Lumina CI is a 2-way design whereas the Lumina III is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
Sonus Lumina Center I |
Sonus Lumina III |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 4.75-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Lumina CI features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter and 2 x 4.75" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000 Hz. 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
Lumina CI has a frequency range of 65-24k 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 Lumina CI's min frequency of 65Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel 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
Lumina CI and Lumina III have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Lumina CI sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Lumina III's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Sonus Lumina III a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Lumina Center I, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Lumina CI and the Lumina CI can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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.
Lumina CI can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Lumina CI has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 150 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 Lumina CI and Lumina III features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Sonus Lumina Center I's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Lumina CI has a front firing port whereas Lumina III has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Lumina Center I's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Sonus Lumina III 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 Sonus Lumina Center I's and Sonus Lumina III's external dimensions. Sonus Lumina Center I has external dimensions of 169.0 x 524.0 x 213.0mm ( 6.6 x 20.6 x 8.4inch) whereas Sonus Lumina III has external dimensions of 989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm ( 38.9 x 9 x 10.9inch) .
Sonus Lumina Center I is 820mm shorter and 65mm less deeper than Sonus Lumina III but it is also 296mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus Lumina Center I and Sonus Lumina III in scale.
Comparison image of Sonus Lumina Center I 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 Sonus Lumina Center I is approximately 1116.1cm2 / 173.0inch2 and base area of the Sonus Lumina III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The Lumina CI requires 76% more surface area than the Lumina III which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Sonus Lumina Center I?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Lumina CI:
1 Center Channel Speaker1 Manual 2 Jumpers1 Grilles 1 Fabric dust guards
What's in the Box of Sonus Lumina III?
Here are the items that come with the Lumina III:
Floorstanding loudspeaker1 Manual 2 Jumpers2 Grilles 2 Fabric dust guards4 Spikes 4 Under spikes 4 Spikes locks
Height 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Base Surface Area