In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus faber Lumina Center I is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Lumina V is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Lumina Center I and Sonus Lumina V first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Lumina Center I | Sonus Lumina V |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD | 1.15" high definition DAD |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 4.75" paper cone | 2 x 6.5" paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-24k Hz | 38-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-100 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 7.60kg / 16.7lbs | 22.50kg / 49.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.6" x 20.6" x 8.4"
169.0 x 524.0 x 213.0mm | 41.3" x 11" x 14.7"
1049.0 x 280.0 x 373.0mm |
|---|
Lumina CI and Lumina V 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 V 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 V |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Lumina CI is a 2-way design whereas the Lumina V 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.
Sonus Lumina Center ISonus Lumina V
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Sonus Lumina Center I |
Sonus Lumina V |
|
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 6.5-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 V features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 260 and 2600 Hz.
Frequency Response
Lumina CI has a frequency range of 65-24k Hz whereas Lumina V has a frequency range of 38-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Lumina V can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Lumina CI's min frequency of 65Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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
Lumina CI and Lumina V 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 V's is at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Sonus Lumina V 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Lumina V can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Lumina CI has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Lumina V.
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 Lumina CI and Lumina V 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 V 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 V 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 Sonus Lumina Center I's and Sonus Lumina V'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 V has external dimensions of 1049.0 x 280.0 x 373.0mm (41.3 x 11 x 14.7inch).
Sonus Lumina Center I is 880mm shorter and 160mm less deeper than Sonus Lumina V but it is also 244mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus Lumina Center I and Sonus Lumina V in scale.
Comparison image of Sonus Lumina Center I and Sonus Lumina V 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 V is approximately 1044.4cm2 / 161.9inch2. The Lumina CI requires 7% more surface area than the Lumina V 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 Speaker
- 1 Manual
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Grilles
- 1 Fabric dust guards
What's in the Box of Sonus Lumina V?
Here are the items that come with the Lumina V:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 1 Manual
- 2 Jumpers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 4 Spikes
- 4 Under spikes
- 4 Spikes locks