In this review, we will be comparing Lumina I and EVO4.1, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Sonus Faber and Wharfedale. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sonus Lumina I and Wharfedale EVO4.1 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
In the following sections, we will get into details in order to better understand how Sonus Lumina I and Wharfedale EVO4.1 compares 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 Lumina I and EVO4.1 are 2-way speakers. Lumina I features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter and 1 x 4.75" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz. On the other hand, EVO4.1 features a 1.18x2.36" AMT (Ribbon) Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
Lumina I has a frequency range of 65-24k Hz whereas EVO4.1 has a frequency range of 64-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 65Hz, the Lumina I can go slightly deeper then the EVO4.1's min frequency of 64Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers under Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Lumina I is a 4 ohms speaker compared to EVO4.1 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Lumina I sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and EVO4.1's is at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes Wharfedale EVO4.1 a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Lumina I, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Keep in mind that higher max power handling value doesn't necesssarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impededance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Lumina I and EVO4.1 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Sonus Lumina I's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Wharfedale EVO4.1's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Lumina I has a front firing port whereas EVO4.1 has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Lumina I's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Wharfedale EVO4.1 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 I's and Wharfedale EVO4.1's external dimensions. Sonus Lumina I has external dimensions of 280.0 x 148.0 x 213.0mm ( 11 x 5.8 x 8.4inch) whereas Wharfedale EVO4.1 has external dimensions of 335.0 x 210.0 x 295.0mm ( 13.1 x 8.2 x 11.6inch) .
Wharfedale EVO4.1 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 62mm wider, 55mm taller and 82mm deeper than Sonus Lumina I.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus Lumina I and Wharfedale EVO4.1 in scale.
Comparison image of Sonus Lumina I and Wharfedale EVO4.1 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 I is approximately 315.2cm2 / 48.9inch2 and base area of the Wharfedale EVO4.1 is approximately 619.5cm2 / 96.0inch2. The Lumina I requires 49% less surface area than the EVO4.1 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of Sonus Lumina I and Wharfedale EVO4.1 on a Media Console
