In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Sonus faber. Sonus Faber Lumina II is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Lumina III is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Lumina II and Sonus Lumina III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Lumina II | Sonus Lumina III |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD | 1.15" high definition DAD |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6" paper cone | 2 x 6" paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-24k Hz | 40-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-150 watts | 50-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.65kg / 12.4lbs | 15.90kg / 35lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 12" x 7.1" x 10.3"
304.0 x 180.0 x 263.0mm | 38.9" x 9" x 10.9"
989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm |
|---|
Lumina II 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 II 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 II |
Sonus Lumina III |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Lumina II 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.
Sonus Lumina IISonus 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 |
Sonus Lumina II |
Sonus Lumina III |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Lumina II features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter and 1 x 6" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz. 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 II has a frequency range of 55-24k 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 II's min frequency of 55Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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 II and Lumina III have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Lumina II sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Lumina III's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Sonus Lumina III a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Lumina II, 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 II and the Lumina II can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 Lumina II 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 Lumina II and Lumina III features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Sonus Lumina II's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Lumina II has a front firing port whereas Lumina III has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Lumina II'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
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 II's and Sonus Lumina III's external dimensions. Sonus Lumina II has external dimensions of 304.0 x 180.0 x 263.0mm (12 x 7.1 x 10.3inch) 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 III is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 48mm wider, 685mm taller and 15mm deeper than Sonus Lumina II.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus Lumina II and Sonus Lumina III in scale.
Comparison image of Sonus Lumina II 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 II is approximately 473.4cm2 / 73.4inch2 and base area of the Sonus Lumina III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The Lumina II requires 25% less surface area than the Lumina III which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Sonus Lumina II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Lumina II:
- 2 Bookshelf loudspeakers
- 1 Manual
- 2 Jumpers
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Fabric dust guards
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