In this review, we will be comparing Lumina III and Triton Seven, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus Faber and GoldenEar. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Lumina III and GoldenEar Triton Seven first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Sonus Lumina III and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Sonus Lumina III and GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 III is a 3-way design whereas the Triton Seven is a 2-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 III |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Triton Seven features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
Lumina III has a frequency range of 40-24k Hz whereas Triton Seven has a frequency range of 29-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Triton Seven can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Lumina III's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
Lumina III is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Triton Seven which has a nominal impedance of 8 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.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 89 dBdB.
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.
Lumina III can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Lumina III has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the Triton Seven.
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
Lumina III features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Triton Seven has a 5-way Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Lumina III has a bottom firing port whereas Triton Seven has a rear firing ports. Sonus Lumina III's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to GoldenEar Triton Seven 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 III's and GoldenEar Triton Seven's external dimensions. Sonus Lumina III has external dimensions of 989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm ( 38.9 x 9 x 10.9inch) whereas GoldenEar Triton Seven has external dimensions of 1029.0 x 267.0 x 369.0mm ( 40-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 14-1/2inch) .
GoldenEar Triton Seven is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 39mm wider, 40mm taller and 91mm deeper than Sonus Lumina III.
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 III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2 and base area of the GoldenEar Triton Seven is approximately 985.2cm2 / 152.7inch2. The Lumina III requires 36% less surface area than the Triton Seven which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Sonus Lumina III weighs 15.90kg / 35lbs and the GoldenEar Triton Seven weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the Lumina III 9% heavier than the Triton Seven.
Here is a comparison of how Lumina III and Triton Seven's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Sonus Lumina III?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Lumina III:
Floorstanding loudspeaker1 Manual 2 Jumpers2 Grilles 2 Fabric dust guards4 Spikes 4 Under spikes 4 Spikes locks
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Triton Seven?
Here are the items that come with the Triton Seven:
Floorstanding loudspeaker4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spikes4 Locking nutsOwners Manual
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
6 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
989mm
vs
1029mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
633cm2 (228x278mm)
vs
985cm2 (267x369mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Passive Radiator |
dual 8-inch infrasonic planar sub-bass
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Price per pair* |
1798USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus Faber Lumina III |
GoldenEar Triton Seven |
| Brand |
Sonus Faber |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
10-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-24k Hz |
29-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
350 and 3500 Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
989.0mm (38.9") |
1029.0mm (40.5") |
| Width |
228.0mm (9") |
267.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
278.0mm (10.9") |
369.0mm (14.5") |
| Weight |
15.90kg (35lbs) |
14.55kg (32lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Passive Radiator |
| Finish |
real multilayer wood |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Black, Wenge, Walnut |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
n/a |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |