In this review, we will be comparing Lumina III and R600, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus Faber and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Lumina III and Polk R600 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Sonus Lumina III and Polk R600 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 Polk R600 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 R600 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 |
Polk R600 |
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
- |
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 R600 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Turbine Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Lumina III has a frequency range of 40-24k Hz whereas R600 has a frequency range of 43-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Lumina III can go slightly deeper then the R600's min frequency of 43Hz.
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 R600 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.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Lumina III sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the R600's is rated at 87.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus Lumina III a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R600, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R600 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 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
Lumina III features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. R600 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Lumina III and R600 have bottom firing ports.
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 Polk R600'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 Polk R600 has external dimensions of 1063.8 x 280.7 x 381.6mm ( 41.9 x 11 x 15inch) .
Polk R600 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 52.7mm wider, 74.8mm taller and 103.6mm deeper than Sonus Lumina III.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus Lumina III and Polk R600 in scale.
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 Polk R600 is approximately 1071.2cm2 / 166.0inch2. The Lumina III requires 41% less surface area than the R600 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 Polk R600 weighs 21.50kg / 47.3lbs. This makes the R600 35% heavier than the Lumina III.
Here is a comparison of how Lumina III and R600'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 Polk R600?
Here are the items that come with the R600:
Floorstanding loudspeaker
4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
Grille
Hex-key
Owner's Manual
Online Registration
Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
43 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
Height |
989mm
vs
1063mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
Base Surface Area |
633cm2 (228x278mm)
vs
1071cm2 (280x381mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
Price per pair* |
1698USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
General |
Sonus Faber Lumina III |
Polk Audio Reserve R600 |
Brand |
Sonus Faber |
Polk Audio |
Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
Power Range |
50-250 watts |
25-200 watts |
Sensitivity |
89 dB |
87.5 dB |
Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
Frequency Response |
40-24k Hz |
43-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
Woofer Size |
6" |
6.5" |
Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
Polypropylene Turbine Cone |
Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
1" |
Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
Midrange Driver |
6" |
No |
Crossover Frequency |
350 and 3500 Hz |
2700Hz |
Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
Height |
989.0mm (38.9") |
1063.8mm (41.9") |
Width |
228.0mm (9") |
280.7mm (11.1") |
Depth |
278.0mm (10.9") |
381.6mm (15") |
Weight |
15.90kg (35lbs) |
21.50kg (47.3lbs) |
Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
Finish |
real multilayer wood |
MDF/Vinyl |
Available Colors |
Black, Wenge, Walnut |
Black, Walnut, White |
Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |