In this review, we will be comparing Lumina III and Borea BR09, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Sonus Faber and Triangle. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Lumina III and Triangle Borea BR09 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Sonus Lumina III and Triangle Borea BR09 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 Triangle Borea BR09 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
Both Lumina III and Borea BR09 are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Sonus Lumina III |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
3 x 6-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 Borea BR09 features a 1" silk dome Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 310Hz and 3900Hz.
Frequency Response
Lumina III has a frequency range of 40-24k Hz whereas Borea BR09 has a frequency range of 35 - 22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Borea BR09 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 Borea BR09 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 Borea BR09's is rated at 92.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Triangle Borea BR09 a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Lumina III, 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 Borea BR09 has a max power handling value of 170 watts RMS, 80 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. Borea BR09 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Triangle Borea BR09's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Lumina III has a bottom firing port whereas Borea BR09 has a front firing ports. Triangle Borea BR09'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
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 Triangle Borea BR09'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 Triangle Borea BR09 has external dimensions of 1095.0 x 206.0 x 314.0mm ( 43.1 x 8.1 x 12.3inch) .
Sonus Lumina III is 106mm shorter and 36mm less deeper than Triangle Borea BR09 but it is also 22mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonus Lumina III and Triangle Borea BR09 in scale.
Comparison image of Sonus Lumina III and Triangle Borea BR09 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 III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2 and base area of the Triangle Borea BR09 is approximately 646.8cm2 / 100.3inch2. The Lumina III requires 2% less surface area than the Borea BR09 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 Triangle Borea BR09 weighs 21.80kg / 48lbs. This makes the Borea BR09 37% heavier than the Lumina III.
Here is a comparison of how Lumina III and Borea BR09'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 Triangle Borea BR09?
Here are the items that come with the Borea BR09:
2 x Borea speakers 2 x protections grids 2 x pedestals 8 x screws 8 x adhesive rubber plots 8 x decoupling spikes 1 x user manual
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
170 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
989mm
vs
1095mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
633cm2 (228x278mm)
vs
646cm2 (206x314mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
| Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1850USD
vs
2199USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus Faber Lumina III |
Triangle Borea BR09 |
| Brand |
Sonus Faber |
Triangle |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
up to 170 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.3 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-24k Hz |
35 - 22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
paper cone |
fiberglass |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
350 and 3500 Hz |
310Hz and 3900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
989.0mm (38.9") |
1095.0mm (43.1") |
| Width |
228.0mm (9") |
206.0mm (8.1") |
| Depth |
278.0mm (10.9") |
314.0mm (12.4") |
| Weight |
15.90kg (35lbs) |
21.80kg (48lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
real multilayer wood |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Black, Wenge, Walnut |
Light Oak, Walnut, Black, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |