In this review, we will be comparing Sonetto III and Lumina III, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus Sonetto III and Sonus Lumina III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus Sonetto III | Sonus Lumina III |
|---|
| Brand | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.15" high definition DAD Dome | 1.15" high definition DAD |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6" aluminum cone | 2 x 6" paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-25k Hz | 40-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-250 watts | 50-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.00kg / 35.2lbs | 15.90kg / 35lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40" x 9" x 12"
1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm | 38.9" x 9" x 10.9"
989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonus Sonetto III 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 Sonetto III |
Sonus Lumina III |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.
Drivers
Both Sonetto III and Lumina III are 3-way speakers.
Sonus Sonetto IIISonus 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 Sonetto III |
Sonus Lumina III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.15-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 6-inch
|
Sonetto III features a 1.15" high definition DAD Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" aluminum cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 220 and 3.250 Hz. 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
Sonetto III has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Lumina III has a frequency range of 40-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Lumina III can go slightly deeper then the Sonetto III's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
Sonetto III and Lumina III have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.
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 Sonetto III and the Sonetto III can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Sonetto III and Lumina III have the same power range of 50-250 watts.
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 Sonetto III and Lumina III features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Sonus Sonetto III's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Sonetto III and Lumina III have bottom firing ports.
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 Sonetto III's and Sonus Lumina III's external dimensions. Sonus Sonetto III has external dimensions of 1018.0 x 219.0 x 305.0mm (40 x 9 x 12inch) 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 29mm shorter and 27mm less deeper than Sonus Sonetto III but it is also 9mm wider.
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 Sonetto III is approximately 668.0cm2 / 103.5inch2 and base area of the Sonus Lumina III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The Sonetto III requires 5% more surface area than the Lumina III which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Sonetto III weighs 16.00kg / 35.2lbs and the Sonus Lumina III weighs 15.90kg / 35lbs. This makes the Sonetto III 1% heavier than the Lumina III.
Here is a comparison of how Sonetto III and Lumina III'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 Sonetto III?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Sonetto III:
- 8 Spikes
- 8 Under Spikes
- 8 Spike locks
- 2 Masks
- 2 Fabric dust guards
- 2 Basis
- 16 Locking screws
- 2 Jumpers
- 1 Allen Wrench
- 1 Manual
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
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
989mm
vs
1018mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
633cm2
vs
668cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2199USD
vs
2999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Sonus faber Sonetto III |
Sonus faber Lumina III |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-250 watts |
50-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-25k Hz |
40-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
aluminum cone |
paper cone |
| Tweeter Size |
1.15" |
1.15" |
| Tweeter Type |
high definition DAD Dome |
high definition DAD |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
220 and 3.250 Hz |
350 and 3500 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1018.0mm (40.1") |
989.0mm (38.9") |
| Width |
219.0mm (8.6") |
228.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
305.0mm (12") |
278.0mm (10.9") |
| Weight |
16.00kg (35.2lbs) |
15.90kg (35lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
real multilayer wood |
| Available Colors |
Wood, White, Black, Wenge |
Black, Wenge, Walnut |
| Grille |
n/a |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Both are Sonus faber, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (42Hz vs 40Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (250W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Sonus Sonetto III: bi-amping; Sonus Lumina III: bi-amping. Sonus Sonetto III sits in a wider range (11 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Sonus Lumina III is cheaper - $2,199 against $2,999, about 27% less. |
A Sonus Sonetto III B Sonus Lumina III
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $800 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.