In this review, we will be comparing Lilium and Aida, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonus faber Lilium and Sonus faber Aida first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonus faber Lilium | Sonus faber Aida |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 4-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 7" | 7" |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" Paper | 12.5" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 20-35k Hz | 18-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100-800 watts | 100-1000 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 103.00kg / 226.6lbs | 165.00kg / 363lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 63" x 19-5/16" x 27-3/4"
1600.0 x 491.0 x 705.0mm | 67-15/16" x 19" x 30-11/16"
1725.0 x 482.0 x 780.0mm |
|---|
Lilium and Aida are members of Sonus faber's Reference series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Sonus faber Reference Series
History
What size room are the Sonus faber Lilium and Sonus faber Aida 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 faber Lilium |
Sonus faber Aida |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* 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
Both Lilium and Aida are 4-way speakers.
Sonus faber LiliumSonus faber Aida
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 faber Lilium |
Sonus faber Aida |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
4-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 7-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
1 x 12.5-inch
|
Lilium features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 10" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 55, 150, 200, 3000 Hz. On the other hand, the Aida features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 7" Midrange and 1 x 12.5" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 55, 150, 200, 3000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Lilium has a frequency range of 20-35k Hz whereas Aida has a frequency range of 18-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Aida can go slightly deeper then the Lilium's min frequency of 20Hz.
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
Impedance and Sensitivity
Lilium and Aida have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 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 Lilium and the Lilium 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.
Aida can handle a max power of 1000 watts RMS, whereas Lilium has a max power handling value of 800 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Aida.
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
Lilium features Binding post type posts and Aida has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 faber Lilium's and Sonus faber Aida's external dimensions. Sonus faber Lilium has external dimensions of 1600.0 x 491.0 x 705.0mm (63 x 19-5/16 x 27-3/4inch) whereas Sonus faber Aida has external dimensions of 1725.0 x 482.0 x 780.0mm (67-15/16 x 19 x 30-11/16inch).
Sonus faber Lilium is 125mm shorter and 75mm less deeper than Sonus faber Aida 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 faber Lilium is approximately 3461.6cm2 / 536.5inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Aida is approximately 3759.6cm2 / 582.7inch2. The Lilium requires 8% less surface area than the Aida 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 faber Lilium weighs 103.00kg / 226.6lbs and the Sonus faber Aida weighs 165.00kg / 363lbs. This makes the Aida 60% heavier than the Lilium.
Here is a comparison of how Lilium and Aida's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
1600mm
vs
1725mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
3461cm2
vs
3759cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
70000USD
vs
130000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
1000 watts
vs
800 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
12.5 inches
vs
10 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
20 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Sonus faber Lilium |
Sonus faber Aida |
| Brand |
Sonus faber |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100-800 watts |
100-1000 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
20-35k Hz |
18-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
12.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
7" |
7" |
| Crossover Frequency |
55, 150, 200, 3000 Hz |
55, 150, 200, 3000 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1600.0mm (63") |
1725.0mm (67.9") |
| Width |
491.0mm (19.3") |
482.0mm (19") |
| Depth |
705.0mm (27.8") |
780.0mm (30.7") |
| Weight |
103.00kg (226.6lbs) |
165.00kg (363lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Sonus faber's Reference series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
evenly matched |
Much the same reach (20Hz vs 18Hz). |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
B |
Sonus faber Aida takes more power (1000W vs 800W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price |
A |
Sonus faber Lilium is cheaper - $70,000 against $130,000, about 46% less; arguably a different class. |
A Sonus faber Lilium
B Sonus faber Aida
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Sonus faber Aida is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 46% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Sonus faber Lilium looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Sonus faber Aida appeals to you. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $60,000 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.