ARE TOWER SPEAKERS BETTER? 🤔 LUMINA II vs V! Lumina V Review
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
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► COMPARABLE TOWER SPEAKERS
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Klipsch 8000F II: bit.ly/3whkdb3, amzn.to/3PSWy8A
► TESTING THE LUMINA V/III/II SPEAKERS
POWER
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TURNTABLE
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MOVIES - GAMING - MUSIC
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Room EQ Wizard
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► MORE FROM SONUS FABER
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Everything: bit.ly/3cophDd
► SONUS FABER LUMINA V REVIEW
Are towers better than bookshelf speakers? A lot of audiophiles will say YES. We decided to put this theory to the test with some of our favorite speakers from Sonus Faber. In addition to this full Sonus Faber Lumina V review, we compare the entire Lumina series! Which speaker is our favorite? Watch and find out as we put them to the test comparing the Lumina ii vs Lumina iii vs Lumina V.
00:00 ARE TOWER SPEAKERS BETTER?
00:26 LUMINA V REVIEW & SPECS
01:29 SONUS FABER SPEAKER SETUP
01:52 BEST RECEIVERS AND AMPLIFIERS FOR SONUS FABER SPEAKERS
02:05 THE SONUS FABER SOUND
02:34 SONUS FABER LUMINA V MEASUREMENTS
02:56 SONUS FABER LUMINA V SOUND QUALITY
06:00 LUMINA V VS LUMINA III (BEST SONUS FABER LUMINA TOWER)
06:32 LUMINA II VS V
07:26 LUMINA II VS LUMINA III VS LUMINA V
07:57 SONUS FABER VS CONCEPT 50
08:12 SONUS FABER VS R700
08:50 BEST SONUS FABER SPEAKERS
09:30 KRISTI'S FAVORITE SONUS FABER SPEAKER
11:31 KRISTI'S COMPARISONS
12:41 HOW TO TELL IF A SPEAKER IS CLEAR
14:46 KRISTI'S TALKS POLK R700
17:52 KRISTI'S INSIGHT INTO WHAT VIEWERS LIKE
18:32 SIGN OFF AND QUESTION OF THE DAY
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► MY REFERENCE AUDIO AND HOME THEATER SYSTEM
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Decware Zen: bit.ly/3rHu0BP
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R700: bit.ly/3LtiF1N, bit.ly/3RcQR5Z
Lumina II: bit.ly/3QlTiCR
Concept 50: bit.ly/3ccXaGZ, bit.ly/3b0IbQ2
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Audio Technica LP140XP: amzn.to/33OfgXO with amzn.to/3zcPqKM
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Sony A9: bit.ly/3AIoyno with bit.ly/3tZcI5F
Samsung Q950A: amzn.to/3bt6HpT
DESKTOP SPEAKERS
Tannoy Gold 5: amzn.to/3damM5r
Kanto YU: bit.ly/2YrRzoX
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Apple Airpods: amzn.to/3IOxE5m
► MORE SPEAKER REVIEWS
Lumina II review: • MOVE OVER Focal, B&W! ...
Concept 50 review: • Are High End Speakers ...
R700 review: • Our END GAME Speaker R...
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This is the exxxxaaaactttt, review I was looking for. You answered alllll, my questions. Lumina II vs III vs V vs Q50 vs R700. Another Wonderbread job as always. Thanks so much!!!
Nice review, from a Lumina V owner. Never heard these rivals mentioned though, some others yes and i preferred these.
Just one small correction, the tweeter is just a bit larger than 1 inch, 29 mm, so different from many other manufacturers.
One quickey... The Lumina V vs the Focal Chora 826? I'm goin to have to find an audio store.
@@pathunter2219 I think Focal Aria is more in the same category as the Lumina V.
@@robinr5787 Good to know. thanks
I’m just starting to listen and already know my answer because of my strong unscientific bias.
hahah
🧐 quite right
Love the Lumina Being full blooded Italian hits home for me :) Out of my price rang these days and not a Klipsch fan I had those and Meh. Sold.
Just finished the lawn work, time for Andrew and Kristi, happy Sunday y'all ✌
Perfect timing!
Thanks for spending part of your day with us.
Hi guys,i picked the Lumina 3 because they look 10x more expensive in my space compared to the lumina 2 on stands,and i got them on offer for just a little bit more money. Will send pictures next time when you do viewer’s system photos. I would like to see something from the olympica line as to see what 3x the price gets you. Keep up the amazing work 🔥👌
Review the Sonetto series which is a nice step up from Lumina and with distinct Sonus Faber sound ❤
You've spoken so highly of the Concept 50s and R700s I appreciate you throwing in those comparisons.
I prefer bookshelf speakers and a sub (once the sub is dialed in properly) to floor standing speakers. I'm not limited with placement as with a floor standing speaker. Bookies generally disappear more easily than floor standers. This is all just my opinion however, and others experience may be different. Bookies over standers!!!
✅ vote for bookshelf speakers being better!
Subwoofer is nothing different with floor standing speakers, you handle them identical in the configuration
How are you limited with floor standing speakers in the positioning? I am away from the back wall 90 cm which won't be possible in a shelf as well I can more or less free move and toe in the floor standing speakers
So glad you finally dropped this! Been absolutely loving my Vs with the g700. Fantastic to see it tested together. I have a Martin Logan sub with it and it's just the business. I still gotta get some Lumina IIs for my desk now that I'm officially hooked on Sonus Faber 👏🏻
Great vid as always!!! Kristi hit the nail on the head when she said she wants a speaker with clear dialogue. I watch more movies than listen to music. I like Songs Faber design alot but, might have to look into some qs
This was a great review that I’ve been waiting for since your Lumina II review. I would be using the speaker in a dual role like you so now I’ll have to look closer at the Qs as well.
Thank you for your review. How about going one step up, considering review the Sonetto line?
Really liked this one, love when you two drag in the catalogue of your equipment experience to bolster the context of a review.
Thank you for the 2k roll-off insight as well. I'll be keeping my ears open.
Lastly, so glad to see Andrew has finally received Kristi's unabashed seal of approval! So proud of you, man! (lol) You guys never fail to bring a smile. Thank you for keeping fun in this hobby that so many get so serious about.
#PianoBlackIsBoring
#ThereCanBeOnlyOne
Hi, THX for a great review and fun video (as always). I think it's a great idea to compere tower to monitor speakers from the same series, and I would like to see your review of the Sonus Faber Electa Amator VS Maxima Amator speakers (and also of the ProAc D2R VS D20R)
Hey Andrew I just wanted to let you know that I love your videos. I like chilling, drinking some tea and or coffee and hearing you talk. It is relaxing and informative.
Thank you for the in-depth review. I had the chance to hear both the Lumina V and the Sonetto V side-by-side at my local shop and instantly became completely enamored with Sonus Faber. I was crushing too hard on both to make any discernable observations between the sound of either line but hands down the Sonetta cabinet is a step up aesthetically. Needless to say, my speaker fund has been reestablished, and I look forward to having some SF soon. I would love an in-depth look at the Sonetta V.
Been waiting for this one !!!
Purchased the V's about 4 months ago...... love them.
Refreshing to hear your thoughts align with mine in your review. Perhaps the rabbit hole I've gone down is finally making sense.
Agree the II's are great but didn't want bookshelves. The III's just seemed like something was missing but I was close to purchasing them because I knew my sub would round them out. Then my dealer tells me they are finally gonna get a pair of V's in so I held off. 30 seconds into the first song I was so glad I waited.
Greatly appreciated the dialog explanation. I too have dialog issues. Will definitely take that into account when I replace my center channel speaker.
Thanks guys for another great review! Curious how you think the SF and Q Acoustics compare to the Mission 770s.
Always enjoy your reviews and this was no exception. I have Lumina 3s and enjoy them however at some point would like to go to SF Sonetto Vs. Would be great if you guys could review the Sonetto line even versus the Lumina line please. Also SF Electa Amators possibly. Thank you
I must say that I love watching your reviews. Listening to what you look out for in the speakers you review helps me learn a lot. In this particular review, I may not be able to conclude whether i agree with your conclusions or not because I have not heard any of these speakers . However, I love the recommended track, Gas Hed Goes West by Live, because it helped me listen again to how my speakers perform. Thanks
Hey Andrew and Kristi. I love your channel, keep the fantastic unbiased reviews coming. I am looking to finally upgrade my front soundstage. Came down to Polk R400 center and R700 towers or KEF Q250c Center and Q950 Towers. I will be driving them with a Yamaha RX A4A receiver for now but plan on buying a 3 channel amp later on and using the 3 pre-outs from the receiver. In your opinion what is the better option of the two choices. It will be used for both movies and music. Thank you.
Great review. I was looking after this because I am interested in the lumina V and Q Acoustics Concept 50.
About dialog clarity.. I suggest to check the RTA60 decay in your room. I had this problem in my listening room where I found a decay of over 1s in the mid frequencies. After adding the right "amount" of acoustics panels the decay now is under 400ms and the dialog clarity is absolutely fantastic. Of course the speakers themselves make a difference but I would look at the room acoustics too.
Guys great review, I would try thee Olympica Nova's, Sarafino's and Sonetto which is the next line up from the Luminas and rumor has it the tweeter and mid from Sonetto was used with lumina or just tweeter, something like that.
I am not surprised by your conclusions of the Lumina II's. I love my setup with the Lumina II's and REL T5x and they sound absolutely fantastic. I have heard the Lumina V's at my Sonus faber dealer - different equipment and different room etc - I thought then I preferred my Lumina II's and chalked it upto my Merson Frerot DAC but who knows. I have zero desire to upgrade my speakers. My problem now is I intended to take some of my good equipment down to an audio room I am building - but I refuse to separate anything out of my current system.... Thanks for the great work on your channel and thank you to Kristi for her perspectives - I think that is a great feature of your channel.
I like the reviews and appreciate the no nonsense way you approach audio. Since you like the Polk R 500 have you considered reviewing the L 600? I’m considering replacing my vintage Polk SDA 2 and would like to hear your opinion. Thanks!
I absolutely love my Lumina II. I paired them with a vintage Carver Sunfire True Super Junior Subwoofer and the IOTAVX SA3 integrated amp.
As always... LOVE your reviews!!! Always appreciate Kristi's take at the end... Such a wonderful perspective!!! Also... Would definitely like to see you review the Sonus Faber Maxima Amator!!!
Thanks for watching, Scott!
Love to hear your take on the sonus faber sonetto speakers.
Andrew, love your reviews. Funny thing is today I ran across an Integra DTA-70.1 for sale. And when I searched for reviews, yours came up. From 10 years ago I think. Amazing how influential and successful you've been in the industry from such a young age. Thanks. Love your vids. And Kristy(sp?) is amazing. Her input is a very valuable addition
Great content as always! For future Sonus Faber products I would love to see the Omnia, and the Olympica line.
Awesome video as always. Would love to see what you guys think about the Sonetto range as well!
Please review the Sonetto floorspeakers, I'm considering either them or the lumina for my first system and would love a great comparison! Thanks!
Love your reviews. I personally would like to see you review Sonetto line perhaps 3 or 5 paired with a good SS amp like Michi X3.
The Lumina V has the upgraded paracross crossovers vs the other Luminas. It also has the internal lute cabinet for mid bass and tweeter. It pushes the Lumina V closer to the higher end Sonus Faber lines.
The resonances were only really noticeable when directly A/B-ing the V against speakers that I know to be less resonant such as the Concept 50 and a costlier B&W 800 Series speaker we have in for review. Don't A/B the V against those types of speakers and just listen to it for about an hour and your brain/ears will adjust and you likely will not notice it as much.
Andrew. I love your content. You get excited about vintage equipment and I sense you have bucket list items that you seek and find from time to time. I recently hit the jackpot and scored an older Polk audio assortment of speakers from a fellow Navy guy. I got a set of Polk RT-35i in the light wood color MINT, a set of RT-55 MINT, and a CS-350 center channel. I paid $90 for all of it. My current L/R are a set of Athena AS-B1 bookshelf’s. I like those, but am really excited about this Polk group. I also just got a Sony 75 inch X95J. I have a new Onkyo 7100, I appreciate your review of it. My subwoofer is one I built using a Dayton 1000rms plate amp, Dayton 15 inch HO Subwoofer ported. Curious about your experience with any of the mentioned Polks. Thanks for your time, love the content and enthusiasm you bring to home audio. 🍻
I'm a sucker for Italian speakers. Had Sonus Faber Cremonas and now have Rosso Fiorentino floorstanders. They both have what I would call the traditional Italian house sound: a little on the lush side with excellent tonal truthfulness. Don't have any experience with the newer, more entry level Sonus Faber lines. I've heard the sound has changed. Thanks for the interesting review.
Fantastic review and very timely for me. I am considering the Lumina II and was curious how the III compared. I do wish these were carried by a few more retailers as getting them in my space for an extended listening session is proving to be a challenge. I will say the fact that they are made in Italy does play a factor for me. Not to start any kind of debate but I am finding it harder to support companies that outsource their mfg to China, although that absolutely limits your choices on almost all things electronic. Thanks for taking the time to put this and the standalone review of the Lumina II together, super helpful.
Lumina V Meta action complete! I will say I was happy with mine out of the box, but I recently picked up the Dirac license for my MiniDSP Flex and the low end just sounds incredible (even turning off my sub). Also, they really did benefit in control going from a 50W/ch (8ohm) Rotel to a vintage Mitsubishi DA-A30 @100W (also 8ohm, ~140W @4). For me the low-volume performance of these really make them stand out.
Hi Andrew, would love if you can also review about the Sonetto series as well :)
Hi Andrew and Kristi. I really enjoy your video's and I am struggeling with my choice for my next pair of bookshelf speakers. Sonus Faber is the brand I want to go for , but will it be the Lumina II or the Sonetto I or II. I'd love to see you compare these speakers and if the price difference is worth it. Hope to hear from you soon and keep up the awesome video reviews. Greatings from the Netherlands. Stefan.
It’s funny you brought up the R700 no longer in white. I would have bought those but went with Martin Logan Motion 60 in white. Cost way more but I wanted to like the looks too and prefer the white variants. That said, I have two SVS PB 1000s and almost regret the towers since I have then crossed over around 90. Bookshelves might give me almost the same sound and I could have saved money. Don’t get me wrong, these are end game speakers for me but I think the bookshelves of this line would have been too. Great video as usual! Have a great rest of the weekend!
Like everyone else, I’d like you to review the Sonetto line, probably the Sonnetto VIII. However, although getting into crazy high prices, I’d love a review of the Olympica Nova line and even the Maxima Amator. The Olympica might be the prettiest speakers I’ve seen and the Amators are simply beautiful as well. While I really think it’s crazy to pay that much for speakers I also think it was crazy to spend what we did on chairs, couches, curtains, carpet, lighting, tables, and other appointments for our room when a number of those items approach those prices. Having a beautiful room with so much invested in it makes it at least a possibility that the price of those lines is worth it not to take away from that current character of the room and to add them as an additional piece of fine furniture. Definitely all of it is hard to swallow, but just maybe…
I would love to see you guys review the Sonus Faber “Sonetto III” floor standing loudspeakers👍👍👍
Recently built a pair of MTMs, & found that their horizontal projection resulted in clarity which better suited my aging hearing; may suit Kristy as well, (TMs tend to project downwards)
Love to hear your take on room size. I get confused about speaker and room size. Subs etc.
Would love for you to review the Sonus Fabre Sonetto V. Love the show one of the best
Great review guys. I have the Lumina ll paired with a Rel tzero sub and absolutely love .
I bet the sound is wonderful!
Big fan of the style of your reviews. Keep up the great work
Question: what's your take on the sound dispersion between the SF2 and Focal chora 806s? Do they image or disperse similarly well?
Awesome review as always! Loved it!
Hey..! That comment about dialog clarity was great..!!! We should explore that...
Hi, I’ve just bought the Lumina V and Roksan Kandy v2 amplifier and it sounds so GREAT !!!! Definitively the best speakers for me 👌
David Gray lost songs is such a great and underrated album. Haven't heard a bad Sonus Faber speaker. The Sonetto series is wonderful, and I never heard the Olympias.
You're dead right about the roll off in terms of dialogue intelligibility. My wife has a similar problem to Kristi and she loves the Q Acoustics Concept 500s and also 2 Harman Kardon soundbars in terms of dialogue clarity. A 20kHz bump will do nothing for detail for most adults because it's outside our our hearing range.
I am never disappointed in these loudspeaker reviews. For me, this was particularly good. I have been searching for loudspeakers, it seems, forever and I am still not quite ready. But I'm getting there.
I think the Sonetto would be just upgraded from Lumina. Personally I would be more interest in comparing the Olympic Nova bookshelves or the Amator Electa or Maxima which are supposed to be different and very very special. Like pass on to next generation / last speaker you will buy special.
Thanks for the great and comprehensive review of this whole Lumina line. Was also curious about the center channel offering.
Here we gooo… I second that, You guys did a great run down of the line, been waiting for this review
Glad to know you found it helpful!
Before I had column speakers, but it was very difficult to place them in my room because I had an angle. I switched to a pair of Sonetto 2 + subwoofer, and it was a very good choice. Much better than before because the subwoofer can be placed in the right place and the Sonetto 2 are exceptional. Added to that a DIRAC Live correction and everything sounds very very good. Thanks for your review.
The Lumina 5's are amazing and they are going to be my front speakers for many years to come. Everytime I play something through them it's always fantastic regardless of whether it is a movie or music and any genre sounds great.
Liking audiophiles with an episode of Highlander! Kristi cracks me up and speaks my TV viewing language. Really liked what you both did here having the ability to listen and compare the various size speakers in the same brand's product line for this review. Very helpful!
Someone gets me! :)
We want to do more reviews like this where we focus on one product more but still put it in perspective with the rest of the line.
@@KristiWright Highlander: "There can only be one." Kristi: "Well that's not quite true. But I'll take your head anyway." 🙂
@@BryanRuby HAHAH
Kristi keeps it immortally 💯
Value Kristi's opinion, as I too have a hard time hearing voices. I would like to listen to the Q Acoustics 50, but can't find them anywhere. There is something about the cabinetry of the Sonus Fabers, especially the Sonetto series. I am willing to pay more for the cabinetry, but not if they don't sound as good as the Q Acoustics 50. I hope you will be able to compare the Sonetto V vs. Lumina V and the Sonetto center ii vs. Lumina center.
Cheers for another excellent review, KLH Kendall or Arendal 1723 next in line ? 😎
Yeees! Secret Samadhi is one of my Live favorite albums, I’m gonna use “Gas Hed Goes West” on my next audio speaker test. 👍🏻👍🏻
Great Review! I’d like to hear your take on the Sonetto V’s.
Thank you so much!!
Hey! Thanks for the review. I was wondering what about Sonus Faber vs Monitor Audio's silver series 300 or 500. Think I remember you comparing 100 vs faber 2. Would be great if we see a review of Monitor Audio's gold series and Focals
@Andrew Robinson:
Mate, you make these decisions for us so so much easier to make.
You summed up the whole Lumina line-up really really well 👍
I don't think anyone could have done it any better.
At least for me, it was darn easy to come down to the absolute conclusion and its this:
Tower speaker: Polk 700s (with a better, powerful amplifier that always pays dividends even in the long run)
Bookshelf speaker: Lumina 2s with sub
and its sorted.
Thank you for the interpretations and explanation as always Andrew, boy you nailed it yet again.
I'd really appreciate if you could do these kinda comparisons in the same line-up that have two or more good speakers, bookshelf and tower together ✌️👍 Trust me, it certainly helps.
Special thanks to Kristi for her input, as always, ever so concise, precise and to the point, no bs ✌️✌️
So to end, excellent job as always, you both. God bless 🙏
P.S.: Looking forward to seeing a few more powered speaker reviews on your channel.
As you said it in one of your videos, and I believe you, powered speakers could very well be our future.
Great review! How would you compare the 5s to the MA Silver 500s as far as detail retrieval and tonality and the 2s against the Silver 100s? Cheers!
Thanks for calling out the 2kHz valley of death, such a strangely common choice from manufacturers. I'm 100% the strange guy that'd buy the small tower because I like the look better than the bookshelves with stands.
If I end up going with the Lumina I will likely do the same. Strange is the new cool.
Great review/comparison. QotD Answers 1. Lumina II (small apt.) 2. Any of the Amator series (Electa Amator III is 1st choice,)
A question for you. I'm using Linton's with a Naim Nait XS, Bluesound NODE and experiencing some shoutyness and sibilance on mostly non-musical voices and older poorly recorded music. Will changing amps (any specific recommendations are greatly appreciated) make a difference?
A similar comparison between kef r3 and r7 would be interesting 🤔 Thanks for the speaker measurements, they add that extra special something to a review. Personally I prefer towers because small bookshelf speakers on ugly stands look wrong to me in a living room setting. That is why I got kef r5s instead of r3s.
Had to come back and listen / see again. The V are totally on my list.
I wish there was a White Leather / Baffle option. ( Ebony in-lay )
.. I might just have to customize my own pair. ( some day )
I am considering the lumina 2 as a potential next speaker upgrade. I love the port design / footprint of the speaker.
I really like watching your reviews even though I am no longer shopping for speakers at this time. In your review you mentioned pairing the bookshelf’s with a good speaker stand. Could you do a video on what you consider good speaker stands. Maybe at various price points? Thanks for what you do. Truly enjoy the content.
Thanks so much for watching. I doubt we will do a video that is dedicated to speaker stands but if you are curious about our preferences, we list our reference stands (both budget and higher end) in the video's description.
Great review! bookshelves can be quite impressive and can be frowned upon but really paired with dual subs you can go higher up a line for less cost than floorstanders from a lower line and have a higher quality better sounding system. Interested in more Sonus Faber reviews like most in the comments, as a customer owning them as you go up each line they keep getting better and better. Cheers
Hi Andrew and Kristi, awesome review as always. I think the Sonetto range would be the next logical Sonus Faber line to review as after that the next lines are out of reach for most people.
I own a pair of SF Lumina Il’s connected to a NAD C700 in my kitchen. I have a pair of SF Sonneto V floor standers connected to a NAD M33 in a music room. (l can hear Andrew and Kristi cringing about the M33 but sorry guys I absolutely love this amp which with the SF Sonneto V’s is a marriage made in heaven!!!) Anyway when I come home in the evening while preparing food and eating dinner I’m playing my favourite music on the Luminas ll which really draw me into the music and captivate me, as I’m finishing up I’m always in total admiration of these speakers. I then walk into other room where the same music from the same source is playing (streaming Tidal connect) and it’s just at a completely different level, there’s just no comparison between the two systems. After an hour of listening to this system a seed begins to grow in my brain, are these floor standers really that much better than the book shelf’s in the other room ?? I have to go check and I walk back into the Kitchen where the Lumina ll’s are still playing the same music and then you really know, the Lumina ll’s are great speakers but there a mile behind the floor standers in the other room. Granted the M33, Sonnetto V system cost four times the price as the other system, is it four times better ?? to me it probably is, I’m now 62 and can now afford to spend this amount of money on a system but also If I was 32 and had a young family to raise I could live quite happily with the Lumina ll there absolutely brilliant and fabulous value for money but there not ever going to match more expensive floorstanders.
I envy your set ups. You are though comparing Sonetto Towers to Lumina bookshelfs. I'd be curious your thoughts if you had the Sonetto 1's or 2's in the other room. That is really the comparison I've been looking for but haven't found yet...
I've tried both ways with B&W speakers. I like the mid bass on the towers better. I think the sound resonates in a bigger cabinet
Morning y'all !!! Great video. Sounds like the polks with the emotiva mono blocks would be my choice. Who knows, so many to choose from. Hope you both have a great week. 🤘🤘🤘🍹🍹
Good morning! Thanks for tuning in!
Nice looking speaker. I’m with Kristi and I thank Andrew for that info about the crossover point.
Wondering 💭. U going to b looking at the new Emotiva?
Great video! Love the look of the Luminas. A comparison you didn’t mention: how does the Lumina line (probably the Lumina III matches up best in price and size) compare to the KLH Model 5 in terms of sound?
The 5 is going to sound "bigger" with way more bass output compared to the III, so by that metric the KLH Model 5 should be compared to the Lumina V. I personally prefer the Lumina V for is more coherent design, slimmer footprint and overall style though the sound of either is going to be a matter of personal taste.
Please review the Sonetto I or/and II. Should be a refined Lumina speaker 👍🙂
I am running Lumina 1 right now with subs and would like to go up the 2 one day. I love them.
I’ve had Sonnettos before and would be interested to see you review something from the Olympics line!
Thanks for the review! I demoed the Lumina IIIs a few weeks ago and really liked their sound. Unfortunately, it seems like my girlfriend and I are in the minority when it comes to the Lumina range - we both don't like how they look. I'll have to try the Lumina Vs. Maybe their slightly more neutral sound would be good enough for us to ignore their looks.
These speakers are just so handsome. I was expecting the towers to have a room filling advantage but I'm all the more impressed that the bookshelves held their own! Thanks for the great vid, as always!
Thanks for watching!
Please review the Sonetto II and others in that line. It would be much appreciated
Just for the design of it, you need to check Sonus Faber Olympica Nova tower speakers! I had the chance the see them in person and I was drooling over the speakers!
Not sure how I missed this one ! Great review 👍🏼. I have a question/observation: I agree with you that bookies with a good sub provide an advantage by providing lower bass extension vs a tower and can save you money in most cases. I've gone back and forth at nauseum switching between the 2 over the years. Even towers with subs. Which leads me to my question... It's been well documented that dual subs provide a huge advantage over a single one in a room. I know reviewing subs isn't your bag but can you do at least one review with how dual subs add and make a difference with music and movies for us 50-50 wanna-be audiophiles and Home Theater enthusiasts? 🙏🏽 I've been a fan of yours since your editing/writing days at a publication we won't mention lol. Bottom line is your opinions have substance and you keep it 💯 ✌🏼
Would definitely go with the 2’s and use subs. But, the design aesthetic for the overall series is outstanding. You guys do such a great job with how you review things. Appreciate it.
Thanks, Harry!
Very precise and fluid review (if that word somewhat applies here). Fantastic job here Andrew. Thanks so much.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Andrew, Which sub would you pair with the Lumina II? My great room is 25' W by 20" deep with 16 foot ceilings. Thank you.
THANK YOU! for this. When I read the title, I immediately asked myself, "What happened to the Lumina iii's?!" And there they were. You were able to anticipate and provide answers to every question I had between the v and iii's. I don't hate a subwoofer, but these will go in a great room, where we are trying pare down and a tower is really where we prefer to go.
Decision comes down to these and the Concept 50's. Not going to lie, aesthetics are important. The Sonus Faber's would better blend int the room visually than the 50's. That said, in a room with two story ceilings and somewhat open concept be better suited to what would seem like a tighter more "focused" sound of the 50's? Would love both of your takes!
I honestly think you could be happy with either in the space described. True, a more dampened cabinet may come across as less lively in an (already) lively space, but I'm not sure the difference will be that great when considering cathedral ceilings. If you do not plan on using a sub, then you may want the slightly greater bass output of the Sonus Faber Lumina Vs. It's a tough call for sure.
@@robinsonbrand Danke. Time to demo!
You should pick the Focal Sopra line. Would love to hear your opinion on how they compare to other lines.
I had the Aria 948 and was fortunate to get a good deal on Sopra 3.
Ran them with Hegel H390 and I am currently running them with Musical Fidelity Nuvista 800.
Cheers from Brazil!
A review of the Sonus Faber Il Cremonese would be very interesting. I am considering a road trip to Ann Arbor Michigan to hear a pair.
Hi Andrew, love you and Kristi's reviews. (Way off topic) background, I've had Paradigm Prestige, B&W 703, PSB IMAGINE T3, dozens more. Some gave listening fatigue, some just wanted a change. I recently discovered something........I put on my recently purchased (used, obviously)Pioneer Elite Sc65 and Paradigm Studio V1......I regularly play CZcams 4k birds for cats. Well, my 3 cats came running in to see where the birds were, like no setup I've owned. Isn't this a good tell that the sound is natural? Anyways, I found this interesting and not something I was looking for....but this confirmed for me that it sounds natural......cheers
Thanks! "Team Q" is what my daughter has gone with as her space is beyond her current soundbar. The Nova's are nice and nearer to your needs, but I have always been a fan of the Illium as it was the first I ever heard in a high end. It's a heart thing.
Excellent comparison :) Head to head review of say sonus faber olympica nova 3 against the b&w 804 d4 would be a good compare. Would also like to know if higher end speakers ($10k-20k) need amps in the same price range?
OK please please review the Sonus Faber Sonetto V. and compare them to the Lumina V.
My favorite set is 2x bookshelf with sub woofer. It's much more easy to manage bass. My dream is a pair of B&W 805 D3/4 with BD3D driven by Naim.
Great video, as usual. RF7IIIs please!!
Thank you for this interesting comparison.
I have been a happy owner of a pair of Sonus Faber Lumina 5 for a year now.
You do not use the original spikes supplied, why and what alternatives do you suggest?
I run my Lumina 5 on a good vintage Denon amp (PMA 700V from 1986) but am interested in upgrading, what do you suggest? I had Rega Elicit Mk5 or Naim Nait XS3 on my shortlist so far, is Technics a good alternative? Thank you very much
I knew you’d go for the Lumina 2s! You so love the Lumina 2s ;) And rightly so
I struggle to find many speakers that out perform my Paradigm ATOMs, small but incredible bookshelf, my B&W are fuller , loader , similar staging but those Atoms still amaze me, but I am a bit jaded after listening to the new KEF BLADES , reminds me of first time hearing QUADs.
I would really like to audition some of the Sonus Faber line. I love their looks and I used to like their sound a long time ago, but I tend to lean neutral to warm on what I prefer from speakers.
I’d be interested in the Sonetto II bookshelf.
I find the tweeters on my sonus faber sonetto's are subtle yet crisp! Which gives me the ability to listen to them all day long. 🥳