The Lumina collection was first introduced in September 2020, during a difficult and unprecedented year. Despite the challenge, Sonus Faber was able to embody its history, spirit, and brand values with the new collection that presented an exciting change, new to the typical Sonus Faber product design portfolio. The collection is able to house both a stereo system and a multi-channel home theater system for multi-directional audio perspective.
The Lumina I is the smallest model in the series and couples the D.A.D. tweeter with a 120mm midwoofer that was specially developed for the Lumina series. The diaphragm is made of a blend of cellulose pulp and natural fibers. But, do not let its small size make you think it cannot produce a big sound. We find them not very picky about placement with a natural sound in just about any position. They are voiced to be closer to room boundaries so they work great on bookcases, on a credenza-top, or anywhere near a wall. Sonus Faber essentially designed them to work in easy-to-place positions. As a matter of fact, if you place them on stands out in a room, they will be lacking in bass - but close to a room boundary, they sound great. Plus, if you can set each one up equidistant from your primary listening spot they produce a beautiful three-dimensional sound with the speakers just totally disappearing. We did find that they need an amplifier with some current capabilities, so for stereo-listening, we would suggest something from Rotel, Cambridge, NAD, Rega, or Arcam, but in average sized-rooms an honest power rating of 50-75 watts per channel is plenty. These make a great first speaker for music lovers wanting a natural sound and a truly beautiful Italian work of art. Or, they work wonderfully as surround-speakers for the bigger models in a home theater system.
The simple and squared design of the Lumina models was chosen to emphasize the quality of materials used. This principle of minimalism directly captures the essence of this thoughtfully designed product. The Lumina collection boasts the core values of Sonus Faber and the use of its iconic materials, including leather, natural composition of drivers, and real multilayer wood available in Walnut and Wenge wood with Maple inlay matte and Piano Black glossy finishes.
Damped Apex Dome Tweeter
All of the models share the same tweeter. This is actually identical to the tweeter in their more expensive Sonetto series. If you look closely at the soft silk diaphragm you will see a small vertical assembly that barely touches the very apex of the tweeter. At the point of contact, it is cone-shaped. Fabric dome tweeters have phase anomalies that occur right at the apex of the dome. Silk dome tweeters have always had a great sound but this cancellation caused some high-frequency roll-off. Many speaker companies have moved to metal dome tweeters to get more extension, but there is something magical about the sound of a silk dome. By ever so slightly pressing in on the dome at the very apex, these cancellations do not happen and you get far more extension. This is a very creative idea the engineers at Sonus Faber came up with that you will see in all of the speakers. Their innovative technology allows for a more extended yet very smooth and natural high-frequency presentation, which has become part of the legendary Voice of Sonus Faber.
Stealth Reflex Port
Another part of all of the Lumina also comes from their more expensive models. Having a port on the rear of a speaker is very simple from a design standpoint. You see this on a lot of speakers. However, a rear-firing port limits your placement options as it will interact with the wall behind it. Sonus Faber came up with a very unique type of port called their Stealth Reflex Port. The bookshelf and center models sit on top of this special port which as an added bonus gives them a pretty cool look compared to a typical bookshelf speaker. The port for those is front-firing — meaning you can put them in a bookcase or close to a rear wall and still get great sound. The floorstanding speakers have the same type of port but it fires down which also frees up far more placement options.
Custom Made Crossover Components
The crossover is the invisible but very important part of every speaker. It essentially directs what sounds go where and if corners are cut in its design, even the best speaker drivers will never produce the sound they are capable of. Crossovers are made up of many components but the capacitors that do the filtering are by far the most important. The Lumina speakers, like all Sonus Faber models, have custom made capacitors designed specifically for Sonus Faber. That is pretty rare in the world of speakers and to see it at this price point shows incredible dedication to producing the best sound possible.
