The Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speakers, an optimized version of the Sonus Faber Lumina II, feature a new premium finish with a real wood veneer front panel. The acoustic system tried and tested by the previous model has been perfected with the integration of a completely redesigned Hybrid IFF-Paracross audiophile crossover. Can these changes significantly improve the listening experience of these already highly musical little bookshelf speakers?
Presentation of the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator
Design
An update of the very popular Sonus Faber Lumina II released in 2021 and rated 5/5 stars on Son-Vidéo.com, the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speaker enhances its appearance with three new colors. The multi-layer real wood veneer front panel now comes in high-gloss red, high-gloss wenge and high-gloss walnut. The veneer on the Amator versions stands out from the classic Lumina models with a lacquer finish that beautifully highlights the patterns of the wood, whose herringbone shape converges at 45° towards the drivers. These aesthetic changes are also present on the new Sonus Faber Lumina V Amator floorstanding speakers.
Like its predecessor, the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator features an elegant genuine leather finish on the sides and top panel. Once again, the Italian brand makes its mark with a luxurious design that underlines the quality of the materials used. This bookshelf speaker fits elegantly into any interior, adding a touch of class. What’s more, its very compact format, just 18cm wide and 30cm high, means it fits perfectly into any space in the living room, office or bedroom.
Moreover, the Lumina II Amator benefits from a bass-reflex charge with a front-firing laminar port on the front of the base. As a result, the speaker is easy to install, and can be placed against a wall, on a shelf or in a bookshelf, without impacting the music reproduction.
Acoustic design
For this new speaker, the Italian manufacturer has used the tried and tested acoustic design of the standard Sonus Faber Lumina IIs. This conception has received much praise from the specialist press, notably a Hi-Fi Choice Recommended Award, the Hi-Fi+ Highly Commended 2021 Award and the AVForums Editor’s Choice Award, as well as praise from Son-Vidéo.com in the Sonus Faber Lumina II review.
Read: Sonus Faber Lumina II review
The Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speakers also feature a 1.1” D.A.D. (Damped Apex Dome) tweeter, shared with the entire Sonus Faber Lumina range. The latter is crowned by a conical tip mounted on an arch and positioned just above the top of the soft dome. This configuration provides local damping to avoid any risk of phase inversion that might cause early attenuation of high frequencies. Coupled with powerful motorization, this tweeter gives the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator excellent linearity and natural reproduction up to 24kHz.
The Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator’s 6” midbass driver is also identical to that of the previous model. Its cone is made of natural and paper fibers that are mixed and air-dried to ideally combine lightness and rigidity. Together, both drivers create what the Italian manufacturer calls the Voice of Sonus Faber, which is characterized by a warm and captivating sound with substance and very accurate, natural tones in the mids and highs.
Optimized crossover
Although the drivers are identical, the Italian manufacturer has completely redesigned the Hybrid IFF-Paracross crossover of the Amator version. The new components have been selected to improve the precision of the reproduction and make the impedance more linear. The goal is to simplify the power supply of these bookshelf speakers while avoiding any coloration from the paired amplifier. Moreover, the cutoff frequency is now 2,600Hz, which is 800Hz higher than the standard version. This modification provides better phasing, resulting in a more uniform and balanced sound.
The Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speaker’s crossover is accompanied by a double set of screw terminals. Nickel-plated to ensure optimal contact, they can be used with banana plugs, wide gauge cables and spade connectors. They are also compatible with bi-wiring and bi-amplification. However, the speakers must be paired with an amplifier that has a high power reserve such as the Roksan Kandy K3 INT v2 or the Cayin CS-55A KT88 to compensate for their sensitivity of 86 dB and enjoy a balanced sound at high volume.
Key specifications
- Two-way speaker
- Bass-reflex enclosure with a front-firing port integrated into the base
- Lacquered wood and black leather finish
- Terminals compatible with bi-amplification
- 1 x 6” cellulose pulp and natural fiber cone midbass driver
- 1 x 1.1” coated silk dome D.A.D. tweeter
- Recommended amplification power: 30 to 150W RMS
- Frequency response: 55Hz to 24kHz
- Sensitivity: 86 dB
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 304 x 180 x 263mm
Listening conditions
For our review, we paired the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speakers with several amplifiers, including the Sonos Amp, Yamaha R-N800A, Atoll IN100 Signature and Roksan Kandy K3 INT v2, as well as the Cayin CS-55A KT88 tube amplifier. Our sources were the Bluesound Node X and Eversolo DMP-A6 streamers to play music from Qobuz, as well as Hi-Res tracks shared over the network.
Listening impressions
The Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speakers have a very similar sound signature to the standard Lumina IIs. These small bookshelves delivered music with remarkable scope, offering a beautiful sense of space and depth. The soundscape they created was vast and spacious, allowing each musical arrangement to unfold and come to life naturally and in great detail.
At the heart of the soundstage, vocals emerged with remarkable clarity and finesse. With London Grammar’s album If You Wait, the singer’s voice was smooth, rich and well-articulated. Compared to the classic Lumina IIs, the Amators provided upper mids that had more presence as well as smoother highs. They lent an emotional, intimate quality to the music. It’s as if we were reading the artist’s lips, which created a wonderful sense of proximity. The vocals stood out clearly from the musical background, ensuring intelligibility at all times, even during the most complex passages.
Without being abyssal, the bass delivered by the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speakers was tight. It provided each track with a solid foundation and texture. Handled with an iron fist, the low frequencies were always perfectly controlled, allowing us to push the volume without fear of distortion or imbalance. These small bookshelves offered a wonderful harmony between the different frequencies, ensuring a smooth, consistent reproduction. However, in rooms larger than 20m², lovers of deep bass will prefer to use a subwoofer like the Sonus Faber Gravis I.
Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator vs Lumina II
Both these speakers share the same DNA, characterized by a natural reproduction, a wide soundstage and great detail. Thanks to its new crossover, the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speaker delivers an even more precise and meticulous acoustic message. The top end of the spectrum is softer, with smoother, richer notes. The Lumina II Amator is more subtle in the highs, with finer, more clear-cut details. Its mellow, refined character reinforces its versatility, enabling it to adapt easily to all musical genres while guaranteeing extended listening sessions without auditory fatigue. The presence of the upper midrange is also enhanced, effectively highlighting vocals. Every intonation and nuance is perceived with rare clarity, contributing to an intimate listening experience.
Who is the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator for?
The Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator speaker is perfect for both music and design lovers. With its new lacquered wood finish, genuine leather coat and premium aspect, this small bookshelf model is a true gem that will bring elegance and refinement to any interior. But it is the sound of this marvel that impresses the most, with a soft and precise reproduction that is full of countless details, all positioned across a remarkable vast soundstage.
Conclusion
The changes introduced by the Amator edition of the Sonus Faber Lumina II may seem minimal on paper, but they are audible from the very first listening. Thanks to the improved crossover, the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator offers a more balanced reproduction, enriched by finer detail in the high frequencies, a midrange expressed with greater presence and a musicality that transcends its compact size. This Sonus Faber speaker awakens profound emotions thanks to its lively yet intimist sound reproduction, as well as its exemplary finish, which is immediately captivating. These are all convincing reasons to pay €300 more than the classic edition for a speaker that’s perfect in every way.
We liked:
- The luxurious finish
- The compact format
- The wide, spacious soundstage
- The accurate timbres
We would have liked:
- Deeper bass
