I Wasn’t Ready for THIS! This Speaker Crushes- Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator is a Steal!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2024
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I like the Change towards a more assertive tone.. Real Critic, instead of passive "spec List reader... Well done sir.
The lumina 2 bookshelf was the most fun I’ve had with a speaker in a long time. Just beautiful lush sound. A little light in the bass and I ended up moving to the lintons but I constantly think about these guys.
How they compared to the Klipsch RP 600M ?
" Amator " ... The title spelling**
Diamond Head cover of Am I Evil as the 2020 ReRecord is awesome. The 2014 live version not so much. Thanks!!
Glad you've added some jazz to the listening observations - the thump of a stand-up bass is one of my favorite differentiators between speakers.
Sonus Faber are well made quality speakers. Always sound good. You don’t need huge speakers, you need good speakers.
Look inside, then talk about quality.
They are horribly made, panel gaps and cheap drivers. Their latest wireless speakers Duetta are full of issues.
Quick thank you for your channel. Just got a wimp amp and a pair of on sale Elac bookshelf speakers and Qobuz and I am SOOOOOO happy… actually spent 3 nights just listening to music with the family - no one on their screens, no TV, NOTHING! It was so much fun…. Really appreciate your suggestions and content.
That's a stereo system that is doing its job! Awesome.
I do music parties with my family too and have a blast. I can say, if ya have young kiddos try setting up the visualizer in Foobar.
How timely! I’ve been debating spenders the money for these gorgeous, highly praised speakers. You’ve given me the nudge I needed.
Hopefully ya stalled... they measure pretty terribly and lack bass.
@@minuteskillI don't care about the bass as I have a subwoofer.
Happy you finally got these on the channel ... I've been touting the Lumina 2 model for years. I had mine up until very recently.
Glad you've come to these =)
also .. what gimbal / device .. were you using for the tracking shots?
and yes - .. Erin measured the standard version to have a peak up in the highs.. That gives them some top end air.. and it is slightly boosted ..but still sounds smooth.
You are using the older version. He is reviewing the newer more premium ones ;)
@eggmanaegman .... You dont say?
Wow. If you hadn't stated the obvious... how would we ever know...
Damn... thank so much, captain Obvious.
@@psyphonyxaudio it’s a dji osmo pocket 3. It’s changed my life. It has no right to be as good as it is for such a little camera
@cheapaudioman .. I hear that too. For most cases and situations its a great camera.
I manahed to get a gimbal with a tracking module for 1/3 the price and use my phone still.
Until I am making money from the media grind.. I couldn't justify the $1k for the pocket 3.
You are impossible not to love Randy! Thank you for your time! Great review!
Well thank you very much
These speakers are absolutely fantastic for their size and price, pair them with a good subwoofer and a good amp and you are in for a treat
Pas besoin de caisson de basses !
I love towers. But im not in the camp that says they are absolutely needed. Nice looking speakers… Cheers and happy Sundays!!
I'd say 6.5" standmount is about right. Smaller driver won't have dynamics.
Great video, really helped me. These or the Kef R3 metta ? Thank you.
Damn it Randy. I watch this channel to avoid buying speakers like Sous Farber. I already know I want them.
@craigw7471….I want the pretty red ones. 😎
Dude, I used to have a giant dual 15" concert speaker cab with 2 Infinity bookshelf speakers. And a cheap Sony 5.1 AVR receiver. Loud AF. My neighbors still remember it. 🤣
Randy, You are simply the very best speaker reviewer on Youtibe! Your real world honest comparisons truly help people decide according to their own sonic tastes. I have already purchased 2 different pairs of bookshelf speakers based on your reviews and I thoroughly enjoy them. I heard the Sonus Farber at a local store a couple of years ago, and I too was very impressed. They sounded as good as they looked. Keep up the great work!
Just testing a new set of speakers out for range… hadn’t even thought about it before… but I think I found the perfect song to test speakers range out with, low base to hi tweet😊 JS Bach Tocatta Fugue in D Minor. The bookshelves did a nice job of it.
@cheapaudioman really enjoyed this review. I liked the real placement exercise, and it helps with planning of placement. Thank you.
I've played around with a lot of speakers in my day, and bigger drivers in bigger boxes typically have a "bigger" sound, "in the room;" In near field listening, and in the classic direct triangle type listening, it generally goes unnoticed.
Thanks! These are going on my short list for a small 2 channel setup.
Great review especially with the comparison with other similarly priced speakers. 👍
Thanks for the heads up on the Pioneer receiver 👍
Thanks for the tip on the center channel. Jamo Concert Series C9 works really nice. I had a small space, 19 1/4 inches wide. I looked at the Klipsch R-52C but went with the ascetics of the white Jamo. Still tweeking but a really nice speaker.
Hi Randy, I loved the Proac D2. Expensive but beautiful mid range with good weight and detail in the base😀
Would these be a side step from my elac unifi reference speakers? They are definitely smaller in size. My elacs are 85db and 6ohm and the sonus are 86db 4ohm. Wondering which one is harder to drive.
Hi. I just found your channel and I wanted to ask what you think of using a Yamaha WXC-50 as a pre amp with a OSD XMP300? And maybe ad a second XMP 300 latter for bi-amping. I got a pair of Polk R700's for a really good deal, and I feel like I should upgrade my Sony STR DH550. Thanks for any thoughts you might share.
Love that your finally listening to tubes!!!
Hold my wallet😂
Your first lines are so true. I have Evo 4.1's that fill the room really nicely, and I don't have a particularly small room.
Bookshelf speakers are not the poor cousin of tower speakers, and have not been for some time. They are a genuine force in themselves and it now is just personal preference rather than filling a room. Of course, if you have an absolutely huge room, those bookshelf speakers may look stupidly small in the room, but it doesn't mean they can't fill it with sound.
It only means a floorstander wil fill the room better, without actually taking more of the floor in the room!
@@supergrissi exactly, also to really hit 40-50 hz -3db you need the volume of a tower. Volume often gives you free output.
Got them in my bedroom paired with a Naïm Unity Atom with a pair of REL t/zero’s. Simply awesome!! A bit overkill but 🤷♂️☺️🎶
100% correct randy im buying mine in about 8 days got to travel 120 miles to pick them up a dream speaker for and im glad that you are reviewing them cause they are the truth!!!!!
Another useful review. Sonus Faber is an aspirational speaker and nice to know they have one that's reasonably priced.
Thanks for saying this, most people think bigger is better. Not in the case of audio. So many factors come into play and size isn't really in the list.
If the max listening is at 80 dB, lots of speakers can sound good.
There is no replacement for displacement!
Can you share a bit more what you mean by this?
Indeed....these may be nice if all you listen to is jazz and classical. But you'll never really hear or feel any other genres.@@supergrissi
I prefer standmounts. My cats like floorstanders because they can sharpen their claws on them, and maybe even challenge themselves with vertical climbing- type A personalities. Loudness or a full presentation aren't exclusive to floorstanders though. I do think there is- in my perception, a sort of ease floorstanders offer that stand mounts struggle to achieve.
Nice review, I was looking at these speakers to replace Klipsch RP600M but ended up getting the Focal Vestia No! for about half the price plus a sub and still at less the cost. I am sorry to disappoint my paesani. I am happy with the new stuff.
These are the speakers i've been waiting for. Finally something to upgrade from the elac unfi reference. Hopefully this fall these babys will be mine 😊
Great upgrade speakers for someone like myself, thx for the review.
I got these too …..they are incredible and look the same!!!!! Very very happu
way way way cool ..... thx a lot for this great review, and so fun to watch.....
Yes those Italian speakers; less can be more 🥰😍😎
Thanks for the heads up on the live version of Am I Evil. Nice. One of my favorite tunes.
What a hobby just as long as your ears and budget holds out. Thanks for the entertainment and great advise lol 🎉❤😂😅
Nicely done. Great review.
it's funny that you are mentioning "how loud is x db?" as today, just for kicks, I whipped out my phone and loaded a db meter. I'm usually about 3 meters from my speakers, and I set things to what I consider normal/"moderate" volume. Turns out my status quo is only about 55 db. I already knew that common performance tests at 85 db probably didn't apply to my life at all, but I had no idea my listening habits were so "quiet"
nice review Randy - thank you!
Thank you Randy!
I'm liking them! .
I like the look of the drivers, and would have high hopes at a listening audition.
The price is extra high due to the high quality cabinets which is a shame when I would settle for standard quality.
I have a pair of SVS Prime speakers which I like, but I'm thinking of upgrading. How would you compare the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator to the SVS Prime. Thanks!
Great video! Production quality is through the roof. Love the added music. I'm going to very seriously consider replacing my ELAC Carina's with these. Always wanted to try Sonus faber.
lol. You’re too kind, my friend.
I came from lumina lls and went with the Carinas due to them being more friendly with all the genres I listen to and a better treble response with the ribbons as well as better bass and midrange richness. The Lumina lls I had were better for jazz, vocals, stringed instruments and Horns, outside of those genres, not that impressive as the Carinas. If you want a blend of both, try Kef or step up past the Sonus Faber Sonettos. Also, maybe try a different speaker placement as well. Pulling them out about 20" from wall to back really opened up their soundstage for me and gave me better seperation. Bass tightened up too.
@@seano218 Thanks. I can't get too crazy though. These are all covert purchases. 😂.
Hey Randy! Great review. Just wondering how would these compare to the famous B1+? I bought the B1+ from watching your review.
Gotta say, my towers technically dont need a sub. But once i added one ive had laying around for years, im not going to back
❤, I running accusound sa1200f floor standing speakers. Added the sw1200w sub(from the same HT system). And an Aaron sub 60 MK2 I got for 10$ at the opp shop. Really fills the sound out.
Also have the accusound sa1200s surround speaker on a seperate amp with a 250watt Panasonic passive sub, which I can move around.
Room maxes out at about 90db. It's plenty loud enough 3m away. Doesn't need more than 80db to fill the room.🤷🔊🔊
Found input quality and speaker position makes a bigger difference than everything. Lot of wooden furniture in theri😂.
I'm never taking the subs away from the floor standers 😂.
However I am new to this.
Looking at a Kenwood ka56 stereo amplifier, if the price is 👍👍
Hi Randy , Great video as usual but I have a question or two that does not involve theses fantastic speakers but rather the FiiO 9 and the Topping DX9, which looks stunning.If you were to put yourself in a subscribers shoes and were toying with the idea of buying one of them based on other peoples reviews ,and possibly your experience with the companies other components ,you either have yourself or have seen or heard ,which one would you buy.Also before jumping in and shelling out £1,200 to £1,500 ,given the speed at which digital technology is advancing would it be wiser to buy something not as developed and cheaper and wait to see what the next stunning device will be or would you bite the bullet and buy one of them to enjoy it now and deal with what new developments come along later as and when they appear.
I had a SF surround setup years back that were walnut and leather and sounded great. Had to get rid when I moved. Sad day.
Great video! What are you filming on?
So you mention.."those rsl" would these be an upgrade over the cg23? I own those and they sound great but I'm open to an upgrade if there is an improvement....and for the cost not sure if it is a big improvement?
Love the review! Any idea where to purchase these? I can only find the original Lumina II available and not the newer lumina II Amator that you review here. I followed the affiliate link and could find info but not anyone selling them … yet? Thanks for your help and all of the great reviews!
Randy, you know how big my speakers are... and yes, you nailed it, I'm definitely compensating for sumptin'! Iggy
Thanks for the video and comparisons. I’m a fan of towers. Buying bookshelves you usually need to buy a stand and the manufacturers price gouge like crazy for matching stands. Once you add it all up towers are a better deal IMO. They don’t have to be enormous. There are a lot of options if you think size matters. I thought you were talking about speakers. Get your mind out of the gutter.😂
I purchased a pair of Sonus Faber Concerto about 20 years ago. I am changing out and upgrading all of my Hi-Fi gear., but I never even considered selling my speakers. For most Jazz and classical , that is all you need. Add a good sub and you have all the basis covered.
Hi, can you suggest a 5.1 av amp to drive them well?
Can someone explain the 4 connecters in back of the speakers and how to use them?
I think that's the best review from you, an honest upfront evaluation, I'm wondering how they fare with d class also, only one d class amp now so a/b mostly . I agree with trading some LF for that midrange .
Nice one ..
Great review. I've heard the Sonus Faber Concerto a few years ago at a Friend's place and was smitten by them. I've always been looking for a good deal on some but these...these heve my attention!
Would you be able to grab a hold of their Gravis sub (1 or 2) that comes with the Luminas?
I have the original Lumina II for almost 3 years now and absolutely love them. A small b&w ASW08 gave them a totally new dimension and depth though. The gravis was too expensive for me.
Will this still be great as desktop speakers?
Also some amp recommendations please.
Thank you!
I'm watching this video when the music comes on, and I'm thinking "those sound really great!" But the speakers I'm really listening to in my room are Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers with 4-1/2" woofers.
Hey man, love the vids. I’m wondering if you can give me your best recommendation on a set of bookshelf speakers under 700. I’m only using them to play hip hop vinyl records in a 12x12 room. Bass is important even tho I will be adding a separate sub. Any help would be appreciated
To get the ideal placement you need stands for your monitor speakers. It means they need the same amount of space as tower speakers. So you can better buy tower speakers.
That's true, the used area on the floor might be the same, but bookshelves on stands still look much less obtrusive.
There's more to it then that
Hey Randy,
I'm relatively new to the channel & enjoying your content. Great work!
I was wondering if you have done any reviews of Angstrom speakers. I have a pair of Angstrom Modular Two 2-way bookshelf speakers & i think they are phenomenal. They are relatively small, deceivingly heavy, Canadian made, & absolutely deliver. Best of all, I bought mine used for $100, which is well below fair market value. A big win for my low-dollar hi-fi system.
Can anybody please comment how the Lumina IIs stack up against Q Acoustics 5020? I have both available for purchase but I cannot have a listen first. Thank you!
So these appear to be great value, i had my ears :)...on a pair of KEF R3's... But would it be worth the extra costs.. these speakers with a good sub sounds like s better combo??.. any thoughts???
Maybe when you get a full size floor stander you don't need to buy the subwoofer to fill in the bottom its all choices and they are usually easier to place than some subwoofer in the middle of the room but some bookshelfs with a well matched sub may sing better for you.
How do these compare to the Klipsch RP-600?
Is there a huge difference to justify the extra cost?
I'm just at 01:00 but already +1 for the music my dude
Match up so well with Crimson Amps like they were made for each other
Are they "crunchy" with metal (like Carcass type metal, not new metallica and overproduced Korn) like the lumina lls did? Are they also equally amazing for female vocals, stringed instruments, jazz and the sax too?
Sir, reaching out to pick your brain. Looking to get the Warfedale Diamond 225 would like to pair with a sub maybe you could recommend wanting to run 2.1 monoblock so thinking 2 Fosi ZA3 1 Fosi BT30D pro for bluetooth Rockdale 21 band Eq. Trying to gain knowledge about buget friendly setup.
Love my Lumina V's! I'll have to hunt these down and take a listen 😁
If speakers have separated posts do not use the jumper but use bi wire or even bi amp (also some AVR amps with multiple outputs are assignable for bi amp) for more immersive sonics with for instance the Canare with 4 wires in one 🤔
Both Danny's and Erin's measurements confirm the midrange resonance you heard. I could EQ the bright treble but the ringing just above 1 KHz kills the deal for me.
They get crunchy with the metal genre and distortioned guitars.
I just found some Yamaha NS 777 floor standing speakers for really cheap! Going to pick them up in a few hours! I'm using large mini system speakers now from a Sony DX50 mini system.
Sorry if this is a dumb question. How would these compare to Klipsch The Nines?
I love the dinosaurs in the background, makes me sorta sad as all my kids are grown and apparently I’m not getting any grandkids. I’ve told my wife maybe we should buy them a book 😉
You're right you don't need big speakers my B&w 707 s2 filled my medium sized room fine
That camera and lens setup is really nice. The cut to “the future” for the receiver info was almost jarring. 🧐
Yes, us people with giant speakers are compensating for the tiny sound you get with tiny speakers. Four 15" woofers can produce far better natural, effortless, window rattling bass than two 6" woofers. Common sense. My MTM mid woofers are 6".
Depends on room size and use. I own both types.
B&H is great, especially when you live in the northeast. Bought my Yamaha A-S301 on there and received in 2 days using standard (free) shipping
I have the Elac Vela BS 403 and I stopped using my sub plenty of bass with these speakers but would like more of a soundstage. I tried to set them up as best I could but not much of a difference although they do sound really good.
Thanks for this review. Can i drive them with yamaha HT receiver 6 ohms, 80w ×2?
Should be fine at 80w
So if let's say a friend allow you to take a pair home between Polk audio R700 and this Amator, which one would you pick?
Hey Randy you are seriously talking me in these Sonus Faber lumina amator #2. I don't know if it's the same as the one I found on Crutchfield. Says SF Lumina 2 for $1299. I heard your passion when you were describing these beautiful speakers. 👍
They are not the same… crutchfield Just got them in…I was on wait list for them. These are even better than the Lumina 2s for a little more money
You woke up my SIRI 😂 and she answered before yours did 😆
How would these compare to Polk Audio Reserve R200s? (you mentioned R100s)
Just auditioned these in a hi fi shop in Manchester England. Level of detail incredible as well as superb image. However where’s the base? Amp had 60 watts and used NAD streamer. They look beautiful but couldn’t live without the base.
Nice review as always but I must admit I was immediately distracted by the mighty silver curtains. Do I need this to neutralize the sound in the room? 😅
"maybe they 're compensation for something? "
Yes, sure - they compensate for the lack of low bass :)
Have you tried to get a hold of the Zu DWX ($1,400). I would like to here your opinion of those speakers, and maybe the DW6 also. Just curious.
Hi, can u do a review of the Magnat Signature 703 speakers? Thanks
Very nice looking speakers. 👌
A veritable audio nostradamus!
You can hear whatever you want to.
For me, speakers like this and most anything over $1000, would be something to buy and use with my existing small NAD amp (in my second room), and then upgrade my amp later to something like the Yamaha R-N1000. Very enticing.
Technological advancements in speaker design have been amazing for the last 10 years, but bigger will always be better. Lots of power with big fat efficient speakers will always be preferred. But we live with limitations and make do.
Wondering how it compares to Kef R3's (non meta)
I'm getting Indy vibes, did your haloween costume inform some personal style choices? Love it!
I got cold and needed a long shirt. But I do like it
Went through alot of speakers over the years looking at small options. Other than looking at the over $2K, the choices more inline with budget always have issues, many of which outweigh the pros I need. I can give some things up but there are things I listen for and I have 1 budget option that works really well and its issues can be overlooked for what it does really well.
I need to hear what I call texture/details in instruments and voices, not just the main sound. What I mean is, when a piano key is struck, there is the attack, the body and the overtones of the strike with texture within the sound itself. Same with string instruments, drums, the human voice, etc., with a lot of speakers regardless of being warm, neutral or cooler sounding, speakers can round or mask these sounds. Some may call these artifacts or distortion, but their not, although some distortion, resonances can be lived and which there are in a cheaper cabinet.
I'f I get this texture, good tonality, instrument separation and stage depth...and be able to convey this at low to moderate SPLs, I can give up a bit of resolution, absolute transparency (though texture falls in this), stage height and width (which isn't always more is better) among a few other things.
A speaker should first be excellent with music but also give good result with movies and soundtrack speech. Too laid back doesn't work nor too forward either.
One speaker which keeps beating out speakers for me, at alot higher prices is a budget one Triangle made, the Plaisir Zeta also with the upgraded painted version the Color series. It isn't perfect but really pleasant to listen to in a way that makes it musical from small ensembles, large orchestrations, blues, jazz and classical. Probably Rock as well but that's my car music.
There are speakers with more weight/body to their frequencies, more resolution, more refined etc., but other speakers can sound lifeless, unbalanced, too restrained, among other issues.
If I could, I would want more body and attack without losing the airiness it has, less sibilance /glare at certain frequencies but without sounding lifeless or having other artifacts (one speaker brand chirped at sibilant passages). I can live with these issues as its such a great performer. Next to something like the MA Silver 100 or a Bucchardt, you can tell the difference in body/weight/solidy of image but it doesn't get tiring or overbearing either in my use.
I have Focals which improve on nearly every aspect but selling as its large and I want to stay within about a foot tall with 5-6 inch drivers in which a smaller speakers with closer drivers can add to depth. Tried ML 15i, fantastic for movies but not for the music I listen to. Rock perhaps but complicated music, no, though the AMT tweeter is nice.
I have Dali Opticon 1s, there's alot to like but I prefer alot of music on the Zetas though the Dali would be considered better in resolution, body, and is more neutral and am sure alot of people would prefer. It isn't lifeless per se, just rounded and I seem to like some edginess, even if the FR is jagged. And that smaller woofer is probably a bit more sluggish with more complicated music where alot of things are playing, strings are a little less lively for me.
Speakers with a flat response, at least those I tried don't do it. (erin would not approve), so even reviews and/or measurements are difficult to assess.
Anyone else have these experiences in their journey? Where less expensive speakers (w/ or w/o a sub) outperform in overall enjoyment over more expensive, refined, speakers?
I’ve been going down a long pathed speaker journey, and have arrived at an endgame with my handmade 15” single driver open baffles. They bested my previous champ in every category except deep controlled punchy bass, and these were end game speakers in which a well known reviewer said they could go toe to toe with speakers in the $50,000 dollar range. My handmade OB’s cost me under a thousand. I could absolutely add a sub to fill in its only deficiency, but I haven’t as of yet because they’re soooo good as is. They’re the Lii audio F15 single driver if anyone’s interested. It’s the same driver Decware uses in their Zen Master series OB.
That's an option I considered at one time or another but it seemed a bit daunting having to learn, choose the proper units and put it all together in a small apartment. I know you save $$, trading time and effort for a potentially better product.
Only wanting something that fits the bill and well enough for a price is still worth it, if one can achieve that, and this price is probably the max I would want to pay. I paid a grand for my Focals and have kept them for 9 years and will get something back, but for builders, yeah, one can build something outstanding. Maybe even start a branded product?@@dragonfly9434
I bought a pair of ESS AMT 1b Tower Monitors in 79. Shipping weight 103 lbs each - 2 12 inch woofers, 1 active and 1 passive. Flat down to 30 Hz. And they took up very little floor space. Roughly 18x18 inches. I am in Canada and in the US best I an find is that they were called Rock Towers. Not cheap though, sticker price was $2500 CAN - about $7400 CAN today. If the bas was there they would shake one's organs but good and crack windows - at volume. They shut down during the Pandemic and are gradually starting again, as is SAE. Older dude here and too much for me these days. Rock on👍
When I'm asked what makes good hifi I say the sense involvement. When I listen to good hifi. I feel involved and like I'm present at the performance. It's something I've always found with Sonus Faber, but not B&W just as an example.