Floorstanding loudspeakers — Sonus Faber LUMINA V AMATOR

The Lumina V Amator is a special edition of the Lumina V, the floorstanding model in Sonus Faber's entry-level Lumina collection. The Amator name has marked the company's special models for decades, and here it stands for an upgraded crossover derived from work on the Homage collection, particularly the Amati G5 and Guarneri G5, along with new high-gloss finishes. Like the rest of the range, it is built in Vicenza, Italy.

Key specs that matter

The Lumina V Amator is a three-way vented floorstander with a 29mm DAD (Damped Apex Dome) soft-dome tweeter, a 150mm paper-cone midrange and two 165mm bass drivers with a sandwich diaphragm structure. Crossover points sit at 260Hz and 2,850Hz. Frequency response is 38Hz to 24kHz, sensitivity is 89dB at 2.83V/1m and nominal impedance is 4 ohms, with recommended amplification of 50 to 300W. Each speaker measures 1,049 x 280 x 372.6mm and weighs 22.5kg. Finishes are Red, Wenge and Walnut high-gloss multilayer wood combined with black leather, and the side panels carry a herringbone wood pattern.

Engineering and use context

The crossover is the main difference from the standard Lumina V. Sonus Faber raised the midrange-to-tweeter transition by 250Hz and redesigned the network with its hybrid IFF-Paracross approach, which optimises both amplitude and phase response so the outputs of the drivers arrive in step at the listening position. The DAD tweeter, shared with the more expensive Sonetto series, has a silk diaphragm hand-coated by Kurtmüller and a damped apex that controls the behaviour of the dome at high frequencies, and it is decoupled from the baffle by a visco-elastic mount. The midrange also comes from the Sonetto series, with a cone made from Sonus Faber's air-dried blend of natural fibres and paper. The bass drivers were designed specifically for the Lumina range and use paper pulp in the cone, so all three driver types share similar materials. Chrome rings frame each driver on the front baffle. Sonus Faber designed the Lumina range for real living rooms, including positions relatively close to a rear wall.

Pairing

Because of its low impedance, this tower needs an amplifier that handles demanding loads with ease. Separate terminal pairs for the mid/treble and bass sections allow bi-wiring or bi-amping, and iron spikes are supplied to couple the speaker to the floor.

Alternatives

The standard Lumina V from Sonus Faber uses the same cabinet and drivers with the original crossover and finishes.