CE Pro December 2021 - 57

going with the speakers I
started with AV content and
videos from Amazon Instant
Video, Netflix, Disney+ and
HBO Max.
As a fan of old-school
Sonus faber
Lumina III
SPECS
1970s shows, playing episodes
of " McMillan and Wife "
and " McCloud " on Amazon
gave me a chance to hear the
speakers create a pinpoint
stereo image that includes
phantom center channel
from what was likely a mono
signal considering the age of
these shows.
The stereo image with
phantom center was so
precise I'm sure I could have
fool others into thinking
the sound was coming from
my center-channel speaker,
which of course was dormant.
Watching modern content
like " Zach Snyder's Justice
League, " I found the
openness of the Lumina IIIs
complemented my other
speakers nicely. Between the
combination of the Lumina
IIIs and the rest of my
system I thought the gear
revealed a hint of compression
in the immersive audio
soundtrack, which isn't surprising
from a movie viewed
on a streaming platform.
Other action movie content
streamed from Netflix
sounded crisp and dynamic.
My music listening included
pop from P!nk and Lisa
Loeb via Apple Music, rock
from Living Colour, Muse and
Santana on CD, and more
rock from AC/DC and Rush
from Apple Music.
On songs from Loeb I could
hear fine detail such as the vibrato
of her vocals, as well as
the varying volume level/dynamics
of her voice on songs
cepro.com
At $2,199 per pair, the Lumina III speakers enable dealers to
provide a low-cost entry point into a highly regarded brand.
such as " Stay. " On the fairly
dense recording of " Times
Up " from Living Colour and
songs like " Love Rears its Ugly
Head, " I could hear the punch
and tonality of the slapped
bass line, along with hi-hat
accents, and a bit of reverb
on the snare drum that really
showcased the resolution.
Other songs such as
" Madness " from Muse and
Lorde's " Teams " illustrated
the speakers' ability to play
heavy mid-bass cleanly without
obscuring detail, image
and soundstage capabilities.
Additionally, I loved the
attack, clarity and accuracy
of the acoustic guitar on the
song " Put Your Lights On " by
Santana and Everlast. I could
clearly hear Everlast's acoustic
guitar and notes ringing
out while he strummed
through the song's Am/C/G/
F/E chord progression.
The only thing I noticed
is a bit of tonal leanness
through the midrange, but
overall, for both AV and music
the Lumina IIIs are a total
joy to listen to for extended
periods of time.
These speakers can be
used in so many home
listening scenarios without
breaking the bank, I think
this product line and this
floorstanding model in particular
might easily become
the " go-to " product for
Sonus faber dealers.
I can see integrators using
these for home theater,
two-channel stereo, and
multipurpose AV systems.
The Lumina IIIs can flank a
4K TV with a cable or satellite
set-top box, a streaming device
and an AV receiver in a
multipurpose AV system, for
instance. In this scenario the
speakers would save condo
and apartment dwellers on
buying stands and a separate
subwoofer, which could be
difficult to integrate with the
speakers depending on the
room size or configuration.
Moreover, the speakers
would also save space in the
room because they eliminate
the need for a sub to
reproduce mid-bass (40Hz
to 80Hz frequencies).
As I noted previously, the
speakers also work great in
home theater/immersive
audio configurations, and
as a set of speakers in a
two-channel dedicated music
system, so they are just as
applicable in these scenarios.
What else can I say, other
than I highly recommend
checking out the Lumina IIIs
and the rest of the line.
Three-way design housed
in a vented enclosure
Two 5.9-inch paper-cone
woofers
Single 5.9-inch papercone
midrange driver
Single 1.1-inch highdefinition
Sonus faber
DAD tweeter
4-ohm speaker has a
rated sensitivity of 89dB
and a frequency response
of 40Hz to 24kHz
Available in black, wenge
or walnut finishes
MSRP $2,199 per pair
sonusfaber.com
CE PRO
VERDICT
PROS:
Produces a large, smooth
soundstage with detailed
sound and plenty of
dynamics
Room-friendly size and
aesthetics allow the
speaker to blend into most
home interiors
Overall high levels of
performance for a price
point that is reasonable
in today's home audio
market
CONS:
Some listeners may prefer
more weight in their
midrange
December 2021 CE Pro | 57
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CE Pro December 2021

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