For more than four decades, Sonus Faber has been synonymous with craftsmanship, refinement, and musicality. The Italian brand has earned its reputation for producing some of the world’s most prestigious loudspeakers, blending traditional artisanship with modern design.

The Sonus Faber Lumina I brings this ethos to an accessible entry point, offering the unmistakable Sonus Faber DNA in a compact, beautifully finished package. Great things really do come in small sizes.

Design and Build Quality

The name Lumina stands for Luxurious Minimalistic Natural—a philosophy that’s evident as soon as you unbox the speakers. While this is the most affordable model in the Sonus Faber range, the attention to detail is immediately obvious.

The multilayer wood front baffle is available in three finishes: black, walnut, and wenge. This is paired with leather-wrapped sides, a hallmark of Sonus Faber design. Despite being the brand’s smallest and most cost-conscious offering, production remains proudly based in Italy.

Practicality hasn’t been overlooked either. The speakers are bi-wireable and feature a plinth-mounted port on the base for improved bass tuning. The rectangular cabinet design not only contributes to cost efficiency but also ensures the Lumina I fits neatly into a wide variety of listening spaces.

The Lumina collection also includes the larger standmount Lumina II, as well as floorstanders—the Lumina III and Lumina V—for those who want even more scale.

Technical Highlights

Don’t be fooled by their compact dimensions; the Lumina I is packed with clever engineering.

Tweeter: A 29mm silk-dome tweeter, shared across the Lumina family, covers frequencies from 2 kHz to 24 kHz. Sonus Faber’s Damped Apex Dome (DAD) technology ensures the treble remains extended, smooth, and natural without premature roll-off.
Mid/Bass Driver: A 12cm unit delivers impressive weight, extending down to 65 Hz. While not designed to plumb the very lowest depths, it strikes a fine balance of punch and control.
Specifications: With a sensitivity of 84 dB/W/m and a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, they thrive with a capable amplifier—something with both grip and finesse.

System Setup at Audio T Swindon

For our listening sessions, we placed the Lumina I around 30 cm from the rear wall. This positioning worked best in our demo room, giving a pleasing balance of openness and bass control. That said, these speakers are forgiving and can comfortably sit closer to a wall, which can even add a touch more warmth and depth.

Our system pairing included the Bluesound Node Icon as the source and the Advance Paris Xi-150 amplifier—a fantastic value-for-money combination that showcased what these speakers can do.

Sound Performance

From the very first listen, the Lumina I impressed with its ability to sound much bigger than its modest size suggests. The overall character is refined, musical, and deeply engaging—everything you’d expect from Sonus Faber.

Treble & Midrange: Listening to Aldous Harding’s The Barrel, the sweet, silky treble and smooth tonal balance stood out immediately. The familiar Sonus Faber family sound is present, even at this entry level, making for a relaxed and highly enjoyable listening experience.

Dynamics & Scale: Journey’s Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) revealed the Lumina I’s bold side—full-blooded, confident, and brimming with detail. The speakers deliver scale and nuance well beyond their size.

Bass Response: On OSI’s Stockholm, the bass was taut, articulate, and surprisingly deep. While the Lumina I doesn’t quite hit sub-bass territory, it punches above expectations for a speaker of this size. For those who want to unlock even more depth, pairing them with a REL subwoofer provides a superbly balanced ‘best of both worlds’ experience.

Conclusion

The Sonus Faber Lumina I is an ideal choice for small- to medium-sized rooms. It combines craftsmanship, musicality, and aesthetics in a way few compact speakers can. Whether you’re rediscovering your music collection or starting out on the Sonus Faber ladder, these speakers offer a complete package: stylish, engaging, and unmistakably Italian.

We invite you to hear them for yourself at Audio T Swindon—we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how much performance is packed into these compact speakers.

Thanks for reading, and we look forward to welcoming you soon.

Jon and Andy - Audio T Swindon

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