Short answer: the Audio First Cadentia 3 for better sound quality, the Sonus Faber Lumina II for the lower price. The Audio First Cadentia 3 ranks #8 of 130 bookshelf speakers at $7199. The Sonus Faber Lumina II ranks #91 at $1600, $5599 cheaper.
What the Audio First Cadentia 3 offers: Near-textbook measurements - excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Watch for: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants - fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
What the Sonus Faber Lumina II offers: Handmade in Italy with a gloss-finished front baffle and black leather-wrapped cabinet - genuinely nice-looking speaker with real brand cachet. Bass extension is competitive for the size, reaching about 50 Hz in-room with mild compression and good distortion figures, so higher output levels and greater listening distances aren’t a problem down to that point. About 20 dB of dynamic range at typical listening levels (73 dB at 4m), which comfortably covers most music without the tonal balance shifting as instruments and vocals peak. Off-axis behavior is consistent - toeing the speakers 20-30 degrees out doesn’t meaningfully change the in-room high-frequency character, so placement flexibility is good once you’ve dialed in the tonal balance. Watch for: Not a neutral speaker - has a persistent high-frequency boost/lift that makes it sound forward and bright, present whether pointed directly at the listener or toed out. A slightly nasal quality traced to a resonance around 1 kHz that EQ can address. The reviewer needed to trim treble by about 4 dB on his preamp to get the tonal balance he wanted, meaning most listeners will want equalization available to fully enjoy this speaker. At roughly the same $1,000ish price point, alternatives like the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 V2 measure more linear (with a tradeoff in distortion and crossover-region directivity), and the Dynaudio Emit 20 offers deeper bass extension and lower compression at the cost of a more deliberately colored tonal signature.
Buy the Audio First Cadentia 3 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the Sonus Faber Lumina II when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Audio First Cadentia 3 | Sonus Faber Lumina II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7199 per pair | $1,600 per pair |
| Ranked | #8 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #91 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) | 60Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 23.2" x 11.8" x 17" (590 x 300 x 433 mm) | 12" x 7.1" x 10.4" (304 x 180 x 263 mm) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) | 86dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner; matches manufacturer spec) |
| Drivers | 1.1" tweeter, 4.5" midrange, 9" woofer | 29mm DAD dome tweeter, 150mm paper cone mid-woofer |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each | 12.5 lbs (5.65 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex | - |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 | 3.04 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 | 5.32 |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1800Hz |
| Frequency Response | - | 55Hz - 24kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Recommended Power | - | 30W - 150W |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Audio First Cadentia 3 compares with other leading options:
- Perlisten S4b vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- March Audio Sointuva vs Audio First Cadentia 3
- AsciLab C6B vs Audio First Cadentia 3
Prices on this page were last checked September 16, 2026 at 12:41 AM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Audio First Cadentia 3: $7199 per pair Audio First Designs eBay
Pros: Near-textbook measurements - excellent on-axis linearity, listening window, and directivity, with only minor deviations. Extremely low distortion and compression, holding steady even at 102dB with barely any loss. Very wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~70 degrees) gives a big, enveloping soundstage with strong image specificity outside the speaker boundaries. Strong bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 43Hz, F10 26Hz) with a punchy, guttural mid-bass. Measured bass extension of 43Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86.4dB.
Cons: A mild scoop through the upper midrange/lower treble slightly softens the attack of snares, hand claps, and sibilants - fixable with a single-band EQ (2.5kHz, +1dB, Q~1). High-frequency dispersion narrows quickly above about 4kHz, so off-axis listeners lose some air and detail. Very high asking price for a bookshelf-class speaker, and the complete (finished) version has a long lead time; the loaner kit version ships as an unfinished cabinet you assemble and finish yourself.
Full Audio First Cadentia 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 26Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country | United Kingdom (Cambridge) |
| Dimensions | 23.2" x 11.8" x 17" (590 x 300 x 433 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.1" tweeter, 4.5" midrange, 9" woofer |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.1 ohms minimum, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86.4dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 7.38 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 8.74 |
| Weight | 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | 3-way, bass reflex |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs AsciLab C6B
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs March Audio Sointuva
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF R3 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Q Concerto Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research NX-Studio
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Wharfedale Aura 2
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs Perlisten S4b
- See all 45 comparisons
Sonus Faber Lumina II: $1,600 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Pros: Handmade in Italy with a gloss-finished front baffle and black leather-wrapped cabinet - genuinely nice-looking speaker with real brand cachet. Bass extension is competitive for the size, reaching about 50 Hz in-room with mild compression and good distortion figures, so higher output levels and greater listening distances aren’t a problem down to that point. About 20 dB of dynamic range at typical listening levels (73 dB at 4m), which comfortably covers most music without the tonal balance shifting as instruments and vocals peak. Off-axis behavior is consistent - toeing the speakers 20-30 degrees out doesn’t meaningfully change the in-room high-frequency character, so placement flexibility is good once you’ve dialed in the tonal balance. Measured bass extension of 60Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 86dB.
Cons: Not a neutral speaker - has a persistent high-frequency boost/lift that makes it sound forward and bright, present whether pointed directly at the listener or toed out. A slightly nasal quality traced to a resonance around 1 kHz that EQ can address. The reviewer needed to trim treble by about 4 dB on his preamp to get the tonal balance he wanted, meaning most listeners will want equalization available to fully enjoy this speaker. At roughly the same $1,000ish price point, alternatives like the Ascend Acoustics Sierra 1 V2 measure more linear (with a tradeoff in distortion and crossover-region directivity), and the Dynaudio Emit 20 offers deeper bass extension and lower compression at the cost of a more deliberately colored tonal signature.
Full Sonus Faber Lumina II review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 1800Hz |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7.1" x 10.4" (304 x 180 x 263 mm) |
| Drivers | 29mm DAD dome tweeter, 150mm paper cone mid-woofer |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 24kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 30W - 150W |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner; matches manufacturer spec) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.04 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 5.32 |
| Weight | 12.5 lbs (5.65 kg) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs Polk Monitor XT20
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs XTZ Spirit 4
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs Focal Aria 906
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs KEF Q3 Meta
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs Revel Performa M22
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs SVS Prime Bookshelf
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
- Sonus Faber Lumina II vs Dynaudio Special Forty
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