Short answer: the Dynaudio Emit 20. It ranks #76 of 131 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1049; the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator ranks #107 and costs $2000, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
What the Dynaudio Emit 20 offers: Two-way design with a 28mm Esotar soft dome tweeter (Hexis-damped) and an 18cm mid-woofer, using a first-order crossover on the tweeter and second-order on the woofer. Exceptional bass extension for a bookshelf speaker - reaches a clean, authoritative 40Hz in-room, rare enough that the reviewer says most listeners could skip a subwoofer for typical music. Very low distortion across the board, staying below 1% THD down to 40Hz at 86dB and below 3% even at 96dB - unusually clean bass performance where most two-way bookshelf speakers start rising in distortion around 80Hz. Wide, remarkably consistent horizontal directivity (about ±50-60°) that holds steady up to roughly 13kHz - rare for a speaker in this format, thanks to a beveled tweeter edge that acts as a mild waveguide. Excellent compression and dynamic-range linearity at the frequency extremes, actually showing slight bass enhancement rather than the sharp low-end compression common in similarly-sized bookshelf speakers. Watch for: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact - confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and attempts at constrained-layer damping didn’t resolve it. A peak around 4kHz adds a sharp, edgy quality to some male vocals. A roughly 5dB boost above 10kHz gives cymbals and hi-hats excess shimmer that can sound unnatural, especially pointed directly on-axis. Vertical dispersion shows two separate crossover-related notches (above and below the tweeter reference line around 5kHz) rather than the usual single one, a direct consequence of the shallow crossover slopes used on both drivers. Multitone distortion is elevated in the midrange, possibly due to the woofer’s magnet structure lacking a shorting ring. Best aimed slightly off-axis (about 10-15° of toe-out) to tame the excess high-frequency shimmer, rather than pointed straight at the listener.
What the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator offers: Solid bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 63Hz, F10 43Hz), reaching about 50Hz in-room. Decent sensitivity and wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~60-70 degrees) - better directivity than expected for a two-way design. Gorgeous, luxury-grade cabinet design. Watch for: Very bright treble, running 3-6dB above the midrange depending on measurement angle - independently corroborated by other owners online, not just one reviewer’s opinion. Causes audible sibilance and a forward, grainy character. Notably the brightest of three Sonus Faber models Erin’s Audio Corner has tested, even brighter than the brand’s own Sonetto II G2. A mechanical resonance/ringing artifact shows up around 1kHz in measurements. Needs a subwoofer for anything below about 50Hz.
Buy the Dynaudio Emit 20. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator. It ranks near the bottom of the 131 bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Dynaudio Emit 20 | Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,049.00 | $2000 |
| Ranked | #76 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #107 of 131 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 63Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 7.1" Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1" Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter | 1.14" DAD (Damped Apex Dome) tweeter, 5.9" paper cone woofer |
| Weight | 12.8 lbs / 5.8 kg | 12.8 lbs / 5.8 kg |
| Sensitivity | 83.5dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) | 86.9dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 4 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.6"H x 8.1"W x 12.3"D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) | 12" x 7.1" x 10.4" (304 x 180 x 263 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear | Bass reflex, ported |
| Frequency Response | - | 55Hz - 24kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 2600Hz |
| Recommended Power | - | 30W - 150W |
| Country of Origin | - | Italy (Vicenza) |
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Prices on this page were last checked August 25, 2026 at 6:19 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
Dynaudio Emit 20: $1,049.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Two-way design with a 28mm Esotar soft dome tweeter (Hexis-damped) and an 18cm mid-woofer, using a first-order crossover on the tweeter and second-order on the woofer. Exceptional bass extension for a bookshelf speaker - reaches a clean, authoritative 40Hz in-room, rare enough that the reviewer says most listeners could skip a subwoofer for typical music. Very low distortion across the board, staying below 1% THD down to 40Hz at 86dB and below 3% even at 96dB - unusually clean bass performance where most two-way bookshelf speakers start rising in distortion around 80Hz. Wide, remarkably consistent horizontal directivity (about ±50-60°) that holds steady up to roughly 13kHz - rare for a speaker in this format, thanks to a beveled tweeter edge that acts as a mild waveguide. Excellent compression and dynamic-range linearity at the frequency extremes, actually showing slight bass enhancement rather than the sharp low-end compression common in similarly-sized bookshelf speakers.
Cons: A resonance around 600-800Hz gives snares and similar percussion a muffled, flat quality lacking impact - confirmed as originating in the woofer itself (isolated via measurements of the raw driver out of the cabinet), and attempts at constrained-layer damping didn’t resolve it. A peak around 4kHz adds a sharp, edgy quality to some male vocals. A roughly 5dB boost above 10kHz gives cymbals and hi-hats excess shimmer that can sound unnatural, especially pointed directly on-axis. Vertical dispersion shows two separate crossover-related notches (above and below the tweeter reference line around 5kHz) rather than the usual single one, a direct consequence of the shallow crossover slopes used on both drivers. Multitone distortion is elevated in the midrange, possibly due to the woofer’s magnet structure lacking a shorting ring. Best aimed slightly off-axis (about 10-15° of toe-out) to tame the excess high-frequency shimmer, rather than pointed straight at the listener.
Full Dynaudio Emit 20 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 33Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 54Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 14.6"H x 8.1"W x 12.3"D (370.0 x 205.0 x 312.0 mm) |
| Drivers | 7.1" Magnesium Silicate Polymer woofer, 1.1" Cerotar soft dome with Hexis tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal (5.5 ohms minimum above 80Hz, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 83.5dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 12.8 lbs / 5.8 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, rear |
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Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator: $2000 Crutchfield eBay
Pros: Solid bass extension for a bookshelf (F3 63Hz, F10 43Hz), reaching about 50Hz in-room. Decent sensitivity and wide, consistent horizontal dispersion (~60-70 degrees) - better directivity than expected for a two-way design. Gorgeous, luxury-grade cabinet design.
Cons: Very bright treble, running 3-6dB above the midrange depending on measurement angle - independently corroborated by other owners online, not just one reviewer’s opinion. Causes audible sibilance and a forward, grainy character. Notably the brightest of three Sonus Faber models Erin’s Audio Corner has tested, even brighter than the brand’s own Sonetto II G2. A mechanical resonance/ringing artifact shows up around 1kHz in measurements. Needs a subwoofer for anything below about 50Hz.
Full Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 63Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Country of Origin | Italy (Vicenza) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2600Hz |
| Dimensions | 12" x 7.1" x 10.4" (304 x 180 x 263 mm) |
| Drivers | 1.14" DAD (Damped Apex Dome) tweeter, 5.9" paper cone woofer |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 24kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3.9 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Recommended Power | 30W - 150W |
| Sensitivity | 86.9dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 12.8 lbs / 5.8 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | Bass reflex, ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Sonus Faber Lumina II Amator vs KEF Q350
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