Short answer: the GR-Research X-LS Encore. It ranks #83 of 130 bookshelf speakers by sound quality at $1300; the Sonus Faber Lumina II ranks #91 and costs $1600, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the GR-Research X-LS Encore offers: An amazing value, especially if you managed to snag one of these built by AV123 in the early 2000s for $200-300. CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally flat on-axis response, especially in the listening window. Predicted in-room response is generally smooth and on-target. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is pretty clean above 200Hz. Watch for: A slight depression in the upper bass and some peaking in the lower bass shows up on-axis, along with directivity error in the crossover region. Vertical directivity requires staying within about 20 degrees of the tweeter axis. At 96dB SPL/1m distortion becomes “rather unhappy,” with bass distortion, a possible woofer issue around 2kHz, and a tweeter problem above 7kHz. As a DIY kit, it requires building the cabinet and crossover 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 GR-Research X-LS Encore. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Sonus Faber Lumina II and costs less, so the other one has nothing left to offer.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Passive Home rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| GR-Research X-LS Encore | Sonus Faber Lumina II | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1300 per pair | $1,600 per pair |
| Ranked | #83 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #91 of 130 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 64Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 60Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 13.5"H x 8.5"W x 12.1"D (342.9 x 215.9 x 308 mm) | 12" x 7.1" x 10.4" (304 x 180 x 263 mm) |
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.4dB (measured by Audio Science Review; 87dB manufacturer specified) | 86dB (measured average, Erin's Audio Corner; matches manufacturer spec) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Peerless M-165 paper composite cone, non-resonant polymer frame woofer, 1" Peerless India T26SG tweeter | 29mm DAD dome tweeter, 150mm paper cone mid-woofer |
| Weight | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each | 12.5 lbs (5.65 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported | - |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 1800Hz |
| Frequency Response | - | 55Hz - 24kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Recommended Power | - | 30W - 150W |
| Spinorama Preference Score | - | 3.04 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | - | 5.32 |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How GR-Research X-LS Encore compares with other leading options:
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Perlisten S4b
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs KEF Reference 1 Meta
- GR-Research NX-Studio vs GR-Research X-LS Encore
- AsciLab C6B vs GR-Research X-LS Encore
- Audio First Cadentia 3 vs GR-Research X-LS Encore
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
GR-Research X-LS Encore: $1300 per pair Gr-research eBay
Pros: An amazing value, especially if you managed to snag one of these built by AV123 in the early 2000s for $200-300. CEA2034 spinorama shows a generally flat on-axis response, especially in the listening window. Predicted in-room response is generally smooth and on-target. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is pretty clean above 200Hz. Measured bass extension of 64Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.4dB.
Cons: A slight depression in the upper bass and some peaking in the lower bass shows up on-axis, along with directivity error in the crossover region. Vertical directivity requires staying within about 20 degrees of the tweeter axis. At 96dB SPL/1m distortion becomes “rather unhappy,” with bass distortion, a possible woofer issue around 2kHz, and a tweeter problem above 7kHz. As a DIY kit, it requires building the cabinet and crossover yourself.
Full GR-Research X-LS Encore review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 44Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 64Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 13.5"H x 8.5"W x 12.1"D (342.9 x 215.9 x 308 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" Peerless M-165 paper composite cone, non-resonant polymer frame woofer, 1" Peerless India T26SG tweeter |
| Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 84.4dB (measured by Audio Science Review; 87dB manufacturer specified) |
| Weight | 17 lbs (7.7 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Dynaudio Special Forty
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Mission LX-3 MKII
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs SVS Prime Bookshelf
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs KEF Q3 Meta
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Polk Monitor XT20
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Philharmonic BMR Monitor
- GR-Research X-LS Encore vs Dynaudio Emit 20
- See all 47 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
- See all 56 comparisons