Short answer: the Sonus Faber Lumina II for better sound quality, the Chesky LC1 for the lower price. The Sonus Faber Lumina II ranks #61 of 84 bookshelf speakers at $1299. The Chesky LC1 ranks #80 at $1000, $299 cheaper.
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. 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.
What the Chesky LC1 offers: Premium build details: silver-soldered crossover with film capacitors, dual inertially-balanced 8” passive radiators, and a multi-layer, non-resonant cabinet construction. Watch for: Overall tonal balance sounded dull, hollow, and unengaging in extensive listening, with recessed vocals (both male and female) and minimal bass - the reviewer independently confirmed the same impressions auditioning the speakers…
Buy the Sonus Faber Lumina II if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Chesky LC1 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Chesky LC1. It ranks near the bottom of the 84 bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sonus Faber Lumina II | Chesky LC1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,299 | $1000 Discontinued |
| Ranked | #61 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #80 of 84 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 29mm DAD dome tweeter, 150mm paper cone mid-woofer | 1" tweeter + 4" woofer |
| Crossover Frequency | 1800Hz | - |
| Dimensions | 12"H x 7.1"W x 10.3"D (304 x 180 x 263mm) | 10"H x 8"W x 10"D (254.0 x 203.2 x 254.0 mm) |
| Weight | 12.5 lbs (12.5 lbs / 5.65 kg) each | 17.6 lbs / 8 kg |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 8 ohms nominal (8.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner; matches manufacturer spec) | 81.4dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 71Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 49Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 24kHz (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Recommended Power | 30W - 150W | - |
| Discontinued | - | Yes |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | passive radiator |
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- AsciLab F6B vs Sonus Faber Lumina II
- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 vs Chesky LC1
The Two Speakers In Full
Sonus Faber Lumina II: $1,299 Audio Advice
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.
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"H x 7.1"W x 10.3"D (304 x 180 x 263mm) |
| 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) |
| Weight | 12.5 lbs (12.5 lbs / 5.65 kg) each |
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Chesky LC1: $1000 Discontinued
Pros: Premium build details: silver-soldered crossover with film capacitors, dual inertially-balanced 8” passive radiators, and a multi-layer, non-resonant cabinet construction. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±60-70° through the midrange, in the reviewer’s preferred range. Extremely easy to drive electrically (minimum impedance about 8.4 ohms, minimum EPDR 5.4 ohms). Distortion shows good separation between second- and third-order harmonics at both 86dB and 96dB. The reviewer took the unusual step of verifying his measurements weren’t due to a defective unit - he impedance-swept both speakers, then corresponded directly with the manufacturer, whose own measurements matched his, confirming the sound reflects the actual product design.
Cons: Overall tonal balance sounded dull, hollow, and unengaging in extensive listening, with recessed vocals (both male and female) and minimal bass - the reviewer independently confirmed the same impressions auditioning the speakers at an audio show, ruling out a fluke with his own pair. Essentially no meaningful bass below about 90-100Hz in-room (F3 71Hz, F10 49Hz), well short of the 50Hz frequency-response spec, and measured sensitivity (about 81.4dB) runs well below the 86dB claimed. A pattern of peaks and dips across the spectrum, rather than a simple tilt, makes different instruments sound inconsistent depending on what frequency range they occupy - an unusually difficult profile to characterize or EQ around. Center-image focus never locked in properly regardless of listening position - traced to a measurable mismatch between the two individual speaker samples’ on-axis response, an unusual quality-control issue for a simple dome-tweeter design. A cancellation/lobing region just below the tweeter axis, likely from shallow first-order crossover slopes and some crossover-region overlap, means listening position needs to stay right at or slightly above tweeter level. Elevated multitone distortion in a region tied to a cone-edge/surround resonance (a known issue across several driver brands), only marginally improved by adding a subwoofer. Sample-to-sample driver measurements showed real inconsistency between the two review units’ tweeters and midwoofers. A cosmetic gap around the tweeter’s flush-mount cutout suggests room for tighter fit-and-finish. Discontinued.
Full Chesky LC1 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 49Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 71Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 10"H x 8"W x 10"D (254.0 x 203.2 x 254.0 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 1" tweeter + 4" woofer |
| Impedance | 8 ohms nominal (8.4 ohms minimum, measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 81.4dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 17.6 lbs / 8 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons