Short answer: the ELAC DBR62. It ranks #77 of 203 bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $678.97; the Sonus Faber Lumina II ranks #144, rated 3.4/5, and costs $1,600, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.
What the Sonus Faber Lumina II does well: 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.
The ELAC DBR62 is the more accurate, deeper-bass choice. Two-way design with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome tweeter in a shallow waveguide, with the tweeter positioned close to the woofer for near-point-source coherence: giving more vertical listening leeway than typical two-ways. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 5.07 against 3.81 for the Sonus Faber Lumina II. Its bass reaches about 53Hz before falling 3dB, against 60Hz for the Sonus Faber Lumina II. Watch for: A slight recess in the 1-2kHz region reduces vocal presence somewhat compared to other speakers in direct comparison.
Buy the ELAC DBR62. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sonus Faber Lumina II and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Still deciding? The full Passive Home rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sonus Faber Lumina II | ELAC DBR62 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,600 per pair | $678.97 per pair |
| Ranked | #144 of 203 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers | #77 of 203 in Large Size Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 29mm DAD dome tweeter, 150mm paper cone mid-woofer | 6.5” Aramid Fiber woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Crossover Frequency | 1800Hz | - |
| Dimensions | 12” x 7.1” x 10.4” (304 x 180 x 263 mm) | 14.1”H x 8.2”W x 10.8”D (358.1 x 208.3 x 274.3 mm) |
| Weight | 12.5 lbs (5.65 kg) each | 18.1 lbs (8.2 kg) each |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 6 ohms nominal, 5.2 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 86dB (measured average, Erin’s Audio Corner; matches manufacturer spec) | 84.3dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 24kHz (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Recommended Power | 30W - 150W | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.81 | 5.07 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.10 | 7.27 |
| DIY Kit | No | No |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | ported, front |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 7, 2026 at 9:25 PM 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
Sonus Faber Lumina II: $1,600 per pair Crutchfield eBay
Same family: the Sonus Faber Lumina I (smaller bookshelf, estimated 3.3/5), the Sonus Faber Lumina III (smaller floorstanding, estimated 3.5/5), the Sonus Faber Lumina V (larger floorstanding, estimated 3.6/5) and the Sonus Faber Lumina Center I (center, estimated 3.5/5).
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 |
| DIY Kit | No |
| 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 | 3.81 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.10 |
| Weight | 12.5 lbs (5.65 kg) each |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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ELAC DBR62: $678.97 per pair Amazon Crutchfield eBay
Same family: the ELAC Debut Reference DFR52 (floorstanding, estimated 4.3/5) and the ELAC Debut Reference DCR52 (center, estimated 3.4/5).
Pros: Two-way design with a 6.5” woofer and 1” dome tweeter in a shallow waveguide, with the tweeter positioned close to the woofer for near-point-source coherence: giving more vertical listening leeway than typical two-ways. Notably forgiving of placement and aiming: sounds good from directly on-axis all the way to 30° of toe-out (parallel with the rear wall), making it more room-independent than many speakers this price. Wide horizontal radiation of about ±70° until the tweeter starts beaming, right in the reviewer’s preferred sweet spot. A mild, wide-Q bass bump centered around 100Hz adds a bit of extra punch that the reviewer personally likes. On-axis linearity within about ±2.5dB, with a strong measured preference score of 5.3. Distortion stays below 3% at both 86dB and 96dB until around 50Hz. Vertical sweet spot of about ±10-20° works well for multi-row home theater seating. The reviewer calls it “the epitome of a good speaker” for its price, with no reservations recommending it. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-3dB), with a measured sensitivity of 84.3dB.
Cons: A slight recess in the 1-2kHz region reduces vocal presence somewhat compared to other speakers in direct comparison. A mild hot spot around 4-5kHz can read as slight sibilance when pointed directly on-axis. Low-to-mid sensitivity (about 84.3dB) combined with a current draw that behaves like roughly 2.4 ohms between 100-200Hz means it’s best driven by a dedicated 4-ohm-capable amplifier rather than an AVR. A diffraction dip from the baffle edge is visible in measurements: typical of any standard rectangular-baffle speaker and not correctable without a much more expensive curved-baffle design. Multitone distortion testing suggests some potential midrange distortion could be audible on certain material, though the reviewer didn’t personally notice it. Minor resonances appear around 700Hz and 1-1.5kHz, possibly tied to the enclosure, port, or cone/surround edge termination, though their audible impact appears minimal. F3 of 53Hz means a subwoofer is still needed for real bass extension below about 40Hz.
Full ELAC DBR62 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 53Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| DIY Kit | No |
| Dimensions | 14.1”H x 8.2”W x 10.8”D (358.1 x 208.3 x 274.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5” Aramid Fiber woofer, 1” soft dome tweeter |
| Impedance | 6 ohms nominal, 5.2 ohms minimum (measured above 80Hz, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 84.3dB (measured average 300Hz-3kHz @ 2.83V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; 86dB manufacturer specified) |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 5.07 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.27 |
| Weight | 18.1 lbs (8.2 kg) each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Top 3 Things You Need to Know About ELAC DBR62 Before You Buy More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Website Elac DBR62
- Erin’s Audio Corner: 5 AWESOME SPEAKERS Under $1000 You Won’t Regret
- Erin’s Audio Corner: My Top Picks of 2023: Must-Haves Under $3000
- Audio Science Review Measurements More from Audio Science Review →
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
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