Remember when Pro-Ject came out with that Metallica turntable a couple of years ago? It was super cool, of course, but I heard a voice in my head that said, “If I only I liked Metallica.” Someone was listening to me, probably through Siri, and I spot this in the Fine Sounds America room at the 2024 Florida International Audio Fest–the Dark Side of the Moon version of the Pro-Ject ‘table ($1,999 USD). This is closer to the mark, although I’d prefer a Meddle ‘table over DSOTM. Still, I get it. It’s very cool.
Words and Photos by Marc Phillips
Fine Sounds America distributes such brands as Rotel, Pro-Ject, Sonus faber, Sumiko and other marques previously handled by the McIntosh Group. I like these brands, and I’ve reviewed many of them for PTA in the past. And while that Pro-Ject DSOTM ‘table in the foyer certainly dragged me into the room, something else more subtle made me stay and ask a bunch of questions.
When I reviewed the Sonus faber Lumina II and Lumina III speakers a couple of years ago, I was amazed at the sound quality–especially at such an affordable price. (The Lumina III won our Best Value Award for 2021, in fact.) Someone had mentioned the “new” Lumina Amator speakers to me, and I immediately thought they had the name wrong. Lumina is the entry level speaker line for Sonus faber (and it’s still made by hand in Italy), and the Amator is a model designation. (I picked the Sonus faber Maxima Amator as Product of the Year in 2021.) But when I walked into the Fine Sounds America room, I was immediately taken to a pair of Luminas–the II and the V models, and I noticed something on the top of the speaker.
It was a badge that said AMATOR.
I got the scoop from Fine Sounds America. Sonus faber took the original Lumina models and thoroughly tweaked them for better performance–drivers, crossovers and even the baffles. The original Luminas were so inexpensive because the cabinets were so simple, nothing but right angles, but now the Lumina Amators have an enclosure that is designed for better dispersion characteristics. The best part? The cost of the Amator designation is just a few hundred dollars more than the base version. Considering the original Luminas were practically free, the Amators shown off by Fine Sounds America are still incredible values.
