Hand-built in France — usually ships in about 2 weeks.
Esprit gives every speaker cable one plain task: carry the signal from one point to another and take as little from it as possible. A speaker cable cannot add information to what your components extract, the company notes, but a careless design can take some away.
The Esprit Lumina Speaker Cable is a pair of loudspeaker cables from level 6 of Esprit's nine ranges. Each Lumina speaker cable is made by hand in Confolens, in France's Charente region, in 2, 2.5, 3, 4 and 5 m pairs with banana or spade terminations.
“The most striking aspect of the Lumina’s performance was its replication of dimension, distance, and soundstage.”
— Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, reviewing the previous-generation Lumina cables (2020)
Heritage
Esprit describes Lumina as an uncompromising range, designed to reach a higher level of realism and musical coherence, and the Lumina speaker cable shares that brief. Twisted asymmetric dielectrics and optimized air insulation belong to the Lumina approach, and the Lumina speaker cable is built on them. Dielectric polarization is part of the Lumina speaker cable as well, to stabilize the electrical environment of its signal. Richard Cesari has been making cables since 1996, and the Lumina speaker cable carries three decades of that work.
Made by hand in Confolens
Esprit's team designs and assembles the Lumina speaker cable by hand in its workshop in Confolens, Charente. Richard Cesari insists that assembly counts as much as materials, so each Lumina speaker cable is checked at every stage of the work. The first complete check of the Lumina speaker cable is made by the person who built it, and nothing moves on until it has been validated.
How it sounds
Esprit describes the sound of the Lumina speaker cable as more fluid, dynamic and balanced, with a more stable stage, remarkable articulation and a transparency that reveals the slightest nuance.
Esprit explains that a larger conductor section lowers resistance, which matters in a Lumina speaker cable because speaker links carry significant current. In listening, the company says, that lower resistance tends to bring a quieter background, firmer bass and freer dynamics from the Lumina speaker cable. The Lumina speaker cable combines PVC and silicone insulation: Esprit associates the firmer PVC with density and bass weight, and the softer silicone with a more fluid, open midrange and treble. Air forms part of the insulation of the Lumina speaker cable, as specified: double air insulation + high-temperature polyvinyl chloride (PVC) + silicone.
Choosing your speaker cable
The Lumina speaker cable is level 6 of Esprit's nine, above Aura and below Eureka. Pairs of the Lumina speaker cable come in 2, 2.5, 3, 4 and 5 m, with banana or spade terminations, so measure the run from amplifier to speaker and allow a little slack. The full Esprit collection shows the Lumina speaker cable alongside the rest of the family.
Specifications
| Range |
Lumina, Generation 10 (GenX), level 6 of 9 |
| Type |
Speaker Cable |
| Sold as |
Pair |
| Lengths |
2 m (6.6 ft), 2.5 m (8.2 ft), 3 m (9.8 ft), 4 m (13.1 ft), 5 m (16.4 ft) |
| Connectors |
Banana or spade, by Esprit |
| Dielectric |
Asymmetrical twisted dielectric |
| Dielectric polarization |
Yes, Double process |
| Insulation |
Double Air insulation + High-Temperature polyvinyl chloride (PVC) + Silicone |
| Shielding |
Partial shielding with a silver-plated copper braid providing 100% optical coverage + Full shielding |
| Plating |
40 micron copper/silver multilayer plating |
| Made in |
Confolens, France, assembled entirely by hand |
Questions
How does the Eureka speaker cable compare with the Lumina speaker cable?
The Eureka speaker cable is the next level up from the Lumina speaker cable. Where it differs from the Lumina speaker cable, the Eureka speaker cable uses triple insulation on air plus high-temperature PVC plus silicone insulation.
Does the Lumina speaker cable use dielectric polarization?
Yes. Esprit lists the polarization of the Lumina speaker cable as "Yes, Double process". On the Lumina speaker cable, a continuous voltage keeps the insulators in a stable state, which Esprit says limits dielectric relaxation and absorption for more coherent, quieter transmission.
What does the Lumina speaker cable cost?
The Lumina speaker cable is $6,999 for 2 m, $8,499 for 2.5 m, $9,999 for 3 m, $12,999 for 4 m and $15,999 for 5 m per pair. Sales tax is included in the price of the Lumina speaker cable, and we deliver it free anywhere in the USA.
Where is the Lumina speaker cable made, and when will it ship?
Esprit builds every Lumina speaker cable by hand in its workshop in Confolens, France. The Lumina speaker cable usually ships in about 2 weeks, with free delivery anywhere in the USA and sales tax included in the price.
From our boutique to your listening room
HiFi Boutique is an authorized Esprit dealer. Delivery is free anywhere in the USA, and sales tax is included in the price. Hand-built in France — usually ships in about 2 weeks.
