If you have liked my review of this affordable loudspeaker, please show me your support by LIKING AND SUBSCRIBING and I promise you I will do more affordable components in the future!
I much prefer to place the speakers into the room 1/3 of the way off the front wall and augment the SQ with a subwoofer running at approx 50%. Great soundstage, depth, imaging and plenty of ooomph from the sub without compromising all the amazing things these fr5's do well.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt the ELAC 3010 subwoofer can be controlled via a smart device and a bluetooth connection. the app allows for DSP and level adjustments among other things. Instead of setting the subwoofer output at 100%, I set it to 50%+/- depending on the musical selection.
Of course, it's all about the listening. Loudspeaker design is a fascinating discipline of juggling compromises that accompanies the physics of the pursuit. Individuals have worked for decades to determine which acoustic measurements matter, and how to accurately capture them. There exist certain measurable characteristics of the room, and there's certain measurable characteristics of the loudspeaker ... that either limit the playback performance, or facilitate a higher level of playback performance. Regarding setup and optimization of the speaker/room interface, ... unless you measure, you're essentially flying blind. Also, my opinion, every system in every room benefits from EQ'ing within the minimum phase region. The challenge is implementation of an adequately transparent EQ into the system.
I have never heard a great measuring speaker sound bad. Measurements are not everything. Hearing is also important. Buying a vehicle involves more than specifications. However, horsepower, torque, mileage, all are figured into MY buying decisions.
Excellent review Jay. I am a 71 year business consultant --- Jay you gained tremendous credibility with this review. I think you are on your way to 100,000 subscribers. Wishing you the very best.
I really prefer the looks and construction of this speaker to another wooden box. Especially in white. This FR range is already iconic with its appearance.
measurements are equally important as subjective impressions. I am amazed that you are saying you can’t hear a 3db dip. Your ears cannot be that far gone! I have paradigm founder 120 that were really bright in the treble region. Ran Dirac on it and noticed that it brought down things after 6khz, so yes it is noticeable. It depends on the room a lot but I know you know that.
It shows that the opinion of someone else, in another room, with other ears, with other preferences doesn’t mean a thing. If he can’t hear a 3 db dip, then why does his opinion matter?
Although this guy seems as though he absolutely does not understand what can or can't be known about a loudspeaker system based upon measurements he is correct in stating that most people won't notice a 3 db difference while listening to music. 3 bd is barely perceptible when listening back to back at a certain frequency. As you probably know a musical instrument is harmonic and when a note is played it is made up of the fundamental frequency and harmonics that the instrument produces which is why a note played on guitar sound different if it is played on acoustic guitar or electric or piano, violin, sax. or voice. Many people don't understand the db scale. 3 db is barely perceptible and 10 db is double loudness according to our perception. An amazing speaker is within 1.5 db + or - of reference between 40 and 16 khz at all frequencies in between. Once placed in a room that frequency response is destroyed unless it is very large, perfectly treated, and some eq used which limits dynamic headroom or all listening is done nearfield which has it's own set of problems for listening enjoyment.
@@ninjareynolds It's worth noting, referencing small variations in level (1dB, 2dB, 3dB) benefits greatly from additional context. Due to the equal loudness contours, how prevalent we perceive a level change is impacted by both frequency and overall level. Peaks in level are typically easier to discern than dips of the same magnitude. Depending on the Q of a level change, and with greater familiarity of the material, ... even 1dB raise in level can be discernible.
@@FOH3663 Are you talking about adjusting levels through the use of dsp or the acoustic frequency response of a loudspeaker system? If a speaker system produces a frequency response that is within 1 db of variation and a person can detect that it isn't flat there is a reason for it. That reason is because human ears are more sensitive to certain frequencies than others and most people would assume that a certain group of mid range frequencies are boosted even if they are 1 db down from reference. Also, if music or even frequency sweeps are playing and the volume is adjusted so that there is 1 db more acoustic output it isn't discernable unless some components in the system are close enough to increased distortion that produce 1 bd more of acoustic output would also cause a detectable increase of distrotion.
Not a comment on this video but, Jay, I am slowly getting through your "Jay's Audio Lab" playlist and, boy, have you curated a fantastic selection of music. Highly recommended guys!
" I am starting to wonder if there is a need for a 700 pound Magico in my room - Jay " .......... actually for the extreme majority of folks - no - there is not a need for such a speaker - there are other more modest designs which make more sense for all but the largest listening rooms ,,,,,, if fact you can very easily overload a room with too big a speaker and it will actually sound worse then a smaller speaker .
Jay, thanks for the review. I’d heard 5 or 6 reviews of the FR5s so far and all were based on how they sounded - all ratings were better-than-average to great. I recently came across a review of them that gave a mediocre rating, but went into the whole measurements thing. This same person semi-trashed another speaker that had gotten decent reviews after measuring it as well. They picked apart what the speakers didn’t do, then used a graph to explain it. When I test components, I use the only tools I need - my ears. Keep up the great work.
Measurements provided anchor points for people to extrapolate/predict the general expectation for the speakers performance in their room. Knowing anechoic measurements and then knowing how that measurements manifest themselves in a particular room allows ones to get a sense what their room would do to speakers with certain characteristics. I'm not sure completely dissing measurements is beneficial to the audience. I would appreciate to see your room measurements, that together with daya from Erin's Audio Corner give me data points for how these would sound in my room. I find the subjective discussions also valueable too, they both have their place.
Jay should get his hands on some ultra high end stand mounted speakers. I think they will sound better than what he has had in the past. I think his room is too small for most of the speakers he has had. He could try The Compact Reference One, by TAD. Or The Joseph Audio Pulsar2 Graphene
Loudspeaker measurements is a good place to start when choosing your n ew speakers! Very rarely do good speakers measure bad. But could sound better with better parts. I'm retired and have 5 systems and do it for the music!😊
I am satisfied with the review, especially regarding the efficiency at 6 ohms, which requires a really high quality amplifier. Jay I am going to upgrade my very good Accuphase integrated amplifier 135 watts 8ohm 270 4 ohms . Thank you for a fair and balanced review as a new subscriber you won my respect. Jay, most of us are not rich, but I have a good ear for quality and value. The FR5 represents exceptional value and as a proud owner I am enjoying it everyday. Sincerely
@ but to say measurements don’t matter at all is pretty harsh, surely most of the expensive speakers you’re listening to do measure well. I’m not into doing measurements myself. But I do count on the speaker engineers to use them when designing a speaker.
You may not measure it and not care about measurements but the consistent colouration will prove to be wearing in the longer term especially if your musical tastes are varied. Phase coherence is to do with the psycho acoustic like imaging and sound stage. The point source nature of small speakers is also known and measurable.
Just picked up a set of these to replace my Bowers and Wilkins bookshelves for my computer setup , I'm using them near Field but still miles better than the Bowers. Thanks for bringing these to light Jay , they are truly special especially for their price 😁
Great that Jay is giving "more affordable" loudspeakers a run, as this is where the vast majority of audiophiles and music lovers live(and we don't have 50 grand plus of amps either. Try mission 770s, these are getting serious love in the UK Jay, they'll be amazing on that set up of yours.
Thanks Jay, I purchased and returned the FR10s earlier this year. Really like them for what they offered (at a discounted price) but wasn't my kind of sound in my room. I really appreciate their generous in-home trial.
@@glennmcdonald7673 I don’t know why one would buy a bad speaker (misinformed, ignorant), but according to your statement, it’s all about the room, just setting the record straight.
Room, room, ROOM! I found this out with my Klipsch Forte' 4's. In my main listening space (18x24x8'), I found them difficult to warm up to. Harsh and fatiguing! Moved upstairs to my living/dining room with throw rug and plushy sofa? TOTALLY DIFFERENT SPEAKER! Pulled nearly 3' feet into the room, 12' feet apart, listening 14' back caused this HUGE change. BIG low end, smooth and balanced presentation. SHOCKED I am, and so, that is where they live now to enjoy.❤
I’m being honest Jay. I’ve never been a fan of this channel or its content. But, this video caught my attention. Jay, I take my hat off to you. A man with the backbone, a man with the forthright BOLLOX to buck the trend. To blow against the wind, to say it as it is and shout it with inner conviction. I’ve recently had a heated exchange of comments with a fellow RUclips follower of Paul of PS Audio’s channel. This viewer was exceptionally esoteric, elitist and patronising. Telling me my opinion was worthless because I don’t own or use any type of “measuring suite”. My response was that the only suite I needed was my 3 peace suite which I sit on to listen to and enjoy music. My auditory system was more than good enough to determine whether my hi-if’s audio reproduction was accurate enough, musical enough, dynamic enough for me to fully appreciate and enjoy the music it reproduces. As you rightly point out, those attributes can’t be measured by anything other than a pair of good ears. I know that my comments are likely to ruffle a few esoteric feathers, and there will likely be some negative backlash, but like you Jay, i remain stoic. Keep up the good work Jay. More content like this would be welcome.
The topic of loudspeaker measurements ends when you see two different speakers with nearly identical measurements sound completely different. While measurements (efficiency, frequency response) can provide general information about a speaker, they don't tell you how it SOUNDS. Period.
Do You realize...YOU and so many of your audio friends are BEING DUPED by those that either lack knowledge of how and what to measure or are quite possibly hucksters just trying to sell what profits them while intentionally blocking products and technologies that show how generally pathetic audio performance so many products are compared to what can be done at a similar or LOWER PRICE
It's crazy to think that measurements don't matter. It has nothing to do with mental gymnastics. Anyone that says measurements don't matter....just doesn't understand measurements.
The people who state measurement's don't matter, don't know the first thing about loudspeaker design. You literally need measurements to "PROPERLY" design a loudspeaker, period. Yes, you can "make" a loudspeaker without them but the loudspeaker that was designed based on measurements will sound superior EVERYTIME. There is more to measurements than just FR (Frequency Response) you also have to factor in impedance, phase, BSC, Diffractions, time alignment, Xmax, Fs, etc. All these issues is calculated and then solved through measurements. The fact people just discredit measurements and their importance blows my mind.
? Measurements are super important. Your right, you can't measure somethings but the one you can is how accurate it is!!!!!! That's why it's important. Then you know your speakers are flat, then everything else can make sense. Cmon dude
Reviewers like Erin listen to the speaker and document subject impressions and then do sophisticated measurements with a Klippel and see how the subjective response compares. This one has problems You can’t do it I can’t do it But some people can You seem to rationalize bad speaker designs You have your opinions which are just that and you have a financial incentive to give opinions
Thanks Jay. Mentioning needing 250 watts to “wake up” the speakers is a key point in the review. The final takeaway on how a stand mount can give pause regarding pursuing the Uber expensive shows how one can assemble a speaker system on the cheap, subs included, than can bring things to the table larger designs struggle with. This has been my experience for decades. Plus, a system like this is much easier to live with and move around. Add the subs and high pass the monitors and the game completely changes.
Another great review…thanks for not bending the knee to manufacturer and giving a true honest review that we can trust and we are able to make purchase with confidence. Unlike 90% of the other reviewers on RUclips! You are very knowledgable reviewer…period!
Great review! Awesome that you can experience very expensive hi-fi as a reference and when comparing it to “cheaper” hi-fi you still manage to keep perspective and give us a very objective opinion. It shows that you’re not tainted with just the price tag, but know how to recognize each for what they bring to the table. Respect.
I would like just to listen to my awesome music and just forget that time is passing by. That’s what I would want in my stereo gear. Then I can concentrate on making my paintings.
As a Muso... from Writing to Mixing (sometimes mastering) , All that matters to me, is a set of monitors that allow a mix that works across many a listeners choice of listening... Yep... Vibe doesn't cut it.....Sure enjoy a speakers sound stage ect... But Reference Speakers will never sound "Amazing"... And thats the difference... If your listening, (Pun intended) , who cares how good it sounds to you, as long as it does..... But proper Studio monitors , good ones , should be as non coloured as possible.... And yes.. Room treatment means everything.... Basically, some of the prices I see in "Audiophile"market, is just like a car... Like what you want to drive....With prices to match......
A superb and important introductory message about measurements. Thankyou!!! I agree, some people put way too much importance on measurements. Measurements can go some way to explain what you are hearing, but thats about it. What if you really love the sound of the speaker/amplifier/DAC but then found out it was not superb measurement wise? Do you buy what you like the sound of and sounds good to your ears? or do you base your purchase on what looks good on a graph? You will be listening to this purchase with your ears, not through a graph. Buy what you li’e the sound of, regardless of measurement.
Hey I argue that volume level on a slow sweep can be heard to some extent by a good portion of people. Only loosely and to taste not a measuring microphone but it can be heard somewhat as the numbers flash past and your listening. I write down 20,30,40,55,70,90 etc on an A4 piece of paper, get the 20-20000hz 2min youtube vid up and listen for if there are any big room boom at like 50hz, muddy hands cupping mouth to shout like midrange at 400hz from crossover issues etc and sibilance harshness (loud and hard sound) at 3-4khz in a speaker with high hz playing midranges giving cone breakup problems. You don't have to be a genius you just have to Feel and listen for volume variance and rate what you hear out of 10 through the sweep and just lightly touch up the issues (usually a light cut, I almost never add). It can help mask up speakers issues. I can't weld great, I don't have the feel there I get it some people won't be able to do it but surely it's not that impossible? Not accurate sure but like partially improving sound?
Great job! How much do you think the upscaled electronics played in assisting the FR5's positive performance? Is it possible that with lesser electronics that their performance might be sub par?
Jay mate, your question about hearing the measurements is a valid one. The answer is (from personal experience) that after measurements were done, and making PEQ adjustments to adjust to match a personal target line you surely hear differences. No placebo, but definitely different. The measurements are done to optimize the speakers to integrate better in the room - to bring the best out of your speaker when its sitting in the room. I don't think people measure "just to measure" unless they have a studio.
I enjoy your honest and interesting approach and opinions. While I appreciate that listening to clips via RUclips is fraught with compromises, I was disappointed in the bass definition from these speakers. It might have been plentiful, but was too loose and fluffy for my taste. I was also slightly bothered by the tonality, but that is also a matter of personal taste. Despite that, their overall performance is remarkable for their size and price. Well done Jay.
First off, I agree that our ears are the best measuring instruments. With that being said, there are a lot of people who can listen to a system and have the ability to determine peaks or dips at specific frequency ranges. Especially people that have car audio Sound Quality systems. Many of us who have a car audio background tune our own systems, and we learn over time what each frequency range sounds like. Third, the person involved in measurement/ reviews does work for the government as a rocket scientist, so your comment is very funny. 😁 But as a tool, a microphone and computer can help dial in a system faster, speed up the process, and bring it to a more accurate level for sure. In conclusion , the fine tuning, I always do by ear and can fix issues that a microphone alone cannot do. There are benefits and cons to both methods. 😊
The measurement topic was interesting. I recommend room measurement for bass response as needed. That really helps to find optimal placement for the speakers and your listening position to avoid peaks and nulls in bass response. Same goes for subwoofer integration. The human ear and bass below 50hz is shaky at best. Yes you can hear it but no way you can detect the SPL variation.
Thanks Jay - all the work you put into this experiment/journey - from "out of the box" all the way to the final listening sessions was really cool - I enjoyed all the "shorts" along the way too - - no doubt the 5's set a very high bar for their asking price - so cool to see and hear them performing with your current set up.
Room and speaker measurements are informative and extremely helpful, but I agree 100% you need to listen and you need to very carefully A-B. You can have placebo you can be mislead but that's true of anything, the measurements show potential problems but the correlation with what you hear isnt good enough to solve any problems. Plenty written about phsyco acoustics and measurements , Mr Toole, Harmon etc. We do listen to everything with 'distortion' and phase in any room, we are clever enough to hear through the room and know and understand the room and prefer to have what we are used to not an anachoic chamber. I like to adjust for some things but usually less is more with EQ and DSP
I’m glad you did this type of review and will be doing more in the future. There are some reviewers with ultra high systems but seem too scared to do something like this and be as honest as you. The pros and cons are fair and realistic.
I totally respect the idea of using your ears to determine the sound of a loudspeaker, especially in your own room, as it will alter the sound a lot. But YES, you CAN judge things like soundstage and imaging by messurements, as long as you have good meassurements and enough of them. If someone is really interessted, I could explain. You cannot messure musicality of course, just because there is no such thing associated with a pure technical device like a loudspeaker. Musicality comes from musicians and I expect a loudspeaker to transfer it as pure as possible to my ears, without destroying it. And THAT then again can be messured. I agree that you can fool yourself by looking at messurements and then listening to the speaker. I do not agree that you have to be a crazy scientist to determain if there are some frequencies missing or boosted. As a mixing and mastering engineer, this is part of my job every day. I am not using equilizers just by guessing, that would be a pain in the ass. And as we are talking about fooling yourself: Loosing deapth in the soundstage by putting speakers closer to the wall is exactly this! Your brain no knows there is a wall just behind your speakers so it must be impossible to have things going on behind that line, right? ;-)
I know a guy that could hear I used the wrong crossover frequencies for my bookshelf speakers, and he was right about it. He works on airplane electronics and vintage amplifiers.
Soundstage,imaging and other such descriptions are in the recordings not the speakers or electronics. All we're asking of the equipment is to distort or break up due to excessive volume.
Jay, thanks for the review! The biggest con I have about these speakers is that they look CHEAP! If I were to base the price on looks alone I would estimate their worth at around $1,200 not $3,500. It wouldn’t matter how great they sounded or what sonic party trick they could pull off. I’m probably spoiled being that I own a pair of TAD CR1’s with those gorgeous Pammele Sapele wood cabinets.Ahhh…their majesty caresses the eyes and ears.
There's grafic picture that explains what the different things we describe is located on the response, both up and down. And I think most people will pick out.. say 2-3dB. So I listen, look and measure. Sometimes it's off a little but I don't feel it's bad so I leave it alone (or try for a while and turn it back if I don't notice anything. I'm running fully active speakers so I can easily iron out the curve flat to the last detail, that however does not sound good when I have tried it. And yeah, it's convenient for measurements on acoustic treatments and a few other things, it's a tool and nothing more.
I’ve never seen or heard the FR5 in person, that said I completely agree with your comment on fit-finish. Unfortunately it appears common to all PSA Aspen lineup. The FR30 & 20 are spectacular sounding speakers. The fit and finish do not match the sound quality. These would never be allowed in our home due to their fit & finish, looks more like something I’d find with an Ikea tag on them. Paul and Chris MUST improve the cabinet finish if they want to be a serious speaker manufacturer in marketplace
I remember when I really started in this hobby. Was looking for a system for “home theater” for my living room tv. I didn’t want one of those in a box systems. I ended up with psb speakers, front and rear, I assume a center channel, and I can’t remember if I had a sub, and a Sony receiver. I was listening one evening to an episode of Law and Order, and I kept hearing police radios, I thought in the open area of my townhomes. I keep looking out the windows for them. Near the end of the show, I realized it was the sound from the crime scenes on the tv. Has never heard them before on the built in speakers from the tv. After that I was hooked. Later I had a home theater system with Vandersteen speakers, subs, and Theta Digital hardware. The first time I watched master and commander, two of my nieces were with me. We all jumped at the first cannon fire. I’d sit and listen to the Eagles and Pink Floyd for hours on end, it was so moving.
It would be interesting if you could hook up with Danny at GR Research and see if he could send you over a pair of open baffle NX treme, to see what cost no object speakers would do on a half million dollar system.
hi Jay those are words of wisdom you have spoken, there is a lot of rubbish wisdom in the Audio world. I'm glad you punctured this hot air balloon. I enjoyed your review of these PS FR 5 speakers. thank you for this beautiful journey, and look forward to the sequel. love from the Netherlands ❤️👍
All that matters is if you like the speakers or not. Your ears will determine this one way or the other. And let's not even get people started on "edge diffraction" craziness...
But it must be said that large, powerful speakers scale dynamics very well, which makes the realism even more convincing. And I don't mean just the bass. Additionally, the mass of sound and its physical sensation.
Nicely done sir! It would be very interesting if you could get some UK made Alchris Audio speakers to try... Just a thought . Happy listening ans best wishes from Scotland.🏴 Jim🏴🙂
Orchard Audio GAN FET 250 wpc amp might be a good compliment for this speaker for around $3k. I’d try it with a tube preamp and I’d go with a good turntable and a decent cartridge. You might be able to skate under $8k for this system.
Audio Engineers and Sound Designers are going to argue that they can hear the difference and often use measuring tools to fix anomalies in a recording. We can discuss if you'd like.
Measurements? Pfft, who needs 'em? Let’s be real: Snooki is an absolute giant towering over Shaq, no question about it. She’s practically looking down on him like she’s scoping out a particularly cute molehill. That’s just basic science-don’t @ me. And weight scales? Oh, those traitorous little liars. You step on them after a light breakfast and a sip of water, and they have the audacity to say "300 pounds." Uh, no. We are feather-light gazelles, thank you very much. That number is clearly a glitch in the matrix, probably Elon Musk’s fault. Horsepower? WHO. EVEN. CARES. Forget your Audi RS6 or whatever overhyped rocket ship you’re bragging about. Everyone knows a 60hp Renault is the real king of the road. It’s nimble, efficient, and practically a transformer in disguise. Need to outrun a cheetah? The Renault’s got you. Parallel park in a space so tight even your phone wouldn’t fit? Boom. Renault’s already chilling there. RS6 drivers are just crying in their cupholders. Honestly, the universe agrees. Measurements are an illusion, and we’re all just living in Snooki’s shadow, revving our Renault engines and telling our scales to take a hike. 🚀 Glad we agree, measurements are a looser's game. Free your mind, ignore measurements.
What's funny to me is how bookshelf speakers on stands are considered to take up less room than fllorstanding speakers; most of which have narrow cabinets these days. Even if the small speakers could float in mid air without stands underneath, defying gravity, what would the area below the bottom of the speakers be useful for? Playing Twister? Floor stretching (laterally inly), or Floor Yoga perhaps? What would be interesting is to compare those with other similarly priced speakers. If any start appearing on the used market for less than 2 thousand, that's where triple and quadruple numbers of people might be able to consider them, budget wise. I think what the world needs is a great under $2,000 speaker. Maybe more can consider them than I think, though. Don't have the statistics myself. Apparent perceived bass directionality is very unusual. My room had too much bass and annoying bass modes; even with acoustic treatment. The woofer no longer works in my right channel speaker. It's Done! My subwoofer is in front of my left channel speaker, 7 feet to the left of the right speaker; yet my bass sounds like it is coming from the middle or actually slightly closer to the right channel speaker, which has no working woofer any longer. My bass is better and I have the best bass defintion now, and the annoying room peaks in the bass (modes) have disappeared. Something going wrong has resulted in something going "right"
Always great reviews, but some of us use measurements as "part of any equation" if I buy a crate motor (which I have) and no way to "not go by measuring" so I have a mindset to use measurements. Have I ever put an engine in a T-Bird vs a Camaro and they act different? Absolutely and most crate manufacturers will adjust through testing, with that said obviously the room and equipment 100% affect all of it. So I don't think we should discount measurements or actual "feel/sound" as a one size fits all. Plus I have never had a system in totality of $8000+ as my extra $$$ goes into my real hobby, cars 😁 I really enjoy your take and maybe one day closer to retirement or if I get into legal trouble (tickets/car insurance cost) I'll play with higher end audio. #Rockon 🔊🔊🔊🔊
If you have liked my review of this affordable loudspeaker, please show me your support by LIKING AND SUBSCRIBING and I promise you I will do more affordable components in the future!
I much prefer to place the speakers into the room 1/3 of the way off the front wall and augment the SQ with a subwoofer running at approx 50%. Great soundstage, depth, imaging and plenty of ooomph from the sub without compromising all the amazing things these fr5's do well.
@@EagleCrestVineyards if it works for you , good !
@@EagleCrestVineyardsWhat does running a sub 50% even mean?
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt the ELAC 3010 subwoofer can be controlled via a smart device and a bluetooth connection. the app allows for DSP and level adjustments among other things. Instead of setting the subwoofer output at 100%, I set it to 50%+/- depending on the musical selection.
This speakers are not affordable to many many people. Try reviewing some 1k to 2k. Thats more reasonable for most of us.
Of course, it's all about the listening.
Loudspeaker design is a fascinating discipline of juggling compromises that accompanies the physics of the pursuit.
Individuals have worked for decades to determine which acoustic measurements matter, and how to accurately capture them.
There exist certain measurable characteristics of the room, and there's certain measurable characteristics of the loudspeaker ... that either limit the playback performance, or facilitate a higher level of playback performance.
Regarding setup and optimization of the speaker/room interface, ... unless you measure, you're essentially flying blind.
Also, my opinion, every system in every room benefits from EQ'ing within the minimum phase region.
The challenge is implementation of an adequately transparent EQ into the system.
I have never heard a great measuring speaker sound bad. Measurements are not everything. Hearing is also important. Buying a vehicle involves more than specifications. However, horsepower, torque, mileage, all are figured into MY buying decisions.
Excellent review Jay. I am a 71 year business consultant --- Jay you gained tremendous credibility with this review. I think you are on your way to 100,000 subscribers. Wishing you the very best.
Much appreciated!
I really prefer the looks and construction of this speaker to another wooden box. Especially in white. This FR range is already iconic with its appearance.
measurements are equally important as subjective impressions. I am amazed that you are saying you can’t hear a 3db dip. Your ears cannot be that far gone! I have paradigm founder 120 that were really bright in the treble region. Ran Dirac on it and noticed that it brought down things after 6khz, so yes it is noticeable. It depends on the room a lot but I know you know that.
It shows that the opinion of someone else, in another room, with other ears, with other preferences doesn’t mean a thing. If he can’t hear a 3 db dip, then why does his opinion matter?
Although this guy seems as though he absolutely does not understand what can or can't be known about a loudspeaker system based upon measurements he is correct in stating that most people won't notice a 3 db difference while listening to music. 3 bd is barely perceptible when listening back to back at a certain frequency. As you probably know a musical instrument is harmonic and when a note is played it is made up of the fundamental frequency and harmonics that the instrument produces which is why a note played on guitar sound different if it is played on acoustic guitar or electric or piano, violin, sax. or voice. Many people don't understand the db scale. 3 db is barely perceptible and 10 db is double loudness according to our perception. An amazing speaker is within 1.5 db + or - of reference between 40 and 16 khz at all frequencies in between. Once placed in a room that frequency response is destroyed unless it is very large, perfectly treated, and some eq used which limits dynamic headroom or all listening is done nearfield which has it's own set of problems for listening enjoyment.
@@ninjareynolds
It's worth noting, referencing small variations in level (1dB, 2dB, 3dB) benefits greatly from additional context.
Due to the equal loudness contours, how prevalent we perceive a level change is impacted by both frequency and overall level.
Peaks in level are typically easier to discern than dips of the same magnitude.
Depending on the Q of a level change, and with greater familiarity of the material, ... even 1dB raise in level can be discernible.
@@FOH3663 Are you talking about adjusting levels through the use of dsp or the acoustic frequency response of a loudspeaker system? If a speaker system produces a frequency response that is within 1 db of variation and a person can detect that it isn't flat there is a reason for it. That reason is because human ears are more sensitive to certain frequencies than others and most people would assume that a certain group of mid range frequencies are boosted even if they are 1 db down from reference.
Also, if music or even frequency sweeps are playing and the volume is adjusted so that there is 1 db more acoustic output it isn't discernable unless some components in the system are close enough to increased distortion that produce 1 bd more of acoustic output would also cause a detectable increase of distrotion.
@@ninjareynolds
I'm referring to SPL magnitude at a given freq and Q.
Not a comment on this video but, Jay, I am slowly getting through your "Jay's Audio Lab" playlist and, boy, have you curated a fantastic selection of music. Highly recommended guys!
Thanks 🙏
I think I would spend $1000 extra and get the Arendal 1528 Bookshelf if I was in the market.
" I am starting to wonder if there is a need for a 700 pound Magico in my room - Jay " .......... actually for the extreme majority of folks - no - there is not a need for such a speaker - there are other more modest designs which make more sense for all but the largest listening rooms ,,,,,, if fact you can very easily overload a room with too big a speaker and it will actually sound worse then a smaller speaker .
Jay, thanks for the review. I’d heard 5 or 6 reviews of the FR5s so far and all were based on how they sounded - all ratings were better-than-average to great. I recently came across a review of them that gave a mediocre rating, but went into the whole measurements thing. This same person semi-trashed another speaker that had gotten decent reviews after measuring it as well. They picked apart what the speakers didn’t do, then used a graph to explain it. When I test components, I use the only tools I need - my ears. Keep up the great work.
Bingo
That's why spending thousands of dollars on a system should not be base on price , and should be done by listening.
My measurements say that my ears are approximately 6 inches apart 😂
lol
That's no problem as long as there's nothing in between them.😂
My other half will confirm that there's definitely nothing in between 😂
Measurements provided anchor points for people to extrapolate/predict the general expectation for the speakers performance in their room. Knowing anechoic measurements and then knowing how that measurements manifest themselves in a particular room allows ones to get a sense what their room would do to speakers with certain characteristics. I'm not sure completely dissing measurements is beneficial to the audience. I would appreciate to see your room measurements, that together with daya from Erin's Audio Corner give me data points for how these would sound in my room. I find the subjective discussions also valueable too, they both have their place.
Jay should get his hands on some ultra high end stand mounted speakers. I think they will sound better than what he has had in the past. I think his room is too small for most of the speakers he has had.
He could try The Compact Reference One, by TAD.
Or The Joseph Audio Pulsar2 Graphene
Loudspeaker measurements is a good place to start when choosing your n ew speakers! Very rarely do good speakers measure bad. But could sound better with better parts. I'm retired and have 5 systems and do it for the music!😊
I am satisfied with the review, especially regarding the efficiency at 6 ohms, which requires a really high quality amplifier. Jay I am going to upgrade my very good Accuphase integrated amplifier 135 watts 8ohm 270 4 ohms . Thank you for a fair and balanced review as a new subscriber you won my respect. Jay, most of us are not rich, but I have a good ear for quality and value. The FR5 represents exceptional value and as a proud owner I am enjoying it everyday. Sincerely
Thanks for sharing
Both measurements and listing are important. I don’t know how anyone could say otherwise.
Everyone has an opinion
@ but to say measurements don’t matter at all is pretty harsh, surely most of the expensive speakers you’re listening to do measure well. I’m not into doing measurements myself. But I do count on the speaker engineers to use them when designing a speaker.
@@JR-ho5qm Saying measurements don't matter and calling it stupid is a wild take, especially coming from a reviewer
You may not measure it and not care about measurements but the consistent colouration will prove to be wearing in the longer term especially if your musical tastes are varied. Phase coherence is to do with the psycho acoustic like imaging and sound stage. The point source nature of small speakers is also known and measurable.
Just picked up a set of these to replace my Bowers and Wilkins bookshelves for my computer setup , I'm using them near Field but still miles better than the Bowers. Thanks for bringing these to light Jay , they are truly special especially for their price 😁
Enjoy!
Great that Jay is giving "more affordable" loudspeakers a run, as this is where the vast majority of audiophiles and music lovers live(and we don't have 50 grand plus of amps either. Try mission 770s, these are getting serious love in the UK Jay, they'll be amazing on that set up of yours.
Thanks Jay, I purchased and returned the FR10s earlier this year. Really like them for what they offered (at a discounted price) but wasn't my kind of sound in my room. I really appreciate their generous in-home trial.
Your room is gonna determine how good any speaker is gonna sound . Period .
True
A poor or bad speaker in a good, well treated room will not sound great, period.
@peterw2714 so why would you buy a poor sounding speaker , if you know what's good stick with it .
@@glennmcdonald7673 I don’t know why one would buy a bad speaker (misinformed, ignorant), but according to your statement, it’s all about the room, just setting the record straight.
Room, room, ROOM! I found this out with my Klipsch Forte' 4's. In my main listening space (18x24x8'), I found them difficult to warm up to. Harsh and fatiguing!
Moved upstairs to my living/dining room with throw rug and plushy sofa? TOTALLY DIFFERENT SPEAKER! Pulled nearly 3' feet into the room, 12' feet apart, listening 14' back caused this HUGE change. BIG low end, smooth and balanced presentation. SHOCKED I am, and so, that is where they live now to enjoy.❤
I’m being honest Jay. I’ve never been a fan of this channel or its content. But, this video caught my attention. Jay, I take my hat off to you. A man with the backbone, a man with the forthright BOLLOX to buck the trend. To blow against the wind, to say it as it is and shout it with inner conviction.
I’ve recently had a heated exchange of comments with a fellow RUclips follower of Paul of PS Audio’s channel. This viewer was exceptionally esoteric, elitist and patronising. Telling me my opinion was worthless because I don’t own or use any type of “measuring suite”. My response was that the only suite I needed was my 3 peace suite which I sit on to listen to and enjoy music. My auditory system was more than good enough to determine whether my hi-if’s audio reproduction was accurate enough, musical enough, dynamic enough for me to fully appreciate and enjoy the music it reproduces. As you rightly point out, those attributes can’t be measured by anything other than a pair of good ears.
I know that my comments are likely to ruffle a few esoteric feathers, and there will likely be some negative backlash, but like you Jay, i remain stoic.
Keep up the good work Jay. More content like this would be welcome.
Thank you 🙏
The topic of loudspeaker measurements ends when you see two different speakers with nearly identical measurements sound completely different. While measurements (efficiency, frequency response) can provide general information about a speaker, they don't tell you how it SOUNDS. Period.
Do You realize...YOU and so many of your audio friends are BEING DUPED by those that either lack knowledge of how and what to measure or are quite possibly hucksters just trying to sell what profits them while intentionally blocking products and technologies that show how generally pathetic audio performance so many products are compared to what can be done at a similar or LOWER PRICE
It's crazy to think that measurements don't matter.
It has nothing to do with mental gymnastics. Anyone that says measurements don't matter....just doesn't understand measurements.
Ok
The people who state measurement's don't matter, don't know the first thing about loudspeaker design. You literally need measurements to "PROPERLY" design a loudspeaker, period. Yes, you can "make" a loudspeaker without them but the loudspeaker that was designed based on measurements will sound superior EVERYTIME. There is more to measurements than just FR (Frequency Response) you also have to factor in impedance, phase, BSC, Diffractions, time alignment, Xmax, Fs, etc. All these issues is calculated and then solved through measurements. The fact people just discredit measurements and their importance blows my mind.
? Measurements are super important. Your right, you can't measure somethings but the one you can is how accurate it is!!!!!! That's why it's important. Then you know your speakers are flat, then everything else can make sense. Cmon dude
Reviewers like Erin listen to the speaker and document subject impressions and then do sophisticated measurements with a Klippel and see how the subjective response compares.
This one has problems
You can’t do it
I can’t do it
But some people can
You seem to rationalize bad speaker designs
You have your opinions which are just that and you have a financial incentive to give opinions
Cool 😎
Thanks Jay.
Mentioning needing 250 watts to “wake up” the speakers is a key point in the review.
The final takeaway on how a stand mount can give pause regarding pursuing the Uber expensive shows how one can assemble a speaker system on the cheap, subs included, than can bring things to the table larger designs struggle with. This has been my experience for decades. Plus, a system like this is much easier to live with and move around. Add the subs and high pass the monitors and the game completely changes.
Jay - I really appreciate this review. Nice work man. I for one, would like to see you go up the PS Audio speaker line.
Noted!
@@jaysaudiolab I agree - I would love for you to review the FR30's.
Thank you Jay
Best audio channel out there
Wow, thanks!
Great review Jay
Excellent review. The cons mentioned are insignificant (but they do need power) compared to the pros. If you can, test the PS Audio FR30.
Knowing facts is not a placebo effect!! Facts are facts. Cmon dude
Perhaps expectation bias more accurately describes what Jay is referencing.
Thanks, Jay for keeping it real.
My pleasure
Thanks for sharing Jay
Another great review…thanks for not bending the knee to manufacturer and giving a true honest review that we can trust and we are able to make purchase with confidence. Unlike 90% of the other reviewers on RUclips! You are very knowledgable reviewer…period!
Glad to help
Great review! Awesome that you can experience very expensive hi-fi as a reference and when comparing it to “cheaper” hi-fi you still manage to keep perspective and give us a very objective opinion. It shows that you’re not tainted with just the price tag, but know how to recognize each for what they bring to the table. Respect.
Thanks for watching!
I can promise you that the placebo effect is real especially when you are talking about cables that costs thousands of dollars
😂
@jaysaudiolab 🤣🤣🤣 I've been in this hobby almost 40 years sir and also there is the science 😂😂😂😂
@@burton7023 and what does the science tell us?
Don't worry Jay, the last idiot is yet to be born 😅😅@jaysaudiolab
Thanks that was the most energetic and convincing description of a speaker Ive so far heard awesome.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very good review!! Thanks jays we trust in your signature ✅ 💯 %
I appreciate that!
I would like just to listen to my awesome music and just forget that time is passing by. That’s what I would want in my stereo gear. Then I can concentrate on making my paintings.
Makes sense
As a Muso... from Writing to Mixing (sometimes mastering) , All that matters to me, is a set of monitors that allow a mix that works across many a listeners choice of listening...
Yep... Vibe doesn't cut it.....Sure enjoy a speakers sound stage ect... But Reference Speakers will never sound "Amazing"... And thats the difference... If your listening, (Pun intended) , who cares how good it sounds to you, as long as it does..... But proper Studio monitors , good ones , should be as non coloured as possible.... And yes.. Room treatment means everything....
Basically, some of the prices I see in "Audiophile"market, is just like a car... Like what you want to drive....With prices to match......
A superb and important introductory message about measurements. Thankyou!!!
I agree, some people put way too much importance on measurements. Measurements can go some way to explain what you are hearing, but thats about it.
What if you really love the sound of the speaker/amplifier/DAC but then found out it was not superb measurement wise? Do you buy what you like the sound of and sounds good to your ears? or do you base your purchase on what looks good on a graph?
You will be listening to this purchase with your ears, not through a graph. Buy what you li’e the sound of, regardless of measurement.
Very extensive review! Nicely done Jay, appreciate the sincerity and personal opinion on these FR-5’s! Keep up the awesome work, love the channel! 👏🏽🫡
Thanks a ton!
Hey I argue that volume level on a slow sweep can be heard to some extent by a good portion of people. Only loosely and to taste not a measuring microphone but it can be heard somewhat as the numbers flash past and your listening. I write down 20,30,40,55,70,90 etc on an A4 piece of paper, get the 20-20000hz 2min youtube vid up and listen for if there are any big room boom at like 50hz, muddy hands cupping mouth to shout like midrange at 400hz from crossover issues etc and sibilance harshness (loud and hard sound) at 3-4khz in a speaker with high hz playing midranges giving cone breakup problems. You don't have to be a genius you just have to Feel and listen for volume variance and rate what you hear out of 10 through the sweep and just lightly touch up the issues (usually a light cut, I almost never add). It can help mask up speakers issues. I can't weld great, I don't have the feel there I get it some people won't be able to do it but surely it's not that impossible? Not accurate sure but like partially improving sound?
Great job! How much do you think the upscaled electronics played in assisting the FR5's positive performance? Is it possible that with lesser electronics that their performance might be sub par?
It’s possible with any speaker - not just this one
@jaysaudiolab I agree.
Jay mate, your question about hearing the measurements is a valid one. The answer is (from personal experience) that after measurements were done, and making PEQ adjustments to adjust to match a personal target line you surely hear differences. No placebo, but definitely different. The measurements are done to optimize the speakers to integrate better in the room - to bring the best out of your speaker when its sitting in the room. I don't think people measure "just to measure" unless they have a studio.
Fair enough
Excellent review, Jay! Now I really want to hear what you think of the Borresen X1.
You never know
I enjoy your honest and interesting approach and opinions. While I appreciate that listening to clips via RUclips is fraught with compromises, I was disappointed in the bass definition from these speakers. It might have been plentiful, but was too loose and fluffy for my taste. I was also slightly bothered by the tonality, but that is also a matter of personal taste. Despite that, their overall performance is remarkable for their size and price. Well done Jay.
I appreciate that!
TRUST YOUR YEARS, PEOPLE! 😀
Agreed
"Trust, ... but verify"
Ronald Reagan
there is only one good way, find a good hifi seller and try it at home!and spend a little more on acoustics than on cables.
BRAVO JAY!!! Another fantastic review.
Thanks again!
Good job Jay
First off, I agree that our ears are the best measuring instruments.
With that being said, there are a lot of people who can listen to a system and have the ability to determine peaks or dips at specific frequency ranges. Especially people that have car audio Sound Quality systems. Many of us who have a car audio background tune our own systems, and we learn over time what each frequency range sounds like.
Third, the person involved in measurement/ reviews does work for the government as a rocket scientist, so your comment is very funny. 😁
But as a tool, a microphone and computer can help dial in a system faster, speed up the process, and bring it to a more accurate level for sure.
In conclusion , the fine tuning, I always do by ear and can fix issues that a microphone alone cannot do. There are benefits and cons to both methods. 😊
Thanks Jay as always!! Sounds like these will be great with a pair of Rels in a smaller room, What a great price too!
They are!
Its amazing that bookshelves might be a better option for your room Jay! It is Very interesting I’m looking forward to see more on that.
I think so too!
@@jaysaudiolabit makes me remember of the TADs that you had a listen something like a year ago. That could be an interesting option
The measurement topic was interesting. I recommend room measurement for bass response as needed. That really helps to find optimal placement for the speakers and your listening position to avoid peaks and nulls in bass response. Same goes for subwoofer integration. The human ear and bass below 50hz is shaky at best. Yes you can hear it but no way you can detect the SPL variation.
Great point!
Thanks Jay - all the work you put into this experiment/journey - from "out of the box" all the way to the final listening sessions was really cool - I enjoyed all the "shorts" along the way too - - no doubt the 5's set a very high bar for their asking price - so cool to see and hear them performing with your current set up.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Room and speaker measurements are informative and extremely helpful, but I agree 100% you need to listen and you need to very carefully A-B. You can have placebo you can be mislead but that's true of anything, the measurements show potential problems but the correlation with what you hear isnt good enough to solve any problems. Plenty written about phsyco acoustics and measurements , Mr Toole, Harmon etc. We do listen to everything with 'distortion' and phase in any room, we are clever enough to hear through the room and know and understand the room and prefer to have what we are used to not an anachoic chamber. I like to adjust for some things but usually less is more with EQ and DSP
I’m glad you did this type of review and will be doing more in the future. There are some reviewers with ultra high systems but seem too scared to do something like this and be as honest as you.
The pros and cons are fair and realistic.
Thank you
$4,000 with stands is actually not cheap considering PS Audio sells direct and they’re made in china
Ok
You're talking to a guy that spends $8,000 on pucks to place under the speakers. To him these are dirt cheap.
Jay, nice review and I am impressed that you went this route for a review. More standmounts! My measurements are my ears. Thanks.
Right on!
I totally respect the idea of using your ears to determine the sound of a loudspeaker, especially in your own room, as it will alter the sound a lot. But YES, you CAN judge things like soundstage and imaging by messurements, as long as you have good meassurements and enough of them. If someone is really interessted, I could explain. You cannot messure musicality of course, just because there is no such thing associated with a pure technical device like a loudspeaker. Musicality comes from musicians and I expect a loudspeaker to transfer it as pure as possible to my ears, without destroying it. And THAT then again can be messured. I agree that you can fool yourself by looking at messurements and then listening to the speaker. I do not agree that you have to be a crazy scientist to determain if there are some frequencies missing or boosted. As a mixing and mastering engineer, this is part of my job every day. I am not using equilizers just by guessing, that would be a pain in the ass. And as we are talking about fooling yourself: Loosing deapth in the soundstage by putting speakers closer to the wall is exactly this! Your brain no knows there is a wall just behind your speakers so it must be impossible to have things going on behind that line, right? ;-)
Thank you Jay for a great review! In depth and very practical at the same time!
Glad it was helpful!
Great sharing. Platimon speakers have been receiving very positive reviews. Will be great to hear your opinion about Platimon vs FR5.
I know a guy that could hear I used the wrong crossover frequencies for my bookshelf speakers, and he was right about it. He works on airplane electronics and vintage amplifiers.
Would love to hear your opinion in the future of how these compare to the Magico monitors you just received
Soundstage,imaging and other such descriptions are in the recordings not the speakers or electronics. All we're asking of the equipment is to distort or break up due to excessive volume.
Edit: not distort
Jay, thanks for the review! The biggest con I have about these speakers is that they look CHEAP! If I were to base the price on looks alone I would estimate their worth at around $1,200 not $3,500. It wouldn’t matter how great they sounded or what sonic party trick they could pull off. I’m probably spoiled being that I own a pair of TAD CR1’s with those gorgeous Pammele Sapele wood cabinets.Ahhh…their majesty caresses the eyes and ears.
Where are the times that Jay played music instead of talking. He should take an example in Gregor of Virtual Hifi. Little talk and much soundclips.
Those days are gone. Thanks
"You need to be working for the government" , that's a hot one !
Lol 😂
There's grafic picture that explains what the different things we describe is located on the response, both up and down. And I think most people will pick out.. say 2-3dB.
So I listen, look and measure. Sometimes it's off a little but I don't feel it's bad so I leave it alone (or try for a while and turn it back if I don't notice anything.
I'm running fully active speakers so I can easily iron out the curve flat to the last detail, that however does not sound good when I have tried it.
And yeah, it's convenient for measurements on acoustic treatments and a few other things, it's a tool and nothing more.
I’ve never seen or heard the FR5 in person, that said I completely agree with your comment on fit-finish. Unfortunately it appears common to all PSA Aspen lineup. The FR30 & 20 are spectacular sounding speakers. The fit and finish do not match the sound quality. These would never be allowed in our home due to their fit & finish, looks more like something I’d find with an Ikea tag on them. Paul and Chris MUST improve the cabinet finish if they want to be a serious speaker manufacturer in marketplace
I remember when I really started in this hobby. Was looking for a system for “home theater” for my living room tv. I didn’t want one of those in a box systems. I ended up with psb speakers, front and rear, I assume a center channel, and I can’t remember if I had a sub, and a Sony receiver. I was listening one evening to an episode of Law and Order, and I kept hearing police radios, I thought in the open area of my townhomes. I keep looking out the windows for them. Near the end of the show, I realized it was the sound from the crime scenes on the tv. Has never heard them before on the built in speakers from the tv. After that I was hooked. Later I had a home theater system with Vandersteen speakers, subs, and Theta Digital hardware. The first time I watched master and commander, two of my nieces were with me. We all jumped at the first cannon fire. I’d sit and listen to the Eagles and Pink Floyd for hours on end, it was so moving.
It would be interesting if you could hook up with Danny at GR Research and see if he could send you over a pair of open baffle NX treme, to see what cost no object speakers would do on a half million dollar system.
Hi Jay. Do you have any plans to review any speakers from Legacy Audio in the future?
Nope
Thanks Jay for your thoughtful well spoken opinion.
My pleasure!
Hi great review i just wonder if the stands are really the best option available
I believe so
So maybe you need to pursue the best smaller ones? Sonus faber Guarneri G5? Børresen Acoustics M1?
hi Jay
those are words of wisdom you have spoken, there is a lot of rubbish wisdom in the Audio world. I'm glad you punctured this hot air balloon. I enjoyed your review of these PS FR 5 speakers. thank you for this beautiful journey, and look forward to the sequel.
love from the Netherlands ❤️👍
Thanks for that
Well done Jay - thanks!
Thanks
Speakers measurements should help but never be the absolute way to judge a speaker performance in my opinion. Agree with this 100%
Review the bigger brother of this speaker the bass issue might be fixed
Noted
Yes Jay, measurements it's for beginners in High-end.. My opinion . BR
LOVE it, Jay!!! Cook brother. Cook!!!! 👍⭐️🇺🇸
Right on
All that matters is if you like the speakers or not.
Your ears will determine this one way or the other.
And let's not even get people started on "edge diffraction" craziness...
soo right, Jay you are one of te best . super thanks
You're very welcome
But it must be said that large, powerful speakers scale dynamics very well, which makes the realism even more convincing. And I don't mean just the bass. Additionally, the mass of sound and its physical sensation.
Nicely done sir!
It would be very interesting if you could get some UK made Alchris Audio speakers to try... Just a thought .
Happy listening ans best wishes from Scotland.🏴
Jim🏴🙂
Maybe one day!
100% Jay…preach 💥💥
Thanks 🙏
Myself a new sub ! - But I dig the no Bull-Shite way you come across !! - Thank You
Thanks 🙏
Ignorance is bliss I suppose.
Agree 100 percent. Measurements mean nothing compared to sound stage , depth and musicality!
What is musicality?
If you really want to have a good faith conversation about the pros and cons or measurements, you should reach out to Erins audio corner.
It’s fine. He has his own way of doing things as do I.
Orchard Audio GAN FET 250 wpc amp might be a good compliment for this speaker for around $3k. I’d try it with a tube preamp and I’d go with a good turntable and a decent cartridge. You might be able to skate under $8k for this system.
Audio Engineers and Sound Designers are going to argue that they can hear the difference and often use measuring tools to fix anomalies in a recording. We can discuss if you'd like.
Measurements? Pfft, who needs 'em? Let’s be real: Snooki is an absolute giant towering over Shaq, no question about it. She’s practically looking down on him like she’s scoping out a particularly cute molehill. That’s just basic science-don’t @ me.
And weight scales? Oh, those traitorous little liars. You step on them after a light breakfast and a sip of water, and they have the audacity to say "300 pounds." Uh, no. We are feather-light gazelles, thank you very much. That number is clearly a glitch in the matrix, probably Elon Musk’s fault.
Horsepower? WHO. EVEN. CARES. Forget your Audi RS6 or whatever overhyped rocket ship you’re bragging about. Everyone knows a 60hp Renault is the real king of the road. It’s nimble, efficient, and practically a transformer in disguise. Need to outrun a cheetah? The Renault’s got you. Parallel park in a space so tight even your phone wouldn’t fit? Boom. Renault’s already chilling there. RS6 drivers are just crying in their cupholders.
Honestly, the universe agrees. Measurements are an illusion, and we’re all just living in Snooki’s shadow, revving our Renault engines and telling our scales to take a hike. 🚀
Glad we agree, measurements are a looser's game. Free your mind, ignore measurements.
What's funny to me is how bookshelf speakers on stands are considered to take up less room than fllorstanding speakers; most of which have narrow cabinets these days. Even if the small speakers could float in mid air without stands underneath, defying gravity, what would the area below the bottom of the speakers be useful for? Playing Twister? Floor stretching (laterally inly), or Floor Yoga perhaps? What would be interesting is to compare those with other similarly priced speakers. If any start appearing on the used market for less than 2 thousand, that's where triple and quadruple numbers of people might be able to consider them, budget wise. I think what the world needs is a great under $2,000 speaker. Maybe more can consider them than I think, though. Don't have the statistics myself.
Apparent perceived bass directionality is very unusual. My room had too much bass and annoying bass modes; even with acoustic treatment. The woofer no longer works in my right channel speaker. It's Done! My subwoofer is in front of my left channel speaker, 7 feet to the left of the right speaker; yet my bass sounds like it is coming from the middle or actually slightly closer to the right channel speaker, which has no working woofer any longer. My bass is better and I have the best bass defintion now, and the annoying room peaks in the bass (modes) have disappeared. Something going wrong has resulted in something going "right"
Always great reviews, but some of us use measurements as "part of any equation" if I buy a crate motor (which I have) and no way to "not go by measuring" so I have a mindset to use measurements. Have I ever put an engine in a T-Bird vs a Camaro and they act different? Absolutely and most crate manufacturers will adjust through testing, with that said obviously the room and equipment 100% affect all of it. So I don't think we should discount measurements or actual "feel/sound" as a one size fits all. Plus I have never had a system in totality of $8000+ as my extra $$$ goes into my real hobby, cars 😁 I really enjoy your take and maybe one day closer to retirement or if I get into legal trouble (tickets/car insurance cost) I'll play with higher end audio. #Rockon 🔊🔊🔊🔊